Category Archives: Singer Songwriter

September 24: Steve Earle released Jerusalem in 2002

Steve_Earle-Jerusalem-Frontal

“I woke up this mornin’ and none of the news was good 
And death machines were rumblin’ ‘cross the ground where Jesus stood 
And the man on my TV told me that it had always been that way 
And there was nothin’ anyone could do or say

And I almost listened to him 
Yeah, I almost lost my mind 
Then I regained my senses again 
And looked into my heart to find

That I believe that one fine day all the children of Abraham 
Will lay down their swords forever in Jerusalem”
– Steve Earle (Jerusalem)

Steve Earle released this “protest album” post 9/11, but contrary to widespread belief it is not a concept album about the tragic events on that date. Yes, there are some songs relating to it, but only three out of eleven (maybe four). There were som controversy when it came out, especially the song John Walker’s Blues were widely discussed and often slated in right wing media. It is not a song that takes sides, it is a song that tells us that an ordinary American kid fell in with the wrong crowd (in this case, the Taliban). Earle make us look at this boy, and he does not say that he is innocent, but he says that he should be treated like a human being despite his faults and despite his guilt. It is a fantastic song.

“…Earle has crafted a vision of America thrown into chaos, where the falling of the World Trade Center towers is just another symbol of a larger malaise which surrounds us. Before its release,Jerusalem already generated no small controversy over the song “John Walker’s Blues,” which tells the tale of “American Taliban” John Walker Lindh as seen through his own eyes. While “John Walker’s Blues” is no more an endorsement of Lindh’s actions than Bruce Springsteen’s “Nebraska” was a tribute to mass-murderer Charles Starkweather, even though it’s one of the album’s strongest songs, if anything, it doesn’t go quite far enough.”
– Mark Demming (allmusic.com)

steve earle bergenfest 2013
photo: alldylan

Steve Earle made a “state of the nation” album, and he is confused and he doesn’t come up with the answers, but he asks the important questions!

He sings about fears in Ashes to Ashes and Conspiracy Theory,  the ever-growing differences between the rich and the poor in Amerika V. 6.0 (The Best We Can Do), desperation of a Mexican man who lost his job in one of the many oppressive, foreign-owned assembly plants in What’s A Simple Man to Do and  the injustice of the American judicial system in The Truth. Earle seems not so angry, but rather sad about the state of things.

He did not make a protest album all through, he has (as always) room for some sweet country ballads on the record. I especially like his duet with Emmylou Harris, I Remember You.

Steve Earle ends the album with a message of  hope, a hope that the answers can be found in peace and forgiveness.

Jerusalem is the bold work of a thinking man and the album is a thought-provoking work of art.

Live @ Palladium, Malmö, Sweden 2009/10/28. Steve Earle do John Walker’s Blues from Jerusalem for the first time on the European leg of his 2009 tour:

Steve Earle Mix 2013
Photo: alldylan

Steve Earle performing Jerusalem(the song) live at Factory Theatre in Sydney on 8 April 2012 (with an incredible intro):

Steve Earle – Jerusalem on Spotify:

– Hallgeir (photos of Steve Earle taken at Bergenfest 2013, Norway)

August 29: Warren Zevon released Sentimental Hygiene in 1987


warren_zevon-sentimental_hygiene(virgin)

“I read things I didn’t know I’d done,
It sounded like a lot of fun.”
– Warren Zevon

“I write each song individually and each one calls for individual musicians, You sit around and wonder who can we get to play a Neil Young solo, and then you realize there`s a good chance you can get Neil himself.”
– Warren Zevon

Warren Zevon fell off the wagon after the release of The Envoy, he waited five years before releasing an album, the pause seemed to have done him good, as Sentimental Hygiene (released 29. August 1987) was one of his strongest albums.

Sentimental Hygiene was my first Warren Zevon record, I have since gotten everything I could find by him and about him, official as well as “un-official” releases, vhs, dvds and books. Warren Zevon has been a favorite of mine since Sentimental Hygiene met my ears.

There are lots of guests on the album, Bob Dylan, David Lindley, Neil Young, Brian Setzer, Don Henley and George Clinton, but the main players here are Peter Buck, Mike Mills, and Bill Berry of R.E.M. (and Michael Stipe also guested on a song…I think). They provide Zevon with a very solid back-up band, he sounds fresh and invigorated through the whole record. Warren Zevon sounded more rock’n roll than in quite a while, and he was introduced to a new audience (me included).

As always he was funny as hell!

Not on Spotify, but here’s a fine collection of songs off the album from YouTube.

Sentimental Hygiene (official video):

Continue reading August 29: Warren Zevon released Sentimental Hygiene in 1987

Today – Steve Earle released Transcendental Blues in 2000 – 13 years ago

transcendental blues cover

“Everybody wants to be somebody’s something
Ain’t nobody wants to be blue”

Transcendental realism: “…is a concept stemming from the philosophy of Immanuel Kant that implies individuals have a perfect understanding of the limitations of their own minds.” (-wikipedia)

Blues: “…refers to the “blue devils”, meaning melancholy and sadness…a depressed mood.” (-wikipedia)

Transcendental Blues:  A philosophy that implies individuals have a perfect understanding of their own sadness and the limitations of their own minds (- me)

“transcendence is about being still enough long enough to know when it’s time to move on.” (- Steve Earle, liner notes)

Transcendental Blues (the song, live ACL):

“…what truly makes this one of Earle’s best records is that he refuses to be pulled down by musical decisions. It’s as if he never faced a problem of whether or not to add this or that instrument, or to veer off in this or that direction. He simply had the idea and went with it.”Ryan Kearny, Pitchfork

Galway Girl – Steve Earle (live 2000):

This is one of Earle’s albums that I play the most (together with El Corazon), it is varied and all the songs are good (some are great).  It sometimes reminds me of Johnny Cash, sometimes of the Beatles at their melancholy best.  He references Harrison’s “Indian-style” music on the first (and second) track, and old-time droning blues on this and other tracks. He dips into celtic/irish folk music and he even touches heartland rock and bluegrass. As I said it’s an eclectic mix.

Steve Earle has a keen ear for melody, and the lyrics are as always good.

Everyone’s in love with youSteve Earle & The Dukes (live, Leno 2000):

And last, but not least, the fantastic song, Over Yonder (Jonathan’s song):

Transcendental Blues (Spotify):

– Hallgeir

Sources: Allmusic, Pitchfork, Liner notes, Wikipedia

Great song – Son of a Rotten Gambler by Chip Taylor

smio-12

This classic song is written by Chip Taylor (aka  James Wesley Voight) and there are several very good recordings. The version above is from Chip Taylor’s fantastic album, Hit Man released in 1996. An album were Taylor revisits many of his best songs. When you have written as many great songs as Taylor has, there are bound to be oversights and omissions, but you owe it to yourself to seek out this great record. Hit Man indeed!

“Son Of A Rotten Gambler” was written for his son, Kristian and it went to the top of the country charts. The song is particularly poignant as it speaks of his other great talent, gambling, that he was doing professionally during a break from his recording career in the early 80’s.

As a gambler, he was one of the foremost thoroughbred horse race handicappers on the East Coast. When Chip Taylor turned his sights on the gaming tables, he quickly gained notoriety with his black jack prowess; finishing third in the World Black Jack Championship in Las Vegas. He became one of the most feared card counters in theU.S and was banned from every casino in Atlantic City.  These stories are known throughout the gambling world and well documented by the I.R.S..

Anne Murray had a hit with the song in 1974, and it is probably the best known version.

Son Of A Rotten Gambler – Anne Murray:

One of my favorite recordings, “Son of a Rotten Gambler” was a huge, huge country record for Anne Murray. But it was the fifth single from her album release, and they quickly buried it because they wanted to release another album for Christmas. Even though they tried to bury it, it became a huge hit. I wrote it for my son. Emmylou Harris has recorded it as well, but Anne’s version gave me chills when I first heard it. It starts out with an organ that you hear in the distance, and it gets louder and louder and louder, and then she comes in and starts to sing. I think it’s one of the best recordings of any of my songs.

– Chip Taylor (to Engine 145)

The Hollies released their version in 1975. A nice interpretation but too much of a  “sing-a-long” anthem for my taste. I think the song loses some of its poignancy.

Son of a Rotten Gambler – The Hollies:

My favourite take of the song, together with Chip Taylors own,  is by Emmylou Harris. Released in 1981 on the wonderful album, Cimarron. This was her 9th album and is often rated lower than her previous records, don’t be fooled, it is better than most country albums.

Son of a Rotten Gambler – Emmylou Harris:

Continue reading Great song – Son of a Rotten Gambler by Chip Taylor

Unreleased – Walls by Ryan Adams

ryan adams 48

The Unreleased series

“Maybe I had something nobody saw, blame it on the wall”

Ryan Adams is fantastic songwriter and musician, maybe he is one of the very few geniuses in the art form. Many reviewers are complaining about his vast output, I’m not, I think his body of work is remarkably high in quality. What is even more remarkable is that much of his songwriting is unavailable to the public. His output could have been double of what his discography tells us. A lot of his recorded material is of equally high quality, and in some cases even higher, than his official albums/songs.

I have more than 2000 Ryan Adams related songs on my hard disk, many of them are unreleased songs in studio quality, it was quite a task to pick one to present to you…

Ryan-Adams-48Hours

In 2001, Ryan Adams made one of the best albums of his career, and never released it. It’s one of my favorite albums and it has never seen the light of day. The name of the album is 48 Hours. It was recorded during a, yes you guessed it, 48 hour intense session. 48 Hours is the stuff og legends. It was recorded shortly after Gold, and it was helmed by multi-instrumentalist Ethan Johns who produced Adams’ Heartbreaker. For reasons unknown, 48 Hours was shelved in favor of Demolition (which does include a few tracks from the session). I love Demolition but 48 Hours is another league.

There are so many good songs on the album, there are at least 5 masterpieces and no fillers.  I should’ve done a post on the whole record, but…

I’ve chosen a country song from 48 Hours as my fifth in the Unreleased series, the song is called Walls:

Great pedal-steel work by Greg Leitz!

I see Walls as a song about looking back at your life, discovering that you maybe should have been more open, it’s about “the walls” between people.

Walls, lyrics:

These are the walls
Walls are emptiness made
Yeah, and this is the storm
Looks like it’s gonna hold
Yeah, nobody knows
Who they are around here anymore
Cigarettes and some beers
Then it’s back in the car to the store

Ain’t it funny how we forgot who we were through the years
Put your fist through the wall cryin’ television tears
Maybe I had something nobody saw
Blame it on the walls

Well the rain’s gonna come
Come and wash away all of our sins
And if the damn doesn’t break
Going to wash it away with some gin
Cause they got money to make
And I’ve always got a reason to go
Sheets don’t move from the bed
My head doesn’t move from the floor

Ain’t it funny how we forgot who we were through the years
Put your fist through the wall cryin’ television tears
Maybe I had something nobody saw
Blame it on the walls

Ain’t it funny how we forgot who we were through the years
Put your fist through the wall cryin’ television tears
Put your fist through the wall cryin’ television tears
Put your fist through the wall cryin’ television tears
Put your fist through the wall cryin’ television tears
Put your fist through the wall cryin’ television tears
Yeah . . . yeah . . . yeah
Oh . . . oh

– Hallgeir

Sources: My own memory and knowledge