Category Archives: Country

Taking a Walk With Garth Brooks (On my Walkman)

I decided I would get serious about my health so I joined Weight Watchers. Of course with dieting comes exercise and even though I had been trying to avoid it, I realized I would have to be more active. So I took these ridiculously blue shoes

Ridiculously Blue

This monster of a Walkman

Sony Walkman S2

And this used Garth Brooks Tape

Garth Brooks – The Hits

I pull up the hood on my oversized gray hoodie (It makes me feel like Gandalf), and walk out the door.

As soon as I started walking, I realized that The Hits by Garth Brooks is the perfect soundtrack for my walk. I don’t know if it’s because deep down, Garth Brooks is just a Rock and Roll singer or if it is that he knew my neighborhood and made a cassette for it. I don’t enjoy walking out the door, it’s not pain, I just struggle with physical activity, but then Ain’t Goin’ Down (‘Til The Sun Comes Up) comes on and my reticence disappears. How could it not? And as I travel down the road Friends in Low Places comes on and I start to sing. I am aware at that I am wearing a Walkman and no one else can hear the music but I don’t care, I got places to go and songs to sing!!!

The River comes on and I remember my childhood, for some reason we were taught the sign language of this song every year. Of course, the song does lend itself well to anyone with anything going on in their life, whether its issues at home, trouble in relationships, or cancer, The River reminds us that we keep moving with the currant even though we don’t want to, and I continue moving with the currant.

Then I arrive at this cool cemetery in my neighborhood

Ridgeland, MS

And as I walk through the gate I hear the chorus, I’m much too young to feel this damn old. I can’t help but chuckle, I am walking through the cemetery, and I feel old? As I walk through the small road and look at the old and new graves I am forced to keep my mortality in perspective. Someday my body will be laid cold (then heated up shortly when I am cremated) and what is left is the knowledge I pass down. The cemetery reminds me why I work, and the purpose of my work.

I generally leave the cemetery while The Thunder Rolls, and about the time American Honkey-Tonk Bar Association I remember that Garth Brooks and I probably wouldn’t agree about politics, but we don’t have to for me to sing along as I turn the corner toward home. I get home after two slow songs reminding me what I walk toward. If Tomorrow Never Comes and Unanswered Prayers drive me home to my family.

I get home remove my Gandalf hoodie then go on about my day. But there is something simple about carrying my Walkman instead of an mp3 player. It just feels easier. I don’t have to put together a special mix, I don’t have to copy anything to the player (which is more of a hassle than I would have ever thought), and I get to feel the tape in my hand (which makes a bigger deal than you’d think), I get to feel the mechanics begin to move when I push the buttons, it feels, active, to me. I am going through the act of listing to music, not just passively hearing it.

If you know the album you may be asking, what about the B side? Well, good question, that is for tomorrows walk. When I pick up my Walkman tomorrow I will flip the tape being reminded that life is better when I’m not Standing Outside the Fire.

I was Drunk the Day My Mom Got Out of Prison: Why Country Music Still Needs David Allen Coe

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I am not a perfectionist in the the traditional sense, I don’t read these blog posts over and over again to correct grammar or even make sure I have removed all the redundancies, for example, read the opening line. That, however, does not mean I am not finicky, in fact it may just be a different kind of perfectionism. What I mean Is, I work very hard to make sure that my message is clear (even when the messages is “Meh!”).

David Allen Coe: Greatest Hits

My process is a little strange, sometimes these things write themselves and sometimes they are a wrestling match but, I have never been more blocked on a post than when I sat down to write about David Allen Coe. My first version of this post read like an apology for appreciating his music. And if you know anything about his personal life or his beyond questionable taste you might understand my reticence. The problem with my first few drafts of this post was that I was trying to whitewash Coe, however, that brings problems. First, it’s just not honest, second, it is ridiculous to believe in the possibility, David Allen Coe lives down a dark rabbit hole, light may not actually reach that far. Of course, were he to read that I suspect he would laugh call me something inappropriate then tell me through which orifice I can shove his record (after pointing out I must have forgotten he’d been to prison).

But the fact is, his music is too important to overlook, especially for someone like me who purports to like “all kinds” of music. I would even be willing to say that we need musicians like David Allen Coe, because I may have to admit that I don’t care for his personality, he keeps me (and Nashville) honest. There may be no other country artist that understands exile more than David Allen Coe, in fact, he often sings about it. I can’t listen to songs like, You Never Called Me By My Name, or Longhaired Redneck without hearing about a good ‘ol boy system within the good ‘ol boy system.

In You Never Called Me, Coe points out that he fits in a lot better when people think he is Merle Haggard or Waylon Jennings. In Longhaird Redneck He is very clear that DJ’s don’t’ go to his shows, and they seldom like to play his music, though he doesn’t really care, and wouldn’t want it any other way. Coe was never afraid to call out the establishment in Country Music, and his fans loved him for it.

On a side note, he may be the progenitor of the oldest country music joke in the world (What do you get when you play a country song backward?) in You Never Called me, he points out that the best country music songs have to mention Momma, trains, trucks, prison, and being drunk. In fact the song is so catchy I am no longer surprised to hear my 13 year old daughter sing, “I was drunk, the day my momma got out of prison.” The song uses thick sarcasm questioning the repetitive nature of country themes. It me of an Entertainment Weekly article that came out a few years ago pointing out that all the top charted country songs of 2013 utilized the same themes over and over again: trucks, Dirt Roads, begging girls to get into trucks, tight blue jeans, river banks, the sunset, and the good stuff. I can’t imagine Coe would have cared much for bro country.

I could give you a lot of examples but the big question is, would I recommend you listen to David Allen Coe? Yes! Do I recommend you like him? Meh! One of the important things I take from Coe after a few songs is that country is not immune to this classic music establishment that like all other establishments, frames one specific narrative, a shiny one (even if it’s depressing). Even among what is known as Outlaw Country Music David Allen Coe often finds few friends, and even fewer supporters. I would be oversimplifying to say that that we should take the message, “Be yourself,” from Coe because he is generally just being stubborn, but there is something deep happening in his music we need to hear. I wish I could tell you what it was, it would make this post much easier to write.

In the future you will hear about Willie and Waylon but I felt like I had to start with Coe, for some reason it just felt more honest. Believe me, I wanted to start with Merle Haggard, Merle would have been easy to write about. But, why is it more honest to start here? Some people call it piss and vinegar and some say it’s just being stubborn, but I think that anyone who isn’t afraid to call out their establishment even when it can hurt their career is worth a listen. It is something we have to hear, so that when we need to call them out we can stifle our fear.

Because at the end of the day, standing up reminds us what it’s like to be left standing in the rain.

Summer Trips and Record Stores

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Chess Logo – Friday Vinyl

The summer is a difficult time for writing. I assumed it would be easy but alas with my children home from school, trips all over the country, and family trying to make every moment special who has a time or energy to sit down and write. As weeks of not posting pass more records stack-up that would be perfect for a post.The summer is really a great time for collecting vinyl, as long as we are careful and remember that hot cars can damage our children, animals, and records. Let’s just say that my collection has been growing by leaps and bounds. Three weeks ago my family drove up to Memphis, Tennessee to see a show and while there we visited some of my favorite record stores.

Queen, Bill Withers, Yusuf, Simon and Garfunkel, Pink Floyd

I began collecting used vinyl in Memphis, I never bought reissues. I never had to I was never more than 15 minutes from stores dedicated to vinyl records with hundreds at my disposal. While living in Memphis my proclivity toward old things lead me out Saturday mornings to antique shops and my hobbies lead me out to juke joints at night for dancing. Sometimes if my friends weren’t in the mood for live music we would just gather at my friend Amanda’s house do dance. One night I noticed that the music we were dancing to was being played on a turntable. Watching the record spin while dancing blew my mind. I was just beginning to own a vintage look and nothing said vintage like vinyl.

Vinyl reminded me of my childhood, the smell of records, the sound, and the time spent just sitting and listening, actually listening to the music. I was never nervous about setting the needle down on the record, I never assumed I was holding something special, or at least something that would become special. But that story is for another post, this post is about Memphis. Vinyl in Memphis took on an entirely new meaning, it reminded me of the heart of music.

G-Love and Special Sauce

I was spoiled in my early collecting, I had just assumed that every city has at least one record store. Years later when I walked into Morning Bell, I didn’t realize that it was my only real option in Jackson Mississippi. So the first place I stopped at in Memphis with my family was Goner Records. I had never really been a big shopper at Goner while living there, but the anemia of my Jackson options set me on Vinyl binge. I collected a small stack of vinyl that set me back quite a few dollars, then we stopped at Huey’s Midtown for lunch.

Al Green, Check Berry, Johnny Cash

There are a few very important things that make Huey’s Midtown a great place. First the food, voted best burger in Memphis over and over again makes it a clear choice, second, you shoot toothpicks in the ceiling and finally, there is a record store right across the street called Shangri-La, and it truly is like its namesake. Years earlier I bought my favorite Queen Album there for seven dollars, still my favorite album. But today’s post isn’t about the vinyl I bought there years ago but the vinyl I bought there a few weeks ago.

Between Goner and Shangri-La I left with

On 33 1/3

Bill Withers – Menagerie
Cat Stevens – Greatest Hits
Pink Floyd – Wish you were here
Simon and Garfunkel – Bridge Over Troubles Water
Queen – Queen 1 (Self-Titled)

On 45

Johnny Cash –Walk the Line
Check Berry – Maybellene
Al Green –Precious Lord

On New 33 1/3

The Black Keys –Turn Blue

On 33 1/3 10-inch

G-Love and Special Sauce –Blues Music

I decided weeks ago I needed to start buying some 45’s they are generally cheap even though they are often in bad shape. I really just don’t have any. I generally buy based on artist and label. I won’t buy an artist I don’t like but I will buy a song I don’t love if it is an original Sun or Chess record. I have a few 45’s and none in good shape but, still worth owning.

My older child spent plenty of time looking and buying records as well, while the younger one sat on a chair in the corner, bored. I don’t blame her it isn’t her thing, but it was exciting to see another generation want to take the time to enjoy music on vinyl.

Walk the Line

You’re Like a Thorn Tree in the Wind.

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I remember many years ago when I was still in seminary one of my suitemates gave us the news that Johnny Cash had died. That statement did not affect me, in fact, I didn’t know really who Johnny Cash was. Sadly, I was living in Memphis at the time. It wasn’t until years later when Walk the Line was released into theaters that I realized what I had been missing. Some of the shooting was no more than a block from where I was living. It was because that movie came out that I began to find my interest in Cash’s music. The first album I bought was this two disc set released for the movie. I loved it, played it over and over, and I memorized all the words. Thing is, those weren’t the first Cash songs I’d heard. The first was actually for a TV commercial, the song was Hurt.

I knew of Nine Inch Nails, my brother was a big fan, but I really wasn’t so I didn’t understand two important things about this song, first, is was in fact Johnny Cash singing, second, it was by Trent Reznor. When I found out, long after the movie had come out, I was even more in awe of this man who was willing to remake songs that came after him. I was intrigued by a man who loved music so much that he didn’t have to be the greatest, he loved music so much that he was willing to make any good songs, regardless of when or who wrote them.

Just think of my shock when I found out that he had six albums worth of other people’s music. He called these albums American Recordings, today I will be talking about the last one released before his death American IV: The Man Comes Around.

I have to admit that the reason I picked this album was because of the song Hurt. I can’t help it, it is amazing. I am in good company though, Trent Reznor, originally thinking the idea was campy, found the song deeply emotional. The rest of us realized Cash might have just owned this song. I think the song is so powerful because of Cash’s history, because of his life story, a life of hurting himself and others. OK, so maybe he didn’t take it from Reznor, however, he made it something new. Reznor considered the video art, telling one newspaper, that it gave him chills just thinking about it. For me, I really became a Nine Inch Nails fan after this Cash song, because I saw something special, an artist wrote an amazingly personal song that was personal for others. I respect the hell out of Reznor for his gift to music in this song, but sadly I will always prefer Johnny Cash’s version.

Of course, if we were talking to Cash about this album he would probably want to talk about The Man Comes Around. The song that became the album title. One of his last songs written, the entire back half of one album sleeve has a note written by Cash to his listeners talking about why he wrote this song. In the letter he says that he spent more time on this song than any other, and that this song started with a dream where he visits the Queen Elizabeth II. The song is full of Biblical imagery, a lot of stuff from Revelation, and one important line from Job. It tells the story of Death walking amongst us after the apocalypse. This is the first time I have heard the song so I don’t have a lot to say, however, it makes me wonder sometimes if he is using some of this Album to say goodbye.

I love music that is about music, from the title of these albums we can know that these were songs that Johnny Cash thought we should all hear, or maybe just songs he always wanted to sing, but that they are a part of our experience. I know that when I die I hope someone plays his version of Danny Boy at my funeral. Maybe I will leave that to my readers, who knows? Though, that is probably sometime away. Cash isn’t afraid of anyone in this album, he sings Hank Williams, The Eagles, The Beatles, Simon and Garfunkel, even Depeche Mode. He says good bye with the song We’ll Meet Again, it is important to note that Cash’s American experience involves music written by and popularized by British artists. Cash knew that we are best when we are willing to look to the people who do things well, and learn from them. I think that is something we should always remind ourselves. So if you ever get nervous that someone else does something better than you remember that even Johnny Cash hurt himself one day.

And I heard a voice in the midst of the four beasts,
And I looked and behold: a pale horse.
And his name, that sat on him, was Death.
And Hell followed with him.