If three and four was seven only
where would that leave one and two?
If love can be and still be lonely
where does that leave me and you?
When CB sent me this link… it was like listening to something I’ve heard all of my life but I haven’t… a very cool and inviting song and voice. The song Buckskin Stallion Blues was written by Townes Van Zandt.
Jimmie Dale Gilmore grew up in Lubbock, Texas, and moved to Austin in the 1960s. In the 1970s he joined forces with fellow musicians Joe Ely and Butch Hancock to form the influential country-folk band called The Flatlanders. The band was ahead of its time, blending traditional country music with rock and roll elements. They have been playing off and on since 1972…they have had 10 albums and the last one was released in 2021.
He released his solo debut album Fair & Square in 1988. His music has introspective lyrics, and a blend of country, folk, and rock influences. What I’ve heard is authenticity and depth. He has released 9 solo albums with his last one in 2018. But…there is more. He also acted in some movies…he was Smokey in The Big Lebowski and was Reverend Saunders in Parkland. He also has songs on soundtracks.
Mudhoney is a band out of Seattle in the early 90s. I have a friend who really likes them and I have heard some songs by them I really liked. They are often credited as pioneers of the grunge genre and were a prominent part of the Seattle music scene that eventually gave rise to bands like Nirvana, Pearl Jam, and Soundgarden.
This collaboration was unlikely on paper but it worked! The joint EP Buckskin Stallion Blues was released in 1994. Allmusic labeled the style as Alternative Pop/Rock, Alternative/Indie Rock, Garage Punk, Grunge, Country-Folk, and Progressive Country. After listening to it I thought that was a fair assessment. The EP has 5 tracks…2 by Mudhoney alone and the other 3 by Gilmore and Mudhoney.
Buckskin Stallion Blues
heard her sing in tongues of silver
I heard her cry on a summer storm
I loved her, but she did not know it
So I don’t think about her anymore
Now she’s gone, and I can’t believe it
So I don’t think about her anymore
If three and four was seven only
Where would that leave one and two?
If love can be and still be lonely
Where does that leave me and you?
Time there was, and time there will be
Where does that leave me and you?
If I had a buckskin stallion
I’d tame him down and ride away.
If I had a flyin’ schooner
I’d sail into the light of day
If I had your love forever
Sail into the light of day
Pretty songs and pretty places
Places that I’ve never seen
Pretty songs and pretty faces
Tell me what their laughter means
Some look like they’ll cry forever
Tell me what their laughter means.
If I had a buckskin stallion
I’d tame him down and ride away.
If I had a golden galleon
I’d sail into the light of day
If I had your love forever
Sail into the light of day
Discover more from PowerPop... An Eclectic Collection of Pop Culture
Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.
Great post, I don’t listen to a lot of JDG but the standouts seem to be how well he covers a tune. He does a nice job here.
I really would love to browse through CB’s music collection. It continues to amaze me how he finds all these artists. Jimmie Dale Gilmore is yet another guy I had never heard of before. He sounds cool.
This one just felt right as soon as I played it…
We should plan an excursion to meet up with CB. and see his music collection. I have a feeling we’d fine many other treasures there! 🙂
Yes there would be dude!
Hey CB, what say you? 🙂
I say cool. We can all swap music and enjoy a day of listening. The important thing is, what are we going to eat? I’ll bring the baked beans.
How about some ribs and backed beans…I’m there.
Sounds perfect. I’m sure Christian will add to the menu. Look forward to it.
Ha, swapping music sounds cool to me, as do baked beans, CB. We may be making our own music thereafter! 🙂
You and Max laying down some tunes and CB eating it up. Food and music. I’ll be throwing out a few requests.
I like it! 🙂
I want to be part of this meet-up!
You’re in. Of course you’re in. Bring your music bag and a few snacks, maybe a couple cigars.
🙂 Music bag as in a cache of my favorite CDs? I’ll start rolling through my cigars and find some good ones.
Yup. Nothing like good company, good music, good food and a cigar to top it off.
I prefer the second version….only because I’ve heard of Mudhoney 🙂
Yea they changed somewhat for this.
I would never associate this sone with Grunge music, as it sounds more country rock to me.
Yes… it was an odd collaboration…but they played the country great….
Just listening to this EP as I type. Jimmie doing Mudhoney’s ‘Blinding Sun’. So good. Yeah Jimmie can get in your skin and it sounds like he’s got into yours. I grabbed his first solo when he released it and have never looked back. This collaboration was out of left field but it worked. The Flatlanders were and are a different bunch. Joe worked with the Clash and Butch with Richard Lloyd from Television. Gilmore’s vocals have a haunting feel and others stuff coming through. Love the guy.
I struck by his voice right off the bat dude. Then I found out how multitalented he is…I listened to the EP and some of both on their own.
I also like what I heard from the Flatlanders…again in that Texas bubble there is a lot of talent…to spare.
When I first got into Ely, the song credits led me to Hancock and Gilmore. Finding a Flatlanders record back then was hard but I was successful.
Max here’s the first cut I heard Jimmie on. The first Flatlander song I heard. Like you I was instantly taken in. Like I said before the song and music chose me. Apologize for clogging up your take but I’m still on topic.
I like that CB….it has some of the country Byrds, Flying Burrito Brothers, and regular country in it. They mashed it all really well. I heard some last night but not this one…and I loved it.
I read where their first album didn’t get released wide scale until the 90s I believe.
Somehow I found a copy. All this talk makes me realize how long I’ve been listening to these guys. Oh yeah just remembered they have a musical saw on the record. Love that sound.
I do like that sound as well…I had a buddy who could do that…it was better than a electronic sound.
CB it doesn’t surprise me you love this guy. He has a heart-felt tremelo that makes a believer out of me.
The “heart felt tremelo” exactly, plus he’s a pretty cool guy which doesnt hurt. Jimmie making you a believer makes my day.
🙂
That’s a pretty interesting collaboration. It’s not on Spotify. I didn’t know the song either – haven’t heard Van Zandt’s post-1970s work.
Yea I looked for the EP on Spotify but couldn’t find it either.
Odd collaboration, but if you can drag Country towards a Rocky place I’m all for it.
Cool post!
kick.ass Townes is the master lyricist. He knows just how to tune into the secrets of the soul.
“If I had your love forever
Sail into the light of day”
And he means it.
The collaboration works is right. They give just enough twang and the singer honors Townes in the way he sings it. Love it!
They did a really good job of this I think….the song is close to perfect and they do it right.