Music – Page 22 – PowerPop… An Eclectic Collection of Pop Culture

Gillian Welch – Wrecking Ball

I met a lovesick daughter of the San Joaquin
She showed me colors I’d never seen
Drank the bottom out of my canteen
Then left me in the fall
Like a wrecking ball

I was searching around for more singer-songwriters. I’ve heard of her name a lot but didn’t know any songs by her. Smart storytelling against some great music and harmonizing. When I heard her voice and style…I automatically liked it. I use these phrases a lot, but I mean them. Down-to-earth, rootsy, and authentic. I knew I had heard of her and read about her last year on Lisa’s site.

She grew up in Los Angeles, where she was exposed to folk and country music at an early age. She attended UC Santa Cruz and then the Berklee College of Music in Boston, where she met her future collaborator, David Rawlings. She released her debut album, Revival, in 1996. She has 7 studio albums in all right now, with her last one called Woodland, released in 2024.

This song came off of her 4th album, the 2003 Soul Journey. This was written by Welch and her collaborator David Rawlings, as is most of her music. She had usually used sparse recordings up to this point. This one has a full band sound and it works well. The lyrics and music are right up my alley.

Gillian wrote it about her time in college at UC Santa Cruz, where she started playing in bands and did some experimenting with recreational drugs. She was also apparently a Grateful Dead fan as well. The album peaked at #107 on the Billboard Album Charts, #3 on the US Indie Charts, and #65 in the UK in 2003.

Wrecking Ball

Look out boys, ’cause I’m a rollin’ stone
That’s what I was when I first left home
I took every secret that I’d ever known
And headed for the wall
Like a wrecking ball

Started down on the road to sin
Playin’ bass under a pseudonym
The days were rough and it’s all quite dim
But my mind cuts through it all
Like a wrecking ball

Oh, just a little deadhead
Who is watching, who is watching?
I was just a little deadhead
I won a dollar on a scholarship
Well, I got tired and let my average slip
Then I was a farmer in the pogonip
Where the weed that I recall
Was like a wrecking ball

I met a lovesick daughter of the San Joaquin
She showed me colors I’d never seen
Drank the bottom out of my canteen
Then left me in the fall
Like a wrecking ball

Standin’ there, in the morning mist
A Jack and Coke at the end of my wrist
Yes, I remember when first we kissed
Though it was nothing at all
Like a wrecking ball

Hey boys, just a little deadhead
Who’s watching, who’s watching?
I was just a little deadhead
With too much trouble for me to shake
Oh, the weather and the blindin’ ache
Was ridin’ high until the ’89 quake
Hit the Santa Cruz garden mall
Like a wrecking ball

…

Wilco – I Must Be High

I really like this band and many of the bands during this period. Good music and good lyrics…they have it all. This one album is quite different than their later albums. It sounded like a continuation of Tweedy’s former band Uncle Tupelo.

This song was the opening song on their A.M. album released in 1995. Jeff Tweedy and Jay Farrar had creative differences with Uncle Tupelo so they split…Tweedy with Wilco and Farrar with Sun Volt. They both released an album within 5 months of each other.

Wilco was formed in 1994 in Chicago, Illinois, following the breakup of Uncle Tupelo. The band was founded by Jeff Tweedy, along with former Uncle Toledo members John Stirratt, Ken Coomer, and Max Johnston. Over the years, Wilco evolved from an alternative country sound into a more experimental and genre-blending style. After this album, their sound changed from the alt-country sound they had with Uncle Tupelo.

The album wasn’t a commercial success but it would pick up fans through the years. I’ve also added Casino Queen to this post. The two were the first two the band ever recorded as Wilco. All songs on the album were written by Jeff Tweedy. The album peaked at #27 on Billboard’s Top Heatseekers chart.

Jeff Tweedy: We recorded “A.M.” with Brian Paulson at Easley Studios in Memphis. “I Must Be High” is the first take of the first performance that we ever did as Wilco. Maybe that’s noteworthy. We had all been in a band together as Uncle Tupelo, and we played together a little bit just sitting around with acoustic guitars to learn the songs and everything, but the very first tape that we ever rolled as Wilco recording is basically what you hear on that first song on the record. “Casino Queen” on that record would be the other one I’d talk about. My dad asked me to write a song about it—it’s a real riverboat casino. I took my dad to go to the casino one time, and he said, “This could be something you could write a song about.” He basically forced me to do it

Jeff Tweedy: “We had all been in a band together as Uncle Tupelo, and we played together a little bit just sitting around with acoustic guitars to learn the songs and everything, but the very first tape that we ever rolled as Wilco recording is basically what you hear on that first song on the record.”

I Must Be High

You always wanted more time
To do what you
Always wanted to do
Now you got it
And I, I must be high
To say goodbye
Bye bye bye

You never said you needed this
You’re pissed that you missed
The very last kiss
From my lips
And I, I must be high
To say goodbye
Bye bye bye

And you never looked in my eyes
Long enough to find
Any peace of mind
But now you got it, and I
I must be high
To let you say goodbye
I must be high

Bye bye bye
Bye bye bye

…

T-Rex – Baby Boomerang

It seems to me to dreamIs something too wildIn Max’s Kansas CityYou a belladonna child

I like joining in Jim’s Song Lyric Sunday when I can. I wanted to this weekend, and when I saw the subject (a Song that mentions your name), the answer should have been easy…Maxwell’s Silver Hammer. One problem: I don’t like it, and I only post songs I like. I searched around and found many songs that have my name, but this one I really liked.

Now, what was Max’s Kansas City? It was a well-known nightclub, restaurant, and music venue in New York City, located at 213 Park Avenue South. It operated from 1965 to 1981 and became a central meeting hub for artists, musicians, and the counterculture. It was famous for being a meeting place for Andy Warhol’s Factory crowd, the punk rock movement, and early glam rock acts.

This song was on the album The Slider, released in 1972, and was written by Marc Bolan. It was never released as a single, but the album did really well. The album peaked at #4 in the UK, #11 in Canada, and #17 on the Billboard 200. It was their highest charting album in America and Canada.

T. Rex was huge in the UK starting around 1970 but then declined in 1974. They did have a documentary made about them, produced and directed by Ringo Starr, called Born to Boogie. Some have credited Bolan with starting Glam Rock.

He went on to host a musical TV show called Marc, in which he hosted a mix of new and established bands and performed his own songs. Marc’s final show was recorded on September 7, 1977, with special guest David Bowie, who was a friend of Bolan.

Baby Boomerang

Slim lined sheik facedAngel of the nightRiding like a cowboyIn the graveyard of the night

New York witch in the dungeonOf the dayI’m trying to write my novelBut all you do is play

Mince pie dog-eyeEagle on the windI’m searching through this garbageLooking for a friend

Your uncle with an alligatorChained to his legDangles you your freedomThen he offers you his bed

It seems to me to dreamIs something too wildIn Max’s Kansas CityYou a belladonna child

Riding on the highwaysOn the gateways to the southYou’re talking with your bootsAnd you’re walking with your mouth

Baby BoomerangBaby BoomerangYou never spike a personBut you always bang the whole gangThank you ma’am

Son Volt – Drown

I’ve been staying on this Americana kick with some new bands to me….or alt-country…whichever label you wanna use. So many of these great bands started or really hit their stride in the 1990s. The Jayhawks, Uncle Tupelo, Whiskeytown, The Blue Shadows, Wilco, The Old 97s, and many more. Bands to listen to…to forget your problems. No, you will not see a ton of hits with these bands and that is ok with me because they sound so damn good.

When Uncle Tupelo dissolved in 1994, singer Jay Farrar set out to create a new band that would continue blending rock with country influences. This led to the formation of Son Volt, a band that would quickly become a major force in the alt-country movement.

This song was released as a single on their debut album, Trace, in 1995. It peaked at #15 on the Billboard Alternative Chart and #10 on the Billboard Mainstream Rock Charts. The album received critical praise for its songs, authenticity, and raw sound. It peaked at #166 on the Billboard Album Charts and #7 on the Billboard Heatseekers Charts.

Son Volt has continued to perform and record. They have released 11 albums, and their last one was in 2023, named Day of the Doug. Another thing I like about these albums is that they are organic sounding with no big production or tricks.

Drown

Sky cracks open, walls falling to the floorJust as well to keep it, a guessing game in storeYou’re with me now, will be againAll other points in between

And the cruel, cruel morningsHave turned to days of swim or sinkIf living right is easy, what goes wrongYou’re causing it to drown

Didn’t want to turn that wayYou’re causing it to drownDoesn’t make a difference nowYou’re causing it to drown

Silence knows, can’t drown a heartHappenstance is falling through the cracks each dayToo close now to change itFool’s gold is lighter anyway

When in doubt, move on, no need to sort it outYou’re with me now, will be againAll other points in betweenAnd I want to find the right side of you

If living right is easy, what goes wrongYou’re causing it to drownDidn’t want to turn that wayYou’re causing it to drown

Doesn’t make a difference nowYou’re causing it to drownSilence knows, can’t drown a heartWhen in doubt, move on, no need to sort it out

You’re with me now, will be againAll other points in betweenAnd I want to find the right side of youIf living right is easy, what goes wrong

You’re causing it to drownDidn’t want to turn that wayYou’re causing it to drownDoesn’t make a difference now

You’re causing it to drownSilence knows, can’t drown a heart

…

Lucinda Williams – Can’t Let Go

He won’t take me back when I come around
Says he’s sorry then he pulls me out
I got a big chain around my neck
And I’m broken down like a train wreck
Well it’s over I know it but I can’t let go

I was an instant fan when I heard this song. I spent some time figuring out who the hell this lady was. Her vocals and the song really impressed me. The track is so down to earth and real, with the music being as tight as you can get. It came off her breakthrough album, Car Wheels on a Gravel Road. Steve Earle played guitar on the album and helped produce it. I thought this song was a big hit because it was played a lot in Nashville when it was released. When she goes into the lyrics at the top, He won’t take me back when I come around, her voice really kicks in.

The album was produced by Steve Earle and Ray Kennedy. Williams wrote every song on the album except this one. Randy Weeks wrote Can’t Let Go and first recorded it with his band, The Lonesome Strangers, in the late 1980s. The song had a bluesy, rootsy feel but didn’t gain much recognition then. Williams first heard the song performed by Randy Weeks at the Palomino Club in Los Angeles and asked him if she could work it into her own style.

Can’t Let Go won Best Female Rock Vocal Performance. I never really liked awards for things like this…but she deserved this one. The song didn’t chart (Life is not fair), but the album peaked at #65 in the Billboard 200 and #14 in Canadian RPM Country Albums.

Robert Plant and Alison Krauss covered the song on their album Raise the Roof, and their version also received praise. Personally, I like the Williams version the best. It’s hard to beat her vocals. I tried to find a live version, but none of them has the intensity of the studio track, which is odd.

Lucinda Williams: “I was playing Steve Earle’s dobro, which had a really wide neck, and my fingers kinda slipped on it. But the track was so brilliant that everyone went, No, no, it’s great! I agonized over it for weeks and weeks, and they all kept saying, It’s great. But see, there’ve been other things where I’ve gone in and said, ‘I think we should redo this track because it’s not in the pocket or it’s too fast

Can’t Let Go

Told my baby one more time
Don’t make me sit all alone and cry
Well it’s over I know it but I can’t let go
I’m like a fish out of water
A cat in a tree

You don’t even want to talk to me
Well it’s over I know it but I can’t let go
He won’t take me back when I come around

Says he’s sorry then he pulls me out
I got a big chain around my neck
And I’m broken down like a train wreck
Well it’s over I know it but I can’t let go

See I got a candle and it burns so bright

In my window every night
Well it’s over I know but I can’t let go
You don’t like to see me standing around

Feel like I been shot and didn’t fall down
Well it’s over I know it but I can’t let go
He won’t take me back when I come around

Says he’s sorry then he pulls me out
I got a big chain around my neck
And I’m broken down like a train wreck
Well it’s over I know it but I can’t let go

Turn off trouble like you turn off a light

Went off and left me it just ain’t right
Well it’s over I know it but I can’t let go
Round every corner something I see

Bring me right back how it used to be
Well it’s over I know it but I can’t let go
He won’t take me back when I come around

Says he’s sorry then he pulls me out
I got a big chain around my neck
And I’m broken down like a train wreck
Well it’s over I know it but I can’t let go

He won’t take me back when I come around

Says he’s sorry then he pulls me out
I got a big chain around my neck
And I’m broken down like a train wreck
Well it’s over I know it but I can’t let go

It’s over I know it but I can’t let go
It’s over I know it but I can’t let go
It’s over I know it but I can’t let go

Max’s Drive – In Movie – The Seven-Ups…

I’ve had problems posting this so I’ll try one more time.

My cousin Ricky let me borrow this movie because he thought I would like it. He was right. It’s described as a crime, action, mystery, and neo-noir ’70s police movie. I would easily put it in the same category as The French Connection and movies like that. Some of the same techniques and backdrops. It was released in 1973, and you can’t get any more early seventies than this movie.

My uncle was an undercover cop (Fulton was his name) in the ’70s and ’80s, and the movie rings true to some of the stories he told me. In one incident, he was undercover in a restaurant in a drug deal, and someone he knew in real life came up and yelled, “Hey, Fulton!” he had to lay the guy out right there with a punch and pass it off as something else. I never asked if he was still friends with the guy afterward. It was a dangerous job, and black roses were delivered to his doorstep more than once.

Philip D’Antoni directed this film. He had produced The French Connection and Bullit. This was his only director credit to his name. Some think it is a follow-up on Scheider’s character of Buddy from The French Connection. It doesn’t matter because it’s strong either way. The movie is not perfect; it has a few disjointed plot points, but it works well.

It has that grittiness that I love in movies from this period. The realistic feel makes the story so much better because you buy into it. The actors look like everyday people against the backdrop of early 70s New York. When I see some period modern movies try to replicate this look… they usually fail. You won’t find one thing in this movie that is new and shiny. Even the car wash looks grim.

The Seven Ups has all the earmarks of a 70s Cop film. Corruption, rogue cops, and the mafia all rolled up into one. It has that stark, cold landscape feel from the ’70s. You almost want to slip on a jacket while watching. You also have a hell of a car chase that was in many movies at this time, and this one does not disappoint. If you want a real white knuckle car chase, you just have to see the one in this film. You feel like you’re right in the middle of it.

Roy Scheider is Buddy and one of a small group of NYC cops with unusual methods, and they are called The Seven-Ups. One of his partners is murdered, and he sets out to find and kill the thugs who were responsible while at the same time discovering that they’re involved in a plan to kidnap mobsters to extort ransom money.

The movie encompasses all the pitfalls and dangers of police undercover work and the alliances between partners, as well as the relationships and betrayals of informers. The cast is superb, and one of the things that made it even better is none of the actors at the time were big stars. I do like that in some movies because you don’t really associate the actors with other roles. Roy Scheider would soon star in Jaws a couple of years after this movie.

Plot

The movie follows Buddy Manucci (played by Roy Scheider), a tough New York City detective leading an elite undercover police unit called The Seven-Ups—named after their specialty of catching criminals who receive sentences of seven years or more. The unit operates in the shadows, using unorthodox methods to bring down high-level criminals.

However, their investigation into a series of kidnappings involving Mafia figures takes a dark turn when one of their own is killed, leading Manucci on a personal quest for justice.

The full movie

Animals – It’s My Life

The Animals were one of the many British bands I learned through reading about the Beatles. A friend had House of the Rising Sun and I was mesmerized by the lead singer’s voice. Eric Burdon’s voice was huge and commanding. The Animals may have had the hardest edge of any of the British Invasion bands with the exception of the lesser-known Them with Van Morrison.

This song was written by Carl D’Errico and Roger Atkins specifically for The Animals. Eric Burdon didn’t like the song at all but changed a few words and he recorded it. This song starts off with Chad Chandler’s bass line and it sets the tone for the rest of the song. Eric Burdon sounds tough, determined, and cocky through the verses. The song peaked at #23 on the Billboard 100, #7 in the UK, and #2 in Canada in 1965.

They formed in 1963, from the fusion between two rival bands, one headed by bassist Chas Chandler, the other headed by organist Alan Price, stage veteran, former jazz pianist, and disciple of Ray Charles. Eric Burdon, who had played with Price until 1962, was hired as the singer. The Kontours changed their name first to The Alan Price Combo, after adding drummer John Steel, and then to The Animals, after adding guitarist Hilton Valentine.

The original lineup only recorded three albums, yet nevertheless broke out eight Top 40 hits between 1964 and 1966. Alan Price left in 1965, and John Steel the following year. Also in 1966, Chandler left to start managing artists, and he discovered Jimi Hendrix in Greenwich Village. Now a very different group, they were known as Eric Burdon & The Animals and had six additional Top 40 hits before finally disbanding in 1968.

It’s My Life

It’s a hard world to get a break in
All the good things have been taken
But girl there are ways to make certain things pay
Though I’m dressed in these rags, I’ll wear sable some day

Hear what I say
I’m gonna ride the serpent
No more time spent sweatin’ rent
Hear my command
I’m breakin’ loose, it ain’t no use
Holdin’ me down, stick around

But baby (baby)
Remember (remember)
It’s my life and I’ll do what I want
It’s my mind and I’ll think what I want
Show me I’m wrong, hurt me sometime
But some day I’ll treat you real fine

There’ll be women and their fortunes
Who just want to mother orphans
Are you gonna cry, when I’m squeezin’ the rye
Takin’ all I can get, no regrets
When I, openly lie
And leave only money
Believe me honey, that money
Can you believe, I ain’t no saint
No complaints
So girl go out
Hand it out

And baby (baby)
Remember (remember)
It’s my life and I’ll do what I want
It’s my mind and I’ll think what I want
Show me I’m wrong, hurt me sometime
But some day I’ll treat you real fine

(It’s my life and I’ll do what I want) Don’t push me
(It’s my mind and I’ll think what I want) It’s my life
(It’s my life and I’ll do what I want) And I can do what I want
(It’s my mind and I’ll think what I want) You can’t tell me
(It’s my life and I’ll do what I want) I’ll do what I want

Jeff Healey – See The Light

I had another Jeff Healey song already written up called Angel Eyes. I still have it ready to go but then my friend Deke blew those plans all to hell (thanks Deke). He sent me this song by Healey on the Johnny Carson show. I knew Healey was a great guitar player and I say that in my Angel Eyes post that you will see one day…but I never knew he was THIS.

I sent the Carson clip to my friend Ronald. He is a guitar player that I have played with most of my life. He was as blown away as I was. He would be hard to copy because of the way he played.

I’ve heard some of his songs off and on but never really dived into his catalog. This song is the title track from Jeff Healey’s debut album, See the Light, released in 1988. The album broke him through internationally with help of the hit Angel Eyes. The album peaked at #25 in Canada, #22 in the Billboard Album Charts, #17 in New Zealand, and #58 in the UK in 1988.

He lost his sight to retain retinoblastoma as an infant, he was a self-taught guitar player who developed a totally different way of playing the guitar. He used a lap-style approach that allowed him to bend notes in ways few others could. He had so much leverage in fretting the guitar like he did.

Healey was adopted and raised in Toronto, where he developed a passion for music. He formed The Jeff Healey Band in 1985 with Joe Rockman and Tom Stephen. The band gained recognition in Toronto’s blues scene before being discovered by Stevie Ray Vaughan and Albert Collins. He would release 5 albums with The Jeff Healey Band and also played with the Jazz Wizards.

See The Light

Can you see the light,
Can you see the light of need shinin’ in my eye?
Can you see the light,
Can you see the light of need shinin’ in my eye?

Well, you know I need you baby,
And I sure ain’t gonna tell you no lie

Can you see the light,
Can you see the light of want shinin’ on my face?
Can you see the light,
Can you see the light of want shinin’ on my face? hey

Well, you know I want you, mama,
Come on, we’ll get from this place, now
Look out!, yeah!

Can you see the light,
Can you see the light of love shinin’ from my heart?
Can you see the light,
Can you see the light of love shinin’ from my heart?
Yeah

Well, you know I love you, baby,
An’ I sure want to give this thing a start, Lord!
Can you see the light?
Can you see the light?
Can you see the light?, say!
Can you see the light, yeah?

…

Old 97s – Champaign, Illinois

The bottom line’s been snortedThe bottom card’s been dealtNo one knows like you know right nowHow truly bad it felt

Ever since I posted the Canadian band The Blue Shadows I’ve been in an Americana listening mood. I was looking for more alt-country or Americana bands and this one popped up. It’s not one of their singles but as you know…I don’t care about that. I liked its feel and mood right away.

There was something REALLY familiar with this song but I couldn’t put my finger on it but then I found out. While touring through central Illinois, lead singer Rhett Miller began writing new lyrics to familiar melodies during long drives without his guitar. Inspired by a road sign for Champaign, he penned new words to the Bob Dylan song Desolation Row, resulting in this song Champaign, Illinois.

Initially, the band performed the song live but would not record it due to copyright concerns. However, through their manager’s connection with Dylan’s managing team, they obtained Dylan’s approval to release the song, with Miller and Dylan sharing songwriting credits. The song came out in 2010 on The Grand Theatre, Volume One.

The band formed in Dallas, Texas, in 1993. They were a big part of the alt-country genre, blending country, rock, and even punk influences. They are still going strong today. They just released an album last year called American Primitive.

A TRIVIA question. Without searching…can you guess what famous rock band is from Champaign, Illinois?

Champaign, Illinois

The bottom line’s been snortedThe bottom card’s been dealtNo one knows like you know right nowHow truly bad it felt

All your life you wastedOn dreamin’ about the day,Worker bees kill off their queenand carry all her eggs away

Oh and if you die fearin’ GodAnd painfully employedYou will not go to heaven,You’ll go to Champaign, Illinois

Up north in ChicagoWhere booze makes no one blushMemories come back to youIn a double bourbon rush

But memories aren’t all badYeah and neither, my friend, are youthere is an argument there must be some heaven leftfor hearts that are half true

Oh and if you spend your whole lifeDriving horses into TroyYou will not go to heavenYou’ll go to Champaign, Illinois

No you will not go to heavenYou’ll go to Champaign, Illinois

Roll on blacktop highwayIn circles towards the sunSpringfield’s in the distance,and that’s the last big one

After that comes judgment,Yeah and judgment will be swiftYou will be eliminated,But here’s a parting gift:

Oh and if you die fearing GodAnd painfully employedNo you will not go to heavenYou’ll go to Champaign, Illinois

No you will not go to heavenYou’ll go to Champaign, Illinois

…

Tragically Hip – Little Bones

My Canadian friends Deke, Dave, CB, and Randy got me into this band and Deke (check his YouTube channel out) mentioned how he really liked this 1991 album Road Apples. Before I started blogging I only knew The Band, Guess Who, Neil Young, and Rush were from Canada but these guys have filled me in.

I’ve posted a few of their songs but nothing off this album. After listening to them this past year…I don’t understand and wonder why they didn’t explode over here.

The two songs I’ve posted are great. New Orleans Is Sinking (great classic rock sound) and Ahead By A Century. The Tragically Hip is an institution in Canada, and still something of a cult band everywhere else… I love cult bands such as Big Star and The Replacements so that is fine with me but it’s not fair.

This song was inspired by a conversation lead singer Gord Downie had with a cab driver in New Orleans. The driver explained the basics of life and survival, saying something like “you gotta eat—it’s just little bones”, which stuck with Downie. This was their second album and it did great. It peaked at #1 in Canada but failed to chart on the Billboard album chart. The song peaked at #11 in Canada in 1991.

They got their name from Elephant Parts. That was a video by Michael Nesmith (Monkee guitarist) and they heard it in an Elvis Costello song (Town Cryer) also. Gordon Downie said: “There’s one skit in there that is sort [of] like a TV plea: ‘Send some money to the Foundation for the Tragically Hip.’ And that phrase has also appeared in an Elvis Costello song. It crops up every now and again, and it’s just a name that we like.”

They formed in 1984 in Kingston, Ontario. They were together until 2017. They have released 13 studio albums, one live album, one compilation album, two video albums, two extended plays, and a boxed set. In 2017, lead singer Gord Downie passed away.

Little Bones

It gets so sticky down hereBetter butter your cue finger upIt’s the start of another new yearBetter call the newspaper up

Two-fifty for a highballAnd a buck and a half for a beerHappy hour, happy hourHappy hour is here

The long days of Shockley are goneSo is football Kennedy-styleFamous last words taken all wrongWind up on the very same pile

Two-fifty for a decadeAnd a buck and a half for a yearHappy hour, happy hourHappy hour is here

I can cry, beg and whineTo every rebel I findJust to give me a lineI could use to describe

They’d say, “Baby, eat this chicken slowIt’s full of all them little bonesBaby, eat this chicken slowIt’s full of all them little bones”

So regal and decadent hereCoffin-cheaters dance on their gravesMusic all it’s delicate fearIs the only thing that don’t change

Two-fifty for an eyeballAnd a buck and a half for an earHappy hour, happy hourHappy hour is here

Well, nothing’s dead down here, it’s just a little tiredNothing is dead down here, it’s just a little tiredWell, nothing’s dead down here, it’s just a little tiredNothing is dead down here, it’s just a little tired

Oh baby, eat this chicken slowIt’s full of all them little bonesBaby, eat this chicken slowIt’s full of all them little bonesLittle bonesFull of all them little bonesAah, little bones

Omar and The Howlers – Hard Times in the Land of Plenty

These guys don’t mess around. They get straight to the rock in a hurry. Omar Dykes voice is what stands out so much to me. CB sent me some links to these guys…and I enjoyed all of the songs I’ve heard. I also watched an entire live show (it’s only 27 minutes long…check it out!) with them on Austin City Limits. It was outstanding. The name of the band and the title of the song got my attention right away…and was a reason I picked this song as the first song I posted by them. I will do more in the future.

I heard of this one before but I had no clue who did it. I sometimes use the term “working band” and this one works like crazy. They have almost 30 albums under their belt. Their first album Big Leg Beat came out in 1980 and they have been unstoppable since then. They just released an album in 2023 called What’s Buggin’ You.

Omar Dykes wrote Hard Times in the Land of Plenty. It was released back in 1987 (I remember it on our rock station WKDF). The song peaked at #19 on the Billboard Rock Charts and was the title cut to the album. This album broke them through internationally because of the strength of this song.

They were formed in Hattiesburg, Mississippi, in 1973 by lead vocalist and guitarist Omar Dykes. In 1976, the band later moved to Austin, Texas, where they became big in the blues and rock scene. That scene included Stevie Ray Vaughan, Eric Johnson, and The Fabulous Thunderbirds. They toured constantly and built an audience. The rest of the band left shortly after they got to Austin…back to home to Mississippi. Omar retooled the band and shortly after that released his debut album in 1980.

They have released albums on big labels and small…their labels include Amazing, Austin, Columbia, Antone’s, Bullseye Blues, Watermelon, Black Top, Blind Pig, Provogue, Ruf Records, and their current record label, Big Guitar Music. His voice…it has a bit of John Fogerty and Brian Johnson…I love rough-edged voices in rock, pop, or country and Omar fits that perfectly.

Another song, Rattlesnake Shake, by Omar and the Howlers.

Hard Times in the Land of Plenty

Some people have, some people have not;
Some got a little, and some got a lot.
Poor people cryin’ ’cause they ain’t got a dime,
They’re left standin’ in a welfare line…

Hard times in the land of plenty;
Some got it all and the rest… …Ain’t got any.

The taxman says you gotta pay mo’ money;
Ah when you’re already broke, you know that just ain’t funny.
You gotta rob Peter – pay back Paul;
Used ta stand up straight, but now you got to crawl.

Hard times in the land of plenty… (etc.)

Nobody knows you when your money’s gone;
Your future looks dark when your credit’s blown.
You got to hustle to stay alive;
You got to be on top if you wanna survive.

Hard times in the land of plenty;
Some got it all, and the rest…
Hard times in the land of plenty;
Some got it all, and the rest…
…Ain’t got any.

Hard times in the land of plenty

…

Whiskeytown – 16 Days

I got sixteen days / One for every time I’ve gone away
One for every time I should have stayed

I was playing with a drummer in the late 90s, and he asked me if I had ever heard of Whiskeytown. I hadn’t and never really looked for them because it was the 90s and not as easy as it is now. I started to listen to them recently, and I can see why he was a fan. It’s great alt-country/Americana, which fits me fine.

Whiskeytown had one member that you might know. They were an alternative country band from Raleigh, North Carolina. They were active from 1994 to 2000. The band was led by Ryan Adams who played a role in popularizing the alt-country genre in the 1990s. He blended traditional country with rock and indie influences. They fit in well with The Jayhawks and Wilco in that era.

This song is one of their best-known songs. It was from the album Strangers Almanac, released in 1997. Ryan Adams wrote this song and gave a very good vocal performance as well. During this period, the band was plagued by conflicts and multiple lineup changes. Ryan Adams and Caitlin Cary remained the only consistent members.

Adams has also produced albums for Willie Nelson and collaborated with the Counting Crows, Weezer, Norah Jones, America, Minnie Driver, Cowboy Junkies, and Toots & the Maytals. He has written a book of poems, Infinity Blues, and Hello Sunshine, a collection of poems and short stories.

16 Days

I got sixteen daysOne for every time I’ve gone awayOne for every time I should have stayedYou should have worn my wedding ringI got sixteen daysFifteen of those are nightsCan’t sleep when the bed sheet fightsIts way back to your side

The ghost has got me runningThe ghost has got me runningAway from you, away from you, away from you.

I got sixteen daysGot a bible and a rosaryGod, I wish that you were close to meGuess I owe you an apology

I got sixteen daysFifteen of those are nightsCan’t sleep when the bed sheet fightsIts way back to your side

The ghost has got me runningYeah, the ghost has got me runningAway from you, away from you, away from you.

The ghost has got me runningYeah, the ghost has got me runningAway from you, away from you, away

Old tin cups, little paper dollsAll wrapped up, in ribbons, bowed with heartsOld tin cups, and little paper dollsAll wrapped up, in the ribbons of your heart

The ghost has got me runningYeah, the ghost has got me runningAway from you, away from you, away from you.

Sixteen daysI got sixteen daysIt’s like before I hang

…

Timmy Thomas – Why Can’t We Live Together

I was searching around for new/old songs to cover and I ran across this title…I knew it sounded familiar. When I heard it…it took me back. WMAK in Nashville played this a lot when I was a kid. It was like finding a favorite shirt (you know…the one filled with holes but feels perfect?) that you had thought was lost. I didn’t know the artist but now I do. A great soul record from a decade that I think produced some of the best.

Thomas was inspired to write the song after watching news coverage of the Vietnam War and the ongoing unrest in the United States at the time. This song was ahead of its time. it was recorded using only a Lowrey organ, a simple rhythm machine, and Thomas’s vocals.

Thomas grew up in Indiana and went to Lane College in Tennessee to study music. He started his career as a session musician for other artists as a keyboardist. This song was his debut and it was a huge success. The song has been covered 35 times by artists such as Steve Winwood, Santana, Maria Muldaur, John Oats, and Sade to name a few.

This song peaked at #3 on the Billboard 100, #6 in Canada, and #12 in the UK in 1972.

Timmy Thomas: “I had just moved to Miami. And I’ll never forget, I was sitting in the study, because I was getting ready to teach school, higher education… I was sitting in my study, and I heard Walter Cronkite. I’ll never forget this. He said, ‘35,000 Viet Cong died today, 15,000 Americans.’ I said ‘WHAT?! You mean that many mothers’ children died today? In a war that we can’t come to the table and sit down and talk about this, without so many families losing their loved ones?’ I said, ‘Why can’t we live together?'”

“Bing! That light went off. And I started writing it then. ‘No more wars, we want peace in this world, and no matter what color, you’re still my brother.’ And then after that, put it on this little tape, and went to WEBF, which was a local radio station. And they played local artists then… they played it, and the phones lit up. They said ‘Man, who is that?'”

“And I did it as a one-man band! That was my foot playing bass, that was my left-hand playing guitar… Could never believe that as a one-man band, something like that would’ve been played that much. But I do believe that the world was ready to start changing a little bit. And that song made the change.”

Here is Steve Winwood and Sanata covering the song.

Why Can’t We Live Together

Tell me why, tell me why, tell me why
Why can’t we live together
Tell me why, tell me why
Why can’t we live together

Everybody wants to live together
Why can’t we be together

No more war, no more war, no more war
Just a little peace
No more war, no more war
All we want is some peace in this world

Everybody wants to live together
Why can’t we be together

No matter, no matter what color
You are still my brother
I said no matter, no matter what color
You are still my brother

Everybody wants to live together
Why can’t we be together

Everybody wants to live
Everybody’s got to be together

Everybody wants to live
Everybody’s going to be together

Everybody’s got to be together
Everybody wants to be together

I said no matter, no matter what color
You’re still my brother
I said no matter, no matter what color
You’re still my brother

Everybody wants to live together
Why can’t we be together

Gotta live together
Together

…

Boomtown Rats – Diamond Smiles

I’ve heard of this band a lot and liked I Don’t Like Mondays but I never knew much about them. CB sent me a few links and I really like what I’ve heard. I hear a good mixture of Pub Rock, New Wave, and Punk. They kept that edge of punk and had a great sound. The more I hear from this UK late seventies era the more I like it. With this band, the sound they had on recordings was huge.

They are an Irish rock band that formed in Dun Laoghaire, Dublin, Ireland, in 1975. They were formed by Bob Geldof, Garry Roberts, Gerry Cott, Pete Briquette, Johnnie Fingers, and Simon Crowe. They were influenced by pub rock and punk and they played their first gig in 1975. Originally, they used the name The Nightlife Thugs. The name “The Boomtown Rats” comes from a gang of down-and-out boys from Woody Guthrie’s autobiography Bound for Glory.

This song was on their album The Fine Art of Surfacing. It was the follow-up single to their biggest hit, “I Don’t Like Mondays.” Bob Geldof said he wrote the lyrics as a critique of superficiality, wealth, and the emptiness of high society life. The song has dynamics that build up from the start.

The songs on this album sound so fresh and alive. That could be because they were produced by Robert John Mutt Lange who would soon produce AC/DC’s Back In Black. The song peaked at #13 in the UK in 1979. The album peaked at #7 in the UK, #10 in New Zealand, #6 in Canada, and #73 on the Billboard Album Charts.

They disbanded in 1986 following a charity concert in Ireland. Most of the band members moved on to solo projects or new bands. They reformed in 2013 going on tour again and released a new best of album Back to Boomtown : Classic Rats Hits which includes two new recorded songs.

Diamon Smiles

“Traffic’s wild tonight”Diamond smiles her cocktail smile.Tonight she’s in heavy disquise.She looks at her wrist to clock the passing time.

“Weather’s mild tonight”She wonders do they notice her eyes,She wonders will her glamour survive,And can they see she’s going down a third time.

Everybody tries,It’s Dale Carnegie gone wild,But Barbara Cartland’s childlong ago perfected the motionless glide.

In the low voltage noise,Diamond seems so sure and so poisedShe shimmers for the bright young boys,And laugh’s “Love is for others, but me it destroys”

The girl in the cakeJumped out too soon by mistake,Somebody said the whole things half bakedAnd Diamond lifts her glass and says “cheers”

She stands to the sideThere’s no more to this than meets the eye,Everybody drinks Martini dry,And talks about clothes and the latest styles.

They said she did itWith grace.They said she did itWith style.They said she did it allBefore she diedOh NoI remember Diamond’s smile

Nobody saw her go,They said they should have noticed‘cos her dress was cut so low.Well it only goes to showHa, ha, how many real men any of us know.

She went up the stairs,Stood up on the vanity chair,Tied her lame belt around the chandelier,And went out kicking at the perfumed air.

They said she did itWith grace.They said she did itWith style.They said she did it allBefore she diedOh NoI remember Diamond’s smile

…

Blue Shadows – Deliver Me

I love finding new/old music and this band I like a lot. Warren was commenting last weekend and mentioned this band. If I had heard of them before I had forgotten about it. Their sound is right up my alley and I liked it right away. I hear a strong Everly Brothers and Country Byrds with this band. The harmonizing sounds wonderful along with the Rickenbacker jangly guitar. As with my other post today…the hardest part was picking a song because so many are that good.

When Warren mentioned that Billy Cowsill formed the band with Jeffrey Hatcher…it didn’t hit me where I saw that name before. Billy owsill had previously been a member of the 1960s pop group The Cowsills. After hearing the Blue Shadows…I would have never made that connection. Hatcher had been the singer for Jeffrey Hatcher & The Big Beat before joining Cowsill.

They were a Canadian country-rock band formed in Vancouver, British Columbia in 1992. They had the complete package of harmonies, songwriting, and their blend of country and rock. Many critics drew comparisons to The Everly Brothers and Graham Parsons.

This song is from The Blue Shadows’ debut album, On the Floor of Heaven released in 1993. The band would go on to release 2 albums in total. Their second album Lucky To Me was released in 1995. The band broke up in 1996, partly due to Cowsill’s declining health and a lack of major commercial success. Billy Cowsill passed away in 2006 with various health issues.

Here are the Blue Shadows outside of the recording studio in Vancouver in 1993.

Deliver Me

Driving at midnight and the moon is
Looking right at me
I can feel it settling down on me
Over me
Come deliver me from this night
When I left you standing so alone
Then I started wondering
But I don’t mind saying it now
Oh please come to me
Come deliver me from this night
Ahh that love we had found
Well we drove it underground
Deliver me
This canyon’s on fire now
And I’m wondering
How much longer will it be
Till it comes tumbling down
Over me
Come deliver me from this night
Ahh that love we had found
Well we drove it underground
Deliver me
Yeah all that love we had found
Well we drove it underground
Deliver us from our yesterdays
Hold us together if it can’t be done
Deliver us from all that might be
If we get what we think we want
Ahh deliver me
Driving at midnight and the moon is still
Looking right at me
I can feel it settling down on me
Over me
Come deliver me from this night
Ahh that love we had found
Well we drove it underground
Deliver me
Oh please deliver me
Come on now deliver me
Come on now deliver me
Deliver me from this night
Deliver me
Deliver me
Come on come on come on now deliver me
From this night
Deliver me
Come on, come on deliver me
From this night