Coca-Cola Cowboy: Dan's Comments

Through my explorations in the past few years, I may be about as much of an "expert" in the country music realm as there is in the Coalescence. I feel like I have a pretty good basic understanding of how the music form emerged, evolved, and spun off in its various forms from the early part of the last century to today.

In that view, it does seem that, while maybe not quite as extreme as lumping together a collection and saying "here is rock," it is still quite a genre-alization to grab a variety of songs that sort of span the a good part of the breadth of country. I'm not taking a shot at the song selection approach at all, since I understand there is a unifying theme here, which is Cory's emotional/nostalgic response; but I definitely think the degree to which other CMC members like/dislike Country music can hardly be judged on our reaction to such a small representative sample. Duh, right? Nevertheless, I found myself, while listening to these songs, feeling an intense need to clarify to everybody ("but...but...this is not a good sample of Willie", or "Marty Robbins had a rich and wonderful history of music prior to this collection's late 70s indication that the well was nearly dry").

The other thing I feel kind of obliged to say is that Cory simply has a different approach to song selection and/or apprecation than I do. I almost can't not deconstruct a song and evaluate different musical parts & how they work together; but Cory, for the most part, eliminates any discussion of songs' musicality entirely from his comments. I realize that he's normally from the classic "I know what I like" or "if it sounds good to me, I like it" camp, which is fine & good, and there's definitely evidence of that in comments he makes on others' collections.

But on his own collection, there's almost no discussion whatsoever of what in the songs, musically, trip his trigger. Everything is about personal association. Powerful stuff, these associations. We all have them, and they profoundly influence how we interpret the world around us. It's also fun to read the comments-as some are a funky trip down memory lane and others give us a unique peek into the history of young 'klausky. But once it gets time for us to make our remarks on the collection, we're like astronauts with our oxygen cord snipped off. We're on our own. With no guidelines as to what Cory likes in the songs or what we might listen for, and without any personal associations of our own, we are truly alone. That's fine-I can evaluate these songs devoid of that starting point. But it's something to think about, Cory, in future collections. If there is anything beyond the association, fill us in. It's a good jumping off point for discussion. If you tell us that you used to sing "Rhinestone Cowboy" in the back of a pickup topper with your cousins all the way up to Lake Woebegon, the only way to really respond to that is to say, "Good Lord!"

So now...

1. Good Ole Boys - Waylon Jennings: I love this song! Representing just about everything that was good about the "Outlaw Movement" in the 70s, this song-and for some reason, I'm not having too much of a problem disassociating it with the TV show of which I was a huge fan-has it all: sparse arrangements with a real kick; rollicking, deceptively good musicianship; and a tongue-n-cheek humour to accompany it all. It's so short & sweet. The harmony-how great! And yes, Mixdorf, the "yeah"s, as well as the laugh. Great! I love the funky little responsoral(?) honky tonk piano, the solo, & the fingerpicking. I love it all, and I can't get enough.

2. Poncho and Lefty - Merle Haggard and Willie Nelson: (Gosh, per discussion, shouldn't the two names really be reversed in the billing?) Funny! St. Elsewhere! Wonderful fantastical tale. I love how Lefty ends up in Ohio-kind of unexpected. I know this is a favorite song of the Johnsons, though I'm almost certain they know & prefer the TVZ version. We actually performed this song twice: once at the Daniel Guitarra CD release party and once in a church, which is kind of where you imagine Poncho might have dragged himself into for a little confessional before he drew his final breaths. Though perhaps not in South Minneapolis. Interesting trivia: I transcribed the chords & lyrics myself, and the Johnsons had to inform me that it was "the federales say" rather than "federals always say." Duh! Definitely from a bit of an "overproduced" phase for Willie, which is a far cry from most of what he did up until about 1976, and then again after 1990. I like the song & the version, though perhaps I'm beginning to get a bit sick of it.

3. Till the Rivers All Run Dry - Don Williams: Ah-the gentle giant. Most of, no-all of his songs were gentle offerings, some not boring. This one is pretty nice. The words are rather trite, but he seems such a nice guy, it's very possible they were written from the heart. What is that-just a slide guitar? Kind of a nice effect, but it wears a little thin by the end. I like a couple of times where his voice "leads" the chord progression. Like, he's been spot-on key for the first part of the song, then when he goes to "I know sometimes, you may wonder" at 0:46 or "there's no need for you to wonder" at 1:04 when he's not right on for a second but the music resolves. That sounds really nice and shows, I think, a neat singer's flair.

4. Me & My Uncle: John Denver: I was familar with this song, only because a version by some other guy was set up to play (inexplicably) during unfilled commercial spots during our local Air America radio stream during the Al Franken Show. For, like, 9 months in a row. Jesus, I got sick of it. But Pat & Pat-what's the deal? I get the idea you guys both hate this song because the guy in it is too mean. What the hell? Haven't you ever heard of a narrative? How about the guy in "The Mariner's Revenge Song?" or any one of a number of gunfighter ballads in country. Isn't there a lesson in it all? Anyway, I can kind of get into & appreciate the tale, though the music doesn't do a lot for me. I can see how a live version-listening to one or playing one, might be kind of fun.

5. El Paso City - Marty Robbins: Sigh. This is definitely a low point for Marty Robbins. He's still got the beautiful tone & vibrato in his voice; and the chorus in the song is even a really nice-the "El Paso Ci-teeeee" yodel. He could have even taken an approach-singing about this town still haunting him. But the whole thing about "a singer sang a song" and so on....yuck.

6. Rhinestone Cowboy - Glen Campbell: I have some pretty damned early memories of this song, as well. One of a select few soft rock/pop/70s a.m. adult radio standards that used to accompany my family on trips to Kansas in the mid to late 70s. Me riding in the back of my dad's station wagon listening to "Something," "You Light Up My Life," and this song. And how can you not love this song as a 7 year old boy? It's hard. Fast forward nearly 30 years and how can you not love this song? Not so hard. And-was this said in a phone conversation with Gibbons, or did I imagine it...someone making the statement that this may be the least funky song in the history of the world.

7. Highwayman - The Highwaymen: I still think it's hilarious, Gibbons remark that each singer should be introduced with "ladies and gentlemen," and still think it's almost inexplicable, the denouncement of the "bad lyrics." I can understand some of the oddities that Mixdorf points out as far as anachronisms & odd placement of outlaw & space & so on, but I think there's some good imagery in there as well, in addition to an interesting concept. Also-a wild thing that I touched on in my comments to Mixdorf's post, about the introduction of the topic of reincarnation-it seems an odd fascination with the topic was finding it's way into Willie Nelson's art over a period of years. Witness these odd moments from his 1971 "Yesterday's Wine. I like the song as a whole, anyway. And I respect the fact that Willie has the guts to say "those bastards hung me" even as Charlie Daniels balks from releasing the version of "Devil Went Down to Georgia" with "son of a bitch" in it.

8. Streets of Bakersfield - Dwight Yokam & Buck Owens: OK, this is one guy (Dwight Yokam) I've been meaning to dig into a little more. From everything I've heard, he's been a bright spot of songwriting and arrangement over the past 15 years or so of the basically crappy world of popular country. His traditional style has resulted in him never quite attaining the popularity of some of the bigger, brighter stars of the period, but has ultimately given him more staying power, as there are still those people out there yearning for something that's not an attempt to sell sex, chest-thumping, and pale imitations of shitty 50s rockabilly as "country." I like his voice, twang-included, and the cachaca feel of the accordion; makes you feel like you could be in a catana in Mexico. I also like the harmony. I'm not quite sure what the song's driving at, though. Is this a narrative sort of thing, as though he is walking the streets of some 1800's Bakersfield, or some remark about yuppies & preppies in modern Bakersfield who look at him askance because of his cowboy-hat? For what it's worth, the legendary Buck Owens is among a group of artists, I believe who pioneered something known as the "Bakersfield sound." Though I'm still not sure how that fits in...

9. Folsom Prison Blues - Johnny Cash: I can appreciate the ballsy move of writing & performing this song live in front of Folsom prisoners more than I actually like the song. Words much better than music, in my opinion. I wish we could have gotten that live version here, which is kind of a treat to hear. A seminal moment in the history of pop music, I'd even say.

10. That's the Way Love Goes - Merle Haggard: Boy, I've had a hard time forgiving ole Merle for his infamous Okie from Mukogee-seriously. But he seems to have reconciled himself with the long & shaggy hair types, as well as the stoned-out-of-their-gourd culture, having worked with Willie Nelson on many occasions (indeed, on this collection alone). This particular song is pretty. Kind of bland word-wise, but I like the chord progression and resolve, and his goofy sort of kermity voice works well. I also think the electric guitar lead is really smooth & cool.

11. Ghost Riders (live) - Willie Nelson and Johnny Cash: Gosh, these two guys sound rough here. This couldn't have been long before Johnny died-was it? Definitely some Willie soloing there. What Gibbs said about the cowboy fantasy being kind of cool-right on. I remember the story in this song getting me off as a 10-year old. Music doesn't do a ton for me. Kind of funny-remember the old "musical communication" topic of early 44, Gibbs? It's a fact that some people can "feel" music and talk through their instruments. Some can't. But even as 70-some-odd year old Willie noodles around, seemingly aimless and trailing a half-step beyond the main rhythm section, you know he's feeling something, even if it's high. On the Escalante trip, Cory expressed some concern about the conversation at the end of the song-I think it's hilarious, as you hear Johnny Cash talking about meeting this guy in Jamaica, the guy telling him he was a "worried man," and then Johnny Cash going back home to "write this song." Right then, the CD loops over and Waylon Jennings kicks in with "Good Ole Boys."

Recap? As a cohesive collection, it was really hot & cold for me. Really enjoyed some stuff, but the thing didn't flow for me a heck of a lot. Can't really say much beyond what I have. Thanks, as always, for laying it all on the line, man.

BS: Good Ole Boys
SIWHI: so many...Geez...anything from country? how about somewhat overproduced, and we have found memories: Linda Ronstadt's Blue Bayou.