Image: Woman on Bed by Bob Dylan Critics usually claim Blood on the Tracks is about the break-up of Dylan's first marriage and Jakob Dylan has said that the album is "my parents talking". Despite those sad themes, after his classic 60s records I reckon Blood on the Tracks is the Bob Dylan album most commonly cited as a favourite. It's certainly popular with other artists who are presumably drawn to its rich imagery, great tunes and dense lyrics. I first thought about trying to compile a covers [...]
My buddy Jan posted this on the AltCountryTab.ca forums yesterday and it blew me away. Its possibly the best review I've ever read about anything. He just started his own blog, and I encourage you to check it out here . He is an aficionado of country and folk music, a huge movie fanatic, and a voracious reader. He previously wrote a killer review of a Mark Olson and Gary Louris show in Oslo from December 2008. Here is a reprint of his review of the Tom Russell gig on [...]
Last year I saw Hayes Carll and Tom Russell in fairly quick succession at the Luminaire . Both performed excellent sets; both sang songs about chickens - one a fighting cock, the other of barnyard-to-plate variety. Which got me thinking... MP3: Joe Ely - Gallo Del Cielo I think Joe Ely's version is better known than Tom Russell's original. Like so many Tom Russell songs this is a wonderful evocation of borderline lawlessness. More Joe Ely: official site | Amazon [...]
And as she walks the air grows warm, men stare down from rooms She destroys the hidden line between the wise man and the fool This one's not bad, either: I've seen presidents corrupted, I've seen kings down on their knees Heh, it wasn't revolution - lust was the disease Tom Russell - Black Pearl
Tom Russell and Barrence Whitfield: The Definition of a Fool [rare; but still available here ] Language is a slippery bugger. Because dictionary definitions are easily trumped in realtime by the way people really understand a word's meaning, my favorite professors taught me that you can't talk about a subject until you've defined its terms up front. Here, folksinger Tom Russell and country bluesman Barrence Whitfield -- two men who are not afraid to look a little foolish themselves -- team up [...]
Editor's note: I'd been waiting for the right Facebook music list to arrive that I could grab for this blog, and, lo, it came this past Sunday. It's fitting that it's by Dave's bartender John Yuelkenb... Continue reading "From the Facebooks: John Yuelkenbeck's desert-island playlist" >
" Tom Russell 's not famous, but his songs are. Russell could care less about fame. He's all about strong songs - and his work has been recorded by Johnny Cash, Ian Tyson and k.d. lang among others". So begins an interview with Canwest News Service in advance of a Canadian tour that brings this tremendous artist to Hugh's Room in Toronto next Friday. This native Californian has lived in many countries on several continents and his songs reflect the diverse people he has met along the way who are dealing with day to day [...]
The other day I posted a first batch of songs that had been recorded as tributes to other artists. Originally I planned to just write one post on the theme but when I realised that a Bob Dylan and Woody Guthrie thread ran through so many of the songs, a separate selection seemed justified... MP3: Dan Bern - Talkin' Woody Bob Bruce Dan Blues (live) MP3: Bruce Springsteen - Born in the USA (acoustic) [...]
Last year I saw Hayes Carll and Tom Russell in fairly quick succession at the Luminaire . Both performed excellent sets; both sang songs about chickens - one a fighting cock, the other of barnyard-to-plate variety. Which got me thinking... MP3: Joe Ely - Gallo Del Cielo I think Joe Ely's version is better known than Tom Russell's original. Like so many Tom Russell songs this is a wonderful evocation of borderline lawlessness. More Joe Ely: official site | Amazon [...]
Continuing on my tradition from last year , here is one song representing each team in today's big game. On behalf of the Arizona Cardinals, enjoy this ditty from The Bluegrass Cardinals (personally selected by Kurt Warner himself). It's catchy with a message: The Bluegrass Cardinals - Bring Your Talents ( buy album ) And on behalf of the Pittsburgh Steelers, folkie Tom Russell brings us a gritty song about the Pennsylvania steel industry: Tom Russell - U.S. Steel [...]
Last year I saw Hayes Carll and Tom Russell in fairly quick succession at the Luminaire . Both performed excellent sets; both sang songs about chickens - one a fighting cock, the other of barnyard-to-plate variety. Which got me thinking... MP3: Joe Ely - Gallo Del Cielo I think Joe Ely's version is better known than Tom Russell's original. Like so many Tom Russell songs this is a wonderful evocation of borderline lawlessness. More Joe Ely: official site | Amazon [...]
Last year I saw Hayes Carll and Tom Russell in fairly quick succession at the Luminaire . Both performed excellent sets; both sang songs about chickens - one a fighting cock, the other of barnyard-to-plate variety. Which got me thinking... MP3: Joe Ely - Gallo Del Cielo I think Joe Ely's version is better known than Tom Russell's original. Like so many Tom Russell songs this is a wonderful evocation of borderline lawlessness. More Joe Ely: official site | Amazon [...]
There's so much parental advice offered up out there: wear a jacket when it's chilly, don't pull the dog's tail, broccoli is good for you, never run with a lollipop in your mouth, you need fresh air and exercise, better not cross your eyes or they'll freeze like that, color inside the lines, eating food dropped on the floor is a big no-no – thank goodness there are songs like the lovely and eloquent Scott Miller's (which Nelson posted ) to take us to the crux of the matter. We want our children to be good people... [...]
This cut is from 2001's Borderland. MP3 File yousendit
LET IT POWDER, LET IT POWDER, LET IT POWDER Our snowbelt inhabiting friend, Whiteray over at Echoes In The Wind will find this one amusing: they canceled school today in the greater Portland area because of snow. All TWO INCHES of it! The kids, of course, are ecstatic, bundled up in snow pants and hats and mittens, sliding down the driveway (which actually is pretty steep and slippery). They might luck out tomorrow and miss their last day before winter vacation: the [...]
Veterans Day: The Tom Russell Anthology will be out from Shout! Factory on October 28. The 2 disc set from the American Icon includes two previously unreleased songs and a 24 page booklet with photos and Russell's art. Tom's songs have been covered by the likes of Johnny Cash and Nancy Griffith. Streaming Links: " Out in California " " Who's Gonna Build Your Wall? " Download MP3's: " Out in California " " Who's Gonna Build Your Wall? " Veterans Day: The Tom Russell [...]
The other day I posted a first batch of songs that had been recorded as tributes to other artists. Originally I planned to just write one post on the theme but when I realised that a Bob Dylan and Woody Guthrie thread ran through so many of the songs, a separate selection seemed justified... MP3: Dan Bern - Talkin' Woody Bob Bruce Dan Blues (live) MP3: Bruce Springsteen - Born in the USA (acoustic) [...]
The other day I posted a first batch of songs that had been recorded as tributes to other artists. Originally I planned to just write one post on the theme but when I realised that a Bob Dylan and Woody Guthrie thread ran through so many of the songs, a separate selection seemed justified... MP3: Dan Bern - Talkin' Woody Bob Bruce Dan Blues (live) MP3: Bruce Springsteen - Born in the USA (acoustic) [...]
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