| Author |
Message |
< Music ~ Some dude's random review |
| frogbotfan |
 Posted: Sat Jul 14, 2012 1:49 pm |
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Raisin' a Ruckus
Joined: 16 Jun 2011
Posts: 59
Location: North Carolina
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Got my new album in the mail today and went for a 2.5 mile walk listening once straight through, then another time in shuffle mode. (Obv. I use an old fashioned discman.)
Some impressions:
CARRY ME BACK
Was anyone else reminded of John Denver's "Thank God I'm a Country Boy"?
Solid song. Good to have another Civil War song close to the bicentennial. Did people "cry" when their legs were amputated? No, I think they screamed.
WE DON"T GROW TOBACCO
Arggh! Another tobacco song?! I can't find any sympathy for this theme. I wish no one grew tobacco. Let it perish from the face of the earth.
LEVI
An updatd "Eutaw, Alabama" for a younger generation. Some of the same themes (they're good themes though), but on the whole not as strong a song or as richly detailed as "Eutaw".
BOOTLEGGER'S BOY
Ho hum. We had bootleggers on my dad's farm when I was a kid. It was only exciting when the revenooers came to catch 'em. I don't see bootleggers as hero figures.
STEPPIN' OUT
My favorite on the album because it's closer to jug band and hokum. (I'm allowed to have preferences.) While 'you been steppin' out somebody been easin' in' was well established in the folk/blues tradition before Landry and Hatfield put their spin on it. But it's a very good version.
GENEVIEVE
Reminded me of "Caroline". I liked the rhyme of "queen" and "guillotine."
HALF MILE DOWN.
Yes, occasionally little villages have been flooded to create lakes for recreation and drinking water. On the whole it seems like a good thing to me. These man-made lakes are NEVER a half mile deep. Rear-guard action song.
SEWANEE MOUNTIN CATFIGHT
Not going to increase their following among women. BUt who knows. Full of stereotypes. Don't think I'll listen to this one again.
WAYS OF MAN
Much like "We're All In This Together", but musically less interesting. Similar themes: this life is all there is; we should love one another. (Christian readers note: there is no afterlife, according to the song.)
Summary: A good album, but no new territory was explored. Nothing on this album as good as "My Good Gal" or "We're All In This Together". The ensemble work on the whole is very good. For audio quality I'll have to play it on the sterepg system. On the whole I'm somewhat disappointed.
fbf
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| pittsyltucky |
| Posted: Sat Jul 14, 2012 5:23 pm |
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*Johnny*
Joined: 15 Sep 2006
Posts: 4268
Location: Pigg River District, Pittsylvania County, Virginia
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You lost me on "Tobacco", dude... Opinions, though...
To me it's an awfully personal tune. I like it quick or slow like it was at first. |
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"Johnny get your gun, we'll have a little fun." |
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| cfMC |
| Posted: Sat Jul 14, 2012 6:13 pm |
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Old Crow
Joined: 30 Oct 2005
Posts: 412
Location: SF CA USA
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| I feel Henry John Deutschendorf, Jr. Thank God I'm A Country Boy on Carry Me Back To Virginia too, for sure |
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| lbrod |
| Posted: Sat Jul 14, 2012 9:23 pm |
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*Bloodshot Hot Rod*
Joined: 02 Jul 2008
Posts: 1358
Location: Beneath Pacheco Pass
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"Tobacco" is not a pro smoking song. It is a lamentation about the loss of a way of life for a lot of hard working people. Besides, just listen to Willie sing.
ps - I will thank you to keep your personal politics away from my liberty. |
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| Dan |
| Posted: Sat Jul 14, 2012 9:50 pm |
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Tearin' it Down
Joined: 12 Nov 2005
Posts: 207
Location: Rockland County NY
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I would Concur with You FrogBot, except on Genevieve, Gil Landry poorly puts his most Base Physical animalistic needs ahead of the moral standing of the company he keeps and copulates with. I shant listen to it again. He should be more selective in his choice of mates, if she is, in fact, the worst person he has ever known, despite her performance in " The Sack" as they say, then he should hae nothing further to do with her.
I also concur that Man made Lakes rarely reach the depth of 1/2 mile down, That is just perposterous! A Cheap sentimental device, designed to make you empathize with the "victim" of progress, who's childhood home and memories now lie upon a lake bed that is no more than 300, potentially 400, feet from the surface. |
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| GumboStu |
| Posted: Sat Jul 14, 2012 9:55 pm |
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*Irish Stew*
Joined: 03 Oct 2007
Posts: 3666
Location: Joe's Cornfield
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well apart from the ho hum and the argh i think we have similar responses. It ain't OCMS and It Ain't Big Iron World and it sure as hell ain't any earlier than that. I get the impression you're way more put out by this than I am but hey. I'm disappointed too.
EDIT written n response to frogbot while Dan was going for it |
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Walkin' the line between faith and fear. |
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| Dan |
| Posted: Sat Jul 14, 2012 10:23 pm |
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Tearin' it Down
Joined: 12 Nov 2005
Posts: 207
Location: Rockland County NY
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Gumbstu,
I find your response to be "Ho Hum", in fact, I feel it contributed nothing to the conversation, and all I have to say to you at this juncture is "Fiddle-dee-dee". |
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| therodge |
| Posted: Sat Jul 14, 2012 10:46 pm |
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*Law Dog*
Joined: 17 Oct 2004
Posts: 6602
Location: Nashville, Tennessee
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| Why didn't you post this in the topic already created for 'Carry Me Back'? |
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| The whistle knows my name |
| Posted: Sun Jul 15, 2012 1:01 am |
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Thousandaire
Joined: 21 Apr 2008
Posts: 1143
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Yeah, maybe it'd be a good idea to throw this in with the general Carry Me Back thread.
Quick responses to fbf:
Carry me Back - It's from a soldier's perspective, expect some stoicism.
We Don't Grow Tobacco - It's capturing one aspect of tobacco cultivation and the effects of its loss. Doesn't mean they're throwing their hat in with tobacco corporations any more than they're truly advocating cocaine use.
Levi - Agreed that it shares themes with Big Time, as well as Dylan's George Jackson, haven't lived with it long enough to decide how it levels up with the two, although I like it.
Bootlegger's Boy - The narrator is an anti-hero. He's building up his own mythic status, remember. "I am a brave bootlegger's son". The song's not telling us how to react to that fact.
Steppin' Out - Not a bad one to choose as a favorite. I suspect favorites on this album will be spread out.
Genevieve - It's lovely, isn't it?
1/2 Mile Down - It directly references Watauga Dam, which at its deepest is around 300 ft. I think the point is it might as well be a half mile - might as well be 1000 miles down, for what it's worth. Interesting facts on dams and their environmental and human impact here.
Sewanee Mtn Catfight - Stereotypes? Do places like this actually exist? Now I'm curious. Catchy as heck, anyway.
Ways of Man - Not sure how you came to the conclusion that it's against the afterlife. You could call it humanistic, I suppose. But you could also interpret the "ways of Man" in the biblical sense, with the narrator implicitly suggesting the need for God. No, it's no WAITT, though.
As far as no new ground being covered, I'm not so sure. I think we're still in the pangs of their shift from a principally-covers band to an originals band. It'll be interesting to see the originals-to-traditionals breakdown in their upcoming concerts. They're applying their songwriting skills in new ways (I can't think of any previous originals of theirs like Sewanee, or Steppin' Out, or Genevieve). I guess you could see it as a retreat back to older sounds, or maybe it's just a refocusing, a la Dylan with his acoustic albums in the early 90s. Still, you won't mistake this album for Eutaw. It's new old Old Crow. |
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"That's the whole principle of the Medicine Show ... you put your trust in the medicine, and you don't get beat up." |
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| GumboStu |
| Posted: Sun Jul 15, 2012 4:17 am |
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*Irish Stew*
Joined: 03 Oct 2007
Posts: 3666
Location: Joe's Cornfield
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| I thought this was originally in the Carry me Back thread. |
_________________
Walkin' the line between faith and fear. |
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| pittsyltucky |
| Posted: Sun Jul 15, 2012 5:29 am |
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*Johnny*
Joined: 15 Sep 2006
Posts: 4268
Location: Pigg River District, Pittsylvania County, Virginia
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lbrod wrote: "Tobacco" is not a pro smoking song. It is a lamentation about the loss of a way of life for a lot of hard working people. Besides, just listen to Willie sing.
ps - I will thank you to keep your personal politics away from my liberty.
that's what he said |
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"Johnny get your gun, we'll have a little fun." |
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| frogbotfan |
| Posted: Sun Jul 15, 2012 9:02 am |
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Raisin' a Ruckus
Joined: 16 Jun 2011
Posts: 59
Location: North Carolina
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therodge wrote: Why didn't you post this in the topic already created for 'Carry Me Back'?
I thought that was what I was doing, but it was operator error. Sorry. Could the moderator move it to the main thread? OTOH, my new thread start with the actual release of and reaction to CARRY ME BACK.
fbf |
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| crazyeyes423 |
| Posted: Sun Jul 15, 2012 3:34 pm |
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Tearin' it Down
Joined: 01 Nov 2010
Posts: 216
Location: Carter County TN
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Hey I really like the album. Maybe because I live right between watauga lake and mountain city. Just day feels like something Id hear on the front porch at a neighbors house. I made the statement that it felt like an album that was recorded after Eutaw abd before OCMS. But everyone has their opinion and I'm just sharing mine. I like the album top to bottom.
And I can remember not too long ago someone stated it was quiet around here. LOL Not anymore. Being on the summer tour. Can't wait to are Critter again with the entire group. Yee haw! |
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Oh she had it comin'
Comin' like a fast freight train
Rollin' around with him
Lord knows it had to end
But it didn't have to end this way. |
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| crazyeyes423 |
| Posted: Sun Jul 15, 2012 3:39 pm |
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Tearin' it Down
Joined: 01 Nov 2010
Posts: 216
Location: Carter County TN
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| oh yeah I forgot to state my favorite song from the album is DEFINATELY "We Don't Grow Tobacco". I guess its my favorite because WE REALLY DON"T GROW TOBACCO ROUND HERE NO MORE!!!! |
_________________
Oh she had it comin'
Comin' like a fast freight train
Rollin' around with him
Lord knows it had to end
But it didn't have to end this way. |
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| GumboStu |
| Posted: Sun Jul 15, 2012 3:58 pm |
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*Irish Stew*
Joined: 03 Oct 2007
Posts: 3666
Location: Joe's Cornfield
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frogbotfan wrote:
STEPPIN' OUT
My favorite on the album because it's closer to jug band and hokum. (I'm allowed to have preferences.) While 'you been steppin' out somebody been easin' in' was well established in the folk/blues tradition before Landry and Hatfield put their spin on it. But it's a very good version.
WHat's the reference to Hatfield about? |
_________________
Walkin' the line between faith and fear. |
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| The whistle knows my name |
| Posted: Sun Jul 15, 2012 4:12 pm |
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Thousandaire
Joined: 21 Apr 2008
Posts: 1143
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| Felix Hatfield was in the Kitchen Syncopators. Does that mean the tune is based on one they did? |
_________________
"That's the whole principle of the Medicine Show ... you put your trust in the medicine, and you don't get beat up." |
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| GumboStu |
| Posted: Sun Jul 15, 2012 4:35 pm |
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*Irish Stew*
Joined: 03 Oct 2007
Posts: 3666
Location: Joe's Cornfield
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good memory whistle
it doesn't remind me of a particular Syncopators track but that rag form is used in LOADS of songs (McTell, Blind Boy Fuller, Blind Blake etc etc) so I guess they came up with a new or reworked lyric. Cool I like a good mystery!
frogbot - can you think of a particular blues or folk song that used that steppin' out easin' in line? |
_________________
Walkin' the line between faith and fear. |
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| Dan |
| Posted: Sun Jul 15, 2012 9:37 pm |
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Tearin' it Down
Joined: 12 Nov 2005
Posts: 207
Location: Rockland County NY
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| Gumbo, Buddy Guy "Slippin in'" from the album " Slippin' In" = "While You were stepping out, someone else was slippin' in". It is a familiar line, It would be hard to sight all the places it appeared, you'd have to search the whole history of american music beginning with all songs on the subject of "Backdoor Men"/ "Kid men"/ "Pallets on the Floor"/ "Little rounders who run so fast"/ "Cheatin' Women"/ "Heads of Cabbage that wear hats" ..... It'd be a long search is what I am saying. |
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| GumboStu |
| Posted: Mon Jul 16, 2012 2:42 am |
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*Irish Stew*
Joined: 03 Oct 2007
Posts: 3666
Location: Joe's Cornfield
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| Yep _ I'm familiar with the idea I was just curious if that line had been used before steppin'/Easin' I can't think of a particular example. |
_________________
Walkin' the line between faith and fear. |
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| therodge |
| Posted: Mon Jul 16, 2012 8:35 am |
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*Law Dog*
Joined: 17 Oct 2004
Posts: 6602
Location: Nashville, Tennessee
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My Hometown is two hundred sixty seven feet down
It's two hundred sixty seven feet of water all around, all around
My Hometown is two hundred sixty seven feet down
Songs are poetry. They don't have to be completely literal, post here |
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