Thanks to Barry for that wonderful blues dissertation... I had totally neglected all of that <g>. I just wanted to close this and say that I guess it's just a matter of my personal taste with that song... there are so many things that make it great and the part in question is what does it most for me. Everytime I hear that, I feel like I'm constantly sliding down from my seat and towards the floor but never quite making it that far (?!). I guess it might do the bass player some good to go back and check out those earlier versions, and hear what I hear (big assumption, I know). Hell, I even think Mr. Earle's version on the Rig Rock CD is to rollicking, but I like it for what it is. It's not that I want every cover I hear to be a cookie cutter version of its original, but it's taking those little things that are already so fascinating to a whole new level that make covers interesting. I think now I'm going to go decide if they did justice to the vocal part or not <g>. As for - alt.country anthem, etc... the chunk of the versions, like Barry points out are the live ones, everyone and their mother does this tune... Gillian Welch and David Rawlings, Paul Burch played it in Meshel's living room (White Train Freightline), I think I heard 5 different versions during Merlefest a few years back... It would take me a while to think of more, but they're out there... And as for Gram, I'm not sure whether or not this song had made it to that wide of audience before he passed on, or if it had even been written for that matter... Back to my studies... ugh... Chad - who feels like chiming in with his rant on why he hates Ann Arbor so much. Maybe in a few months I'll feel better <g>
