Re: Kelly Willis calling the shots
Date: Fri, 2 Apr 1999 09:48:46 -0500 (EST) From: Carl Abraham Zimring [EMAIL PROTECTED] Excerpts from internet.listserv.postcard2: 1-Apr-99 Re: Kelly Willis calling th.. by Will [EMAIL PROTECTED] The song choices are often weak. A couple of the originals are good, but I get to wishing there was a producer there to separate the wheat from the chaff. I disagree. I think she does a great job of interpreting the Nick Drake song, brought a minor Replacements tune to life, and did yet another fine Paul Kelly cover. Add in fine guitar work by Chuck Prophet John Dee Graham and _What I Deserve_ is a lock for my year-end Top 10. I am somewhere in between of these two on my evalution of the entire album but I wanted to bop out of lurker land and say that Willis' cover of "Time Has Told Me" is just incredible to my ears. As a minor Drake fan(atic), I almost always prefer his originals to others but Willis' cover blew me away and made the purchase of an otherwise so-so album worthwhile. I can imagine this cover might contend for my song of the year, but the album will not. FWIW. Bob NP: WCBN (still homesick -- and hash bash is tomorrow)
Query: Jason White and the Subterraneans?
I was curious if anyone out there knows anything about a Cleveland/Nashville performer by the name of Jason White? I saw him last night with a band he called the Subterraneans and found a short snippet on the web about a couple of former bands, the Janglers and the Dying Breed. Evidently, at one time or another, he had a deal with MCA's Velvet Records. Anyway, I could be a critic and complain about his raspy voice and the raggedness of the band, but I thought the songwriting (presumably White's) was exemplary: strong narratives, great imagery, good, economical language, fun hooks and melodies. I was very impressed as were some other folks I talked to. Just wondering if anyone out there had the scoop on this guy. BTW, White was an opener for Fred Eaglesmith, who played a strong set with Willie P, Washboard Hank, and a bass player whose name I forget. I've seen Fred in much better form than last night -- the energy of his show last night was a little strange, perhaps due to all the friends and family of the Subterraneans hanging out and talking (loudly) in a surprisingly unpacked room. But it was still vintage Fred, cracking jokes after a string break, and flooring the room with 'Alcohol Pills.' Bob
P2 web postings? (was Re: majordomo/listproc change in P2?)
Can someone send me offlist the URL for the webpage where P2 is posted? I have all email attachments directed to /dev/null (where they belong), but now I can no longer read P2 after the changes to the listproc. I do still get the digest summary, which is how I'm assuming there's been some marginal discussion on this topic, but no actual messages. thanks. And sorry about the meta-message. Bob NP: Michelle Malone: Beneath the Devil Moon
Re: Buckner, free agent status?
Date: Fri, 12 Feb 1999 15:32:38 EST From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] If you're looking for confirmation, I can tell you that Buckner is indeed the lateset victim of "Unigram" Can I make a request here? As the heads roll, can y'all either post the info on P2 or, if the masses aren't interested, drop me a line offlist? I want to keep tabs on the bloodletting. On this subject, there was an interesting overview of the downsizing/bloodletting going on in Nashville in this week's Nashville Scene, including an article "Art for Sale" by P2's Bill Friskics-Warren. See: http://www.nashscene.com/ and follow the link for this week's cover story. Bob
Re: Live at the Ryman: A visit to the Mother Church (long)
Date: Sun, 17 Jan 1999 13:01:40 -0500 From: "Jon Weisberger" [EMAIL PROTECTED] - Who decides who becomes a member of the Opry and who doesn't? "Opry management" decides who becomes a member; if you manage to pierce that veil, let us know. Ahha! So that's why they can snub Jimmy Martin and no one person gets held accountable. Even more interesting considering that the hierarchy of members and guests is mentioned so frequently during the show, or at least on this one. Not intending to stir up a hornet's nest, but how do I resolve these performers' much-less-than-perfect vocal skills (admitted degraded skills) with the argument that country is medium/genre in which performance skills are central? Well, there's a two-part answer to that, the first part of which is that there are a lot of people in and around country music who complain regularly about the degraded skills of some performers; see, for instance, periodic discussion on bgrass-l (let me observe, too, that a number of the performers - John Conlee being a good example - have their good days and their bad; I have heard him absolutely kill some stuff in the last year or two, and heard some pretty bad performances as well). The second part is that there are some outstanding musicians in the bands, including the house band. Overall, though, I'd say that going to the Opry, or going to see some of these stars, has a lot to do with - well, I'm in a rush, so this bad phrase will have to do - nostalgia, not with the musical quality of all the acts. Hmmm. Can we talk about this one a bit more? (maybe I am entering into more of an discussion than I wanted to?) If I make an admittedly over-simplified summary of some of the debates we've had here in the past, one of arguments has seemed to be: musical proficiency is central to country, especially to a *country* audience (as opposed to say a punk audience). However, here are some folks, enjoying country music -- I don't think anyone would want to argue that the Opry isn't country and the audience a country audience ? -- but that music isn't performed (or at least sung -- I'd agree 100% that the anonymous musicians on stage were crackerkjack) with anything close to perfection. I would readily agree that there might be two country audiences -- an *old* country audience and a *new* country audience, with different expectations from a performance. Or maybe just an Opry country audience? But these differentitions seem to create more problems than they solve? Especially since those audience expectations have evidently evolved over time? I agree with the notion that a large segment of the audience and ther performers are all participating in a form of nostalgia -- that's what makes seeing old men like Porter Wagoner and Bill Anderson so painful as they try to project a long-gone sexual aura (IMHO) -- but it does cut at the heart of the argument that one of the essential expectations of a country audience is near-perfect musicianship. Or am I missing the boat here? -- maybe there are many more people complaining about the performers than were evident after the show Friday? - Do the regular performers keep repeating the same songs and same jokes? Some do, some don't. Watch or listen a few times and you'll figure out which; when you can identify the subject of the "Willie Nelson after taxes" line, you'll be there g. Little Jimmy Dickens. That's one of the lines my neighbor blurted out while Little Jimmy was pausing for comedic effect :) Bob
Live at the Ryman: A visit to the Mother Church (long)
I had a chance to go see The Friday Night Opry last night, which was broadcast live from the Ryman, the first time since 1974 that the Opry had been broadcast from the 'Mother Church of Country Music' as Ralph Emery and a host of other Goo-Goo-Cluster peddling WSM DJs reminded us through the night. I don't much about the Opry. When a friend told me she had a ticket for this show, I agreed to go, without knowing anything about the significance of the event. I mean, I knew the Opry had moved out to Opryland but I thought the trips to the Ryman might be an annual event or something. I had no clue that this was the first live broadcast since the Opry had abandoned downtown. I'll briefly recount the show, then I have some questions at the end that I hope y'all will be able to help me with. The show began with Porter Wagoner in a lavender, rinestoned knit leisure suit, bright fuchsia shirt and a short wide tie. I felt myself sink a little lower in the chair -- a pew -- but Porter hammed it up with crowd, posing for pictures, calling for clapping at the first line of each old star's song, shaking hands and generally keeping all the ladies around where I was sitting giggling for a full 30 minutes. The bluegrassers were the best part of the show to me. Del McCoury Band, Ricky Skaggs, Jim Jesse. Being mostly ignorant of the Opry, and knowing that little bluegrass gets played on commercial country, I was happily surprised to hear bluegrass, cajun, Texas Swing (Charlie Walker) all on the stage with some names from the country past. Del McCoury band was great fun, watching all the members of the band move around the microphone is perfect synchronization. John Berry was announced as a surprise guest and he came out and nailed an accapella rendition of the hymn "Blessed Assurance." The crowd grew hushed, I was sitting in a pew, and it did feel very much like church. I had never heard Berry before but he evidenced a lot of charisma in his short visit. Del Reeves sang a song that reminded me alot of 'Looking at the World through a Windshield' the only song I know of his (thanks to Son Volt). It was something about a Southern Belle (a pun on Southern Bell, the previous name of the phone company here?) Anyway, he did a dialog in the middle of the song and a pretty impressive imitation of Johnny Cash: mannerisms, speaking voice, and singing voice. The crowd ate it up. I see a Del Reeves disk in my future. Recommendation? Vince Gill was the biggest current star on the bill last night. He sang two songs, "Don't Come Cryin' to Me" and a song he introduced as an old song that the crowd went even crazier about. It began with a line about slipping a ring on/off someone's finger. I admit to being pretty ignorant of Gill. I did get "The "Key" back when a few people were raving about it here, but then wondered what all the fuss was about, although I was too chicken to complain. But Gill was spunky, witty and reverent to the traditions of the Opry. He repeatedly mentioned the importance of "real country music." The crowd's biggest response was to a comment he made after saying that he made it a priority to perform at the Opry because it *was* country music. "I performed here 40 times last year, which is more than most of my contemporaries combined." The crowd went ballistic. Anyway, I was impressed enough that I think I'll give "The Key" another chance. All-in-all, it was a fun show, and the kind of once-in-a-lifetime music happening that I was hoping to stumble into when I moved to Nashville. I think I'll consider listening to Opry now on Friday and Saturday nights and see if I remain entertained. Now, a few questions for the listening audience: - Who decides who becomes a member of the Opry and who doesn't? For instance, there was a big deal made of the guests (Daryl Singletary, John Berry, Sherrie somebody from Australia) as opposed to the members. - Can someone tell me something about the Jim Ed Brown? Of all the old timers last night, he seemed to me the one who had weathered the best. His voice was good, smooth, and he carried himself with an undeniable dignity (unlike Bill Anderson and Porter, who seemed to me caricatures of themselves). I vaguely remember Brown on country radio when I was child but nothing concrete immediately comes to mind. Is he someone who's career is worth reviewing? - Although Porter's showmanship was unquestionable, his (and many of the older stars, Jeanne Pruett, Skeeter somebody, John Connally) voice were pretty poor (I certainly heard as many bad notes last night as I have heard at a Freakwater show :). Not intending to stir up a hornet's nest, but how do I resolve these performers' much-less-than-perfect vocal skills (admitted degraded skills) with the argument that country is medium/genre in which performance skills are central? - Do the regular performers keep repeating the same songs and same jokes? I had fun, but I don't think I'd have fun if the
