RIP Chris Whitley 1960-2005

http://www.billboard.com/bbcom/news/article_display.jsp?vnu_content_id=1001526233

"It's so hard to keep warm now / so easy to get burned."

RIP.

http://s12.yousendit.com/d.aspx?id=35GXRZDDF11PH0X4SPP82D7L5S

There's a dirt floor underneath here
To receive us when changes fail
May this shovel loose your trouble
Let them fall away

Now the mist shall be your blanket
While the moss shall ease your head
As the future soon forgotten
As the dirt shall be your bed

Cause there's a dirt floor underneath here
To receive us when changes fail
May this shovel loose your trouble
Let them fall away

I've been wanting not to collect my thoughts, as though putting that off might somehow make a difference.

CBS/Sony were ready to make him a star; he chose to be a musician. He had the looks. He had the chops. His guitar sound was unmistakeable, furious. When he was on, which was most of the time, he played and sang with such raw intensity that when he stopped playing it wasn't a surprise to find him so sweet and so shy, but a necessity. He had already exposed everything.

He was that kind of bluesman, and the Robert Johnson comparisons were imho warranted. And he did have hellhounds on his trail. The usual hellhounds that have always followed bluesmen and jazzmen. And those times when he was off, you knew they were getting closer. Of all the addictions in this world, for tobacco to be the one that brought him down...

But he was the real deal. Utterly engaged with the tradition, and without a hint of the documentarian reverence that mummifies so much of contemporary "blues" music and its appreciation. Search his Kraftwerk and JAMC covers.

He had virtually no promotional support after 1992, but it seemed as though everyone who saw him on a good night came away ready to carry the banner for him. Including Dave Matthews, who had the striking good sense to sign him when Sony cut him loose. And the Messenger guys, who more or less created that label so he'd have a home.

I'm sad for his family (who have been just astonishingly open-hearted), and for his fans (and the ones who got to spend any time with him I think felt kind of like extended family, because he was that kind of guy despite his demons), and for the loss of his future work, because talents who choose "musician" over "star" are supposed to get to stay relevant until the very end, and supposed to have a chance to make extraordinary records from the nursing home porch.

And he should have too.

1. Living With The Law
2. Kick The Stones
3. Dust Radio
4. God Thing
5. Guns & Dolls
6. Weightless
7. Indian Summer
8. Dirt Floor
9. Ballpeen Hammer
10. Serve You

Search: Living With The Law, Din Of Ecstasy, Rocket House, Dirt Floor, Live At Martyrs', War Crime Blues, Weed.

On Air is fuckin' beautiful.

^^^^ Still bums me out that he's gone.

A little late to praise rogermexico's words upthread but they were clearly from the heart and OTM. Deciding to be a musician instead of a star: the difference between "Living With the Law" and "Din of Ecstasy" is the strongest possible evidence of that. Those valedictory albums "Reiter In" and "Dislocation Blues" are so fine. Think he'd be near the top of my list of musicians who've passed in the 21st century.

8 years... rest in grace CW... a field where we still could run, unlimited stars...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U_slY6VRPLo

would have been 56 today

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ughlBC80Iuc

Been listening to this dude a lot lately for some reason. Great player, good songwriter. I used to have trouble getting past his voice but now I really like it.

Listening to Din of Ecstasy....allmusic review is pretty lukewarm at best, maybe this was perceived as alt-rock trendhopping at the time to ppl who viewed him as blues...but honestly I think this sounds kinda awesome now, his sorta twisted take on roots lead playing almost reminds me of Andy Cohen from Silkworm at times, even though I'm sure the two were unfamiliar w/each other and got there completely different ways

I came across "Living with the Law" moving boxes around and got hooked on that cd a ton. Only ever had Den of Ecstasy which I never really listened to all that much.

This time though I have been really impressed with the live record from 2000 and that album he did with an Australian singer songwriter named Jeff Lang called 'Dislocation Blues' is a slow burner. That record is soooooo good. The sound is real stripped down just the two guitars, the vocals and on some tracks a bass and drummer.

This cover of "Changing of the Guard" I thought was amazing.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oKr6nXJoO2M

I gotta hear it all now.

I just found out recently that my High School Drama teacher was Whitley's cousin. I had been impressed when I saw a couple of his CDs in a supply basket when I put stuff on her desk, and now I know why.