the Sturgill Simpson c/d

i guess i go so deep with waylon -- i think i have every LP of his, at least up until the late 80s -- that i forget about the whole outlaw thing, which is really not a huge part of his oeuvre all told, even if it defined his public persona for a lot of people.

watch this and see if you don't love it -- his singing, the drumming, his minimalist guitar solo, everything:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E1-_cZoUOEE

(that's from the pre-outlaw period, before he grew a beard, obv.)

want this list

― man alive, Wednesday, December 31, 2014 10:23 PM (5 minutes ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink

Laura Cantrell
Brandy Clark
(Drive-By Truckers)
Merle Haggard
(Jason Isbell)
Miranda Lambert
Ashley Monroe
Kacey Musgraves
Willie Nelson
Brad Paisley
Angaleena Presley
Billy Joe Shaver
(Lucinda Williams)

I don't get a dudebro vibe from him at all, if anything there's sort of a jam band thing going on at times.

― Josh in Chicago, Wednesday, December 31, 2014 10:17 PM (11 minutes ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink

That's exactly what, or who, I meant by dudebro. Perhaps I've misunderstand the term.

last track on metamodern is fucking brilliant

i'm a little amazed that a country fan can dislike waylon's voice (see benbbag above), but i have enough non-acquired tastes to give it a pass, i suppose. (btw christgau didn't like waylon's voice much either.) but i think waylon's voice is a thing of beauty, and as much as i love strugill simpson, he can't (yet) approach it in subtlety and flexibility.

― I dunno. (amateurist), Wednesday, December 31, 2014 10:40 PM (Yesterday) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink

I don't dislike Waylon's voice, I just don't have a particular like for it, even as I've recognized or even admired its fine quality at times. There's something a bit too good old boy-ish in its mix of basso, molasses, and, perhaps crucially, certainty that sets off my regional prejudice along with political suspicions in a way that the more wavering John Anderson's, say, does not. I mean, I find Randy Travis' politics pretty offensive, but I don't find them suggested much by the sound of his voice, which I sometimes love.

(and that was supposed to be "I" misunderstand, or I've "misunderstood," up there)

You are the worst poster

voices dont have political properties

My comments from the Nashville Scene ballot (album kept growing on me, though not quickly enough to make Top Ten; def an Hon. Mention though)

Sturgill Simpson, Metamodern Sounds In Country Music: the only really weird thing about this famously “weird” album: his herky-jerk delivery of the reviewer-bait lines, minus words he’s dropped along the way. The ones that get through (I envy him any encounters with those aliens who “cut away the pain”) are even more appreciated than they would be if we could take said delivery for granted---especially because I keep glimpsing a basic/potential resemblence to Waylon Jennings singing Billy Joe Shaver (who can also write assertively quirky; does it lots, dang it).Perhaps this tendency is what he’s resisting, although it works great when he lets it flow over that “Long White Line.” He lets himself fall between the Waylon and the herky[jerk cadences, settles down like a tired old dog, but quite clearly conveys points about the “Voices” that won’t leave him alone, but “ain’t got nothin’ to say.” Could be the “they” who say say so much received wisdumb to everyone all the time, in the media, way down deep like the stronium-90 in post-WWII mother’s milk, all over the world (hence the title of Captain Beefheart’s album Safe As Milk). And/or the voices that Brian Wilson has also said he’s learned to ignore. It’s a fine song.
The herky-jerk itself becomes meta on “The Promise,” as Simpson huddles defensively/doggedly in your gaze, while trying to declare his intensions, before a climatic outburst: “WHAT AH’M TRYIN’ TO SAY---”, and he says it, yay. This leads to more sympathetic listening, as far as I’m concerned: professional performers are often isolated figures, and country artists in particular often have to go through some kind of careful (if not palpably torturous) process to sell anything oh so different. Psychedelic insights/experiences, if any, would seem especially hard to bring into the spotlight: you know it’s likely to sound like bullshit to most folks, and just a novelty buzz (good bullshit) to others. Which would also explain some of the tension, the reluctant pushme-pullyou in his vocal phrasing.
But the most unabashed, still somewhut humble psych offering, “It Wasn’t All Flowers,” is so good that it makes some sense for him not to deliver more like this, ‘cos like I said before , we might take it for granted. (On my copy, he immediately reverts to a look awaaay back over “Panbowl,” though not for nostalgic bliss, but more a sense of who, what and where now seem gone forever---the why of it is missing too, unless maybe that’s in the rest of the album?). Just speculative notes, still being made. Ready for his next, too.

xpost some of 'em have political properties to some ears: Greg Tate's written about getting creeped out (vs. critical appreciation) by Sinatra's voice, ditto Gary Giddens by Hoagy Carmichael's voice, despite loving, say, Sonny Rollins' version of "Skylark," and other covers of HC songs.

In both cases, has to do with old schools of racism (although Sinatra was liberal when that was risky for a young singer-actor, McCarthyism-wise, the New Joisey Italian sound reminded Tate of some early encounters/associations...) (Hoagy made Giddens think of an old dude in a rocking chair, waiting for his fellow Klansman to come moseying through the winter corn, on the way to this evenin's get-together)

I can't explain why Jennings' outlaw material comes off posturing in ways that Haggard and to a lesser extent Cash's doesn't. Certainly he's written fine material. But he's not weird enough to record reactionary plaints, dry love songs, kitschy love songs, all on one album -- and inhabit them like Hag. It's possible I've listened to the wrong albums.

Because Jennings as outlaw essentially was posturing? Playing a character, playing dress-up, etc. Willie just lets his freak flag fly. Merle, like Cash, essentially is (was) himself. But that whole outlaw movement thing, it's like this period where a whole bunch of real characters started playing fake characters. Granted, the likes of Hank Jr. was much worse at this.

I'm confused. What are we defining as outlaw material? My favorite of Waylon's outlaw material are the love songs, like Dreaming my Dreams with You, Wurlitzer Prize, Amanda, etc. He's a great stubborn wallower. I would say he really inhabits these songs.

"Wurlitzer Prize" is lovely, agreed

Uh how is Willie's transformation from suit wearing brylcreemned Nashville dude to hippie any more or less authentic than Waylon? Waylon rules y'all crazy

Yup. He did write a song about how that outlaw thing done got outta hand iirc

Also he covered Norwegian Wood in the mid 60s, and "Nashville Bum" feels like the first articulation of the "too badass for Nashville" thing that really fueled the outlaw scene, which frankly I guess I see Hag as his own man and not really apart of outlaw proper, though not to say he wasn't influential and IMO is the best country artist ever

Waylon was sly and funny in a way his fellow outlaws werent (mostly)

Waylon also more genuinely rooted in rock than the rest

I'm confused. What are we defining as outlaw material? My favorite of Waylon's outlaw material are the love songs, like Dreaming my Dreams with You, Wurlitzer Prize, Amanda, etc. He's a great stubborn wallower. I would say he really inhabits these songs.

― Heez, Friday, January 2, 2015 9:12 AM (35 minutes ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink
Yep. that's the basic appeal, and as for the capital o Outlaw bit, let's remember that WJ's "Don't You Think This Outlaw Bit Has Got Out of Hand" is one of his best, ditto "Are You Sure Hank Done It This Way": his signature take much more about the drive-by humor than any macho posturing---and when it comes to love songs, yeah, "a great stubborn wallower," which is in Sturgill too: something that can be abject, but assertive too, come hell and high water. Wounded macho mebbe, and why they both can sound a bit gutshot, so outlaw in that sense. So a lot of it comes down to how you hear his voice, which can seem way less agile than Willie's, for instance, but they make a pretty interesting duo.
Also, I seem to recall somebody, maybe Jennings' buddy Dave Hickey, writing back in the mid-70s that Waylon seemed very dubious about the proposed outlaw hype, a country parallel to the Southern Rock bandwagon (which, for that matter, Gregg Allman later said he found disconcerting: "I thought all rock was basically Southern.") And see Hickey's overview of Waylon's life and take on same, "His Mickey Mouse Ways":
http://www.texasmonthly.com/contributor/davehickey

And merle - did he go through the nashville grinder machine like the rest? Always seen him as part of the bigger bakersfield scene.

Waylon was sly and funny in a way his fellow outlaws werent (mostly)

― Οὖτις

Merle, bro

Idk in some ways I kinda wanna say if they werent on the outlaws album then they werent part of it tbh. Merle is great but he's a different thing

Yeah, he already had his own thing going, though prob the outlaw ad men had him in mind as an influence, re independent-minded-Bakersfield-bohemian manliness. But they wanted an image without the uptight right-wing connotations: less Eastwood, more Peckinpah. Speaking of the outlaws album, the deluxe reissue of Wanted! The Outlaws, from maybe a decade ago, is really good, esp. cause get more Jessi Colter (really enjoyed her brief, post-Waylon return, Out of the Ashes).

Core outlaw clique: Willie, Waylon, Billy Joe Shaver, Kris, David Allan Coe,Jessi Colter, Hoover

(Hoover? J. Edgar?)
Funny that Merle's independence eventually had him denouncing "Bush Wars" (all three of 'em!) in post-9/11 shows, and yet he never got Dixie Chicked---maybe because he was considered an outlier by then, or maybe because if even he was doing it, might lead some others to go public with their doubts, at least at that point (though even Toby Keith did eventually confess that he never quite got the connection between Osama and Saddam).

"if even he was doing it, might lead some others to go public with their doubts," therefore unwise to publicize by denouncing him

Oops forgot Tompall Glazer

Dow I'm really surprised you don't know Hoover!great stuff

http://www.amazon.com/Lost-Outlaw-Album-Hoover/dp/B0000AINR4

M@tt otm re outlaw canon

this conversation is so weird

the whole "outlaw" thing was more PR than anything else, it's not the subject or even the subtext of all that many of waylon's songs.

and the "don't you think this outlaw bit's done out of hand" thing was a reference to being arrested for possession, like "wait, i didn't mean i was _literally_ an outlaw." it's a joke.

Yeah

Of course, I took it as more outlaws of the Nashville machine

Except David Allan Coe that guy is a fucking lunatic

And/or crazy good (enough) at self-hype, also made some good albums.(warning: the following contains a favorable mention of Kid Rock, but he had recently made a good album too)(1999 also the alibi for any stylistic excesses) Some Coe-rrespondence:
http://www.villagevoice.com/1999-08-03/music/fumin-emotions/full/

Can't believe anyone would forget Tompall. That guy was great.

As long as we're derailing poor Sturgill's thread, anyone read this?

http://www.amazon.com/Outlaw-Waylon-Willie-Renegades-Nashville/dp/0062038192/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1420249260&sr=8-1&keywords=outlaw+kris

I saw this cable doc on DAC, and it was amazing, he was drinking with Pantera dudes and telling the most outlandish stories...his racist album is a real pile of shit tho kinda kills the charm of his persona

Still haven't heard that, and hope I never

Friend gave me a CDR years ago listened to it a couple times and felt embarrassed to have it & gave it away

it's not even funny. if you've gotta be misogynist and racist, at least be funny.

iirc a lot of the stuff circulating on those albums - at least the 'unofficial' ones - aren't by DAC but by some dude called "Johnny Reb" or some dumb shit. I don't know that DAC had more than a couple of those sorts of tunes (not that that excuses it).

Anyway, his first album, Penitentiary Blues, should be in everyone's collection. After that, err, not so sure you need too much DAC (though I will admit a certain fondness for "You Never Even Called Me By My Name" and his version of "Slide Off Your Satin Sheets"). Anyone ever hear his 'psychedelic' album, mostly spoken word and sound effects? It's way crazier (and way more entertaining) than his 'x-rated' stuff. I can't recall the name of it but it's tough to find.

Yeah, I've heard that a lot of the DAC stuff circulating is actually Johnny Reb(el) stuff. My uncle had a tape full of the latter's stuff, much more horrifying than most of DAC's racist stuff.

Funny that Merle's independence eventually had him denouncing "Bush Wars" (all three of 'em!) in post-9/11 shows, and yet he never got Dixie Chicked---maybe because he was considered an outlier by then, or maybe because if even he was doing it, might lead some others to go public with their doubts, at least at that point

not being a "chick" probably helped, too

he wasn't selling many albums either.

Good song:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=evw-vjclHg0

The stuff I heard was all DAC and the Johnny Reb stuff I heard once was different sounding so I wouldn't let DAC off the hook that easily

The DAC one is kinda half sex stuff I guess, Johnny Reb I only heard once but it was way old fashioned sounding iirc

The moody, downbeat, beat-down, and kinda Beat Generation fatalism x restlessness, sometimes flairing way up, and mebbe out, for a while: you find that in some country artists, def. in both Coe and Simpson (ditto Townes Van Zandt). Also, something I wrote about DAC later, speaking xpost of Penitentiary Blues, and how the jailbird flights still seemed to pertain in '06 (glib-ass ending is cos this is taken from some show previews, re him and irrelevant etc)

In 1969, Dave Coe was a 30 year-old parolee, resident of a hearse parked outside Nashville's Ryman Auditorium, home of the Grand Old Opry...Coe told tall tales of his years behind bars -- unless you believe he really did teach Charlie Manson to play the guitar, and that the State of Ohio lost all evidence of his alleged time on Death Row. With the name on the contract now matching the one on his rap sheet, David Allan Coe's life after prison soon became equally improbable, as he got a chance to make his first album, Penitentiary Blues, backed by some of Nashville's finest.

Among the prime Nashville Cats on Penitentiary Blues was the late drummer Kenneth Buttrey, who had played on Bob Dylan's "Rainy Day Women # 12 & 35." Buttrey got to march, pound, and roll Coe through the echoing halls of this portrait of the Longhaired Redneck as young bluesman. Its songs don't all deal with prison life, but, in this context, they sure seem like cells, both connected and separated. Places where your thoughts crowd you and people are alone together, in little cages like stages, because somebody's always watching and being watched.

Penitentiary Blues -- long out of print, recently reissued by Hacktone/Shout! Factory in time for Coe's 66th birthday -- now seems like the blueprint for Coe's enduring worldview. He sees himself and his lady friends as forever finding and losing each other in the maze of life, like ships that go bump in the night. If one of the pair discovers or accuses the other of bumping someone else, Coe's always ready (sometimes eager, sometimes sad) to hit the road, to stay away from conflict, and any other confinement.

And that applies to most other situations too, as in Coe's most famous song, "Take This Job And Shove It" ("I ain't workin' here no more"). Another standby, "You Never Even Call Me By My Name," establishes an ironic distance between himself and the clichés expected of country performers, which allows him to come back and use them again per his mercurial mood. Like the latter-day Dylan, he seems to live and thrive on an Endless Tour, and in endless reissues. Performing combinations of old and (carefully rationed) new songs, he moves kinda slow onstage now. But still, when Coe appears, it's nature's way of telling us to party.

so I wouldn't let DAC off the hook that easily

Far from my intent, he has enough odious stuff fairly credited to his own name.

i'm pretty sure the DAC x-rated stuff i have is DAC and not johnny reb -- i'm familiar with those johnny reb 45s and they aren't the same.

i think DAC has a /ton/ of great albums, like way more than one could possibly imagine given, you know, who DAC is. he's a straight-up great ballad singer, not quite in the johnny paycheck or merle stratum but close. i fuck with a lot of DAC albums all the way through the 1980s.

The bluegrass albums are ridiculously good and were way underrated last year, especially Vol. 2. The new one is his most reverent effort to date, drawing on old trail and cowboy music, bluegrass, and traditional country and western. His singing's never been better, too. Can't fail with a song about a good boy dog but "Juanita" is probably my favorite.