FIVE SONGS THAT MEAN SOMETHING
JOHN PRINE
JESUS THE MISSING YEARS
Our first song of today is a great forgotten John Prine song called Jesus, The Missing Years. The song speculates upon the unrecorded middle 18 years of Jesus Christ's life. The surreal piece features, among other things, Jesus traveling to France and Spain, marrying an Irish bride, inventing Santa Claus, and opening a show for country singer George Jones. Jesus, The Missing Years is filled with magical wit which carries the listener to another dimension.
"On his thirteenth birthday he saw
Rebel without a Cause
He went straight on home and invented Santa Claus
Who gave him a gift and he responded in kind
He gave the gift of love and went out of his mind"
AL ANDERSON
SATAN'S JUST WAITIN'
Our second song is Satin's Waitin'; one of Al Anderson's finest songs that does a great job on capturing the daily elements of temptation.
Al Anderson aka Big Al, was for many years the lead guitarist in NRBQ. Anderson left NRBQ in 1993 to pursue greener pastures in the music business and he ended up becoming an in-demand songwriter in Nashville. Suddenly, Big Al was writing songs for such artists as George Strait, Trisha Yearwood, Delbert McClinton, Raul Malo, Bonnie Raitt, Vince Gill and Jimmy Buffet. His body of work continues to grow.
ANDERS OSBORNE
Our third song is a classic that is called Summer Time In New Orleans.
Mark Carpentieri
I first heard this song on an Anders Osborne album titled Coming Down which was sent to me from an old friend, Mark Carpentieri, who had released the album on his record label M.C. Records.
This particular song really captured my memories of New Orleans. My Dad who was an Army doctor had gotten transferred to New Orleans and our family went there to live for 3 years in the early 1960's. There is a certain magical vibe that belongs to New Orleans and I've returned there many times over the years. Every time I hear Summertime in New Orleans, I instantly become homesick for sweet New Orleans.
SUMMERTIME IN NEW ORLEANS
On the front stoop in my house, Watching folks go by
Lazy days chewing on ice
I'm just waiting on July
And 'OZ plays Irma Thomas
And we all know what it means
Rag-a-tag of rain
City so slow
It's summertime in New Orleans
And all my friends are getting drunk on Sunday
You know they just trying to keep cool
I'm hanging out with these fools playing card games
And my new best friend who's got a pool
And 'OZ plays James Andrews
Yeah we all know who that is
Rag-a-tag of rain
City so slow
It's summertime in New Orleans
Drinking gallons of daiquiris
Eating snowball in the cone
Slow drive by the lake
And I'm doing 35 through all the school zones
My brand new AC unit just broke
And 'OZ plays Kermit Ruffins
You know he's barbecuing up at Vaughan's
Rag-a-tag of rain
Smoking a J
It's summertime in New Orleans
The garbage truck just passed you up
And that potent smell of seafood shells
Sweet bloom magnolia trees
Yeah that's summertime in New Orleans
Yeah I'm taking a buggy ride with my wife through the Quarter
We're drinking hurricanes listening to Tuba Fats
Little kids keep splashing water
And the gutter punks next to
the gentlemen in straw hats
And 'OZ plays Satchmo
Satchmo baby yeah you know who that is
Rag-a-tag of rain
City so low
Summertime in New Orleans
Rag-a-tag of rain
City so slow
Summertime in New Orleans
Here's an excerpt from a 2007 article about Osborne's album: “Osborne crafted the intimate ruminations on Coming Down, his first album in six years, with only one voice in mind: His own. From the sweet-tempered Big Easy scrapbooks Back on Dumaine to Summertime in New Orleans...Osborne's lyrics are ‘spontaneous life moments’.”
LEO KOTTKE & MIKE GORDON
In my world view, I only collect cover songs that are unique in the fact that they recreate the song rather than just imitate the original version. A perfect case of this is Leo Kottke & Mike Gordon's unique take on the Aerosmith tune, Sweet Emotion.
The two stellar musicians have teamed to bring us Sixty Six Steps, an incredibly wonderful album. While the initial inspiration for the album comes from Gordon’s love of Calypso and Caribbean music...in the midst of the album, Kottke and Gordon launch into Sweet Emotion. Yes, the very same song by Aerosmith!
In the duo's capable hands on Sweet Emotion you notice what could be the paradox of the whole album – there is so much going on, what with the multiple guitar lines and bass lines and various percussive instruments weaving hither and yon, yet there is so much space! You could imagine getting even more instruments and vocals into the act!
If you listen carefully, it sounds like someone’s playing a banjo! According to the press that I’ve read, it’s actually a baglama, which I believe is a Turkish instrument. So sit back and relax and enjoy the company of some inventive, talented people who love to make music.
MARSHALL CRENSHAW
ROCKIN' AROUND IN NYC
Today's last song is Rockin' Around In NYC by Marshall Crenshaw which appeared on his first album in 1982. In 1976, I had moved to Long Island around then and time went on I began spending a real lot of time in NYC.
Whenever I get nostalgic and look back on all the fun I had in NYC I am immediately reminded of this great song by Marshall Crenshaw. "Round and 'round and 'round we go, Seventeen lights in a row, Take a hold of my hand and come with me, Let's go rockin' around in NYC!"
Rockin' Around In NYC
Whenever idleness is making me insane
Then I feel, I should be getting to
a train on the double, here comes trouble
I hit the city and my head is a reelin'
I get the feelin' that it really was worth going after
When we're tastin' disaster
So 'round and 'round and 'round we go
Seventeen lights in a row
Take a hold of my hand and come with me
We'll go rockin' around in NYC
Whenever Ennui is takin' me way down
Then I feel I should be gettin' to town on the double
Here comes trouble
I hit the city and I'm feelin' the thunder
No need to wonder if it really was worth going after
When we're tastin' disaster
So 'round and 'round and 'round we go
Seventeen lights in a row
Take a hold of my hand and come with me
We'll go 'round and 'round in NYC
So 'round and 'round and 'round we go
Seventeen lights in a row
Take a hold of my hand and come with me
We'll go rockin' around in NYC
Whenever idleness is making me insane
Then I feel, I should be getting
the train on the double
Here comes trouble
I hit the city and my head is reelin'
I get the feelin' that it really was worth going after
When we're tastin' disaster
'Round and 'round and 'round we go
Seventeen lights in a row
Take a hold of my hand and come with me
Let's go rockin' around in NYC
STAY TUNED FOR A NEW CHANGE
IN OUR ALBUMS & SINGLES SECTIONS
ALONG WITH SOME TASTY COMPACT DISCS!
HUZZAH!