speed of dark

I have mentioned here before that I married a hard-core folkie. I was a Beatlemaniac in my teens who stuck steadfastly to rock through the disco years, graduated to punk and alternative in the 90's, and who now digs with enthusiasm through MySpace for independent rock. Our tastes don't converge very often. I'm always after what's new except on Time Travel Tuesdays.

Think of the Venn diagrams Husband's daughters are so fond of: one circle is labelled Music HE Likes, the other Music SHE Likes, and the overlapping sliver consists of Music He Likes That She Tolerates, and Music She Likes That He Tolerates. It's really not as bad as I'm making it sound.

He likes female vocalists: Joan Baez, Linda Ronstadt, and Enya--all good. The other thing Husband likes a lot is country--the OLD kind: Hank Williams, Patsy Cline, Marty Robbins, Johnny Cash. He likes railroad songs, "cowperson" songs and yodelling--he loves the Chicken Sisters. Yeah, that's what it sounds like, chickens yodelling. Actually, it's interesting in its own little way.

But some of the music I went for first from my Vinyl Vault turned out to be Music That He Tolerates Quite Well. I like folk and country, but I am very, very particular about it. It has to sound like somebody just playing out on the back porch. It doesn't have to sound perfect, but it has to sound REAL. It has to SOUND authentic even if it isn't authentic. These are some tracks that have always sounded real to me.

I'm not sure if these albums are considered rare. Amazon has the CDs, and iTunes has the Incredible String band for download. I cleaned up the pops on these tracks as best I could; unfortunately there still are a few in there.

Taj Mahal: De Ole Folks At Home (1968)

Bluesman Taj Mahal's gravelly vocals and casual delivery make this album the epitome of backporch music for me. It's like he's playing for himself, whether you're listening or not. This was actually a double album with one platter, Giant Step, devoted to rock and the other, De Ole Folks At Home, devoted to traditional folksy, bluesy downhome music. I hardly listened to the rock LP because this other one stole my heart clean away at first listen.

Numerous artist have performed various versions of "Candy Man" and "Stagger Lee," but Taj Mahal's are my very favorite. One of the main reasons is the glorious sound of that Mississippi National steel-body guitar he uses on "Stagger Lee" and some of the other songs.

Taj Mahal: Candy Man
Taj Mahal: Stagger Lee
Amazon
iTunes has live versions of both songs as well as "Fishin' Blues" from this album, but they don't have that raw quality that makes these so special.

Ry Cooder: The Long Riders Soundtrack (1980)

You know this movie: it's the one where all the actor brothers play the parts of the real-life brothers in the Jesse James gang story. David, Robert, and Keith Carradine play the Younger brothers; James and Stacy Keach play the James brothers; Randy and Dennis Quaid play the Millers; and Christopher Guest and his doppelganger brother Nick play Charlie and Robert Ford, who "laid poor Jesse in his grave." The brothers alone make it fun to watch, but it's actually a pretty thoughtful take on the old shoot-em-up storyline.

This album is one of Ry Cooder's gems as a soundtrack producer. In truth, he doesn't play on every song--"I'm a Good Ol' Rebel" is an example even though I've listed him as the artist. The musicians are Mitch Greenhill (vocals, guitar), Bill Bryson (banjo), and Tom Sauber (fiddle), but the style and choice is all Cooder's. I grew up in the South, so the Yankee-hating sentiment is familiar (thank goodness, it's not like that anymore).

Cooder on basso sexto and my other love David Lindley on fiddle, take "Seneca Square Dance" for a lively turn around the old dance hall. It's all you can do not to start tapping your foot in time.

Ry Cooder (producer): I'm A Good Ol' Rebel
Ry Cooder and David Lindley: Seneca Square Dance
Amazon
On iTunes find "The Long Riders," "Archie's Funeral," and "Jesse James" from this album
Related Time Travel Tuesdays: Ry Cooder, David Lindley

The Incredible String Band: I Looked Up (1970)

This is the one that made Husband perk up his ears when I was ripping it. "Hey! That sounds like my music!" Yes, there is some small resemblance to those hokey Chicken Sisters.

I know this is not the original cover picture for this album, but it is the picture on the album that I have.

I wish that the Incredible String Band had done more songs like this one. I've never found any others of theirs that had this particular Appalachian backwoods feel. If you know of any, tell me. I want them.

What I like best about this recording is, it is NOT perfect. They stumble, loose the rhythm, hesitate on the vocals--but all that just makes it more real. I love how they saw away on those fiddles. "Go find that lady!"

The Incredible String Band: Black Jack Davey
Amazon | iTunes