Solid Country Gold

I promised this post last week.

But first, I got "Meme"'d by Spread the Good Word last Friday. Ouch. Anyway, it's a music-related meme. So here's my responses.

Total volume of music files on my computer.
Way more than I can possibly listen to.

The last CD I bought.
Three at one time(god bless excess):
"The Throes" by Two Gallants
"Rib Tips and Pig Snouts" by Andre Williams
"Red Beans and Biscuits" also by Andre Williams

Song playing right now.
"Stick it or Lick it" by Nathaniel Mayer

Five songs I listen to a lot, or that mean a lot to me:
1. Rex's Blues (Townes Van Zandt (and a host of other worthy covers))
2. Little Ole Wine Drinker Me (Dean Martin)
3. Mama Tried (Merle Haggard)
4. Girl on the Billboard (Dave Dudley)
5. Harlan County (Jim Ford)
(As with the good Rev's response...this list could change minute by minute)

Phew. Ok, I'm going to pass this Meme along to...Countrygrrl at Blueskies.

More fathers and their issues today.

Waylon Jennings. There's nothing "alt" about Waylon Jennings. He's country, pure Texas country. It's odd now to think that musicians playing what sounds eerily like traditional country are now referred to as alternative. No matter. Most folks are at least passing familiar with Waylon as the narrator and theme singer of a little show called Dukes of Hazzard. I'm gonna guess that regular readers here probably know a bit more than that of Jennings.
The thing about Waylon was the thing that made him kindred with the likes of Johnny Cash, Willie Nelson, and Kris Kristofferson. Merle, too, come to think of it. Jennings never strayed from his roots, and he sure as hell didn't like the direction Nashville was taking away from the country he grew up on, and the country he wanted to make. He was never shy about a big middle finger to The Man. Waylon was hard, no doubt about it. Hard country, hard living, hard drinking, hard singing. And he left a hell of legacy behind him, one many of the "fuck you" altcountry types emulate to this day. But for the grace of a donated plane seat (see: Holly, Buddy and Bopper, Big), we would've missed out.

Continuing the theme started by Bobby Bare Jr. last week, Waylon's got a bug to pick with Nashville.

Waylon Jennings: Are You Sure Hank Done it This Way (mp3)

Then, of course, Waylon went and procreated. As these things happen, one of 'em decided he wanted to be a singer too. So Shooter Jennings picked up a geetar and a mic and started playing, horrors, hard rock, even playing with Guns 'n' Roses. Lucky for us, Shooter found his way back home and made hisself a country record. Mixing AllmanSkynrd with George Jones (who "guests" on a song), he's got his Daddy's penchant for regular folks doing regular fucked up things. He's also got his Pop's sense of pride in growing up Country. He named his debut album "Put the O Back in Country", which has some blatant similarities to a certain tune by another famous offspring, Hank III.

It's hard to tell what "real" means in this age of fabricated pop/rock/alt/indie stars. But I 'spect Shooter's about as real as we can hope for, paying homage to his Pappy and his raisin' with every note he plays.

Shooter Jennings: Solid Country Gold (mp3)

Take your Father to the local pub, play some pool with him. Get him drunk, and make him buy you stacks of your favorite country albums from the record shop next door.