How does one know when they've jumped the shark? Is this my moment, or has it happened already. Was it the KLF post? Maybe the fringe rock thing was overextended (though I've got another round planned for next month). Couldn't be the Christmas thing last year (that's coming back too), could it? Maybe somebody (and I aint mentionin' no names) needs to freakin' post more often. Regardless, I'm gonna refocus and hopefully get to the good stuff both of you stop here for.
Side note. Fixed a couple of links on the sidebar...Fire of Love is now Buzz the Jerk, and Mr. Barf's...is now The New Thematic! Their old site names are now porn sites. So, you know, do what you want with that. Also added Long Sought Home, a blog of old timey tunes about death, dyin', and the afterlife. Check it out.
Hoyt Axton is known primarily as the composer of "Joy to the World" and "The Pusher". Wait, come back, a man's gotta pay his bills. He's a big bear of a man with a baritone country drawl to match. Axton's best songs are his country songs, writing for himself or for fellow travelers like Arlo Guthrie in his early short song period. Guthrie's cover of "Lightnin' Bar Blues" is a particular transcendent moment. If you look at his early album covers, there was a definite attempt at casting Hoyt as a type of traveling hobo/Woody Guthrie type, and the songs matched the attempt. Axton's a fantastic songwriter, his wry observations bordering often on humorous, but never gimmicky, with flashes of the more serious side never far away. I have no explanation for "Joy to the World", though. Sorry.
So here's a sloppy, hobo ragtime band meets electric Bob Dylan version of Axton doing his "Lightnin' Bar Blues" ("When I die don't cry for me, Don't bury me at all, Place my livin', laughin', lovin' bones, In a jar of alcohol, Hundred proof alcohol"). And since this is the Mountain and Axton's a country singer, no career would be properly represented here without a truckin' song.
Joy.
Hoyt Axton: Lightnin' Bar Blues (mp3)
Hoyt Axton: Gotta Keep Rollin' (mp3)
Support your local grizzled music vet.
3 comments:
Hey, Im a recent convert to your blog so keep 'em coming!
ps - the xmas idea sounds fab
It's about time you got back here.
thanks for the namecheck! It`s too easy if you get tired of your blog to delete the whole thing. If I could do it over I would have kept the web address and deleted the posts, changed the template and title. We live and learn.
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