Friday, March 28, 2008

Dick's Curlies
















Just out of curiosity, do y'all prefer shorter, pithier posts that get you right to the mp3's, or does anyone out there actually read longer posts? Just tryin' to figger out if I'm wasting time agonizing over every sentence, resulting in longer spaces between posts, or if I should just throw out quickies with the resultant tunes attached, minus any real context as to why anyone should care about the featured artist. Not trying to be facile, just trying to judge the current state of Internet attention span in an increasingly attention deficit disorder accelerated culture world.

Let's try pithy(ish) today. And truck our blues away.

Man, nothing can set a Country boy's heart aflutter more than a man with an eye patch. Erm...I mean in a completely manly, pickup drivin', freight haulin' kind of way, of course. Please don't tell Mrs. Mountain.

Known variously as "The Rice Paddy Ranger", "The Baron", and "The Tumbleweed Kid", we prefer to refer to Dick Curless (he of the aforementioned eye patch) as one of the "Grand Dukes of The Truck Driving Song". Perhaps not as well known as Messrs. Dudley and Simpson, Curless cut a wide swath through the highways and byways of this great land, chronicling the lives and loves of the roadside jukebox Lothario, the long hauler, and the freight train boogie bopper.

A deep, rumbling, baritone semi-truck of a honky-tonker (hard honky tonk, that is) Curless could hold his own with any CB jockey out there, all boom chicka boom and pedal (steel) to the floor. And he could hold his own in any gul-durned tavern in town, too (see "Loser's Cocktail", which will be covered more in depth over at the Barstool Mountain at some point).

Dick Curless is Big Rock Candy Mountain Approved! One of our fave raves, no less!

Truck It!

Dick Curless: Drag 'Em Off The Interstate, Sock It To 'Em J.P. Blues (mp3)

Dick Curless: A Tombstone Every Mile (mp3)


Dick Curless: Hard Hard Traveling Man (mp3)

Dick Curless: Chick Inspector (That's Where My Money Goes) (mp3)

Dick Curless: Jukebox Man (mp3)

Dick Curless: Loser's Cocktail (mp3)


Please support your local, independent jukebox manufacturers and diesel mechanics.

15 comments:

Fred@Dreamtime said...

I like the longer posts, and background on the mp3s. I wouldn't agonize about dotting every t and crossing every i. Just write `em!

And being a Maine boy, I love Dick Curless, who I used to watch live on WCSH - Channel 13 when I was but a sprout.

Anonymous said...

Keep writing and we'll keep reading.

AG said...

What fhb said -- don't make yourself crazy on the writing side if you can help it, but the information's fantastic. (And I'm saying that as someone who grew up with these songs, has a lot of these songs, but doesn't often *know* too much about these songs...)

Anonymous said...

I agree with all of the above. Your blurbs go right to the point and provide just enough information. Keep it up!

Mark P said...

Hey, Big Rock - brief or not, your posts are just fine. In a perfect world, my comments at least would be a little longer. Many thanks for the quality and effort you put into it. Keep posting and I'll keep reading.

Anonymous said...

As a fellow music blogger, I often ponder the same thing. I've tried it both ways. I feel like writing a blurb about the artist is just more respectful. I guess it also just makes me feel less guilty about offering up their music for free. So keep on writing, because it looks like your readers are listening.

Joel T. Luber said...

As long as your posts stay informative and/or full of interesting commentary, I'll read them. As long as you don't become one of those blogs that just paraphrases press releases (I'll admit, I've done it in the past), I'll enjoy whatever you have to say, long or short.

Beth said...

I like the words as much as the music. Keep em coming, please!

Anonymous said...

I'm in agreement with the others who enjoy the information as much as the music. The MP3's could be had from a lot of sources, we come here for a good dose of backround information and educated opinion. It's your style, don't change it.

Mike Young said...

Write write write.

Anonymous said...

Keep'em long. Don't cheapen the blog.

hellsfrozenover said...

Don't go changin' man! I love this blog!

Mark P said...

Coincidentally, there are some great tunes on this post. I'll have to dig a little deeper. I must say, however, the eye patch doesn't really do it for me. No, what sends me is the low note Curless hits on "STRECH" during the chorus of "Tombstone." He goes waaaay down for that one. Gawd!

Anonymous said...

I like the long reads. I prefer to be edumicated with my songs

wot larx said...

Love the posts of all sizes. Just discovered your blog - so keep 'em coming!