Oh Lonesome Me

Later than usual post today. All apologies to the thousands of you eagerly awaiting. New quote up above (right under blog title). Same as usual. First to identify wins a brand spankin' new BigRockCandyMountain mix cd, made 'specially for you. Soon to be available on Ebay.

Nostalgic post today. It's been just a few days over a year that I left the safe confines of Denver, Colorado to move to the big ole city of Chicago. And I've been missing mightily most the grand country and western stylings of America's best-kept secret, Halden Wofford and the HiBeams. Gonna do a whole week shortly on Denver bands, and Halden figgers to figger prominently. Many was the drunken night at the glorious Skylark Lounge that the HiBeams would seranade with the finest of old time covers and originals. It was music that begged to be sung along to, and sing we did. Loudly and lustily. One of our favorites was Don Gibson's "Sea of Heartbreak".

Gibson's another one of them there country and western legends whose name you don't hear bandied about so much these days. An originator of the "Nashville Sound" of the 60's (not the crap you hear today), he's a member of both the Nashville Songwriter's Hall of Fame and, of course, the Country Music Hall of Fame. You may be familiar with some of the songs he's written: "Sweet Dreams", "Oh, Lonesome Me", "I Can't Stop Loving You", "One Day at a Time", and "Give Myself a Party". I'd say he's the closest thing C&W's got to an existential poet, plumbing the depths of loneliness in a big ole world moving on without him.

I dare you not to sing along. Bom Bom Bom Bom.

Don Gibson: Sea of Heartbreak (mp3)

Don Gibson: Oh, Lonesome Me (mp3)

The 'Mountain is a big fan of buying locally and independently.

Trash rock coming on Wednesday. Come on back.

Sixteen Coaches Long

My train's bigger than yr semi. T is Thursday. T is for Trains.

Trains have long held a place in modern mythology. Classic songs from "Midnight Special", "Wabash Cannonball", "Take the A Train", "Midnight Train to Georgia", and thousands of others (like Boxcar Willie!), have attempted to define a life through train imagery. Whether literally or metaphorically, the train as movement, as a way in or as a way out, a sign of freedom or a sign of slavery and/or hardship. The blues spread from the South into places like Chicago and Kansas City via trains. Hobo's lived their lives on the rail. Before automotives, the train was the fastest way to "see the world", as it were. The clackety clack of the tracks has been a bedrock in rock, jazz, and blues rhythms. It's the loneliest sound and the most thrilling.

Folks can argue 'til the cows get run over what the definitive train song is. For me, it's Junior Parker's "Mystery Train". It's a spooky, sad song, belied by it's chugging rhythm. Elvis covered it. Greil Marcus wrote a book. Jim Jarmusch made a classic film.

Known as the Father of Rhythm and Blues, Louis Jordan wrote a fair share of train songs, himself. My favorite follows.

Little Junior Parker: Mystery Train (mp3)

Louis Jordan: Choo Choo Ch'Boogie (mp3)

As always, the Mountain encourages you to consider purchasing yr favorite tunes locally, from yr favorite independent.

By Crackey and By Gum

Welcome and thanks to the new folks who've been leaving comments and sending me emails. It's much appreciated.

I originally started this blog with the idea of posting strictly old time country and western and any new alt-countryish (whatever that is) stuff what struck my fancy. The best laid plans, I guess, cuz I've been slacking on the c&w. Perhaps it's a steadfast refusal to compartmentalize. I've never understood why one would choose to listen to only one type of music. A rich tapestry, to get all flowery about it.

I say this for a couple of reasons. 1) Got one of the kings of country today. 2) Some knob, goes by the name of Tim McGraw, stated before the Grammys, when inquired about the state of "country western", that they don't call it "western" anymore. It's just "country". Well, what does that mean, Mr. McGraw? Seems to me that that's exactly the kind of ignorance that has made Nashville such a cultural wasteland, a barren processing plant of hats and boots. Western is as integral to country as blues is to rock. The state of country is subject to much debate, and requires many more paragraphs and footnotes than I can provide. Guess I just know what I like, and I like a little western in my stew.

'Nuther feller who might take issue with Mr. McGraw is the legendary Roy Acuff. Thought by many to be the true "King of Country", Acuff's career was rooted in the hillbilly tradition, and he became a star on The Grand Ole Opry. His body of work is massive. And seminal. But perhaps his greatest achievement was the formation of Acuff-Rose, a partnership with Fred Rose, that laid the foundation for music publishing and writer's rights in country and western music. You've heard the Uncle Tupelo song, or seen the tagline on many of c&w's greatest songs.

Couple of tunes by Mr. Acuff for y'all today. The first is my reaction to McGraw, and all the hats in Nashville. The second, "written" by A.P. Carter, is the song most commonly associated with Acuff. Enjoy.

Roy Acuff: Stuck Up Blues (mp3)

Roy Acuff: Wabash Cannonball (mp3)

Attend yr local Barndance or Hayride. Buy locally and independently. Support local artists. Hug a puppy.

Rocket 88

'Nuther Monday, 'nuther episode of the BigRock. Rocket'n'roll.

Gotta be a short one, as I'm headin' out to get me mullet trimmed.

Don't forget to guess the new quote above. First to respond wins an autographed mix cd from the 'Mountain. John(from Milwaukee) is disqualified, as he won last week. It's on the way, John.

Rocket 88 is estimated by some wiser than me as the first true "rock'n'roll" song. I dunno. The first rock song was probably quite some time ago when Ogg and Gogg started beating on the ground and smashing stones together in a cave. 'Course, I think Hank Williams is punk rock and Robert Johnson is death metal.

Anyway, Rocket 88. Some confusion exists, not just on it's place in history, but on whose damn song it is. Ike Turner plays piano, and on some versions takes lead vocals. He probably wrote the song, or most of it,too. The supposed definitive version, and the one posted below, is credited to Jackie Brenston and his Delta Cats. Jackie was a member of Turner's Delta Rhythm Kings. Much more on the history and confusion can be found here. What's most important is that it's a wonderfully trashy little tune about girls, cars, and sex. Not necessarily in that order. Recorded by Sam Phillips years before he formed Sun Records, and based on (copped from?) Jimmy Liggin's "Cadillac Boogie, it's a fine slice of music history.

Continuing the rocket theme, I'm gonna add a good girl gone bad. Bonnie Lou weighs in with a randy little bit of bopabilly. Apparently she's on a rocket and it's creating quite a bit of friction heat. Hmm.....

Jackie Brentson and His Delta Cats: Rocket 88 (mp3)

Bonnie Lou: Friction Heat (mp3)

As ever, please consider purchasing all yr rocket materials from yr local independents. It's good for you. It's good for them.

My Head Kissed the Ground

I don't like Pink Floyd. There, I said it. Sacred cows, 'n all that. Maybe I just never got it, holding on to the belief that you often only need 4 tracks and 3 minutes to say what you need to say. Maybe they just needed an editor and few less overdubs to really impress me. Whatever. There is one album by the Floyd that I am quite keen on; Piper at the Gates of Dawn. Terrible title notwithstanding, it's the Syd album. And I'm fond of Syd.

Most everyone breathing knows the story. Syd Barrett, budding cracked genius, cracks for real on a sea of lsd. Band removes the lad and goes on to fame and infamy, while Syd is left to face his demons. Sort of.

Tracking Syd's solo stuff is often an exercise in muddled reissues and lazy notekeeping. But gems abound, and I'd say The Madcap Laughs is a stone classic. Pastoral psychedelic without the pomp and circumstance. It's the slightest, and quietest, of records. Fragile and strummed, with the barest of bones backing, Syd lays the groundwork, the template, for future oddballs like Robyn Hitchcock. Lovely in its disintegration. Eerie in its descent into madness. I'm not sure if Skip Spence and Nick Drake were listening, or if it were the other way around. How to melt in hushed tones.

From The Madcap Laughs today, two tunes to kickstart yr morning tea or coffee. One, "Dark Globe", has been covered extensively. It's one of the saddest songs I've ever heard.

Syd Barrett: Love You (mp3)

Syd Barrett: Dark Globe (mp3)

Syd's still alive, and would probably appreciate a few shillings. If you are so inclined, please consider buying from your local independent.

Roll Truck Roll

Give you a lift? Out on the open road? Truckin' Thursday.

Before hopping onboard for the day, head over to BlueSkies, run by CountryGrrl out of bonnie Scotland. It's a new blog, and she's working through some bugs getting tunes up at the moment, but if you like the music here, I think you'll love her site. I'm really looking forward to future posts from her.

Also forgot to mention that we have a winner in the contest. John (from Milwaukee) correctly answered, within minutes of my post, that the above quote was uttered by one Mr. Groucho Marx in A Night at the Opera. Thanks to those who emailed their answers, and please return Monday morning for yr next shot at internet glory and a chance to win an exclusive BigRockCandyMountain slim case with bonus cd.

More rig rock for y'all today. After this, I'm going to give Dave Dudley a rest for a bit. He's the king of truckin' music, really, so it's hard not to include him in every post, but there are hundreds of other deservin' wheel hogs out there demanding a spin.

Like The Willis Brothers. Formed in 1932, primarily as a Western and Western Swing band, The Brothers recorded a whole slew of truckin' songs, long before the genre as we know it even really existed. This was at the dawn of trucks as long range transportation, and these old rigs looked quite a bit different than the modern semi of legend. On a side note, the guitar player's real name is James Ulysses Willis. As a confirmed James Joyce fan, it makes me smile every damn time.

Dave Dudley: Asphalt Cowboy (mp3)

The Willis Brothers: When I Come Driving Thru (mp3)

Please support yr favorite music any way you can. Wear a t-shirt, spread the word, make mix cd's. If you can buy, buy locally and independently. Support independent music by putting money back into independents. Thank you.

Surely They Were the Sons of God

Right then. Billy Childish. A man who makes Robert Pollard look like Boston. More primitive than Jad Fair and more misanthropic than Mark E. Smith.

Since 1977, Childish has released something like 10,000 (slight exaggeration, but not by much I'd suspect) records, cd's, singles, books, god knows what else. He's the British lo fi genius of such groups as The Pop Rivits, The Milkshakes, Thee Mighty Ceasers, Thee Headcoats, Blackhands, the Singing Loins and now the Buff Medways. Not to mention recordings under his own name and with Holly Golightly, Sexton Ming and Dan Melchior.

You'd think with all the output over the years, there'd be a few lapses in creative control, or a turn towards the worst of the Rolling Stones, slogging off stale versions of past glories. No, instead, and like The Fall, every release carries it's own personality and bristles with barely controlled energy. Equally influenced by rockabilly, soul, trashy r'n'b, and punk, it's hard to pin down exactly what Mr. Childish is. A legend of sorts, surely, and highly influential on a generation of autistic mutterers, howlers, and bedroom three chord wanderers. Oh, yeah, he's a published writer on non-rubbish books as well. Go here for more info. And he makes pictures. A regular Renaissance man for the Dark Ages.

Picking tunes to feature is almost impossible. So enjoy the following, not as a summation, but as a fragment of a sample of the world that is Thee Billy Childish.

Billy Childish and Dan Melchior: Bottom of the Sea (mp3)

Thee Mighty Ceasars: I Was Lead to Believe (mp3)

Please consider honoring the spirit of Billy Childish and purchasing yr musical goodies locally and independently. Or buy direct. A discography with links can be found here.

Hey me, I'm riding

Just a few quick bits before getting to today's cover star, Mr. Lee Hazlewood.

First, I can't even begin to discuss the death of Hunter S. Thompson. Just want to say rest in peace. In a world of media mediocrity, he will be sorely missed. Drink well, Gonzo.

Second, in a pathetic attempt to solicit comments, I'm instituting a weekly contest. The first person to correctly identify the quote (and it's source) in the description field above (right underneath the blog title) will win a free cd slim case. As a bonus, I will include inside the case an exclusive mix cd made by yrs truly, featuring only the finest tunes from the BigRock library. Get googlin'.

Third, I have egregiously erred. In the Train post from Thursday, I incorrectly claimed a song was by Jimmie Dale Gilmore. While it was my intent to post a Gilmore song of the same name, the tune actually posted was performed by Kieran Kane, from the album Dead Reckoning. Important lesson learned: don't rename all yr files without doublechecking that you've done it correctly. It'll save you hours of work fixing the problem. Gad. Thanks to "Emmett" for pointing out the error.

Now, Lee Hazlewood. Most are aware of his work with Nancy Sinatra, and the essential "These Boots Are Made For Walking". He's the guy who makes Leonard Cohen sound like a classically trained singer.

Hazlewood's genius has always been as a producer and songwriter, working on songs by Dean Martin, Duane Eddy, Johnnie Ray, Waylon Jennings, Hal Blaine, the Shacklefords, and countless others. If Phil Spector were a country boy, he'd produce just like Lee.

One of my favorite Hazlewood collaborations is his work with screen legend Ann-Margaret, The Cowboy and the Lady. It's a strange little piece of country trash noir. Perfect, then, for the 'Mountain.



Big Rock Candy Mountain would like to encourage you to purchase yr favorite records at yr local independents, if at all possible.

Hobo Days

Due to several requests, and the increase in my traffic, I'm reposting the following entry from August. It's an intro of sorts. BigRock 101.

It's occurred to me that the title of my blog may need a bit of an explanation to those who haven't seen Oh Brother Where Art Thou, or who aren't big fans of hobo music. Obviously the song, Big Rock Candy Mountain, is a favorite of mine, and a bit of a theme, though i've never "rode the rails" in my life. It's old timey music in the grandest tradition. I'm going to do quite a bit of plagarizing today....so for the full text of the following paragraph, go here:

"Big Rock Candy Mountain' is a song about a hobo's idea of paradise. It was first recorded in 1928 by Harry McClintock, also known as Haywire Mac. It is probably best remembered for its recording by Burl Ives in the 1940s, but it has been recorded by many artists throughout the world. The most popular version, recorded in 1960 by Dorsey Burnette, reached the Billbord top 10.
The song is generally recognized as a turn of the century hobo ballad based on An Invitation to Lubberland, but authorship is also generally attributed to Harry McClintock since earlier written evidence of the song is not known. As a result, the song's copyright status is also in dispute. There are secondhand reports that McClintock attempted to enforce a copyright on the song but lost his lawsuit; in that case the song is in the public domain. Without further verification it must be assumed that the song is copyright by Harry McClintock.
Before recording the song, McClintock cleaned it up considerably from the version he sang as a street busker in 1897. Originally the song described a child being recruited into hobo life by tales of the "big rock candy mountain". Such recruitment actually occurred, with hobos enchanting children with tales of adventure called ghost stories by other hobos. In proof of his authorship of the song, McClintock published the original words, the last verse of which was:
The punk rolled up his big blue eyes
And said to the jocker, "Sandy,
I've hiked and hiked and wandered too,
But I ain't seen any candy.
I've hiked and hiked till my feet are sore
And I'll be d--ned if I hike any more
To be buggered sore like a hobo's whore
In the Big Rock Candy Mountains.
In the released version this verse did not appear; in fact all mention of the "hoosier boy" was removed. The "cigarette trees" became peppermint trees, and the "streams of alkyhol" trickling down the rocks became streams of lemonade. The lake of gin is not mentioned, and the lake of whiskey became a lake of soda.
In 1929, the song lent its name to a cluster of brightly-colored hills a short distance north of Marysvale, Utah, and a spring nearby was named "Lemonade Springs". The Big Rock Candy Mountain Resort is at the base of the hills.
In 1943, Wallace Stegner published his autobiographical novel The Big Rock Candy Mountain
The largest exposed rock in the South Platte rock climbing area of Colorado is also called "Big Rock Candy Mountain" because of its colored stripes resembling a candy cane.

Now, wasn't that enlightening?
For both versions of the lyrics go here.

The first song is Tom Waits' version, take from the film "Candy Mountain". Frankly, the film's kind of a stinker...but Tom is brilliant as usual. This tune comes to us via a bootleg, so be warned that the sound quality is not exactly topnotch.
Next is Harry McClintock, of course. This version is a bit different from the more famous version used in "Oh Brother..." It features a rather long interview followed by a live rendition. Harry's not sounding real great here, perhaps having just come down from the mountain, so to speak. The tune is featured on the album Railroad Songs and Ballads, put out by Rounder.
Finally, a bonus cut by Harry, "Hallelujah I'm a Bum", helping to cement his reputation as the bard of the hobos.

Tom Waits: Big Rock Candy Mountain (mp3)

Harry McClintock: Big Rock Candy Mountain (mp3)

Harry McClintock: Hallelujah I'm a Bum (mp3)

Please purchase yr Hobo music locally and independently. The Hobos would, dontcha know.

Train Took My Baby Far Away

Thursday is for...Trains.

Switching things up a little this Thursday morn. So, for those here looking for Truckin' Thursday, sorry. I have about as many Train songs as I have Truck tunes. So I figgered, in the interest of keeping things slightly less predictable, I'd alternate. Big rigs next week. I also have an old repost coming tomorrow, and a train post sets it up perfectly.


Don't know much about Bobby Hebb, really. He wrote the classic "Sunny", which has been covered by Frank Sinatra, Wilson Pickett, Dusty Springfield, Ella Fitzgerald, and a host of others. Born in Nashville, Tennessee, he joined the family business, entertainment, and was performing tap and vaudeville around town by the time he hit first grade. He's had a pretty rich history, as briefly detailed in the link above. The song below is a racous preachin' r'n'b cover of an Owen Bradley tune, written for Roy Acuff's Smokey Mountain Boys.



Bobby Hebb: Night Train to Memphis (mp3)

Kieran Kane: Ramblin Man (mp3)

As ever, please buy locally and independently. Or direct. If you can afford it. And take a train. Save Amtrak.