Day Two of "Making Time for Music"

 

While I'm still enjoying my 30-minute daily dive into music, yesterday's session was somehow more exciting. It might be due to streaming my "liked" songs on shuffle mode in Spotify, in which one never knows what they'll get. Although, happily, today's exercise included some real gems. 

It remains difficult to grab uninterrupted time to listen, and thus the experience isn't as relaxing as I'd like. Stopping and starting was not what I had in mind when I conceived this exercise.

But all bitching aside, my unproven theory is that my country "liked" songs outnumber other genres by about nine to one. I'm okay with that; I am a country girl, after all, but it gives the impression that I eschew other genres, which I don't. 

Let's dive in.

Fly Like a Bird - Boz Scaggs

I don't really believe in favorites of anything, because one's preferences are constantly changing, particularly in music, but from the beginning strains of this track, I said to myself, "I think this is my all-time favorite song." 

Funny back story on this: In 1994, the place where I worked had piped-in music; not the Muzak type, but actual singers singing their actual songs. The playlist was pretty adult contemporary, so as not to "offend" anyone's sensibilities, which had the unfortunate effect of lulling workers to sleep. I think I heard one "sort of" country song, which wasn't particularly country. And of course, the playlist repeated itself over and over. In essence, the music stunk. (And conversation among workers was frowned upon, so the pukey music came through loud and clear.)

However, I began hearing one particular song, from a singer I couldn't identify. I really, really wanted to buy it, though. But how? The internet was quite rudimentary, basically useless; whereas now I can just type in a line of lyric and be immediately presented with the song title and artist.

My CD-buying store was Musicland. I bought tons of CD's there in the nineties. So, the next time I was in, I took a chance, walked up to the clerk, explained my dilemma, and spoke, "sometimes I cry, sometimes I fly like a bird". "Oh, I'm pretty sure that's Boz Scaggs," he said. (Record store clerks were once knowledgeable about music.) Boz Scaggs! Never would I have guessed. And I liked Boz Scaggs! The clerk ushered me over to the correct rack, pulled out the CD, "Some Change", and voila!

I can't say the CD had any other tracks I liked, but I didn't care. I had to have that one song and I got it!

 

Close Up the Honky Tonks - Buck Owens and the Buckaroos 

When my parents finally got themselves what was called a record player way back when, they bought two---exactly two albums. One was Ray Price's "Burning Memories" and the other was Buck Owens' "Together Again/My Heart Skips a Beat". So, naturally, I spun those LP's over and over. Later, when I lived at my Uncle Howard's bar and restaurant for a time, the jukebox featured that album, too. (Did you know that jukeboxes in the sixties didn't just have 45 RPM records, but actual albums, although most customers were too cheap to drop a quarter in the slot for a whole album, and just went with the ten-cent single.)

When Buck released this album, he was still doing real classic country, the old-fashioned country, but one difference here was that instead of singing harmony with himself, Don Rich stepped up to the mic, and without Don Rich, Owens would've never been the star he became. Close Up the Honky Tonks was the best track on that album, and it's been covered by a few other country artists.

 

The South's Gonna Do It Again - Charlie Daniels Band 

You can have your Devil Went Down to Georgia; this song is Charlie Daniels' best. Amazingly, while his band had 34 charting singles, The South's Gonna Do It Again never charted (!) It's kind of an amalgam of country, hillbilly, boogie woogie, and whatever Southern rock is. Oh, and a tip of the hat to even Glenn Miller's upbeat hits.

It's almost impossible to not start chair dancing whenever this track shows up. This live performance, unlike most in which an artist loves to riff, is pretty faithful to the recording.

 

You Don't Have to Say You Love Me - Dusty Springfield

I don't have any knowledge of just how popular Dusty Springfield was in her heyday; I certainly heard many of her singles. But whatever renown she did have, it wasn't nearly enough. What a voice! Holy Moly! 

My taste in female singers leans toward belters; not soft, wispy, weak voices. Dusty Springfield was a belter. 

Google tells me that this was originally an Italian song, and the melody does have that classic Italian flair. It took 47 takes until Dusty was satisfied, and she actually recorded it in a stairwell, in order to get just the right sound. 

 

Chantilly Lace - Jerry Lee Lewis

Readers of this blog know that I consider Jerry Lee Lewis a phenomenon. His attitude alone drew fans who despised namby-pamby performances. Lewis was well into his second career as a country artist when he recorded this song in 1972, which again points to "attitude". He could have played it safe recording the classic country that revived his career, but he chose this one. 

I think JLL was all about the melody and the beat; less so about lyrics. His life attacking a piano likely sealed that deal. I would have loved to see him in person. What a show that would have been.

 

Our House Is Not a Home - Lynn Anderson 

I guess I was what one would call an early Lynn Anderson adapter. While most folks only became aware of her when Rose Garden was released, she had a whole career prior to that, most notably on Chart Records.

I was taken by Lynn's voice because of its sweetness and vulnerability, particularly on this track. But she could also belt it out, too. "With Love, From Lynn" is one of my favorite albums. "Our House Is Not a Home" is one of two singles released from the album, the other being "Flattery Will Get You Everywhere", another great track.

Maybe one day Lynn Anderson will be inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame, but I'm not holding my breath.

 

Crazy Over You - Foster & Lloyd

Well, what can I say? Love this; have since the first time I heard it. A perfect mingling of country and rockabilly. 

While Radney Foster is the better songwriter of the two, as his own recordings and those of other artists prove, Bill Lloyd's guitar virtuoso made this recording the standout that it is. 

The duo only lasted four years before going their separate ways, but oh, my!

 

Two Dollars in the Jukebox - Eddie Rabbitt 

Another legendary artist criminally overlooked is Eddie Rabbitt. He, too, belongs in the Country Music Hall of Face, but again...

The Jersey legend began his career as a songwriter, penning "Kentucky Rain" for Elvis and "Pure Love", recorded by Ronnie Milsap. He then went on as a recording artist to score over 20 number one singles before his death in 1998 at the age of only 56. I love so many of Rabbitt's tracks, from "Drinkin' My Baby (Off My Mind)" to "Every Which Way But Loose" and even "I Love a Rainy Night" and "Drivin' My Life Away". Great, great songwriter.

 

Footloose - Kenny Loggins

Was there an eighties movie that didn't feature a track by Kenny Loggins? Hmmm, let me think. I've never actually seen the movie, "Footloose". Yes, really. If I want an eighties movie with good male dancing, I'll take Patrick Swayze any day. (No offense, Kevin Bacon.)

This track is, yes, in my Spotify "liked" list, not my "favorite songs of all time" list, but I like a good, peppy, danceable number now and again. So, there you go.

 

Playboy - Wynn Stewart 

Wynn Stewart was a Bakersfield Sound OG---classic four-four shuffle with an extra kick. Sadly, he's been forgotten by most music fans. Even back when I was buying LP's, his were relegated to the bargain bin, and the thing is, they were really good albums. 

But Stewart was an influential part of the Bakersfield scene. Artists like Dwight Yoakam and Rodney Crowell have covered his songs, and Merle Haggard was even once a member of Stewart's band. In fact, Merle's first recorded single was a song written by Wynn Stewart.

He did score a number one hit with "It's Such a Pretty World Today" (My dad loved that song) and he had a total of 31 singles that charted. One day I'd like to do a write-up of him, because there would be lots of gold to mine.

"Playboy" was recorded in 1960, which accounts for the lack of sound quality, but it was good enough for Dwight and it's good enough for me. 

 

And there you have it: Day Two of Making Time for Music. For the most part, this one went all the way back to the classic country days. I'm fine with that.