The late sixties and early seventies were Kris Kristofferson's time. One could not turn on country radio without hearing one of his compositions, though you might not have known it was his. Some pundits posit that he changed country music. Maybe, to a degree. They were certainly a jolt to a country fan's senses. Most country was straightforward. There was little to ponder in the lyrics. Whether it was Merle Haggard or Tammy Wynette's singles (mostly written by Billy Sherrill) or Loretta Lynn, the singer told you where they stood.
Kristofferson's lyrics were straightforward, too, but they were elegant. And bittersweet. I joked once that every time a woman left his bed, he wrote a song about it. (Prove me wrong.)
His songs lent themselves to the syrupy, stringy fad of the time, but they could have been recorded in a more "countrified" manner ~ it wasn't his fault. Ray Price schmaltzed up what was probably a really good song, but I've never liked the recording.
Sammi Smith's producer also had a heavy hand, but I like this one far better:
Unlike a pure lyricist, Kristofferson could craft a melody; not a unique melody, but at least a pleasing one. His melodies broke no ground and they didn't vary much. Lyrics were his strong suit and he wrapped his melodies around the words.
The first time I heard Sunday Morning Coming Down was a live performance on Johnny Cash's ABC variety program. I didn't know it was also being recorded at the same time for the single release. My first take on it was, this melody is boring and repetitive. Only the chorus saves it. While I understand the mood the song wanted to convey, it basically consisted of, "I did this and then I did that".
There are a few lesser-known Kristofferson songs (lesser known to non-country fans) that are much better. These, too, were big hits, by the way:
This is probably my favorite (sorry, can't find a decent live performance):
And who could ever forget this? (JLL was a treasure):
Again, no live video, but here's Faron Young:
Waylon:
Obviously, I can't include every hit. There are far too many for this space. But it struck me that reviewing Kris Kristofferson's songs is like a trip back in time to revisit all the greats in country music. (No, I didn't forget about Me and Bobby McGee.)
Kris would probably have been the first to tell you that he was no singer. That he was passable is the best one can say. Nevertheless, he had one big hit of his own:
Kristofferson transitioned from music to acting, then back again as one fourth of The Highwaymen.
(No, Jimmy Webb wrote that one.)
Kris Kristofferson lived to be eighty-eight; a very full life. And he left an indelible mark on country music.
