TRAIN: DOWNTOWN TRAIN/ROD STEWART

WhaaaaatTF? Surely a serious muso (sic) site like this wouldn't mess up so big time as the above heading? Rod bloody Stewart, fer chrissake... But hang on, hold that thought for a moment. And of course I know it isn't the original, but, whisper, it's better, an unpopular viewpoint, but still mine. Plus  it came at a time when there was still, just, a smidgeon of credibility in the Stewart cache. I think it initially appeared as a new song on the 'Greatest Hits' compilation of 1989, one of the first CDs I ever bought. A massive worldwide hit as a single, it probably introduced the name of its writer, Tom Waits, to many and certainly then to me. Like many, I then sourced the original, finding Waits' voice a step too far for my sensibilities, a situation that remains to this day, no matter how hard I have tried. But Stewart glides his rasp effortlessly through the sweeping chorus, deservedly winning the Grammy for best male vocalist that year, the richly layered backing pepped by Stewart's one-time boss, in his eponymous group, Jeff Beck on slide guitar.

So what is it with Stewart, a man whose music I had earlier loved, both with the Faces and alone? If 'Greatest Hits' was one of my first CD purchases, 'Sing It Again, Rod' had been one of my first on vinyl. My generation had been endeared of his boozy and shambolic persona, with the uncanny knack of both having a way with his own words and music, and being able to pick plum covers. The rot had seemed to set in with his transatlantic crossing, SWIDT, to be with Britt Ekland. As ever is the way, the fickle british uber-fans took umbrage with his fame and fortune and left him to their wives and girlfriends to enjoy, whose patronage lingers to this day, as my elder sister can testify. The odd gem could still be cherry-picked from his catalogue: the boy could still know a good song when he heard one, although that tolerance became ever more strained by his discovery of the great american songbook. Was he the first rocker to plough this lucrative furrow? Though I doubt we would have been spared Mr Dylans's forays into similar territory, I can think of many who might not have had that thought had Stewart, or his bank-manager, not had that thought first. ( I lie awake in dread of the forthcoming Seal tux'n'tapdancing travesty 'Standards.')

So, too, what is it with Waits, a supremely talented songwriter, whose songs, when covered by other voices, I adore? Am I alone in finding his corncrake throat-clearing anaethema? I sometimes think I must be, my friends and peers all seemingly in awe of him and his deranged Charlie Chaplin meets Charles Bukowski image, with his musical arrangements more of the foundry than the footlights. Or do I troll? (No, which is why I also include, for balance, or proof as I call it, his version of 'Downtown Train' below, with a couple more to take away the taste.)

Everything But The Girl

and Mary Chapin Carpenter

Get some versions here.

Me? I'm heading back under my bridge.

EUROPEAN ROAD TRIP: ITALY

What if we went to Italy: Mary Chapin Carpenter
Purchase it here!

Have to confess the idea of a road trip to europe seems somewhat less exotic an affair over this side of the pond, not least as, I guess, I'm already there. Or is it here? Whatever, avoiding the temptation to go all "one europe" on you, I will bow to the expectation that we talk of continental europe, Le Grand Tour if you will, the cultural fleshpots, predominantly, of France, Italy, Spain. Germany too, I guess, Greece, Portugal. I'm uncertain whether Romania, Luxembourg and the others will get much action, but all this uses up my word count, and I note Turkey has had a shout below.

So what were my options? I seem to have covered many of the artists I could have called upon, so Spain and France were already taken, which is a shame, as they are my two favourite mainland destinations. I've only actually been to Italy perhaps twice, taking in whistlestops of Rome, Venice and Florence, each of which have made me want to spend more time exploring, much more time. I also have very little italian, but I can shrug emphatically, which is often sufficient. And I have seen a lot of Robert de Niro films, so I reckon I'm halfway to fluent.

And it's the food, of course, pasta, pizza, risotto. Who can possibly eat better than the italians? (Well, apart from the french......)

So to the song, whose lyrics seem to expand on a similar ambivalence, accepting that a little love and knowledge is near sufficient to blend in unobtrusively:

                                         "I still can't speak any Italian
                                  But words are replaced under Siennese skies
                                  By nothing so much as a nod, and a sigh, and a wish to be                                           always like this"

 I have always felt that Mary Chapin Carpenter has one of those voices, smooth and warming, with an undertone of honey and molasses. I reckon she could sing the phone book with a conviction that could entrance. This is, it's true, one of her slighter efforts, but take in the tones, listen to the lilt and explore into her still expanding catalogue. I recall a TV show with she, Rosanne Cash and Nanci Griffith playing in turn, the other two being then much better known, but eclipsed by this new kid on the stool. Since then she has ploughed a solid furrow in that hinterland of country and folk, with songs often seemingly tinged with personal regret: the press suggests a life that has had it's share of upset and upheaval.

Does this song make you want to cross the ocean? I don't know, but I would.

You First: You Ain't Goin' Nowhere

Bob Dylan & The Band: You Ain't Goin' Nowhere

[purchase]

Bob Dylan (with Happy Traum): You Ain't Goin' Nowhere

[purchase]

Nitty Gritty Dirt Band (with Roger McGuinn and Chris Hillman): You Ain't Going Nowhere

[purchase]

Shawn Colvin, Mary Chapin Carpenter, and Roseanne Cash: You Ain't Goin' Nowhere

[purchase]

Cracker (with Adam Duritz and Joan Osborne): You Ain't Going Nowhere

[purchase]

Folks who know me well know that my current favorite pastime is sitting around with other musicians playing and singing songs. In the past few years, I've found several groups of people to play with on a regular or semi-regular basis. With every group, I've brought this old Dylan song. Some people know it, some don't, but it always goes over well. It's easy to play (just three chords), fun to sing, and offers plenty of room for solos.

Dylan first recorded it with what became the Band during his 1967 Woodstock time-out, but the first released version was by the Byrds, who countrified it for their groundbreaking Sweetheart of the Rodeo the following year. Bob's version was eventually released on The Basement Tapes in 1975, but before that, he recorded a radically different version with Happy Traum on banjo for his Greatest Hits, Vol. 2 album (complete with a dig at Roger McGuinn for messing up the lyrics on the Byrds' version).

Since then, the song has been covered by many, and it's usually the Byrds' version that's followed, and that's the template used by The Nitty Gritty Dirt Band (with Byrds Roger McGuinn and Chris Hillman), Cracker (with Adam Duritz and Joan Osborne) and the trio of Shawn Colvin, Mary Chapin Carpenter, and Roseanne Cash.

Live: Dancing in the Dark

Mary Chapin Carpenter: Dancing in the Dark

Since the Almost Home CD5/Cassette Single is currently going for $42.16 on eBay, I will instead provide the link for Mary Chapin Carpenter's website - word on the MCC-list is that she'll be releasing a new album, The Age of Miracles, on April 27 as well as touring behind it (zippity!)...

Due to our mutual love of all things Chapin, a friend sent me this two-song promo disc a a good many years ago (thanks, sharong!) - I well recall my first listen, in which amazement segued to joy segued to satisfaction. I never got the tune under Bruce's frenetic treatment, complete with upbeat video featuring a very-young Courtney Cox - finally the melody matched the mood...

Mary Chapin's world-weary deconstruction of the song ensured that I actually heard the lyrics wrought with loneliness and frustration, desperate for a spark that may never come - "you sit around getting older, there's a joke here somewhere and it's on me" (sigh)...

Thanks and Appreciation: Thanksgiving Song

Mary Chapin Carpenter: Thanksgiving Song

[purchase]

I know we don't usually submit new songs, but I hope everyone can forgive the exception - in April 2007, Mary Chapin Carpenter experienced a serious health scare, and I have no doubt this song, from last year's Come Darkness, Come Light CD, was inspired by the difficulty...

Below is MCC's This I Believe essay for NPR's Weekend Edition, Sunday June 24, 2007 - wishing you all a Happy Thanksgiving, and may grace surround and enfold you... on this day, and always...

"I believe in what I learned at the grocery store.

Eight weeks ago, I was released from the hospital after suffering a pulmonary embolism. I had just finished a tour and a week after returning home, severe chest pain and terrible breathlessness landed me in the ER. A scan revealed blood clots in my lungs.

Everyone told me how lucky I was. A pulmonary embolism can take your life in an instant. I was familiar enough with the medical term, but not familiar with the pain, the fear and the depression that followed.

Everything I had been looking forward to came to a screeching halt. I had to cancel my upcoming tour. I had to let my musicians and crew members go. The record company, the booking agency: I felt that I had let everyone down.

But there was nothing to do but get out of the hospital, go home and get well.

I tried hard to see my unexpected time off as a gift, but I would open a novel and couldn't concentrate. I would turn on the radio, then shut if off. Familiar clouds gathered above my head, and I couldn't make them go away with a pill or a movie or a walk. This unexpected time was becoming a curse, filling me with anxiety, fear and self-loathing — all of the ingredients of the darkness that is depression.

Sometimes, it's the smile of a stranger that helps. Sometimes it's a phone call from a long absent friend, checking on you. I found my lifeline at the grocery store.

One morning, the young man who rang up my groceries and asked me if I wanted paper or plastic also told me to enjoy the rest of my day. I looked at him and I knew he meant it. It stopped me in my tracks. I went out and I sat in my car and cried.

What I want more than ever is to appreciate that I have this day, and tomorrow and hopefully days beyond that. I am experiencing the learning curve of gratitude.

I don't want to say "have a nice day" like a robot. I don't want to get mad at the elderly driver in front of me. I don't want to go crazy when my Internet access is messed up. I don't want to be jealous of someone else's success. You could say that this litany of sins indicates that I don't want to be human. The learning curve of gratitude, however, is showing me exactly how human I am.

I don't know if my doctors will ever be able to give me the precise reason why I had a life-threatening illness. I do know that the young man in the grocery store reminded me that every day is all there is, and that is my belief.

Tonight I will cook dinner, tell my husband how much I love him, curl up with the dogs, watch the sun go down over the mountains and climb into bed. I will think about how uncomplicated it all is. I will wonder at how it took me my entire life to appreciate just one day."

Early: Anti-Procrastination Edition

Let's face it - I'm not only never early for anything... but I'm rarely even on time. I seem to go through life with a 15-minute Bermuda Triangle of "how did it get to be (insert _____ o'clock I was supposed to be somewhere) already?!?". To that end, I'm attempting to be Early in all definitions of the word (rather than my usual 11:59 Saturday night post) - I think Stephen Wright said it best: "The early bird gets the worm... but the second mouse gets the cheese." (ha!)...

James Taylor: Rainy Day Man

[purchase]

Rainy Day Man was originally released in 1971, on his James Taylor and the Original Flying Machine album (of the four vinyl covers, I have the one that's plain white with penciled titles) - however, I'm including a version of the song from a bootleg of his October 29, 1970 Paris Theatre show in London, England with Joni Mitchell...


Joni Mitchell: Eastern Rain

[purchase] (never officially released/not commercially available)

The Joni Mitchell website lists her Early Unreleased Songs, many of which have been compiled on a CD for list members (thanks, Bob!) - from AllMusicGuide:

"At the beginning of her career, Joni Mitchell wrote so many songs that she never got around to recording a few of the ones she regularly performed on stage in the late 1960s. One of those was "Eastern Rain," which was covered by Fairport Convention as a highlight of their second album, What We Did on Our Holidays." More here...


Todd Snider: Talkin' Seattle Grunge Rock Blues [plus intro]

[purchase]

Boyhowdy covered this one over a year ago but, since it's the first song of Todd's that turned me on to his music (as the hidden track on his 1994 debut CD Songs for the Daily Planet), I had to revisit - however, rather than the studio track, I'm posting a live version from his August 19, 2001 performance at the Rocky Mountain Folks Fest in Lyons, Colorado, which includes an hysterical introduction, as well as a few extra verses admitting he "borrowed" the talkin' blues style from Bob Dylan... but Dylan got it from Woody Guthrie!


Mary Chapin Carpenter: The Opening Act

[purchase] (never officially released/not commercially available)

From Country Universe:

"In a rare coup for a new artist, Mary Chapin Carpenter earned a coveted performance slot on the 1990 Country Music Association Awards [a YouTube video can be found here], and she used it to establish her identity as one of country music’s left-of-center talents. She decided to perform the biting “You Don’t Know Me (I’m the Opening Act),” a cutting dismissal of country star power gone awry. It was a risky move, with the less-than-famous artist taking a stab at the music industry who would determine the fate of her career...

She received a standing ovation at the end of the semi-scandalous story of a rising musician’s struggle. But Carpenter didn’t struggle for long. Two years later, she won the first of back-to-back Female Vocalist of the Year trophies in a CMA career that included 12 nominations, among them, a nomination for Album of the Year and Single of the Year (for the similarly sharp “I Feel Lucky”) in 1992."


Dave Carter: You Must Slumber

[purchase]

From my friend Ron's wonderful website:

"This is a song that Dave wrote when he was 17 years old, and which Tracy indicates was recorded for – but eventually left off – the "Tanglewood Tree" CD. Although it was never released on an official Dave & Tracy album, a recording of it is now available on the Signature Sounds 10th Anniversary Collection disc."

Creepy Crawlies: The Bug

Dire Straits: The Bug

[purchase]

The last single released from the last studio album Dire Straits ever recorded. It's no Sultans of Swing, and it's a heck of a lot more straightforward than most of their catalog -- after their huge success with Money For Nothing the band was producing mostly MTV-ready rock by the final stages of their run together; though The Bug charted at #8 on the Hot Mainstream Rock charts in the US, the rest of the world had already lost interest. But the sentiment is universal, and the beat just as catchy and distinctive as ever.

To be fair, this song might not have made the cut this week, but I seem to be in a country mood, and Mary Chapin Carpenter's two-steppin' cover, which peaked at #16 on the Hot Country Singles charts the following year, stands up well to the original.

Mary Chapin Carpenter: The Bug

[purchase]

Jingle Bells: Bells Are Ringing

Mary Chapin Carpenter: Bells are Ringing

[purchase]

I mentioned a few weeks ago that I am a Mary Chapin Carpenter fan - there's just something about her whispered enuciation, her unique phrasing and her compelling lyrics that leave me equally peaceful and challenged. She releases consistently excellent recordings, and her latest (in late September) is certainly no exception - Come Darkness, Come Light is subtitled Twelve Songs of Christmas and is filled to overflowing with appropriate covers and originals that reflect (pun intended) the holiday season in all its facets.

From the Rounder store:

Finally, a Christmas album worth listening to all year long. When Mary Chapin Carpenter set out to create Come Darkness, Come Light, she took a far different approach to recording a holiday album than most artists do. Rather than simply lending her voice to time-worn Christmas standards, Mary Chapin wrote her own set of heartfelt songs which explore the many meanings and emotions that Christmas evokes in each of us. These songs, mixed with a few hand-picked gems from other writers and rarely heard traditional tunes, will speak directly to the hearts of all Mary Chapin Carpenter fans. These are not merely holiday songs, they are simply great Mary Chapin Carpenter songs, both warm and intimate. And while they artfully capture the spirit of the season, this is a rare Christmas album that doesn't feel like it needs to be kept on the shelf between New Year's and Thanksgiving. With stellar support from longtime musical partners Jon Carroll (piano) and co-producer John Jennings (guitars), Mary Chapin's voice goes down as warmly as hot cider on a cold winter's night.

Interestingly enough, I first heard Bells Are Ringing on a compilation I bought from Target quite a few years ago, which included selections from a diverse group (Shawn Colvin to Ricky Martin!) - it is delightful to see the song resurrected on this new offering, to reach a wider audience.

Leftovers: The Refrigerator Clean-Out Continues...

Thanksgiving has always been my favorite holiday – I love the non-commercial/no-agenda-ness of the intangible season that Hallmark has yet to find a way to hold us hostage with guilt and greeting cards. Grace abounds, as we are surrounded by ones we love who love us in return – in this spirit, despite economic woes, we count our blessings and realize we have much for which to be thankful.

I remain grateful to all the Starmakers for widening the circle, making me feel welcome and introducing me to so many wonderful artists and songs in my short time here – I also relish the opportunity to present a few more of my favorites before this week’s Tupperware is tossed (burp!).

Work: Papa Was a Rodeo

There used to be a very awesome image of a guy on a horse at a rodeo here. It has since been removed by request of the photographer. Click on this huge block of text to find it, and order a copy of it, from Lisa Cawte-Baker.

Kelly Hogan & the Pine Valley Cosmonauts: Papa Was a Rodeo

[purchase]

In my Jody Grind post a few days ago, I mentioned Kelly Hogan and the Pine Valley Cosmonauts… and thought to myself, “hmmm, if there’s ever a Career Theme, I have the perfect song” – going back through the archives once again, I discovered there had indeed been a Work Week!

I enjoy all 11 tracks on this CD, but I could listen to Papa Was a Rodeo (written by Magnetic Fields, I have since found out) eleven times in a row on repeat play and never tire of the way the narrator’s defense-mechanism bravada… segues to finding someone with similar circumstances… gives way to happily ever after… “tooooo”…

Civics Lessons: Buzzer

Dar Williams: Buzzer

[purchase]

No one here realizes what restraint it’s taken on my part not to submit a Dar Williams song each week, whose body of work (next to Joni's) is the litmus test by which I measure all others – when I first heard You’re Aging Well (which I still consider my personal anthem) over a decade ago on Joan Baez’s Ring Them Bells CD, it began the contemporary folk and acoustic music path upon which I peacefully embarked and joyfully continue. Dar has a lovely voice and better-than-average guitar skills… but it’s her lyrics that continue to captivate – from her relationship songs to her political tunes, smart layered thought-provoking turns of phrase invoke vivid images and issues of ephiphany.

Buzzer (which I would have submitted for Civics Lessons, featured the week before I came on board) is based on the Stanley Milgram experiment in the early-60’s, testing obedience to authority and individual responsibility – the robotic tempo of the song, coupled with the sensory-overloaded life of the woman who volunteered because she just needed some extra cash, helps one see “the big picture”, as the song extrapolates how just following orders can lead to questioning one’s ethics of stock purchase and clothes buying. Classic Dar – as she says on her Out There Live CD: “brilliant, brilliant”...

The Moon: The Moon and St. Christopher

Mary Chapin Carpenter: The Moon and St. Christopher

[purchase]

Danger… Warning… Caution – chick song alert!

And if you’re in touch with your inner SNAG (Sensitive New Age Guy), you may also have a visceral reaction to this tune I belatedly offer up for Moon Week – it’s about regrets and what-ifs and one-may-never-knows. I’ve always thought it was a shame Mary Chapin Carpenter was pigeonholed as country during her early career – however, her last 3 or 4 CDs have garnered a larger audience, more interested in insightful songwriting than genre…

Now I have run from the arms of lovers,
I've run from the eyes of friends,
I have run from the hands of kindness,
I've run just because I can…”

My father was given his St. Christopher (patron saint of travelers) medal before he went to Korea as a Marine in the early 50’s – the priceless talisman now resides on my keychain to remind me of my dad's presence and to protect me on my journeys (emotional, spiritual and geographical)…