Ray Wylie Hubbard: Conversation with the Devil
[purchase]
While we are on the topic of progressive country songwriters from Texas with three names, I present Ray Wylie Hubbard, who collaborated extensively with Jerry Jeff Walker in the 1970s. You all can google up Mr. Hubbard's biography, so I am going to tell you how I discovered his music.
I was walking home from work one evening in the mid-2000s, when I was living in Toronto. I always cut through Grange Park on my way to/from work. The park is located behind an art school, and on a nice day the park would be filled with students and other harmless slackers who had nothing better to do than smoke dope. On really nice spring and fall days this park would contain so many weed smokers that there would be a giant mushroom cloud of smoke above the park, and you would get high from second hand smoke by just walking through the park. I miss Canada.
Anyhoo, as I was meandering home through the dope smokers, the song "Conversation with the Devil" popped up on my Zune (stop laughing). This song was my introduction to Hubbard. The song describes the narrator finding himself in hell, and trying to sweet-talk the devil into letting him out. As the devil is giving the narrator a tour of hell, the devil points out the murderers, rapists, and politicians serving their time in eternal damnation. My favorite lines: "What you won't find up in Heaven are Christian Coalition Right Wing Conservatives, country program directors, and Nashville record executives." I literally giggled to myself as I made my way through the fog of marijuana smoke. This song is brilliant!
Hubbard's albums of the last 20 years are some of the best alternative country records you will ever hear. They contain masterful storytelling, insightful observations on daily life, and lessons for the road-weary. That last sentence was pretentious blogger-speak for, "makes ya think." Especially when walking through a park full of stoners.
Saturday, June 23, 2012
Trinomials: Ray Wylie Hubbard
Monday, November 9, 2009
Name Droppers: Name Droppin'
Ray Wylie Hubbard: Name Droppin'
[purchase]
Here's a good old fashioned country-blues stomp courtesy of Ray Wylie Hubbard.
In this song Hubbard introduces us to some Austin music luminaries... namely Jon Dee Graham, Darcy Deaville, Scrappy Jud Newcomb, Mary Gauthier, and Mambo John Treanor.
Jon Dee Graham and Mary Gauthier are two of my favorites, but I'll admit to not being overly familiar with the others. I've been doing some listening, however, as I write this. I'm now convinced more than ever that Austin is a truly magical place that I must visit again someday.
If you take nothing else from this song... always remember these words.
Wednesday, July 9, 2008
Hell Week: Conversation With The Devil
Ray Wylie Hubbard: Conversation With The Devil
[purchase]
The "Dark Knight" of the Texas Music scene is never more in his element than when he’s singin’ about the afterlife. Known for his prophetic, mysterious stories, Ray Wylie Hubbard creates some of the most image-inducing music around. Songs like Purgatory Road, Bones, The Way of the Fallen, Resurrection, and – of course – This Mornin’ I Am Born Again, often filled with slides and dobros, are just a few of his fatalistic pieces.
Conversation with the Devil is a vivid retelling of a dream. A rolling, talkin’ blues type song, it shows Ray Wylie trying to convince the Devil that he doesn’t belong down below.
“I didn’t use the cocaine to get high, I just liked the way it smelled.”
With over 6 verses, the song takes a turn as Ray Wylie and Satan seem to sort of hit-it-off, and Satan gives him some insight into how things work in Hell.
“All the murderers and the rapists, they go in this fiery lake. As well as most of the politicians and the cops on the take. And all the mothers who wait till they get to K-Mart to spank their kids.”
“What you won’t find up in Heaven are Christian-Coalition Right-Wing Conservatives, Country program directors, and Nashville record executives.”
In the end, Ray Wylie takes the message as a sign to change his ways.
“Some get spiritual ‘cause they see the light. Some ‘cause they feel the heat.”
Submitted by Payton.
