Sports: When an Old Cricketer Leaves the Crease

Roy Harper: When an Old Cricketer Leaves the Crease

[purchase]

Roy Harper is best known for providing the lead vocals on Pink Floyd's "Have a Cigar" and for being name-checked on the Led Zeppelin track "Hats Off to (Roy) Harper". Of his own recordings, "When an Old Cricketer Leaves the Crease" is perhaps his most well known.

The mix of acoustic guitar and brass band is not a combination you hear too often, but here it works fabulously, adding a healthy dose of atmosphere. I don't know a thing about cricket, but it hardly matters. The boozy recollections and sense of loss come clearly through.

Sports: Tessie

Dropkick Murphys: Tessie

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In 2004 DKM released Tessie. They made a prediction that year too. "We recorded this song in June 2004 and after giving it to the Red Sox told anyone that would listen that this song would guarantee a World Series victory."

The lyrics of this song give the history of how Tessie became the anthem of the Royal Rooters. During the 1903 World Series, the Royal Rooters led by Michael "Nuf Ced" McGreevy, taunted the opposing Pittsburgh Pirates. The Boston Americans were down 1-3 in the series and the Rooters knew their team needed a rally. So, the Royal Rooters began to change the lyrics to any song that they could think of. But it was Tessie that helped win the day. Interestly, the Royal Rooters stopped singing Tessie after Boston won the World Series in 1918, which began Boston's 86 year drought and the rest is history. Nuf said.

Autumn and Harvest: Harvest Festival

XTC: Harvest Festival

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Andy Partridge is second only to Ray Davies for his ability to turn the details of ordinary British life into beautiful song. In "Harvest Festival" (from the last great XTC album, Apple Venus Volume 1), the narrator takes comfort in gaze: "The longing look you gave me / That longing look / More than enough to keep me fed all year". He doesn't get the girl in the end, but somehow that's OK.

Autumn and Harvest: Lost in Autumn

The Sea and Cake: Lost in Autumn

[purchase]

There's nothing particularly autumnal in the lyrics of this song; in fact, it's hard to tell if the "Autumn" of the song's title is a season, a girl, or something else entirely. But then, post-rock/post-jazz combo The Sea and Cake isn't known for their lyricism. Instead, this laid-back late-night song from the band's early, pre-electronic era conjures up the slow, languid fall of a leaf on the wind, and anticipates the stillness of bare winter to come.

Autumn and Harvest : September Gurls

Big Star : September Gurls

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I'm surprised nobody posted this song yet, thanks to the cult status of Big Star. Their music, although 30 years old, sounds so modern that the band is particularly praised now in the 2000s while it went practically unnoticed when it came out
These are the laws of rock history.
Whatever, the music of Big Star (here, of Alex Chilton, since Chris Bell had left the band)is full of power, great pop music both fierce and delicate, with that drop of venom that charecterized the post-hippie era, and which is still palpable in indie rock.

Autumn and Harvest: John Barleycorn Must Die

Traffic: John Barleycorn Must Die

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Before I begin, I would like to thank my fellow Star Makers for their help gathering the songs for this post. I could never have done it without you.

I am old enough to have heard Traffic’s classic John Barleycorn Must Die when it first came out, and young enough to have been a child at the time. My oldest brother brought it home, and made sure I heard it. I made two incorrect assumptions at the time. I thought Traffic wrote the song. And I heard a fair amount of psychedelic music at the time; I assumed that the lyrics told the strange tale of a man who kept being treated in cruel and unusual ways, but I never guessed that there was any deeper meaning. I knew that I loved the sound of the song, and that was enough.

But now I am older, and I understand more. John Barleycorn Must Die is a traditional English song. There is a record of a version from the 1300s, and it is likely older than that. Over time, many variants have arisen, with changes to both the melody and the words. The song became widely known throughout the British Isles. Scottish poet Robert Burns even wrote a version.

And the story is deeper than I knew. John Barleycorn is the personification of the grain, and the song tells the story of the grain from planting to harvest and beyond. The song usually begins with Barleycorn’s first death; he is buried, and dirt is heaped upon him. This, of course, is the planting of the grain. In midsummer, he grows a “long long beard” and “becomes a man”. The song goes on to describe threshing and harvesting. Barleycorn is bailed and taken to the barn. And then the grain is parceled out. Some is taken to the miller to make flour for bread. And some is saved and brewed in a vat to make ale. And some is planted, so that the whole cycle can begin again.

It is likely that versions of John Barleycorn were sung in pre-Christian times, to accompany harvest rituals. Some of these rituals survive to this day in modified form, most famously the sacrifice of the wicker man. These rituals tell the story of the death and rebirth of the god of the grain.

The lyrics used by Traffic start with three men who came from the west. This reminds me of the three wise men who came from the East in the Nativity story. The first Christians who came to the British Isles often looked for parallels between native myths and the Story of Christ, in order to help the natives accept Christianity. So these three men from the west may be an example of this. John Barleycorn shares with the Christ Story the theme of death and rebirth.

Jethro Tull: John Barleycorn

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Jethro Tull’s version of the song is just called John Barleycorn, but it is otherwise a straightforward cover of the Traffic version, sharing the same melody and lyrics. But Jethro Tull has created an arrangement that is wholly original, and shows off the classic Jethro Tull sound. Ian Anderson’s trademark flute sound arrives midway through the song.

Tim van Eyken: Barleycorn

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Tim van Eyken has proved himself to pure traditionalists in the English folk scene. He even played with Waterson: Carthy, the ultimate traditional English folk group. But here, he gives Barleycorn, as he calls it, a folk rock treatment. He uses a different melody and slightly different lyrics than Traffic and Tull. His three men at the beginning come not from the west but from Kent.

Steeleye Span: John Barleycorn

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Steeleye Span gives us yet another variant on the song. Again, we have a different melody, and some variations in the lyrics. And Steeleye Span adds a refrain of “Fa la la la, it’s a lovely day” etc. This sounds like it may have originally belonged to another song entirely. There are numerous examples of this in English folk music.

Autumn and Harvest: Who Knows Where the Time Goes

Fairport Convention: Who Knows Where the Time Goes

[purchase]

When the mornings get cooler and the leaves start changing colors, I can't help but get a little melancholy. I don't know if it's the ghost of school years past or the regrets of another summer of unfulfilled plans drawn to a close. Either way, autumn is all about contemplating the passage of time. And even though Sandy Denny keeps claiming not to notice the passing of time in her signature tune, "Who Knows Where the Time Goes," she captures that melancholy mood perfectly. The Judy Collins cover might be more well known, but I prefer the version Sandy did while she was with Fairport Convention in 1969. Somehow, knowing she died well before her time gives her version added resonance.

Autumn and Harvest: Autumn Almanac

The Kinks: Autumn Almanac

[purchase]

"Tea and toasted, buttered currant buns, can't compensate for lack of sun"... probably not for most folks, but football sure helps a lot of us, especially because it's also on Sunday,Monday and sometimes Thursday!

Autumn and Harvest: September Song

Jeff Lynne: September Song

[purchase]

I distinctly remember when I got my first music-playing device. It was Christmas 1979, and my parents gave me a Panasonic cassette recorder--one of those old-school, mono machines that laid flat (very similar to this one).

Before I got to that present however, I opened up a smaller one. A cassette! When I first opened it, part of the cover was obscured, and all I saw was the word "Orchestra" and what at first glance appeared to be a black-and-white photo of men in tuxedos, and my initial thought was, "Yuck! a classical recording!". I soon figured out it was indeed a rock album--Electric Light Orchestra's On the Third Day. (My parents must have noticed me listening to my older brother's ELO cassettes.) Say what you will about ELO, that album was my first love, predating (and leading directly to) my long-standing Beatles fixation.

This is all a rather long-winded way of introducing this song, which is not actually an ELO track, but a song from ELO mastermind Jeff Lynne's one-and-only solo album, Armchair Theatre, from 1990. It's not a particularly great album, but thanks to Christmas 1979, I have a soft spot for Mr. Lynne. And on this toe-tapping, slightly wonky cover of "September Song," he hits all the right nostalgic notes, while avoiding the over-sentimentality that creeps in on slower versions of the song.

Autumn and Harvest: Pastures of Plenty

Solas: Pastures of Plenty

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Woody Guthrie wrote several songs which relate to the harvest, in that they tell of the plight of migrant farm workers during the Great Depression. Pastures of Plenty is one of the best. The title is ironic; Guthrie tells of fields in California with bountiful harvests, but the workers partake of only a very small part of them.

It is not surprising that this song would resonate with Irish musicians. Ireland is, after all, a place with its own history of agricultural misfortune. And sure enough, Solas delivers an amazing high energy version of this Woody Guthrie classic. Like many folk groups in the British Isles, Solas features an ever changing lineup. The lead singer here is Karan Casey, who has since moved on to a successful career as a solo artist.

Autumn and Harvest: Fall Stories

Girlyman: Fall Stories

[purchase]

September's still Summer, but the nights are like Fall.
Tell me your Fall Stories,
Every time you broke your heart...

It's an easy pun to turn the falling leaves of autumn into an image of falling from grace and love, but that doesn't mean it can't be done well. All it takes is a sense of humor, a cha-cha beat, a twangy mando-guitar combo, and a set of perfect harmonies that hook the listener in. And with that stellar package stamped all over their 2003 debut album Remember Who I Am, folk trio Girlyman set the tone for a bright future on the folk circuit.

Autumn and Harvest: Blue Harvest Blues

Mississippi John Hurt: Blue Harvest Blues

[purchase]

What do you do when harvest time catches you unprepared? Not a good thing with winter just around the bend. You may become a weary traveler. Mississippi John Hurt will fill you in. From 1928, perhaps sometime in the fall, Blue Harvest Blues.

Autumn and Harvest: When Fall Comes to New England

Cheryl Wheeler: When Fall Comes to New England

[purchase]

Living in South Florida, it's difficult for me to comprehend fall or New England... yet Cheryl Wheeler's descriptive lyrics and plaintive voice instantly evoke the seasonal equinox and the geographic landscape, introducing me to the snap in the air, the swirl of the leaves and the smoke in the chimneys - bring on the flannel!

Autumn and Harvest: Autumn Leaves

Cannonball Adderley: Autumn Leaves

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Not really sure if we´re allowed to post jazz here at the Star Maker Machine, but I guess I just have to take the risk. ´Cause to me, Autumn Leaves provides the perfect soundtrack to the melancholy season that will soon be upon us. Featuring Miles Davis on trumpet and Art Blakey on drums amongst others, this is somethin´ else indeed. April In Paris in reverse, it easily conjures up images of a myriad of red and gold leaves drifting by your window.

Autumn Leaves started life as a French song called Les Feuilles Mortes, first aired by Yves Montand in a ´46 Marcel Carné flick called Les Portes De La Nuit. Johnny Mercer translated it into English. He had to change the title first thing, as it was common knowledge the American public would never go for a pop song called Dead Leaves...

Poverty: Hole in the Bucket

Michael Franti and Spearhead: Hole in the Bucket

[purchase]

With and without the sparse-but-funky backing soul of Spearhead, Michael Franti has staked his later career on proactive, politically sensitive songs which cry out to the listener to reconsider his or her relationship to society. Here, in their 1994 debut outing, he uses a chance encounter with a homeless street beggar to muse on the responsibility of the passerby: should we drop the quarter in the cup, and address poverty in passing, even if we have concerns about the recipient's ability to make appropriate choices about the use of that money to better themselves, instead of spending it on canned pork products and wine? Franti says yes. I agree.

Poverty : Pauvre Martin

Georges Brassens : Pauvre Martin

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Great poet and folk songwriter Georges Brassens tells the life of Poor Martin (the most common name in France), an agricultural worker, and his resignation to his life and death :

Without letting be seen on his face, neither a resentful or bitter look
He turned over other's fields
Always shoveling, always shoveling

And when death called upon him, to work his final field,
he dug his own grave, quickly, hiding himself,
(...) And then laid down without a word, not to disturb anybody.

This song is part of his second album from 1954. You can find a video with English translation here.

Poverty: This Ain't Living

G. Love and Special Sauce: This Ain't Living

[purchase]

I can envision G. Love and co-writer/co-vocalist Jasper driving around Philly listening to Marvin Gaye's "Inner City Blues (Make Me Wanna Holler)" when the line "this ain't livin'" jumped out at them, and a new song was born.

Whether it's early-'70s Detroit, mid-'90s Philadelphia, or present-day Your Town, the faces change, but the stories stay the same. This ain't living.

Poverty: John Martin

Ben Weaver: John Martin

[purchase]

This one paints a heck of a picture in my head.. it has a kind of sick sepia colored feel to it. But this is just a great song, a narrative ala Tom Waits. This is the experience of one John Martin, and a ragged young man with an honest face he encounters while in Detroit on business for his wife. John learns first hand how it feels to be ragged and poor. From his 2004 album, Stories Under Nails, this is John Martin by Ben Weaver.

Guest post by Bert

Poverty: Nobody Loves You When You’re Down and Out

Eric Clapton: Nobody Loves You When You‘re Down and Out

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My first thought when I saw the announcement of this week’s theme was, “I’ve got to post some blues this week.” Here’s a classic, made famous by the great Bessie Smith.

I have always thought of this song as a Depression era tune. Indeed, Bessie Smith recorded it on the cusp of the stock market crash in 1929, and it was one of her most popular numbers during the Depression. But Nobody Loves You When You’re Down and Out was written by Jimmy Cox in 1922 or -23. When you think about the words, this makes sense. Here we have a former millionaire who has fallen to the depths of poverty, but he still believes that he is one lucky break from returning to his former stature. This kind of thinking belongs to boom years, not to an era of desperation. During the Depression, a lyric that had originally seemed realistic became a last ditch attempt at hope.

When Eric Clapton chooses to be a blues musician, he is one of my favorites. Here, he eloquently conveys the emotion of the original song. And he does this in an acoustic setting, even though he is justly known for his skill on electric guitar.

Poverty: Coal Miner's Daughter

Loretta Lynn: Coal Miner's Daughter

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Loretta Lynn's "Coal Miner's Daughter" paints an honest picture of the type of poverty that existed in many Appalachian coal mining communities in the early part of the 1900's.

We are all familiar with the stereotypes of Eastern Kentuckians living in places with no roads or electricity or running water. We've all heard stories of children who grow up in the mountains with no shoes, no education, and no food. These are stereotypes that, as a native of Eastern Kentucky (I was born and raised in the same small town as Loretta), I have spent a good deal of my life trying to disprove. I certainly didn't grow up that way, my parents didn't grow up that way, and I know few people who did.

Well... Loretta Lynn did. Her father worked in the coal mines in the small community of Van Lear, KY. He worked long, back breaking hours for very little pay. It was an environment that made it very difficult to provide for a for his wife and eight children. Loretta sings of drawing water from a well, selling a hog to buy shoes, and even going without shoes in the summertime. It was a life of poverty to be sure.

What I take away from this song, however, is how Loretta's family chose to view their situation. From a material standpoint, they had nothing. But from their perspective, they were rich because they had each other. As Loretta says, "We were poor, but we had love." It speaks to another stereotype of the people of Appalachia... a strong bond and connection to family. As cliched as it sounds, Loretta Lynn didn't have much growing up, but she never felt deprived due to the love of her family. That's why she's proud, and not ashamed, to be a coal miner's daughter.

Loretta talked about the song, and her life in an interview with NPR back in 2000.

Poverty: Breadline

The Wooden Soldiers: Breadline

[unavailable]

A couple of weeks ago, I featured a few bands from the New Brunswick, NJ music scene. Here's another one important: The Wooden Soldiers. Formed in 1984, their first album, Hippies, Punks and Rubber Men (1987) is a New Brunswick classic. The original version of the band included two distinct singer/songwriters, Greg Di Gesu and Paul Rieder. "Breadline" is one of Paul's songs. It's from a second album, Lazy Man's Load, that never got released. Paul left the band around that time, and they released one more album without him, 1991's Roses of Steel.

"Breadline" is one of the catchier songs about poverty. "I'll meet you all in the morning / On the Breadline" sounds inviting until you listen to the verses, which detail a litany of troubles facing the financially challenged.

Paul currently plays mandolin and lap steel guitar in the band Clancy's Ghost. Greg performs as Sounds of Greg D and is also a respected studio engineer with two platinum records to his credit.

Poverty: The Ballad of Larry

Jonathan Byrd: The Ballad of Larry

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I've said before that Andrew Calhoun (singer-songwriter and owner/founder of Waterbug Records) is my personal E. F. Hutton in the music world - when he tells me to pay attention to someone, I listen!

Andrew gave me the heads-up on Jonathan quite a few years back... and I've had the pleasure of presenting JByrd in my living room as well as my concert series - he has segued from traditional to singer-songwriter to world-fusion to rock to Americana... and every time I think his music can't get any better, it does...

I've long thought that each new album is a re-invention... but now realize each is actually an extension... of his wisdom, experience and heart - The Ballad of Larry is beautifully crafted and sung, an always-wrenching yet never-maudlin portrayal of the title character, who may be on the edge of poverty but is oh so rich in other ways...

Poverty: Cash On the Barrelhead

Dolly Parton: Cash on the Barrelhead

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Poverty is the knowledge that people take one look at you, and decide that it’s not safe to lend you money. That is Cash on the Barrelhead in a nutshell. I found an explanation of the term on Wiki Answers, as follows:

“... Picture a sea port and a ship is delivering barrels of salt or tar or some other item. The seller and the buyer stand facing each other with a barrel between them and strike a deal. The cash is put on the barrel, the seller takes the cash and the buyer takes the barrel after he paid for it ‘on the barrel head‘.”

The song was written by Charlie Louvin, and originally recorded by the Louvin Brothers. Dolly Parton’s is the only version I’ve heard, and it’s a good one.

Poverty: On The Wrong Side Of The Railroad Tracks

Dr. John: On The Wrong Side Of The Railroad Tracks

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Looking at it from a perspective of not having to pay income tax. On The Wrong Side Of The Railroad Tracks is from the Dr. John album of Duke Ellington covers titled Duke Elegant. In a word, I'd call this song bittersweet.

Guest Post by Bert

Poverty: Poor Man's House

Patty Griffin: Poor Man's House

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The first folk album I truly fell in love with was Patty Griffin's rough-hewn, living-room recorded 1996 debut Living with Ghosts, a gift from my father and folkmentor in troubled times. I was back in college again, newly married, desperately in need of music as an emotional outlet but too broke to afford CDs, and from the very first note, I treasured that album like nobody's business.

This song, which appears alongside the equally powerful track Forgiveness, provides an aching centerpiece of despair to a haunting album. The rise and fall of its dustbowl strum and wail, delivered on the low, shaky end of Patty's breathy, slightly twanged vocal range, speaks of growing up as a child of the exhausted and sorrowful poor in ways that - although devoid of hope in the moment - still manage to anticipate the life of inner strength which will ultimately come to those who survive it.

The exceptionally well-grounded emotion of Living With Ghosts would set the stage for a long and happily still-growing career as a songwriter's songwriter, equally adept at loss and longing, hope and hopelessness, resigned determination and anger, celebrated in Americana and folk circles for an unparalleled sensitivity to the ways in which raw, intimate music and a confessional narrative can best reach a listener's heart. But I always return to this, her first, when I am in need. Thanks, Patty, for helping me find myself in the dark hours.

Beatles Covers: Dear Prudence

Ramsey Lewis: Dear Prudence

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Thought I'd take us out this week with something mellow, and nothing better serves the purpose than a selection from Mother Nature's Son, ivory-tickling jazzman Ramsey Lewis' instrumental take on the White Album.

The tune builds, to be sure -- this isn't lite jazz by a long shot. But wordless, divorced and diverted from the child's message of wonder and hope which the original frames through its praise of day and beauty, the melody takes on a late-night longing all its own. A fitting end to a mixtape of Beatles covers, or our own week's foray into the theme.

Beatles Covers: The Lonely Hearts Club Edition

Salamander Crossing: Things We Said Today

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I posted a Salamander Crossing track about six months ago - nothing says Beatles like the banjo (just kidding!... but that is Tony Furtado sitting in). I do love this bluegrass version with accompanying fiddle... and a small snippet of I've Just Seen a Face ("falling, yes I am falling") - pay attention during the instrumental break after the bridge or you'll miss it...

The Nields: Lovely Rita

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The Nields are another group I've introduced to this forum - what's not to love about this part-psychedelic/part-rock/all-fun bouncy tune about a meter maid, featuring Dar Williams in the background chorus? (rhetorical question)...

Earth Wind & Fire: Got to Get You Into My Life

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Before I begin writing a post, I always go into Star Maker Machine's back catalog to make sure I'm not duplicating a previously-chosen musical entry - in this case, I found the song had already been used, and stunningly written about by BoyHowdy... but, since the link is dead, figured this would be the perfect occasion to re-up... :-)

Beatles Covers: Hey Jude

Mutato Muzika Orchestra: Hey Jude

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Among the most surprising developments of the last 20 years to any child of the early 80's who fancied himself a post-punker is the ascendancy of Danny Elfman and Mark Mothersbaugh as two of the preeminent film and television composers in the world.

They both deserve their status though. From the excellent The Royal Tanenbaums soundtrack, this is Mothersbaugh's arrangement of Hey Jude. It's an instrumental, and it doesn't deviate much at all from the original, but I still think it's really cool.

Beatles Covers: I'm So Tired

Elliott Smith: I'm So Tired

[Can't be purchased]

Elliott Smith covered The Beatles all the time in his live shows. I never got to see him before he died, unfortunately. I think he still had a lot of great music left in him.

Beatles Covers: The Long and Winding Road

Aretha Franklin: The Long And Winding Road

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There are some artists whose songs are often improved by coverage, or at least stretched beyond their original bounds – Dylan or John Prine, for example, write damn good songs, and their performance is something special indeed, but their broken voice and delivery just aren't versatile enough to preempt the plethora of nuanced interpretations which bring new and gorgeous diversity to their respective songbooks, often evoking a fuller range of emotions which were harder to hear in the growled original. There's nothing wrong with that. It's just how it is.

The Beatles, on the other hand, are hard to out-Beatle. From the manic crash-and-cry of Helter Skelter to the delicacy of Blackbird or Julia to the pomp and circumstance of Penny Lane, the boys had a knack for finding just the right tone for a myriad of narratives. As such, Beatles coverage is a wonderful thing – I've posted some good ones myself in the last week or two, and enjoyed thoroughly the gems which my fellow Starmakers have posted before me this week – but in most cases, it's hard to argue that the version is truly an improvement on the original.

Still, once in a while a singer manages to make a Beatles song even better, and it's hard to beat the aching, longing soul that Aretha pours into what I've always considered one of the weaker, dare-I-say sappier tracks from the Fab Four canon. Atlantic Records producer and “godfather of soul” Jerry Wexler provides a perfectly balanced swirl of early seventies keyboard sound and punctuated rhythm that functions as a startlingly effective tether for Aretha's raw emotional power, too. The result: perfection. Lead me to your door, indeed.

Beatles Covers: Norwegian Wood (This Bird Has Flown)

The Nudes: Norwegian Wood (This Bird Has Flown)

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I have mentioned The Nudes before and, upon re-reading my entry, I see that I even gave a heads-up to BoyHowdy as to this Beatles cover - now here I am posting it myself!

I love the Middle Eastern sound of the percussion, cadence and strings (echoing George Harrison's sitar in the original) - the harmonies add an extra layer of mysticism and mystery...

There are some fascinating backstories and references on the song's Wikipedia page, including many possibilities as to what the lyrics mean as well as the definition of Norwegian wood - all I know is that it's a Beatles tune that never fails to make me feel good... or even better, depending on my mood...

Beatles Covers: For No One

Rickie Lee Jones: For No One

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Rickie Lee Jones burst upon the scene in 1979, riding Chuck E’s in Love up the charts. She then proceeded, over the course of her next several albums, to establish herself as a remarkable songwriter. Then, out of nowhere, she released Pop-Pop, an album of all covers. Somewhat of a shock to those of us who had followed her career to that point, the album wound up emphasizing her skills as an arranger and interpreter.

Since then, Jones has periodically interrupted her songwriting showcases to release further albums of all covers. The one released in 2000 was called It’s Like This, and it included this version of For No One. Jones gives the song a spare arrangement, mostly piano with some organ for color, and the songwriting shines through. Jones’ version eloquently conveys the loneliness of the lyric.

Beatles Covers: Strawberry Fields Forever

Los Fabulosos Cadillacs (con Deborah Harry): Strawberry Fields Forever

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In '95 Los Fabulosos Cadillacs, an Argentine Band, released Rey Azucar (Spanish for King Sugar). Produced by Chris Frantz and Tina Weymouth of Talking Heads, the album included guest appearances by Mick Jones and Deborah Harry. Here then is a reggae version, sung in Spanish, of Strawberry Fields Forever, con Deborah Harry.

Guest post by Bert

Beatles Covers: Don't Let Me Down

Dillard & Clark: Don't Let Me Down

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Doug Dillard (from the Dillards) and Gene Clark (from the Byrds) joined forces for two pioneering country-rock albums in the late sixties. "Don't Let Me Down" is from the second, Through the Morning, Through the Night. The raw singing on the original is replaced with full folk-country harmonies, but the music still has an edge to it--check out the bass solo during the instrumental break.

It doesn't matter which version I listen to, the insistent refrain plants itself in my brain for the next 24-48 hours. And that's a good thing.

Beatles Covers: Mother Nature's Son

John Denver Mother Nature's Son

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Mother Nature's Son has been covered by at least six other artists that I'm aware of, but I always imagine John Denver hearing it for the first time and thinking, "Dang! I should have written that song!"

Paul wrote Mother Nature's Son in response to a particular lecture by the Maharisi Yogi while The Beatles were in India. Lennon wrote the unreleased Child Of Nature following the same lecture (you may recognize the melody, which he reused on the Imagine album).

This has always been one of my favorite songs, and in spite of all of the covers, I think McCartney's version is the best version by far.

Beatles Covers: Yellow Submarine

Chris Eckman: Yellow Submarine

[purchase]

The Walkabouts are a Seattle based band. Chris Eckman, songwriter and Carla Torgerson, vocalist form the nucleus. In 2006 a Beatles cover album was released in the U.K. entitled Mojo: Revolver Reloaded. Yellow Submarine was covered by Chris Eckman. I find this to be a pleasant voyage.

Guest post by Bert

Beatles Covers: A Hard Day's Night

Otis Redding: A Hard Day's Night

[purchase]

This live performance comes from Good to Me: Live at the Whiskey a Go Go, Vol. 2. It was recorded back in 1966, when Otis was at the height of his powers. While the original Beatles version of "A Hard Day's Night" concentrates its energies on the youthful exuberance of seeing your girl after a long day of work, Otis' gritter version puts more emphasis on the long day of work. And you can feel it.

Beatles Covers: All My Loving

Suzy Bogguss and Chet Atkins: All My Loving

[purchase]

It's a little bit country, it's a little bit rock and roll - I don't even recall how this CD came into my possession but, upon googling, I find that Come Together: America Salutes the Beatles was released in 1995 and has quite an impressive line-up of engineers, singers and musicians...

Most of it is, in my opinion, fairly forgettable, with many of the tracks sounding similar to the original rather than attempting to re-invent - however, this cover by Suzy and Chet feels invested with love, playfulness and flair, taking an already-catchy song to another level in a completely different genre...

Beatles Covers: I Will

Tuck & Patti: I Will

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The Beatles became known for their arrangements and their innovative production techniques, especially in the later phase of their career. But strip all of that away, and you are left with the brilliance of the songwriting. This plays to Tuck & Patti’s strengths. They find the best written songs they can, and arrange them for voice and guitar. That’s it. So naturally, they are drawn to the music of The Beatles. I Will is a fine example of how this works. Aside from a great song, there are two elements that must be present. These spare arrangements leave neither the singer, (Patti Cathcart), or the guitar player, (Tuck Andress), a place to hide. So they must be first rate, and they are. Tuck & Patti give a jazz lilt to everything they do, and it really works here.

Beatles Covers: Help

Deep Purple: Help

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Back in 1983, I was a expanding my musical world outward from the Beatles and into...heavy metal. Not sure how that happened, but it did. I blame it on "Helter Skelter".

One day I was at a local discount store, rummaging through their bin of discount cassettes. Remember those? Coming of age in the Walkman era, cassettes were my preferred format for listening to music until CDs (remember those?) became ubiquitous. I used to love digging through those bargain bins!

But I digress. So I was rummaging through the discount cassettes, and I came across an album by Deep Purple. Newly converted to the headbanging cause, I knew that Deep Purple were a band I needed to have. So I bought the cassette, which was called Shades of Deep Purple. When I popped it in my cheap Walkman knockoff, I realized right away that this was not quite the same band as the one that recorded the ur-riff "Smoke On the Water". This was psychedelic. Some of it was quite catchy.

I did some research, and discovered it was their debut album, from 1968, and they had a different singer (and a different bassist) than the band that recorded all those '70s classics. Despite my initial disappointment however, I ended up falling in love with the album.

The early Purple were indeed a psychedelic band, in the mold of Vanilla Fudge. They often recorded long, drawn-out psychedelicized covers. (They also recorded shorted bursts of psych-pop, like their cover of Joe South's "Hush", which was the big hit from this album.) On Shades of..., they applied the Fudge formula to John Lennon's most famous cry for help. Hearing the lyrics slowed down was an eye opener.

They recorded three albums with this lineup, before bringing in Ian Gillian's leather lungs for In Rock. To my ears, Shades of... is the only one of the three that still holds up.

Or maybe it just like the memories of my younger self the album evokes. I'm definitely listening to it through nostalgia-colored glasses.

Fruits and Vegetables: Peaches

The Presidents of the Unites States of America: Peaches

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It's a bit under the wire here, but I realized this song hadn't been posted yet, and in my book it would have been some sort of crime to let a fruit theme go by and not post this fruit-eating anthem.

Fruits and Vegetables: The Apples and Oranges Edition

There really *is* no place like home - so comforting to once again be under my own roof, with my own family and dog... and my own CD collection!

It's taking a bit of time to catch up and get back in the proverbial "swing of things"... so I thought I'd offer up some apples, oranges and a wayward plum as my Star Maker Machine re-entry - hope you've all had a juicy summer...

Barenaked Ladies: These Apples

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What's not to love about a Canadian folk/pop/rock "boy" band singing of romance and postcards and grammar, oh my! - "these apples are delicious!"...

Osborne Brothers (featuring Steve Thomas): Orange Blossom Special

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The notes on the back of my CD state that "Orange Blossom Special ranks as probably the most popular fiddle tune of all time. Written in the mid-thirties by fiddlers Chubby Wise and Ervin Rouse, the song took its title from a southeastern train on the Seabord Airline Railroad. Originally an instrumental, verses were later added and it has evolved into a favorite showpiece for other instruments as well" - enjoy!

Suzanne Vega: My Favorite Plum

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I remember hearing Caramel on the Sessions at West 54th TV program in Spring of 1998... and rushing right out to buy her (at that time) new CD - food has long been a metaphor for desire and, as Suzanne sings of her longing, the temptation to indulge is strong and seductive...

"Can all this fruit be free?" indeed...

Fruits and Vegetables: The Plum Blossom

Yusef Lateef: The Plum Blossom

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While scouring my music library for fruit and vegetable songs, I kept finding myself coming back to this Eastern-influenced meditation from jazz multi-instrumentalist Yusef Lateef. Yusef plays the Chinese xun, a kind of flute, on this track, while bassist Ernie Farrow picks up the rabaab, Barry Harris tinkles the ivories, and Lex Humphries adds some sympathetic percussion. It all adds up to a simple, hypnotic piece as softly pretty as its title.

Fruits and Vegetables: The Ballad of Peter Pumpkinhead

XTC: The Ballad of Peter Pumpkinhead

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What would Jesus do? It’s a valid question. But here, XTC asked, what would we do to Jesus? Andy Partridge and Co had expressed their doubts about religion elsewhere. But here, they stated their case against the hypocrisy of the modern-day political and religious establishment. To do so, Andy Partridge created the character of Peter Pumpkinhead as a Jesus figure whose appearance threatens both governments and churches in today’s world. Peter seems more like a hippie than a minister. When the powers that be find that they cannot discredit Peter, he suffers the same fate as his predecessor.

I don’t know where Partridge got the idea for or the name of this character. But, I wonder if Peter might be related to the character Jack Pumpkinhead from The Land of Oz. Jack, as a character from a beloved series of children’s books, represents the innocence of childhood, and, as a magical creation, the belief that anything is possible. These ideas, Partridge would be saying, cannot endure in the face of the evils of the modern world. I find that this explanation for Peter’s surname adds resonance to the song for me. However, if anyone knows what Partridge was really thinking, please let me know in the comments.

Fruits and Vegetables: Raspberry Beret

Hindu Love Gods: Raspberry Beret

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In the mid-80s, while three-quarters of R.E.M. were helping Warren Zevon record his Sentimental Hygiene album, they banged out an album's worth of covers one night. In Several years later, the results of that night were released as the Hindu Love Gods one-and-only album. Most of the songs on the album were covers of blues standards, but the standout was this rockin' take on Prince's ode to scarlet headwear.

It's a fun track, but the real reason I picked this song is because I love raspberries. They are my favorite fruit. Every time I eat one, I am reminded of summer mornings in my youth, picking raspberries from the bushes in my parents' backyard to add to my breakfast cereal. It's a memory I cherish.

Fruits and Vegetables: Bananas and Blow

Ween: Bananas and Blow

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I'm a bit too old for Bonnaroo. Fighting crowds of up to a hundred thousand in the southern heat to hear music until the wee hours is no dream date for a 36 year old dad with waning stamina and a high preference for intimate stageside seating.

But I've been living vicariously though live recordings from the festival since it started, and the 2002 inaugural Live from Bonnaroo CD, from back when the festival was still almost exclusively a haven for jam bands and hippie funk, is as good as it gets: Galactic, Soulive, String Cheese Incident, Jack Johnson, a recently-solo Trey Anastasio, even a Les Claypool cover of an old Jethro Tull tune. Throw in Del McCoury and Norah Jones as a nod to the much broader musical diversity which would soon become the norm at the annual fest, and you've got a recipe for success well worth purchasing, whether or not you even planned to make the trip.

Neo-psychedelic oddballs Ween are technically an alt-rock or "stoner rock" band -- I saw them a decade ago, at an early HORDE tour -- but this fruity tune is a perfect example of what I love about jam band music. From the bass-and-steel drum intro to the sing-along wind-in-the-trees wail, the tune stays light and bouncy through tongue-in-cheek guitar solos and a set of silly drug-referencing lyrics clearly written for rhythmic trip than for any particular narrative sense. It's like being there, but much closer to the stage. And without all the mud, heat, long entrance lines, hilarious patchwork corduroy pants, and bad acid.

Fruits and Vegetables: Coconut

Harry Nilsson: Coconut

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OK. Let’s get this produce party started.

This strange little ditty caught my ears the first time I heard it, and it hasn’t let go all these years later. And I have no idea why. The song consists of just a few lines of lyrics, sung over and over, with only slight variations. It’s almost simple minded. The production is weird, even for the 1970s. And the groove is fun, but it never goes anywhere. So call this a guilty pleasure, I guess. But I can remember when this was all over the radio. I think it even charted. So whatever mysterious power this song has over me, at least I’m not the only one.

Similes: Slow Like Honey

Fiona Apple: Slow Like Honey

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As far as song similes go, this one has more than it's fair share. Pretty much every line contains a simile about how Fiona will seduce her man. My particular favorite is that she's "strong like music". It's a beautifully sensual song.

Similes: Drank Like a River

Whiskeytown: Drank Like a River

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Slow start this week...

Here's one to get everybody ramped up again. This is Ryan Adams and Whiskeytown at their early fire breathing punk/heart breaking country best.