Fifty States: Colorado

The Flying Burrito Brothers: Colorado

[purchase]

I spent a month camping in Colorado once. It was amazing. Let me tell you something: being 24 years old, fishing for your breakfast, and playing the guitar under the stars at night is about as good as life gets. This song was written by Rick Roberts after Graham Parsons left the band. I don't really think it's a great song, but it's pretty OK.  However, thinking of that month I spent in those mountains makes me sympathize with Roberts' lyric as he longs to return to the state:

Hey Colorado is it too late to change my mind?

Also, during a younger and more innocent stage of my life I loved John Denver, so I'm including him here too. I can't listen to him anymore for some reason, maybe because life is too serious now or maybe because I'm too "cool", but there's a certain wide-eyed optimism to his music that has its appeal. Say what you will about the Muppets and the glasses, but this guy loved the outdoors and he loved Colorado.

John Denver: I guess he'd rather be in Colorado

Fifty States: Utah

Harry Nilsson: The Beehive State

[purchase]

To Star Maker Machine's great shame, this blog has been running in its current format for nearly four months and there has only been one measly Harry Nilsson song. Come on Star Makers! Nine Bob Dylans? Eight Elvis Costellos? Where's the love for Harry?

In my own defense, half of my Nilsson collection is apparently blocked by iTunes mojo: I can't convert them from m4as so I can't post them. This has been heartbreaking to me since there's been at least one great choice for every theme we've had. Finally I'm able to get one in, though! And none of you thoroughbreads busted out of the fifty state gate with Utah! So there!

This fantastic song, written by Randy Newman, takes place on the floor of congress, as the congressmen from Kansas and Utah (aka the Beehive State) each plead for much-needed funds for their states--proving that in the right hands, anything can make a great pop song.

Fifty states: Maryland

The Mountain Goats: Going To Maryland

[purchase]

When the theme is a geographical one, you can always rely on Mountain Goats mastermind John Darnielle. His Going To series contains an amazing 43 songs up to now, spread out over many albums, cassettes and singles. It would be great if someone compiled them on a box set sometime. There´s Going to Jamaica, Going To Bolivia, Going To Marrakesh, Going To Reykjavik, Going To Some Damned English City... And hey, there´s even a Going To Maryland... "And it's a stupid trick of fortune anyway, but the lights are bright tonight and your eyes shine tonight on Chesapeke Bay."

Fifty States: Iowa

Greg Brown: Iowa Waltz

[purchase]

I suppose I should knock off my adopted home state of Iowa. I hated Iowa when I first moved here, but I've learned over the years that it's a wonderful place to live (except for the months of December, January, and February, which suck eggs). We have dense forest across the street from our house, we have the right sized cities, we have good people, we have universities, we have good music. If it weren't for those nasty, ugly winters when all the leaves fall off the trees, it would be everything I would want in a place to raise a family.

Greg Brown grew up a couple of hours south of my house. I'm not a farmer, and since I live in a University town I don't really know any farmers. But, I still love this line:

We take care of our own, take care of our young,
Make hay while the sun shines.
Growing our crops, singing our songs,
And planting until harvest time.

Fifty States: Illinois

Tom Waits: Johnsburg, Illinois

[purchase]

A short but very sweet declaration of love from Tom Waits to his wife Kathleen Brennan, who was born in ´the hometown with spirit´. "She grew up on a farm there, there´s a place on my arm where I´ve written her name next to mine..." 

Fifty States: Oklahoma

The Kinks: Oklahoma U.S.A.

[purchase]

One of the great lost Kinks’ songs.

All life we work, but work is a bore
If life’s for living, what’s living for?

Fifty States: Louisiana

Randy Newman: Louisiana 1927

[purchase]

Several posts this week have already talked about avoiding the obvious song, and I often agree. But not in this case. The song is just too good.

Reader submission from Darius.

Fifty States: North Dakota

Lyle Lovett: North Dakota

[purchase]

And the boys from North Dakota
They drink whisky for their fun
And the cowboys down in Texas
They polish up their guns
And they look across the border
To learn the ways of love

My father long ago decided that he would visit every state in the US before he died. But he refused to go anywhere just for the sake of going -- there had to be some reason to go.

He's covered 49 states so far.

There isn't much to North Dakota. Even Lyle Lovett only manages to brace it against Texas, really. But I love this song. I love this album. I love this singer. And I love my father.

Dad, this one's for you.

Fifty States: Texas

Billy Joe Shaver: Heart Of Texas

[purchase]

Forget Tennessee, the great state of Texas is the center of my country music world. So I’ve got a ton of Texas songs. I’m sure you do too. But hold off posting them for now. Both Texas and California are going to be theme weeks here at Star Maker Machine.

OK, go ahead and post your Texas songs in the comments. I can’t wait for the other theme to come around!

Fifty States: Vermont

Billie Holiday: Moonlight In Vermont [purchase]

Frank Sinatra: Moonlight In Vermont [purchase]

Pennies in a stream
Falling leaves, a sycamore
Moonlight in Vermont

Icy fingers wave
Ski trails on a mountain side
Snowlight in Vermont

Telegraph cables, they sing down the highway
And travel each bend in the road
People who meet in this romantic setting
Are so hypnotized by the lovely...

Evening summer breeze
Warbling of a meadowlark
Moonlight in Vermont

Fifty States: Oregon

American Standard: Postcards from Oregon

[purchase]





One of the catchiest songs from these Hoboken, NJ, lifers. "I Keep on Hoping I Hear the Whispering".

Fifty States: South Dakota

Andre Williams: Only Black Man in South Dakota

[purchase]









The whole damn state said "Hell No!". That says it all in this "Rawhide" meets "Gangsta Song" 50s style. Mick Collins and Dan Kroha of the Gories give Andre Williams the perfect musical backdrop to "wax poetic" about the upper Midwest paranoia of the black man. Even if 100% completely untrue-- it's makes a great story and even better song.

Fifty States: Massachusetts

Juliana Hatfield Three: Feeling Massachusetts

[purchase]









Back in 1993 Juliana Hatfield and Tanya Donnelly (un)intentionally released albums at the same time. While Tanya stuck to more obscure themes, Juliana decided to wear it on her sleeve. Despite that I have had some monumental moments in Plymouth Rock state (first kiss, free beer via truck wreck, swimming in March) there is no denying that the place is dismal (snowing in May, cold, St. Pauli girl beer of choice circa '89). Hatfield relished in her misery which she descriptively documents in this song. Feeling bad? Blame the locale. In retrospect "Supermodel" exemplifies denial, "Spin the Bottle" channels into that virginity myth she tried to float, and "My Sister" a jealousy that only a sibling could understand. However, this subtle "knife in the back" to her adopted state (she's from Maine (now there is a state steeped in misery)) tells you a lot about Hatfield in the early 90s-- a pretty chick, a mean streak, and an extreme desire to treat you like shit. She could be dumped into the best situation possible (person, place, and time) and she would find a way to wreck it. Essentially feeling Massachusetts is just a way to describe who she was at the time and pining a geographical location to clue everyone in on the misery. The genius in this song though is that she disguises it in some wistful vocals and a very catchy pop song. She likely had all those great moments (and more) that I had, but instead of remembering the good -- she makes the Massachusetts "state of mind" very bad.

Fifty States: Michigan

Your host at Star Maker Machine is a lifelong resident of The Great Lake State. Despite Michigan's impressive musical tradition (Stevie Wonder, Aretha Franklin, Madonna, The Stooges, Eminem, The White Stripes, The Temptations, Smoky Robinson, The Supremes, Iggy Pop, Sufjan Stevens, The Four Tops, MC5, Jackie Wilson, Del Shannon, Bob Seger, Marshall Crenshaw, Kid Rock, Commander Cody) there aren't many popular songs about my home state or its people.

I have only two in my collection (both from this century).

Sufjan Stevens: Say Yes! to M!ch!gan! [purchase]

Califone: Michigan Girls [purchase]

The title of Sufjan Stevens’ song, Say Yes! to M!ch!gan!, comes from an emphatic tourist slogan we tried here awhile back.

If you have any more Michigan songs, please include them in the comments or send them to me. Thanks!



Michigan trivia: Michigan’s two peninsulas have more miles of Great Lakes shoreline (3,288 miles/5,292 kilometers) than the distance from Maine to Florida.

Here’s one of my favorite places in Michigan, The Legs Inn located in Cross Village:

Fifty States: Florida

Vic Chestnutt: Florida

[purchase]

"Florida, Florida,
There's no more perfect place to retire from life... "

For more info about this song, see here.

Fifty States: Tennessee

Bobby Charles: Tennessee Blues [download]*

Doug Sahm: Tennessee Blues [purchase]*

Here's two different versions of Bobby Charles' homage to Tennessee. The first can be found on his waaaaay under-appreciated 1972 self-titled LP. While there aren't individual song credits ... at least on the vinyl copy ... it's worth noting that Rick Danko, Garth Hudson, Levon Helm, and Richard Manuel of The Band all back up the Louisiana native. In fact, Danko and longtime Band co-conspirator, John Simon, produced the album with Charles. It only takes about 10 seconds to realize that this tune is right in The Band wheelhouse.

A year after Charles released his album, Doug Sahm tackled the tune on his equally under-appreciated Texas Tornado record. What's interesting is that there is a common musical denominator. Dr. John was part of the Bobby Charles Krewe and he served in much the same capacity for Sir Doug, tickling the ivories to add the night trippin' gumbo flavor. Where Charles aims for the back porch, Sahm goes for the nightclub. Of course, given all the talent involved, both versions deliver the goods. A great song from two albums definitely worth owning.

* I swear I'm not intentionally seeking out songs from expensive, hard-to-find albums, but in both cases here the CD versions of the albums are positively usurous. However, the downloadable versions are somewhat reasonable, so I linked to them instead.

Fifty States: New Mexico

Rick Danko: New Mexicoe

"You might catch me down in New Mexico,
I got some folks there that I used to know,
I'd be wasting time, you know just what I'd find,
More of the same that made me leave there."

I don't know why Rick Danko and Bobby Charles named their song "New Mexicoe," as opposed to the more traditional "New Mexico," but whatever chemistry was at play obviously worked. This lovely, wistful tune ... which you can find on Danko's self-titled 1977 LP ... blends The Band's country roots with Charles' cajun blues. Garth Hudson's accordion adds a nice southwestern touch and Eric Clapton punches in with some tasteful guitar leads.

Fifty States: Wyoming

The Lucksmiths: Wyoming

[purchase]

Here's a great tune from The Lucksmiths 1997 album, The Good Kind Of Nervous. I live in the Midwest but I'm originally from California, so whenever we drive home we see the entire length of Wyoming. It's amazing that there's still that much space left in the world. The Lucksmiths are from Australia, so they probably know something about open spaces themselves.

I'm going to ask forgiveness instead of permission on this next one: I hope everyone will forgive me for absolutely shattering the 20th Century guideline for this blog by posting a second Wyoming song from JP Haynie. He's a brand new artist, yes. Unsigned, in fact. This is, without question, my favorite Wyoming song, though, so I couldn't resist. My hope is that when you hear it you'll realize (1) that it was worth it, because this song is gorgeously written, (2) that there is nothing modern, ironic, or hip about this tune and that it could have been written at any point in the last 40 years, and (3) that it feels like Wyoming. I promise, all of my other state songs are recorded between 10 and 75 years ago.

JP Haynie: Wyoming

[purchase]

Fifty states: Alaska

Johnny Cash with June Carter: When It's Springtime In Alaska (It's Forty Below) (cover of Johnny Horton)

[purchase]

In honour of perhaps my favourite television show ever...although does anyone else think that Maggie's (beautiful) head looks disembodied in the picture above??

Here are some choice words from the character Chris Stevens, ever the philosopher:

"There's a dark side to each and every human soul. We wish we were Obi-Wan Kenobi, and for the most part we are, but there's a little Darth Vader in all of us. Thing is, this ain't no either-or proposition. We're talking about dialectics, the good and the bad merging into us. You can run but you can't hide. My experience? Face the darkness. Stare it down. Own it. As brother Nietzsche said, being human is a complicated gig. So give that ol' dark night of the soul a hug. Howl the eternal yes!"

Bonus tracks:

Camera Obscura: Alaska [purchase]

Liz Phair: Ant In Alaska [purchase]

Fifty States: Hawaii

Gabby Pahinui: Blue Hawaiian Moonlight

I'm not sure if I'm the only SMM contributor with Hawaiian heritage ... my mom was a native, born and raised ... but I feared that the Hawaiian track was gonna be Elvis' "Blue Hawaii" or the Hawaii Five-O theme. So, my mission was to preemptively strike with some actual Hawaiian flavor. Don't get me wrong, this is no diss on the King or Jack Lord and his perfectly coiffed hair. But, Gabby Pahinui was a giant of Hawaiian music, a slack-key and steel guitar master going back to the 1930s, and the man had sweet honey for a voice, which I think this song showcases beautifully. Suffice to say, many people know of Mr. Presley. Not very many know of Mr. Pahinui, so if I can turn a few ears, I'll be happy. My only regret is that the track cuts off at the very end, so my apologies for that. Also, because Gabby has a fairly limited CD catalog ... and Hawaiian music is kinda inherently niche ... prices tend to be outrageous, which is why I didn't bother including a purchase link. But, you may get lucky at some download sites or the occasional record store, so keep a look out. Aloha.