…but I like this song.

I took my hard drive to Jennifer’s today and we were going through my music collection. She played some of Willie Nelson’s children’s album for Stormie. It had been a long, long time since I’d listened to the record. I forgot how pleasant it was. I couldn’t find the version from the album, nor could I find a video to embed, but here’s a link to a video on YouTube.

This was given to me by a co-worker via my “I filled this flash drive up with music you’ll like, remove it to your harddrive and fill it back up with your music” program. I was reluctant to allow someone who only listens to electronica to play along but after hearing some stuff I sort of liked playing in his office I decided to give him a go.

There was more than one surprise on the drive when I got it back. Kaya Project was my favorite. I’ll admit it’s not for everyone and this track isn’t my favorite by far, but it’s still good stuff.  If you can get into electronica at all then it’s well worth a listen…you know…after the jump. More »

Vigilantes of Love started out as a Christian Rock band out of Athens, Georgia in 1990. I was first attracted to them when I read a article the mentioned Mark Heard had produced their first album. I was a huge fan of Mark’s stuff at the time so I picked up their album V.O.L., a compilation of the work they’d done on their first few albums.

While I can’t say I’ve enjoyed everything they’ve put out over the years I was sad to see them break-up a few years back. It broke my heart to hear that front man Bill Mallonee was selling his guitars to help pay bills.

The video posted here is from the 2000 release Audible Sigh.  It’s a sad song.

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One of my team members at work gave me some James McMurtry he’d downloaded off the web. I can’t remember where I him for the first time but by the time I received the CDs I’d forgotten I’d even added them to my wish list. Well I just can’t say enough about how much I’m enjoying the albums.

There’s a video after the jump of one of my favorites but I couldn’t find one for either of the two songs I find myself going back to again and again. I’ll post the lyrics to the more poignant one, Restless.

She get’s a little restless in the spring
She might follow the lines you sing
Bullshit though they are
Cause sometimes that’s just the thing
If delivered with panache and a certain grace
Fingertips on satin lace
Cutting cards and quoting Proust
Whatever turns her wild mare loose

She gets a little restless now and then
She feels the changes in the wind
Way down deep where I can’t see
She can get clean away from me
With a side step and subtle shift
And the turning of a key
Locks me out and lets me drift
She’ll come back if I let her be
She’ll come back if I let her be

And I’m just a little down tonight
I’m just a little down tonight
A little messed up is all I’m sayin’
I’m just a little down tonight
I’m just a little down
But I believe I’ll make it
Believe I’ll make it

She get’s a little restless I can tell
When she goes back up inside her shell
And the conversation
Slows to a stop and I might as well
Be out alone on the highway
Way off in the Utah sage
Waving to the railroad crew
That’s when I get restless too

She gets a little restless in the spring
She might follow the lines you sing
Bullshit though they are
Sometimes that’s just the thing.

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Back in 1993 Metro One records released two CDs entitled Shack of Peasants. These albums were really my first steps out of the hard rock that had dominated my early teens and into what would eventually become a deep love of Americana and Country music. Released in two volumes, Classic Blues and Gospel Blues, the albums brought together people like Crystal Lewis, Darrell Mansfield and Chris Lizotte to record standards such as “I Shall Not Be Moved”, “Nobody’s Fault But Mine”, “Swing Low, Sweet Chariot” and a beautiful version of Bob Dylan’s “Ring Them Bells.”

In around 1998 I lost track of both volumes. After searching for years I found Volume 2 on CD on eBay and snatched it up. It would be another three years before I found a resonably priced copy of Volume 1.

There is no video available so I’ve uploaded a track from Volume 2, One More River To Cross.

I can’t believe I’ve made in this far into talking about the music I listen to without posting about Mike yet. Mike has been in and out of the Christian music scene since the early eighties with the band Lifesavors. He’s released more than 40 full length albums under varied names including Lifesavers, LS Underground, Lifesavers Underground, LSU, Aunt Betty’s, Michael Knott, The Rovers Three, Struck Last May, Cush and a few others. He had a record label back in the nineties that gave a few bands that are still around their start.

I’m a collector of his music, or at least I used to be, and I have a fairly large collection. But I don’t come close to having a complete set. Here’s what I’ve got.

Aunt Betty’s, Ford Supersonic, Browbeat, Cush, Cash in Chaos World Tour, Live at Cornerstone Vol. 1, Poplife, Bring it Down Now, Dogfish Jones, Grace Shaker, The Grape Prophet, This is the Healing, Definitive Collection, Finding Angel, Hearts of Care, Life of David, Rocket and a Bomb, Strip Cycle, Mother Nation, Live at Cornerstone 2000, Alternative Worship, The Browbeats , Us Kids….

I think I have some stuff on cassette that I don’t have on CD too plus a few videos of live performances.

When John Barrymore Jr died in November of 2004 I posted the lyrics to Mike’s song about him on the other blog. Here’s a live performance from a 2000 performance at Houghton College in New York State.

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I love Six Pence.  This is a new release and also features Dan Haseltine from Jars of Clay. It’s beautiful.

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I haven’t been in the CCM loop for quite a while now. In fact while a friend was visiting this weekend she found the last CCM cassette that I’d purchased that wasn’t purchased for nostalgia or to complete a catalog of an artist I’d long been a fan of.  I vaguely recall hearing that Larry Norman had died earlier this year but when I saw it on his web page it still came as a shock to me.

For those who don’t know their CCM history Larry Norman was an early pioneer - much earlier, in fact, than many who are considered to be the proverbial parents of the genre.  Larry was first signed to a record label, Capital Records no less, in 1966 with the band People!, a band he’d leave just after they released their first album in a dispute over some of the band members pressuring him to convert to Scientology and the record label refusing to release the album with the name “We Need a Whole Lot More Jesus and a Lot Less Rock and Roll”.

Larry stayed on with Capital to release some solo material including one of his best known releases, Only Visiting This Planet, in 1972. He moved on to MGM Records to release So Long Ago in the Garden but left that label as well when he believed they were interfering with his religious message. In 1976 he released In Another Land as an independent release.

Larry undoubtably had an influence on Christian music but he didn’t stop there.  From encounters with Bob Dylan and Van Morrison to performing with Black Francis of The Pixies in 2005 Larry’s music touched musicians in both worlds for more than thirty years. It is also noteable that Larry was Simpsonized by the comic book artists and a Larry Norman Simpsonized watch was released around that same time.

Larry died in his home on Febuary 24, 2008. The day before he’d posted the following message on his website.

I feel like a prize in a box of cracker jacks with God’s hand reaching down to pick me up. I have been under medical care for months. My wounds are getting bigger. I have trouble breathing. I am ready to fly home. I won’t be here much longer. I can’t do anything about it. My heart is too weak. I want to say goodbye to everyone. In the past you have generously supported me with prayer and finance and we will probably still need financial help. My plan is to be buried in a simple pine box with some flowers inside. But still it will be costly… However money is not really what I need, I want to say I love you. I’d like to push back the darkness with my bravest effort. There will be funeral information posted on my website, in case some of you want to attend. We are not sure of the date when I will die. Goodbye, farewell, we will meet again.

The clip after the jump is from his 2000 Cornerstone performance.

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