Tag Archives: Music

Tourism – Johnny Cash Style

12 Dec

There are times when we like to act like tourists in our own town and go to places that locals tend to ignore. Sunday was one of those times. We had brunch in downtown Nashville and walked a few blocks to the Johnny Cash Museum.Johnny Cash

I never saw Johnny Cash perform, and that is one of my regrets. However, I had a brief encounter with him at a bookstore. Honestly, I thought that would have been mentioned somewhere in the museum, but, for some reason, they left that out.

The museum offered glimpses into many phases of his life. Throughout the tour, samples of his music play overhead. Also, there are listening stations that represent different musical times in his life. It is a great chance to hear how his music, message and voice changed through the decades.

When I picked up one set of headphones, the station played a song that I always thought was cool because it sounds hard to sing. “I’ve Been Everywhere” is a fast-paced tune that names places that the singer has visited. It sounds almost like Rap and proves difficult to understand in some spots.

Yesterday, I looked up the song to figure out the lyrics and found out some interesting tidbits. First, it was written by an Australian and listed Australian towns. Then, Hank Snow picked it up and changed locations. At some point, Johnny Cash recorded it, and.

As I listened to the song, I began to wonder how many places in the song I have visited. It turns out that I have not been everywhere, but I have been to a few places. They are in bold.

I was totin’ my pack along the dusty Winnemucca road
When along came a semi with a high and canvas covered load
If you’re going to Winnemucca, mack, with me you can ride
So I climbed into the cab and then I settled down inside
He asked me if I’d seen a road with so much dust and sand
And I said, “Listen, I’ve traveled every road in this here land”

I’ve been everywhere, man
I’ve been everywhere, man
Across the deserts bare, man
I’ve breathed the mountain air, man
Of travel I’ve had my share, man
I’ve been everywhere

I’ve been to Reno, Chicago, Fargo
Minnesota, Buffalo, Toronto, Winslow
Sarasota, Wichita, Tulsa, Ottawa
Oklahoma, Tampa, Panama
Mattawa, La Paloma, Bangor
Baltimore, Salvador, Amarillo
Tocopilla, Barranquilla and
Padilla, I’m a killer

I’ve been everywhere, man
I’ve been everywhere, man
Across the deserts bare, man
I’ve breathed the mountain air, man
Of travel I’ve had my share, man
I’ve been everywhere

I’ve been to Boston, Charleston, Dayton
Louisiana, Washington, Houston
Kingston, Texarkana, Monterey, Ferriday
Santa Fe, Tallahoosa, Glen Rock
Black Rock, Little Rock, Oskaloosa
Tennessee, Hennessey, Chicopee, Spirit Lake
Grand Lake, Devil’s Lake, Crater Lake, for Pete’s sake

I’ve been everywhere, man
I’ve been everywhere, man
Across the deserts bare, man
I’ve breathed the mountain air, man
Of travel I’ve had my share, man
I’ve been everywhere

I’ve been to Louisville, Nashville
Knoxville, Ombabika, Shefferville
Jacksonville, Waterville, Costa Rica
Pittsfield, Springfield, Bakersfield
Shreveport, Hackensack, Cadillac
Fond Du Lac, Davenport, Idaho, Jellicoe
Argentina, Diamontina, Pasadena
Catalina, see what I mean’a

I’ve been everywhere, man
I’ve been everywhere, man
Across the deserts bare, man
I’ve breathed the mountain air, man
Of travel I’ve had my share, man
I’ve been everywhere

Pittsburgh, Parkersburg, Gravellburg
Colorado, Ellensburg, Rexburg, Vicksburg
El Dorado, Larrimore, Atmore, Haverstraw
Chattanooga, Chaska, Nebraska, Alaska
Opelika, Baraboo, Waterloo, Kalamazoo
Kansas City, Sioux City, Cedar City
Dodge City, what a pity

I’ve been everywhere, man
I’ve been everywhere, man
Across the deserts bare, man
I’ve breathed the mountain air, man
Of travel I’ve had my share, man
I’ve been everywhere
I’ve been everywhere

 Yeah, I have acted like a tourist in a lot of places.

Tags: , , , ,

My iPod Has Issues – WordPress Has Joined the Crazy Club

9 Dec

This morning, I logged into WordPress and found that the format has been changed. Obviously, this is not the first time that changes have taken place, and each time I have to learn how to navigate the system to get where I want.

It an old-fashioned question, but why fix something that is not broken? Ever heard of New Coke?New Coke

Hold on. Scratch that. The classic system I signed up on was not broken. The changes since that time have gradually made the platform worse. With each change, I have figured out how to get back to the classic. One of these days, the classic dashboard is going to be deleted, and the blogging world will stop spinning.

Anyway, the folks at WordPress either need busy work to justify their continued employment, or they have joined the crazy club. My iPod is the only thing crazier than these constant changes. With that in mind, we will go completely off the wall and use this crazy blogging platform to explore my crazy iPod.

Hold on to your minds!

“The Reflex” by Duran Duran

“La Grange” by ZZ Top

“Highway 61 Revisited” by Bob Dylan

“Mack the Knife” by Bobby Darin

“Raindrops Keep Falling On My Head” by Dionne Warwick

“Baby Love” by The Supremes

“Rikki Don’t Lose That Number” by Steely Dan

“The Devil Made Me Do It” by Golden Earring

“In The Garden” by John Prine and Mac Wiseman

“Say You Really Care” by Roscoe Shelton

“Cool” by Lou Busch and His Orchestra

“Big Long Slidin’ Thing” by Dinah Washington

“Bad Businessman” by Squirrel Nut Zippers

“Funk #49” by James Gang

“Coelocanth” by Shriekback

“Luckenbach, Texas” by Waylon Jennings

“Bring It On Home To Me” by Sam Cooke

“Banditos” by The Refreshments

“Hallelujah” by Sweathog

“Escape of Jennie Wiley” by Hylo Brown

“Smoke On The Water” by Deep Purple

“Roane County Prison” by Bill Monroe

“Beau Geste” by Hadley J. Castille

“Everlasting Love” by Robert Knight

“Stagger Lee” by Lloyd Price

Our brief musical interlude is over. Now, WordPress. Fix yourself.

Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

The Night They Demanded “Runaway”

8 Dec

The other day, I wrote a post about concerts, and it brought to mind a show that has, for the lack of a better word, haunted me. I reckon an explanation is needed.

Many years ago, I took my mom to an Oldies reunion concert that had a lineup filled with people she had grown up listening to. I cannot remember everyone who played, but there is one I will never forget.Del Shannon

Del Shannon came on stage and told everyone how happy he was to be in Nashville. He grew up listening to country music, and Hank Williams was one of his heroes. He opened up with a Hank Williams song, and it was easy to see that it was important for him to sing that song in this city.

Then, he sang another Hank Williams song. Apparently, one was all the crowd was willing to put up with. A few of those close to the stage started yelling, “Runaway! Play Runaway!” For those of you who may not know, “Runaway” was Del Shannon’s big hit. He had a few other songs make the charts, but “Runaway” is what made him famous.

As they yelled, Del was getting frustrated. He said that he would play the song, but he was going to do this first. Some people continued to yell but most sat back and waited. They politely clapped, but it was not the same as the reactions for other performers.

Finally, he played the song, and the crowd went crazy. Then, Del Shannon left the stage.

For the rest of the concert, I wondered what Del Shannon was thinking. What was it like to be famous for one song and have to play it over and over? What was it like to know the crowd only wanted one thing? What was it like to have a hit; be on the cusp of stardom; and not make it further? What was it like to be relegated to playing reunion shows?

A few weeks after that concert, I opened a magazine and read that Del Shannon had committed suicide. I doubt that the show in Nashville had anything to do with it. However, I wonder if the answers to those questions did have something to do with it.

I do not want to speculate on the lives and deaths of people I do not know. However, I still think about that concert and the actions of the crowd. It was the only concert that I regret attending.

Tags: , , ,

My Concert Addiction

5 Dec

Man, I cannot believe that I have gone this long without posting something. I blame it one real life. Christmas lights have to be put up. Chores have to be done. The semester is coming to an end.

Today was the last day of classes. Of course, final exams are on the horizon, but the daily grind has come to a close. For me, it is a good feeling because I have completed the task of educating students. However, it is also sad because that particular collection of people will never be together again. Taking part in a class, whether as a teach or student, is almost a communal experience. Once that community breaks apart, it will never return.

This semester, my favorite class was History of American Music. In other terms, it was the School of Rock. As the class came to a close, I realized that a lot of my personal experiences were shared. Whenever I talked about a band or played a song, there was a concert story that went along with it.

I am a concert fiend. My parents took means my brother to my first concert. It was Elvis Presley. They also made me go to the second one, Kenny Rogers. My first concert as an “independent” teen was Whitesnake and Great White with my friend Robert. There have been a bunch since then. Some are memorable, and some have slipped to the back of my mind. After class, I started wondering about the artists who are on my iPod. How many of them have I seen perform live?Concert

To jog my memory, I decided to go through the list and figure it out. These are the people in my iPod who I have seen in concert.

AC/DC

Aerosmith

Air Supply

Al Green

Alice Cooper

The B-52’s

B.B. King

B.J. Thomas

Black Sabbath

Blue Man Group

Bo Diddley

Bob Dylan

Bob Seger

Boz Scaggs

BR5-49

The Brian Setzer Orchestra

Bruce Springsteen

Buddy Guy

Charlie Daniels

Cher

Chicago

Crosby, Stills and Nash

Dave Brubeck

David Allan Coe

Del Shannon

The Dillards

Dionne Warwick

Dokken

Don Henley

Don Williams

Drive-By Truckers

Duran Duran

The Eagles

Earth, Wind and Fire

Elton John

Elvis Presley

Eric Clapton

The Everly Brothers

The Fairfield Four

Fleetwood Mac

George Carlin

George Jones

George Clinton

George Strait

Gipsy Kings

Glen Campbell

Godsmack

Gordon Lightfoot

Guns N’ Roses

Hank Williams, Jr.

James Taylor

Jimmy Buffett

Joe Jackson

Joe Walsh

John Fogerty

John Mellencamp

Judas Priest

Kate Campbell

Kenny Chesney

Kenny Rogers

KISS

Kris Kristofferson

Leonard Cohen

Little River Band

Little Jimmy Dickens

Lynyrd Skynyrd

The Marshall Tucker Band

Meat Loaf

Merle Haggard

Metallica

Mormon Tabernacle Choir

Neil Diamond

Ozzy Osbourne

Pat Green

Pink Floyd

Porter Wagoner

Prince

Ray Price

Rob Zombie

Roberta Flack

Rod Stewart

The Rolling Stones

Ron White

Simon and Garfunkel

Skid Row

Stacey Mitchhart

Stevie Nicks

Ted Nugent

Tim McGraw

Tom Petty

U2

Vintage Trouble

Whitesnake

The Who

Will Hoge

Willie Nelson

ZZ Top

Wow, I think I am addicted. If so, then I am a lucky addict.

 

 

 

 

Tags: ,

My iPod Has Issues – But It Does Not Have Writer’s Block

22 Nov

This writer’s block cloud is still hanging around. There are some ideas floating around my mind, but I cannot get them organized to the point of putting them on the screen. On top of that, I do not have the urge to reach the depths that they require. Hopefully, they will work themselves out in short order.Block

Part of me is concerned that this blogging thing has run its course. It has been going on for several years, and it could be time to put this toy away. Perhaps, I just need a break. I have seen a bunch of bloggers come and go, and I have promised myself that I will not be one of those. I think there are still some stories that need to be told. They just need to make themselves known.

With nothing else ready to write, I am going to an old standard and am going to see what my iPod is doing tonight. Certainly, it is something interesting.

“Long Hard Times to Come” by Gangstagrass

“You’re Losing Me” by Zucchero

“Fake Plastic Trees” by Radiohead

“Love Serenade, Parts 1 and 2” by Barry White

“Hotel California” by The Eagles

“Never Can Say Goodbye” by Isaac Hayes

“Caroline No” by The Beach Boys

“The Gambler” by Kenny Rogers

“Chill in the Air” by Amos Lee

“And It Stoned Me” by Van Morrison

“The Last Pale Light in the West” by Ben Nichols

“Ming’s Theme” by Queen

“Clubbed to Death” by Rob Dougan

“Easy” by The Commodores

“I Am…I Said” by Neil Diamond

“By the Time I Get to Phoenix” by Glen Campbell

“Land of Confusion” by Genesis

“Somewhere Down the Crazy River” by Robbie Robertson

“This Train” by Sister Rosetta Tharpe

“Compared to What” by Les McCann and Eddie Harris

May the block be unbroken.

Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

About Time

11 Nov

A few posts ago, I mentioned that this semester has flown by. My timing has been completely off, and it will be difficult to cover everything that I need to go over. One of my colleagues said that he is facing the same thing. It is as if the semester has been shorten. He also thought that previous semesters may have been longer, and this semester is the way it is supposed to be.

On top of all that, I saw Interstellar and its time warping plot. I will not spoil it for anyone, but it made me wish that I could slow down time. At least, I could get caught up on my lectures.

Between the feeling that time is flying and the viewing of the movie, time has been on my mind. Obviously that led me to all of the things that are related to time. You know, things like TIME magazine. Heck, it has time written all over it. Then, there is the Allman Brothers song, “Ain’t Wastin’ No More Time”. Better than that, who could forget the Isaac Hayes rendition of “By the Time I Get to Phoenix”? It is only 18 minutes long.

In the movie world, there is Fast Times at Ridgemont High with Phoebe Cates sending every young male into a testosterone-fueled frenzy.Phoebe

Fast times. Man, that is the truth. I always heard that time goes by faster as you get older. I did not believe it, but I should have.

Maybe I could become a time bandit. You remember that movie, right? Time Bandits hit the screens the year before Phoebe Cates hit the hearts of all those young males. It starred Sean Connery, who was still trying to get away from his James Bond persona. Time finally allowed him to escape the clutches of 007.

It is a good thing that Charles Bronson was not after him because no one could escape the Man With the Harmonica in Once Upon a Time in the West. I wrote a post about Henry Fonda playing one of the baddest dudes in movie history, but he could not escape Bronson any better than the other people in that movie.Fonda

Of course, if you want to get serious about time, then you should read A Brief History of Time by Stephen Hawking. Doctors once told him that his time was running out due to ALS. He fooled them.

Before I fool myself by thinking that something can be done to slow down time, I am going to stop writing and figure out how I am going to get all of this history covered before time runs out on the semester. Yep, “I Ain’t Wastin’ No More Time.”

 

Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

My iPod Has Issues – Hanging Around the House

6 Nov

I am sitting in my office and just finished reading an article about sumo wrestling. My family is upstairs watching a music awards show, and the sounds are making their way to me. There is a note on the desk with a list of blogging topics. Four of them have been crossed out, and two of them are waiting to formulate in my mind.

Speaking of my mind, it keeps drifting to class. It feels that I am behind in couple of them, and I am trying to figure out how to catch up. This semester is going by faster than any semester I can remember. It is hard to believe that November has arrived. I was always told that getting older makes time go by quicker, but this semester is super quick.Time

An old toy from my childhood is sitting on the floor. My mom was going to get rid of it in a garage sale, but I rescued it. I bought batteries to put into it, and they are sitting on my desk. I should put them in, but I am afraid it will not work. That probably is not important. However, it could cause some slight psychological damage.

Speaking of psychological damage, this is an appropriate time to look into the mind of my iPod. There is music in the air, which means there should be music on the screen

“Black Magic Woman” by Santana

“Steamroller Blues” by Elvis Presley

“Wish You Were Here” by Pink Floyd

“Rocket 88” by Jackie Brenston and His Delta Cats

“Dancing in the Street” by Martha Reeves and the Vandellas

“I’m a Man” by Bo Diddley

“The Crystal Ship” by The Doors

“Everlasting Love” by Robert Knight

“Jackhammer” by George S. Clinton

“Sailin’ the Wind” by Loggins and Messina

“Proud Mary” by Creedence Clearwater Revival

“Blue Moon of Kentucky” by Bill Monroe

“West Side Baby” by T-Bone Walker

“Funny How Time Slips Away” by Dorothy Moore

“Too Much Time on My Hands” by Styx

“The Wind Cries Mary” by Jimi Hendrix

“Our Love is Here to Stay” by Patti Austin

“Lonely Days” by The Bee Gees

“Twilight Zone” by Golden Earring

“School’s Out” by Alice Cooper

Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Childhood Memories – French Fries and Jukeboxes

28 Oct

It is interesting to watch our surroundings change. As time passes, places come and go. Looking back at my town, I can think of places that used to be. There were stores, restaurants and other popular places. They were locations where you could find people who you knew. They were places that helped define the community. It is sad to think that younger folks and newcomers do not know where and what those places were.

For me, the places from my childhood pop into my mind on occasion. I might be riding by where they used to be and remember being there. I could be listening to a song and have the memory of a place come to my mind. In fact, there is one song that always brings a certain place into focus.

When I was a kid, one of my favorite songs was “Take Me Home, Country Roads” by John Denver. I have no idea why I liked it, but it still brings a smile to my face when I hear it. The tune is great. The words are great. When I was a kid, I could sing the entire thing.

As an adult, I realize that the song is all mixed up. It is about West Virginia, but the words describe Virginia. It does not matter because I can look past all of that. Instead, this song makes me look back at a restaurant that is long gone.

El Rancho sat on the outskirts of town and specialized in barbecue. For me, it was always an adventure to eat at El Rancho. through the eyes of a child, it was like going on a long journey to a far away place. In fact, it was only a few miles away. I think that it being on the other side of town made it seem further.

There was also the food. I cannot tell you if the barbecue was good, but they always made the best french fries. What kid does not like french fries? On top of that, these were the best french fries ever cooked. I can still see them, smell them and taste them. They were awesome.Jukebox

You are probably asking yourself a question. What does a song about one of the Virginia’s have to do with a barbecue restaurant in Tennessee? the answer brings me to the other adventurous part of the restaurant. The booths had tabletop jukeboxes, and they were the coolest things I had ever seen. I could pick the music in the restaurant by dropping a nickel in the slot and flipping through the pages. Just push a letter and a number and the song would play.

I always picked “Take Me Home, Country Roads.” I would have played it over and over if my parents had let me. After all, who does not want to hear the same song multiple times?

I do not remember when El Rancho closed, and I do not remember the last time we ate there. However, I still remember the french fries, and I still remember playing that song on the jukebox.

Tags: , , , , , , ,

Hilton Head – Driving Down the Musical Highway

23 Oct

We got a late start on our trip to Hilton Head because I had a midday meeting. This meant that we would be driving through the late afternoon and into the night. On top of that, we had to hit five different interstates to get there.

Whenever I am on a long drive, my mind starts to entertain itself. This means that useless trivia moves from the back of my brain and dominates my mind. It is a good way to stay awake and a good way to go crazy. On this drive, music was the category of choice, and it all started as we made our way over Monteagle.

For those who do not know, Monteagle is a ridge that has to be crossed just north of Chattanooga. The grade is steep and trucks have a hard time making their way up one side and down the other. Each time I drive over Monteagle, I think about the opening song of Smokey and the Bandit and start singing it under my breath.

In case you do not remember the opening to one of the greatest movies in cinema history, the song recounts how the Bandit became famous in the truck driving world. I wrote an entire post about it, but, simply, it talks about how he lost control of his rig on Monteagle. With heroic driving skills, he was able to make it to the bottom.

(Brief Interlude: While writing that post, I looked up the lyrics of the song. All of the sites had him crossing something called Montvale. It is not Montvale. One of my life’s goals is to get those lyrics corrected and give Monteagle is rightful place in Smokey and the Bandit history.)

Of course, driving through Chattanooga brought to mind “Chattanooga Choo Choo”, but the route through north Georgia made my mind go musically dead. Atlanta played a big role in that. It does not matter what time you drive through Atlanta. The traffic is always bad, and your focus needs to be on the road. However, I still heard Ronnie Van Zant telling Billy Powell to “play it pretty for Atlanta.”

Eventually, we made our way to Macon and hit a desolate stretch of road toward Savannah. It was getting later. It was getting darker. That is when I saw a sign for Statesboro, Georgia, the subject of “Statesboro Blues” by the Allman Brothers. That meant that the next several miles were filled with an internal soundtrack of their tunes.

After several days in Hilton Head, which I will write about in the next post, we retraced our journey. This time, the excitement of a vacation was behind us, and we were making that long, tired drive toward home. That does not mean that the musical journey was over. As the miles passed, I tried to think of songs that have Georgia in their titles.Georgia

I ended up with the following.

“Sweet Georgia Brown” (I can see Curly Neal dribbling around Meadowlark Lemon.)

“The Devil Went Down to Georgia” (Charlie D. lives not too far down the road.)

“The Night the Lights Went Out in Georgia” (Yep, Vicki Lawrence can sing, too.)

“Midnight Train to Georgia” (The Pips make this song stand out.)

“Rainy Night in Georgia” (The Tony Joe White version is the best.)

“Georgia on My Mind” (It is hard to beat Ray Charles.)

“Marching Through Georgia” (I only know this one because it was mentioned in a John Wayne movie.)

“Walkin’ Back to Georgia” (One of Jim Croce’s lesser known songs.)

Before I knew it, we were back at Monteagle, but it was not before I thought of something else. Does anyone remember a television show called Carter Country?

 

 

 

Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

My iPod Has Issues – Heading to Hilton Head

16 Oct

It has been a busy week, and I have not been able to spend as much time blogging as I would like. The posts have been few and far between. That trend is going to continue because we are heading to Hilton Head, South Carolina over the weekend. Certainly, there will be some good stuff to write about when we return.Hilton Head

In the meantime, here are some selections from the old iPod.

“Ole Slewfoot” by BR-549

“I Won’t Mention It Again” by Ray Price

“Hello Darlin'” by Conway Twitty

“Good Times” by Chic

“In the Still of the Night” by The Five Satins

“Sweet Sixteen” by Big Joe Turner

“Miss You” by The Rolling Stones

“Baby Get Lost” by B.B. King

“You Left a Long, Long Time Ago” by Willie Nelson

“Heartbeat” by Red 7

“Children Go Where I Send Thee” by The Fairfield Four

“Steamroller Blues” by Elvis Presley

“Jezzebella” by Vintage Trouble

“I Ain’t the One” by Waylon Jennings and Jessi Colter

“Baby Let’s Play House” by Arthur Gunter

“Tears in Heaven” by Eric Clapton

“Too Close” by Clair Marlo

“Sirius” by The Alan Parsons Project

“Fat Albert Theme” by Dig

“Enter Sandman” by Metallica

As a famous general once said, “I shall return.”

Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

← Older Entries
Newer Entries →