Members LCK Posted April 9, 2016 Members Share Posted April 9, 2016 "Working Man Blues," by Merle Haggard. [video=youtube;6EwK0NsKdDY] "Thank Heaven for Little Girls," by Alan Jay Lerner and Frederick Loewe. [video=youtube;f4bdoY2oUbQ]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f4bdoY2oUbQ "If I Could Only Fly," by Blaze Foley. [video=youtube;AYgNmwKZ-Og] Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members blue2blue Posted April 10, 2016 Members Share Posted April 10, 2016 I've loved this one a long, long time now... [video=youtube;KDDyyDjWM_0]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KDDyyDjWM_0 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members LCK Posted April 11, 2016 Author Members Share Posted April 11, 2016 I've loved this one a long, long time now... [video=youtube;KDDyyDjWM_0]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KDDyyDjWM_0 Good one. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members nat whilk II Posted April 11, 2016 Members Share Posted April 11, 2016 I grew up with a strong allergy against country music. As a high schooler in Houston circa 1971, we wanna-be hippies thought Okie from Muskogee was the absolute pinnacle of red neck dumassdom which we diassociated ourselves from by every means at our disposal. But by the time rock became pretty tedious in the early 80s, I had enough songwriting experience to start recognizing the talent of the hay bale and checkered bandanna crowd, at least among some of the members of that crew. Merle, well, I finally had to admit, had more soul than most rockers. And just that Merle knack for portraying the hapless sinner we all resemble. nat whilk ii Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members LCK Posted April 11, 2016 Author Members Share Posted April 11, 2016 I grew up with a strong allergy against country music. As a high schooler in Houston circa 1971' date=' we wanna-be hippies thought Okie from Muskogee was the absolute pinnacle of red neck dumassdom which we diassociated ourselves from by every means at our disposal. [/quote'] Me too. I had, briefly, a little string band: me and another guy on guitar, and a third guy on banjo and mandolin. We did some of my songs, some by Townes Van Zandt and Paul Siebel, and, as a joke, "Okie From Muskogee." I started to appreciate Haggard around the time of the Clint Eastwood film, Bronco Billy. Haggard had a cameo in it, and sang a song for the soundtrack -- "Misery and Gin" -- which I really liked (though Haggard didn't write it)... [video=youtube;mSjuEsAO3AA]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mSjuEsAO3AA Then, when I heard "Silver Wings" for the first time, I gave in completely and forgave him for his earlier sins. [video=youtube;-Xpl8m7Y1pw]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-Xpl8m7Y1pw Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members rhino55 Posted April 12, 2016 Members Share Posted April 12, 2016 It's interesting how what Okie from Muskogee was really about changed over time. I guess hanging out with Willie will do that to you. If it's good enough for the Beach Boys, it's good enough for me. [video=youtube;ooyUiVRR1ss] Speaking of Willie, here is a duet Merle did with George Jones of a Willie song. I'm not even sure how to describe it, but the bluesy/twangy/whatever you want to call it vocal at the end of the chorus, get's me every time. [video=youtube;9YG1qrT4gxI] Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members LCK Posted April 12, 2016 Author Members Share Posted April 12, 2016 Speaking of Willie, here is a duet Merle did with George Jones of a Willie song. I'm not even sure how to describe it, but the bluesy/twangy/whatever you want to call it vocal at the end of the chorus, get's me every time. [video=youtube;9YG1qrT4gxI] Yeah, the blend of those two voices is quite something. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members nat whilk II Posted April 20, 2016 Members Share Posted April 20, 2016 It's interesting how what Okie from Muskogee was really about changed over time. I guess hanging out with Willie will do that to you. In 1969 when the song came out, the country was at the height of turmoil over Vietnam. For the most part, people came down hard on one side or another. In Houston, the cowboys still cruised around saturday nights hoping to find a hippie to beat up. Families were painfully divided on the issue, kids were dying, and the war just kept escalating and escalating with no end in sight - it was a dark, depressing time. The C&W crowd did not have any liberal tendencies whatsoever - if any of them did, musicians and such, they kept it a close secret. Willie and the whole Outlaw thing was still a few years away from happening - the merging of hippie-ism and country was yet to be. The war had to end first, Nixon had to go, the animosity between the generations and the hawks and doves had to simmer down, and the country had to eat some crow,dealing with failure in war and politics. I know the song came later to be sung with an ironic tone - but at the time it came out, it was conservative, patriotic, liberal-hating pride incarnate. It put the crew cut contingent into the mood to kick some serious hippie-liberal ass. It drew a line in the sand and real fights came from crossing the line. I suppose the morphing of the song into a bit of a joke is one way we deal with violent episodes in our past as Americans. WWII becomes Hogan's Heroes, the Korean War becomes MASH. The Civil War becomes a weekend role-playing game with costumes and sound effects. We're a strange bunch. nat whilk ii Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members LCK Posted April 21, 2016 Author Members Share Posted April 21, 2016 In 1969 when the song came out...i Interesting. I think we were performing it in 1973 or '74. Maybe it was earlier, maybe 1971? It felt current at the time. I guess it's funny how time slips away... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members nat whilk II Posted April 21, 2016 Members Share Posted April 21, 2016 Interesting. I think we were performing it in 1973 or '74. Maybe it was earlier, maybe 1971? It felt current at the time. I guess it's funny how time slips away... I recall how, way back in the ancient 60s, how the radio used to play the really big hits for years after they came out. A song for example like What'd I Say - which came out in 1959, even before my time radio-wise, I heard enough in the mid-60s off the radio to totally bond with it in the mid-60s. You're the radio pro from back in the day - is that what you remember, too? nat whilk ii Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members LCK Posted April 21, 2016 Author Members Share Posted April 21, 2016 I recall how, way back in the ancient 60s, how the radio used to play the really big hits for years after they came out. A song for example like What'd I Say - which came out in 1959, even before my time radio-wise, I heard enough in the mid-60s off the radio to totally bond with it in the mid-60s. You're the radio pro from back in the day - is that what you remember, too? nat whilk ii Yes, there was generally a mix of current releases and older hits... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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