5 Songs Friday Nov. 29, 2024

Country and Roots and College Rock and Whatever Category the Last Record fits

Kathy Mattea – “Ready for the Storm” 1991 from Time Passes By. I love Kathy Mattea’s rich alto voice, and the way she delivers songs with little ornamentation but maximum emotional connection. This particular song, a deep album cut, is a version of a Scottish ballad by Dougie McLean, a songwriter famous enough to have a pretty big Wikipedia page, but not one I had encountered outside this number. It’s got the traditional Scots-Irish folk theme of sailing in rough seas, but it makes the metaphor blatant with its connection to the churning effects of love. It’s verses are unusual in that not every line fits the meter and Mattea at least, doesn’t worry about it. I really enjoy the arrangement here, with the acoustic guitar arpeggios dancing around each other and only delicate tones from other instruments added throughout. There’s a man joining in on the chorus vocals, which provides a light support for her readiness to deal with whatever happens. Also, I’m not sure if there’s a mandolin part or if it’s a bouzouki or something similar, but I like the buzz it provides.

Buck Owens – “Sam’s Place” 1967 single available on The Best of Buck Owens. All hail Don Rich and the scintillating guitar figure he uses to open this song, not to mention the cool response licks he drops in between Owens’ lyrics. For my money, Buck Owens and his Buckaroos were among the best rock’n’roll bands of their time, even if their records got filed under country because they also nailed honky tonk. This song, like so many others in the world, celebrates the delights of a little bar where everybody knows each other’s names. Of course, while there’s always a party down at Sam’s Place, Owens only offers us Shimmy Shakin’ Tina who comes from Pasadena and Hootchy Kootchie Hattie who comes from Cincinnati as evidence of the delights to be found there. But, another reason Owens was filed under country is that the songs had to be short. I doubt a bigger Dylanesque cast of characters would have made Sam’s Place seem more enticing – if it’s got Don Rich’s guitar behind it, I’m ready to go have some drinks.

Sonny Landreth – “Bound By the Blues” 2015 from Bound By the Blues. Speaking of great guitarists, Sonny Landreth is one of my favorites in the world. I’ve seen the man play something like a dozen times, and every time there were multiple moments where my jaw hit the floor and my feet rose to the roof in ecstasy. He’s a good songwriter, too, and I like his singing, so I’m pretty happy to listen to any of his records. This cut celebrates the ways in which all people are alike, particularly when it comes to having moments of sorrow. We’re all bound by the blues, I agree, but Landreth is particularly talking about blues music, which, sad to say, not everybody appreciates. Oh well, I love it, and when he pays homage to Muddy Waters, Hendrix, Buffy Sainte-Marie (who saw that coming?), and some guy named Noel, all I can do is nod my head in shared appreciation. Of course, there’s a nice guitar solo showing off his thick guitar tone and deft slide playing, too.

Game Theory – “Never Mind” 1986 from The Big Shot Chronicles. Scott Miller was one heck of a popmeister. Game Theory was his first “successful” band, though the members shifted fairly often, making his later change to the Loud Family somewhat an odd choice. No matter who played with him, or what name he released the records under, Miller always had a sharp melodic pop/rock edge. It was rooted in classics from the 60s, and he clearly loved Big Star, but he never sounded like anybody else but himself. “Never Mind” is from what was his breakthrough album in then underground circles. It’s an insistently catchy song from the point of view of a guy who thinks he’s giving up things for his lover – things like flirting with somebody else, or the freedom to do what he wants – but is canny enough to not really say it out loud. Two guitars bounce off each other while the bass dances between them and the drum pound a steady beat. The tune is playful, and ends up in a delightful chorus that shuts down with the words “Never mind” in the middle of a sentence. There’s a nice brief skronky guitar solo in the middle, too.

Roy Orbison – “I Don’t Really Want You” 1977 from Regeneration. Roy Orbison couldn’t have been more out of step with the zeitgeist that year if he’d recorded a collection of John Cage vocal pieces. Instead, he put out an album with songs like this one, a cross between late 60s country pop and early 70s jingle jangle (by which I mean the Archies). Of course, it’s sung with that wonderful voice, and a commitment to the ironic heartache of the title and chorus. I actually like this quite a bit. It’s got nothing in common with his dramatic masterpieces of the hit record days, but it sure does make me tap the feet and want to sing along. Nice country guitar licks and even a pedal steel in there, too. And really, if he’d done disco or punk or adult contemporary, I probably wouldn’t have been able to forgive him.C