Fifty States at Star Maker Machine

This week's theme at Star Maker Machine is Fifty States. The goal is to post at least one song about each state over the next week.

As a lifelong resident of Michigan, I took on the Great Lake state. It wasn't easy because Michigan--despite its excellent music tradition--isn't the subject of many songs.

Here's a great one about a city in Michigan:

Lefty Frizzell - Saginaw, Michigan (buy album)

This picture is what Michigan means to me:

The Sensitive Side Of Outlaw Country

Here's a wistful tune from one of Waylon’s must-own albums, Dreaming My Dreams (1975):

Waylon Jennings – Dreaming My Dreams With You (buy album)

I hope that I won't be that wrong anymore,
And maybe I've learned this time.
I hope that I find what I'm reaching for,
The way that it is in my mind.

Someday I'll get over you.
I'll live to see it all through.
But I'll always miss,
Dreaming my dreams with you.

But I won't let it change me,
Not if I can.
I'd rather believe in love.
And give it away as much as I can,
To those that I'm fondest of.

This song seems like it was written for the purpose of one day being covered by The Cowboy Junkies (even though they didn't yet exist at the time). Luckily, they came along in 1988 to record it as part of their famous L.P. The Trinity Session:

The Cowboy Junkies – Dreaming My Dreams With You (buy album)



*** Update ***

The anonymous commenter reminded me of Chuck Prophet’s cover:

Chuck Prophet – Dreaming My Dreams With You

Read about Prophet’s limited-edition take on Waylon here.

And here’s a bonus track from Prophet’s excellent 2004 L.P. Age Of Miracles:

Chuck Prophet – Age Of Miracles (buy album)

What If . . . ?

Buddy Holly – True Love Ways

Buddy Holly – Rave On

(buy album)

Buddy Holly, from Lubbock, Texas, was only 22 years old when he died. I've always wondered what kind of music he would have made if he had lived past 1959. My guess is that he would have become an even bigger star and would have played a hugely influential role in the development of rock and/or country music.

As a gifted and already-accomplished songwriter, driven to succeed, Buddy Holly seemed destined to grow artistically and expand musical boundaries.

Your thoughts about what might have been?


Buddy picking with Lubbock pal Waylon Jennings


Maria & Buddy dining with Phil Everly

***Update***

Here's one from the "Apartment Tapes" (mentioned in the comments):

Buddy Holly – Peggy Sue Got Married

Time to cleanse the palate...

As much as I love country music it can get to be a bit much after awhile. Even I need to take a break from it sometimes.

Considering how much country I've been posting lately, I thought it might be time to "cleanse the palate" here at STWOF. This song is about as far from Billy Joe Shaver or George Jones as anything else I could find on my i-pod this morning. And something about it is very cleansing...

Francoise Hardy – Comment Te Dire Adieu (buy album)

The last thing I gave her was the bird...

And she returned the favor with a few selected words...

This is a great song that's really hard to find:

George Jones – The Bird (buy album)

Thanks to Robert from Reno for sending it over!

Favorite Country Artist Poll - Final Results!

And the winner is...

According to your votes, the top two favorite country artists of all time are Johnny Cash and Hank Williams. I can't argue with that. Hank received the most first place votes, but not enough to overcome Cash's across-the-board appeal. So Johnny takes the top spot. Not really a surprise.

1. Johnny Cash
2. Hank Williams

Hank & Co. arrive in Europe to entertain the troops.

About Hank, I can't say it any better than AMG:

Hank Williams is the father of contemporary country music. He was a superstar by the age of 25; he was dead at the age of 29. In those four short years, he established the rules for all the country performers who followed him and, in the process, much of popular music. Hank wrote a body of songs that became popular classics, and his direct, emotional lyrics and vocals became the standard for most popular performers. He lived a life as troubled and reckless as that depicted in his songs.

Hank Williams – Long Gone Lonesome Blues (buy album)
Hank Williams – I Can't Get You Off My Mind (buy album)
Hank Williams – A House Of Gold (buy album)



Johnny Cash was a true giant. He also gave probably the most enjoyable concert that I ever attended. The thing that comes to mind for me with Johnny Cash was his charismatic presence. All the top performers have a ton of it, but Johnny might have had the most. When Johnny Cash is playing, you pay attention.

Johnny Cash – Home Of The Blues (buy album)
Johnny Cash – One Piece At A Time (buy album)
Johnny Cash – "T" For Texas (buy album)



Thanks for participating in my poll!

Here are the final results:

1. Johnny Cash
2. Hank Williams
3. Merle Haggard
4. George Jones
5. Willie Nelson
6. Waylon Jennings
7. Townes Van Zandt
8. Patsy Cline
9. Emmylou Harris
10. Gram Parsons
11. Loretta Lynn
12. Buck Owens
13. Bob Wills & The Texas Playboys
14. The Louvin Brothers
15. Dolly Parton
16. The Carter Family
17. Steve Earle
18. Lucinda Williams
19. Dwight Yoakam
20. Gillian Welch
21. Doug Sahm
22. Jimmie Rodgers
23. Old Crow Medicine Show
24. Lyle Lovett
25. Iris Dement
26. Tom T. Hall
27. Lefty Frizzell
28. Ralph Stanley/The Stanley Brothers
29. Roger Miller
30. Marty Robbins
31. Tammy Wynette
32. Roseanne Cash
33. Kris Kristofferson
34. Jerry Jeff Walker
35. Randy Travis
36. John Hartford
37. The Flatlanders
38. Ray Charles
39. Jason & The Scorchers
40. Bill Monroe
41. Don Williams
42. Billy Joe Shaver
43. Charlie Rich
44. Hank Williams Jr.
45. Uncle Tupelo
46. Flatt and Scruggs
47. Hank Thompson
48. Guy Clark
49. Doc Watson
50. The Jayhawks
51. Gene Clark
52. Terry Allen
53. Son Volt
54. Alison Krauss
55. Kitty Wells
56. Robbie Fulks
57. Merle Travis
58. Webb Pierce
59. The Dixie Chicks
60. George Strait

Who was overrated?
Who was underrated?
Who was unjustly left off the list?

Sound off in the comments

The Original Honky Tonk Hero

Photo by Gary Goldberg

It doesn’t get any better than this. Seriously.

This is the best thing I will ever post on Setting The Woods On Fire. Your mission is to download and absorb. Then go out and buy everything you can get your hands on by Billy Joe Shaver. You’ll be better for it. (And my mission here will be complete, notwithstanding the general public’s refusal to recognize the genius that is Tom T. Hall.)

In 1973, Waylon Jennings gave into Billy Joe Shaver's "threat" and recorded an entire album’s worth of Shaver’s songs. The result, Honky Tonk Heroes, is an amazing album that is probably my favorite country L.P. ever pressed. (The only other one in the running is More A Legend Than A Band by The Flatlanders.) Anyway, Waylon’s album was the shit. And 10 out of 11 songs were penned by the then-unknown Shaver.

But this collection might be even better. Here you will find the original Billy Joe Shaver version of each track from Waylon’s record (some of which were recorded after Waylon’s album). Two of the songs on Honky Tonk Heroes were never recorded by Billy Joe, so for these I’ve included the Waylon version.

I'm not going to tell you why it's good. Just listen for yourselves. And while you’re at it learn what you can about Billy Joe Shaver.

The Original Honky Tonk Heroes

1. Billy Joe Shaver – Honky Tonk Heroes
2. Billy Joe Shaver – Old Five And Dimers Like Me
3. Billy Joe Shaver – Willy The Wandering Gypsy And Me
4. Billy Joe Shaver – Low Down Freedom
5. Waylon Jennings – Omaha
6. Billy Joe Shaver – You Asked Me To
7. Billy Joe Shaver – Ride Me Down Easy
8. Billy Joe Shaver – Ain't No God In Mexico
9. Billy Joe Shaver – Black Rose
10. Waylon Jennings – We Had It All
11. Billy Joe Shaver – Slow Rollin' Low

Buy Billy Joe Shaver
Old Five And Dimers Like Me
Restless Wind: The Legendary Billy Joe Shaver 1973-1987
Honky Tonk Heroes (collection)
Greatest Hits
When I Get My Wings
Tramp On Your Street

Buy Waylon Jennings
Honky Tonk Heroes

Bo Diddley at the Adios Lounge

The Adios Lounge is not a nightclub (at least not the one I am referring to) and Bo Diddley did not play there, but now that I've got your attention, you must go to The Adios Lounge blog to read L.D.'s two amazing posts on Bo Diddley. Click on Bo Diddley Part 1 and Bo Diddley Part 2.

I'm not sure how L.D. finds the time to put together such good stuff, but the proprietor of The Adios Lounge is a music-blogging machine. If you haven't already, be sure to get it on your radar screen.

STWOF isn't going to be around forever, but that won't be a problem with blogs like L.D.'s out there (not to mention For the Sake of the Song, The Rising Storm, and Boogie Woogie Flu just to name a few other great ones that I read regularly).

Favorite Country Artist Results: 5,4,3 . . .

Merle just barely edged out George to make it into the top three. I've got no problem with that...

You can probably guess the top 2. Here's the balance of the top 5:

3. Merle Haggard
4. George Jones
5. Willie Nelson

And now for some music:

Some people are born to be stars, but it doesn't always happen right away. Willie Nelson was already playing guitar and writing songs at the age of seven. While still in his twenties he was an established songwriter, having penned hits like Crazy for Patsy Cline and Hello Walls for Faron Young. But his recording career never got off the ground, so at the age of almost forty he quit country music for "a brief and disastrous sojourn into pig farming." (Source: AMG.)

Then Willie got an idea. Instead of trying to succeed according to Nashville's standards, he started making country music that appealed to rock and folk sensibilities and, eventually, became a mega-star. The outlaw country movement was born. His first hit record, The Red Headed Stranger, was released in 1975 when Willie Nelson was already 42 years old. He never looked back after that.

Willie Nelson - Hands On The Wheel (buy album)
Willie Nelson – Me And Paul (buy album)
Willie Nelson – Funny How Time Slips Away (Live Acoustic) (buy album) (Note Willie's nice guitar playing on this track.)

George Jones has the best voice in country music. 'Nuff said.

George Jones – The Window Up Above (buy album)
George Jones – He Stopped Loving Her Today (buy album)
George Jones – Heartaches And Hangovers (out of print)

Merle Haggard is a great singer, but more importantly (in my book), he is an amazing songwriter, writing classics like Big City, The Bottle Let Me Down, Branded Man, I Threw Away The Rose, If We Make It Through December, Mama Tried, Okie From Muskogee, Ramblin' Fever, Silver Wings, Sing Me Back Home, Swinging Doors, Today I Started Loving You Again, White Line Fever, Workin' Man Blues, and You Don't Have Very Far To Go.

His life story is pretty amazing too. I'd really encourage you to read the AMG bio linked above.

Merle Haggard – Branded Man (buy album)
Merle Haggard – Thirty Again (buy album)
Merle Haggard – I Think I’ll Just Stay Here And Drink (buy album)

Favorite Country Artist Results, Nos. 10-6

Emmylou finished one spot ahead of her mentor, Gram.

Today's artists:

6. Waylon Jennings
7. Townes Van Zandt
8. Patsy Cline
9. Emmylou Harris
10. Gram Parsons

Today's songs:

Gram Parsons lived an even shorter life than Hank Williams, but he packed a lot of great music into those years (along with the drugs and alcohol). His precise talent is sometimes hard to pin down, so he's often labeled "overrated." I fall on the side who classify him more as charismatic visionary than punk-ass rich kid. Just consider all of the great songs he wrote. Here are two.

The Flying Burrito Brothers – Wheels (buy album)
Gram Parsons – Hickory Wind (buy album) (The fake “live” sounds effects are cheesy, but I like them for some reason.)

Y’all know I love Emmylou Harris. And what’s not to love about her?

Emmylou Harris – Boulder To Birmingham (Live) (buy album)
Emmylou Harris – Easy From Now On (buy album)

Twenty years ago Patsy Cline was, hands down, considered the greatest female country artist of all time. Her reputation has slipped a bit over the years as tastes have changed, but the quality is still there. I agree with your pick to put her number one among the gals, but I would've put Loretta second (sorry Emmylou).

Patsy Cline – Walkin’ After Midnight (Original Version)
Patsy Cline – Why Can’t He Be You?
(buy album)

Conversely, the general public knew very little about Townes Van Zandt twenty years ago, but his critical acclaim has really been on the rise over recent years thanks to his timeless songwriting. These two tracks show both sides of Townes Van Zandt.

Townes Van Zandt – Fraternity Blues (Live) (buy album)
Townes Van Zandt – Waiting Around To Die (Live) (buy album)

No question that Waylon Jennings is one of the true superstars of country music. He learned his first guitar licks from his mentor, Buddy Holly, and became the face of the outlaw country movement next to Willie Nelson (who you might see in this space tomorrow). The first track comes from what might be my favorite country album ever and the second is one of the songs that first made me love country music way back when…

Waylon Jennings – You Ask Me To (buy album)
Waylon Jennings – Luckenbach, Texas (Back To The Basics Of Love) (buy album) (You've got to like the fact that they've got a "four-car garage" and their "still building on." Very American...)

Favorite Country Artist Results, Nos. 15-11

The "best damn fiddle player in the world" is only the 13th most favorite country artist according to your votes.

Today’s batch of artists…

11. Loretta Lynn
12. Buck Owens
13. Bob Wills & The Texas Playboys
14. The Louvin Brothers
15. Dolly Parton

Today’s batch of songs…

This one really captures Loretta’s feisty attitude:

Loretta Lynn – Fist City (buy album)

And this one really captures the Bakersfield sound:

Buck Owens – I’ve Got A Tiger By The Tail (buy album)

Here’s one from Bob Wills’ last recording session:

Bob Wills & His Texas Playboys – That’s What I Like ‘Bout The South (buy album)

This Louvin Brothers’ tune later became a hit for Emmylou:

The Louvin Brothers – If I Could Only Win Your Love (buy album)

Maybe the best of Dolly’s many melodramatic hillbilly hits:

Dolly Parton – Coat Of Many Colors (buy album)



Is anybody out there?

Favorite Country Artist Results, Nos. 20-16

There’s only one strictly “country” artist in today's batch, but I like to give the genre a broad definition (and I like all five of these artists), so no complaining...

16. The Carter Family
17. Steve Earle
18. Lucinda Williams
19. Dwight Yoakam
20. Gillian Welch

First up is The Carter Family off of the American Anthology of Folk Music:

The Carter Family – Blackjack David (buy album)

Next we have a live cut from Steve Earle with Emmylou in the background:

Steve Earle – Copperhead Road (Live Acoustic) (buy album)

Here's a fairly obscure track from Lucinda that shows she can do country. The other singer is Jim Lauderdale:

Lucinda Williams – Dark Side Of Life (buy album)

You know Dwight is cool for getting Buck to sing on his record:

Dwight Yoakam & Buck Owens – Streets Of Bakersfield (buy album)

Finally, here's one from a gal who could have fit right into the Carter Family:

Gillian Welch – Revelator (buy album)

Stay tuned for 11-15 tomorrow. Leave a comment if you have an opinion on the poll or any of the songs.

Favorite Country Artist Results, Nos. 30-21

Lefty comes limping in at 27… (Time for a boost on STWOF!)

21. Doug Sahm
22. Jimmie Rodgers
23. Old Crow Medicine Show
24. Lyle Lovett
25. Iris Dement
26. Tom T. Hall
27. Lefty Frizzell
28. Ralph Stanley/Stanley Brothers
29. Roger Miller
30. Marty Robbins

Keeping up with the Texas theme, here’s one from your No. 24, Lyle Lovett.

The guy with the funny hair who once was married to Julia Roberts is responsible for some amazing country songs. This song, for instance, is just brilliant:

Lyle Lovett – God Will (buy album)

Who keeps on trusting you
When you've been cheating
And spending your nights on the town
And who keeps on saying that he still wants you
When you're through running around
And who keeps on loving you
When you've been lying
Saying things ain't what they seem
God does
But I don't
God will
But I won't
And that's the difference
Between God and me

And here’s bonus track from another legend of Texas country music, your No. 21 most favorite country artist, Doug Sahm:

Doug Sahm – Wolverton Mountain (out of print).

I got this track from LD over at The Adios Lounge, which is a must-stop on my music blog surfing schedule. Be sure to check out his recent post on Doug Sahm.

Favorite Country Artist Results, Nos. 40-31

The Father of Bluegrass just barely made it into the Top 40...

31. Tammy Wynette
32. Roseanne Cash
33. Kris Kristofferson
34. Jerry Jeff Walker
35. Randy Travis
36. John Hartford
37. The Flatlanders
38. Ray Charles
39. Jason & The Scorchers
40. Bill Monroe

If you couldn’t tell by the last two featured songs, I’m in a Texas mood this week.

Today’s featured Texan is the one and only Jerry Jeff Walker (from New York). One of the reasons I picked Jerry Jeff for today is because fellow Texan Ray Wylie Hubbard (from Oklahoma) did not make the Top 60. Here’s Walker performing the Hubbard-penned indictment of all those mothers who raised their sons so well:

Jerry Jeff Walker – Up Against The Wall Redneck Mother (buy album)

This song is available on Jerry Jeff’s must-own live album Viva Terlingua.

M is for the Mudflaps you give me for my pickup truck
O is for the Oil I put on my hair
T is for T-bird
H is for Haggard
E is for Eggs, and
R is for REDNECK!

Favorite Country Artist Results, Nos. 50-41

Uncle Tupelo--the first "official" alt-country band--took 45th place. Add Son Volt's votes and Jay Farrar's combined bands would be 26th.

41. Don Williams
42. Billy Joe Shaver
43. Charlie Rich
44. Hank Williams Jr.
45. Uncle Tupelo
46. Flatt and Scruggs
47. Hank Thompson
48. Guy Clark
49. Doc Watson
50. The Jayhawks

The feature song from this batch comes from Billy Joe Shaver, who might be the most underrated artist in the poll. That's two days and two great songs from Texas. (Did anyone besides Brendan like the Terry Allen track from yesterday?). Anyway, this is one of the best country songs of all time:

Billy Joe Shaver – I Been To Georgia On A Fast Train (buy album)

There’s a lot to choose from in Billy Joe’s catalog. If you are looking to jump in, I’d start with Old Five And Dimers Like Me from 1973. Follow that up with 1993's Tramp On Your Street. Hard to go wrong with Billy Joe.

“I got a good Christian raisin' and an eighth grade education...”

Favorite Country Artist Results, Nos. 60-51

Here’s your No. 51 most favorite, Mr. Gene Clark

The results are in! Thank you for your votes. I’ll be revealing the final totals in groups of ten, starting with Numbers 60 through 51. Here’s the first batch.

51. Gene Clark
52. Terry Allen
53. Son Volt
54. Alison Krauss
55. Kitty Wells
56. Robbie Fulks
57. Merle Travis
58. Webb Pierce
59. The Dixie Chicks
60. George Strait

Now enjoy a great song from this batch:

Terry Allen – Great Joe Bob (A Regional Tragedy) (buy album)

If you’re not familiar with the multi-talented Terry Allen, You need to get your hands on his masterpiece Lubbock (On Everything) right away!

He dated high-tone girls with frosty pom-pom curls,
But he never gave out his ring.
He was the best of the best,
He met the gridiron test,
And there ain't nothing as American and clean...

Jazz 101: Billie Holiday

Billie Holiday was a talented and influential singer. Her magic was in the relatively subtle way she interpreted her material. She expressed herself in a genuine way without showing off. If you are interested in learning more about Holiday's music, but don't know where to start, here's a short run down, organized by the three main labels for which she recorded.

Columbia

During the first phase of Billie's career, available on Columbia records, she typically served as a vocalist fronting fairly large--and quite excellent--jazz bands. Many of these tracks feature great players like Lester Young or Ben Webster. They are all very jazzy and do not make Holiday's vocals the centerpiece quite as much as her other work. The Columbia era recordings are my favorite.

Billie Holiday - Miss Brown To You (buy album)
Billie Holiday - He's Funny That Way (buy album)

If you're interested in Billie Holiday's Columbia period, I highly recommend the nine-CD Quintessential Billie Holiday series which contains nearly all of her work on Columbia and comes with informative liner notes. It's easy to find great deals on these discs on line.

Decca

In her next major phase, with Decca, Billie Holiday became more of the star. Her vocals are more front and center and often accompanied by very lush instrumentation: Lotsa strings, flashy brass, and even some background singers (yikes). While Billie was in absolutely great voice on the Decca sides, I'm not as wild about the instrumentation, which sounds a bit overwrought and dated. Still, its great stuff worth having.

Billie Holiday - God Bless The Child
Billie Holiday - Give Me A Pigfoot And A Bottle Of Beer
(buy ablum)

Verve

In the later stages of her career, Billie recorded mostly for Verve. Her Verve output is more intimate and probably the most accessible music in her catalog. A lot of it is in the small combo jazz-club style, by which I mean the kind of music you'd want to hear at 1:30 a.m. with a cigarette and a glass of bourbon on the rocks. And its mostly excellent!

Billie Holiday - Darn That Dream
Billie Holiday - Embraceable You
(buy album)


Well, there you have it. A few great songs from one of my top 5 artists. I guess that means my blogging "hiatus" is over.

Stay tuned for the final results of the favorite country artists poll. (I will count all votes received up until the results are published.)