February '92 Sound

DAVID ALLEN COE CLAIMS THAT STEVE glitzy Broadway show never walks down. Goodman’s “You Never Even Called Me By “Lord of the Trains” is another Johnny Cash My Name” is the perfect country and west - sound-alike, and “Beyond the Blues,” similar ern song. Not one to argue with a crazy long- in tone to “Blue Wing,” features co-writing hair tattooed leather poop-kicker, at least credits by Peter Case and Bob Neuwirth. allow me to make a counter claim: Tom The Edith Piaf tribute, “Chocolate Russell’s “William Faulkner in Hollywood” is PLAYIN’ GUITAR WITH A RUSTY OLD KNIFE Cigarette ,” may take a while to warm up to, the perfect country-blues-rock song. by John Yuelkenbeck but two definite highlights here are “Jack Driving my pickup home from L.A. a few Johnson” and “Haley’s Comet .” The former years ago, I popped in a champions the boxer cassette a co-worker had who panicked white made specifically for my America; an uppity Negro trip. Highway hypnosis long before Clar ence was starting to overcome Thomas. The latter, co- me when, after a few written with Dave Alvin, songs, this incredible appeared on Alvin’s re - tune began that had all cent Blue Blvd. disc. As the right elements: fiddle, does “William Faulkner guitar, crisp drum work, in Hollywood,” its theme and a clear, resonant deals with the emphe - voice singing about meral nature of fame. Faulk ner’s failed attempt at screenwriting. It O.K., if he’s so great, why haven’t you was only missing one key ingredient: female his days as a singer for a Puerto Rican carni - heard of him? Good question. You may have backup singers. When the women started val. He sings like he’s lived it ... and he has. heard some of his songs: Suzy Bogguss’ cur - chiming in, chanting “California” in the back - “U.S. Steel” combines Johnny Cash- rent hit, “Outbound Plane,” is a Russell col - ground, I knew I had found the perfect coun - styled vocals with Duane Eddy-ish guitar, laboration with Nanci Griffith, and Jerry Jeff try-blues-rock song. My Alpine was on tape while “Joshua Tree,” ostensibly written about Walker’s Navajo Rug album was titled for the loop the rest of the considerable drive home. Gram Parsons, can easily be interpreted in Russel/Ian Tyson song it contained. Naturally, I rushed out to get the album theological terms. “The Definition of a Fool” O.K., if he’s so great, where can you find containing the track. Road To Bayomon be - is pure pop, while “Wise Blood” is a tribute to out more about him? Right here in S OUND . came one of my favorites for that year (1989). George Jones and Lightnin’ Hopkins, and a We’ll be running an interview with Tom in our Russell’s music is less rock than Steve Earle gritty accounting for would-be bar singers: next issue. And if he’s so great, where can you and less country than Robert Earl Keen, Jr., “You can follow that track / To the shotgun buy his stuff? Finer record stores everywhere yet never middle of the road. Bayamon con - shack / Drink fifty years of pain / Then maybe should be carrying Hurricane Season , and tains two covers, Tom Waits’ “Downtown you’ll have some wise blood flowin’ through Philo’s re-shipping both Road To Bayamon Train” (yeah, the same one Rod Stewart your vein.” and Poor Man’s Dream along with it. If you would later have a smash with), and the CD- After a futile search for other Russell al - can’t find them, call 1-800-DARK-ANGEL. only take on Bruce Springsteen’s “I’m On bums, I ran across a notice in Musician say - (Yeah, it’s too many letters, but it works!) Fire,” incorrectly labeled as “Fire.” The vinyl ing that a new disc was being marketed only And if he’s so great, why hasn’t he played version contained lyrics, but good luck find - through a 1-800 number. Poor Man’s Dream here? Good answer, good answer: SOUND is ing that anymore. (1990), didn’t pack quite the punch of Road doing its best to arrange a live appearance, Russell wrote (or co-wrote) the remainder To Bayamon, but did knock off some great possibly at the Emporium. Keep reading for of the record. “Road To Bayamon” recounts roots rock, specifically “Blue Wing,” the tale further developments. Geez, now we’re in of a down-and-outer sharing a cell with the concert business, too! Answers to last issue’s lyric quotes (by page #): bluesman Little Willie John. 2. Angel of Harlem U2 3. Biggest Bordertown Bob Far and away, the best cut on Poor Man’s Neuwirth 4. You Wear It Well Rod Stewart 5. When I Dream has to be the haunting “Northern Was Young Eric Burdon and the Animals 6. Blind Willie McTell Bob Dylan 7. Hounds of Love Kate Bush 8. Two Towns,” a simple acoustic guitar and fiddle More Bottles of Wine Delbert McClinton 9. We Are The number, written by Russell with bandmates Champions Queen 10. Werewolves of London Warren Fats Kaplin and Andrew Hardin. The booze- Zevon 11. Seasons In The Sun Terry Jacks 12. Dirty Old Town Ewan MacColl soaked life of this Canadian laborer makes “Northern Exposure” look like “Full House.” s But get ready to be really blown away by Lloyd Bloodgood e d i Russell’s latest, Hurricane Season. The side- t Willie Dixon r l splitting title track depicts the ultimate white e i trash relationship between the narrator and v Jack Dupree o “Baby” as they cope with the aftermath of the b n hurricane: “We saw our bedroom set floating Francis Faye e dow Piedmont Street / And palm trees broken s l Edward Harvey t by the wind / So Baby starts packing the essen - Edward Harvey f i d 5815 tial things / Diet pills, potato chips and gin / Dee Murray g Dee Murray Next thing I know we’re in a row boat / johnson drive d s mission Watching our apartment house go down / Billy Nelson i d And Baby’s got a jar of gin and tonics / She r kansas Dave Rowbotham a 66202 says, ‘Christ, I hope the next door neighbors m c drown. ’” Headman Tshabalala That’s just for starters. “The Evangeline Hotel” is the grim side of 42nd Street that the 12 SOUND I saw him in the city and on the mountains of the moon, his cross was rather bloody and he could hardly roll his stone.

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