“Fame elevates your ego to the point where you start believing your own bullshit.” -J.J. Cale
It’s hard not to like J.J. Cale. The guy lived a simple life, spending his last two decades out in Valley Center east of Escondido. And this was a guy Neil Young considered to one of the greatest guitarists he’s ever heard!
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It’s always good to not judge a record by its cover. I’ve actually had a few customers turn down this album simply because the cover isn’t anything special. It’s pretty funny, considering how priceless this music is. Here you have cuts from the golden age of New Orleans R&B, all produced by the legendary Dave Bartholomew. This stuff isn’t very well known by collectors, but it represents some of the best recordings made in one of the most musically rich cities on the planet.
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I’m bumming out pretty hard about Jon Stewart leaving The Daily Show. Gonna be a major void. And naturally, his departure got me thinking about Comedy records. For some reason I love Comedy records. They’re so unnecessary in this day and age of youtube, and that’s part of the reason I like them so much. They’re neglected to $1 bin status, lonely dusty records looking for some appreciation. And as a guy who spends way too much time around records, it’s these neglected genres that I’m often attracted too.
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Whenever I would visit Lou Curtiss’ Folk Arts Rare Records, his Fiddle music section was one of my favorite spots to look in. And man, I would discover some really great records there. Got quite an education through these records. And to be honest, I don’t think many people bought them, meaning there were some seriously brilliant records just waiting to be had. All kinds of Appalachian gems on small labels or random private labels. Lou had some serious stuff, and I’m pretty sure I bought this record off of him at one point or another.
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It’s the hottest day of the year so far, which is an invitation to be lazy. And this Norma Tanega LP is perfect for an afternoon of daydreaming. It’s quite a lovely record. Tanega created youthful 60’s psychedelic folk/pop that doesn’t take itself too seriously. Her songwriting is simple yet wry. And her cover of Leadbelly’s “Where Did You Sleep Last Night?” entitled “Hey Girl” is pretty hip. Makes me want to take a nap.
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“Rejoice and be glad, for the springtime has come. We can throw down our shovels and go on the bum.”
Legendary drifter, hobo, union man & song collector Harry McClintock spent quite a bit of time in California. He likely was the most noteworthy Country musician to come out of California during that golden era of early recorded music (1927-1931). He also has the unique distinction of being a hobo musician who actually spent quite a lot of time hoboing around himself. This tradition was carried on by Utah Phillips, who turned McClintock’s “Hallelujah! I’m a Bum” into the definitive anthem of his repertoire. Hell, McClintock even had his own Hobo name, “Haywire Mac”. Mac’s music was distinctly counter-cultural, a hell of a lot of fun and pretty darn funny. That’s a pretty impressive accomplishment for a bum. This 78 is available here at Folk Arts, in stunningly beautiful shape. Only $13. A lucky number. Give us a handout to revive us again.
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