Steve Martin Books Date With Ryman; John Dawson Died; Odes to Cowboys and Cars
- Steve Martin is headed to the Ryman Auditorium on Oct. 11. He’ll be performing with The Steep Canyon Rangers in An Evening of Bluegrass & Banjo. Tickets go on sale next Friday (July 31).
- Two Tons of Steel (MySpace) will release their new album, Not That Lucky, on August 18. (via press release)
- John Dawson, a singer, songwriter and co-founder of New Riders of the Purple Sage (MySpace), passed away on Tuesday at the age of 64 from stomach cancer.
- Richard Thompson published an extensive interview about songwriting with accomplished songwriter (and frequent The 9513 commenter) Jon Weisberger on The Bluegrass Blog. The interview appears as part of the occasional Songwriter Profiles feature.
- Listen to Doyle Lawson & Quicksilver perform several selections from their newest album, Lonely Street, on Mountain Stage.
- Tired of cheerful, bouncy summery tunes, Chet Flippo listed a handful of new songs that deal with tales of adversity and reality.
- In light of Joey + Rory’s new single, “To Say Goodbye,” they’ve created a website encouraging others to share their goodbyes for lost loved ones. Joey recorded a goodbye to her brother — who she lost in 1994 — on June 15, which would have been his birthday.
- The Austin Chronicle’s Jim Caligiuri says Hot Texas Bluegrass Burrito, the new album from the Two High String Band (MySpace), is a winning reintroduction to Austin’s best bluegrass band.
- Kevin Ransom compiled a list of the 10 best songs about cars and included tracks from John Prine, the Blasters and James McMurtry along with honorable mentions for Bastard Sons of Johnny Cash’s “440 Horses” and Merle Haggard’s “Six Days On the Road.” Alison Bonaguro feels Ransom didn’t include enough country songs, and asks what others you’d like to add?
- Rachel Proctor’s new indie album, What Didn’t Kill Me, is scheduled for an August release. (MySpace)
- Lady Antebellum’s album is currently $5.00 on Amazon. (via That Nashville Sound)
- Sugarland posted a trailer for their Live On The Inside CD/DVD on YouTube. Release date is August 4th.
- In honor of National Day of the American Cowboy, which will be observed tomorrow, name your favorite song about cowboys. I imagine most of them will be well-known (“El Paso,” “Mamas Don’t Let Your Babies Grow Up To Be Cowboys,” etc.), so if you’d like, include a more obscure cowboy song, too.
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July 24, 2009 at 11:27 am Permalink
My favorite cowboy songs are as follows:
Night Riders Lament: While it deals directly with the cowboy lifestyle, I think it really speaks for anyone with a dream that maybe your family and friends dont really quite get. As a songwriter, I know that feeling all too well.
Cowboy Logic: Just a funny little song
You Just Cant See Him From the Road: I love this song. Often times, I drive through Williamson County and go passed all of the cows and farm houses, and it brings this beautiful song to mind.
July 24, 2009 at 11:31 am Permalink
Gosh, I had no idea the song “See You There” off Joey’s “Strong Enough To Cry” album was a true story about her brother being killed in a car wreck on the way to the county fair! Now when I listen to that fine song its going to hit me even harder…
Its nice to see Rachel Proctor releasing an indie album. Its about time Ashley Monroe followed suit.
As for a great cowboy song, its hard to beat Ian Tyson’s “Cowboy Pride” as performed by Michael Martin Murphy on the first volume of Cowboy Songs.
July 24, 2009 at 11:32 am Permalink
Not much news, but the Doyle Lawson & Quicksilver set is pretty good stuff.
And not to nitpick, but just seems weird to see a headline phrased as “[so and so] died”. It seems a lot more proper to put it as “[so and so] passes away”.
July 24, 2009 at 11:32 am Permalink
Yes Rick, thats also a favorite of mine. I love that whole album.
July 24, 2009 at 11:35 am Permalink
I’ll second Night Rider’s Lament. I’d also include Everything That Glitters, Sonora’s Death Row, El Paso, Ghost Riders in the Sky. I’m sure I’m forgetting something, but those are my favs off the top of my head.
July 24, 2009 at 11:39 am Permalink
Favorite song about a cowboy would be Jerrod Niemann’s tune that Garth Brook sang..”Good Ride Cowboy” about the ultimate cowboy…Chris Ledoux.
I have to say for a change, it is welcoming that Steve Martin is showcasing his banjo talents at the Ryman stage. A much better “crossover” from tv/movies than say Kevin Costner.
July 24, 2009 at 11:50 am Permalink
I wasn’t a big fan of the LeDoux tribute song. I understand what they were going for… but I just don’t really like how the whole thing came out. “And just LeDoux it” ? Weak…
July 24, 2009 at 11:56 am Permalink
Drew – I usually use “passed away,” but I guess for the sake of brevity I used “died” today. And even though it’s a common practice, I don’t like to use the present tense (“dies,” “passes away”) when mentioning someone’s death.
——
Nice cowboy song suggestions, too. I’m a big fan of Jerry Jeff Walker’s version of “night Rider’s Lament.” Brady says he’s partial to Chris LeDoux’s, who has a killer version of Charlie Daniels’ “Caballo Diablo.” Ed Bruce’s “The Last Cowboy Song” is a favorite as well.
July 24, 2009 at 11:57 am Permalink
My favourite cowboy song – I have two: 1. We Used to Ride ‘Em and 2. Bucking Horse Rider both by Corb Lund. Technically, they’re both songs about the rodeo.
July 24, 2009 at 12:00 pm Permalink
“Cross The Brazos At Waco” by Billy Walker
“Big Iron” by Marty Robbins
“Patanio, The Pride of the Plains” by Hank Snow
July 24, 2009 at 12:09 pm Permalink
I like Garth’s version of “Night Rider’s Lament”, especially his yodeling.
I agree with Drew on “Good Ride Cowboy.” I didn’t like it at all.
July 24, 2009 at 12:12 pm Permalink
“Night Rider’s Lament” by Chris LeDoux is great. LeDoux’s Old Cowboy Classics is a favorite from childhood. Michael Martin Murphey’s cowboy albums are good. It’s hard to beat Marty Robbins’ Gunfighter Ballands and Trail Songs, though, especially “El Paso” and “Stawberry Roan.” “The Cowboy in the Continental Suit” isn’t as well known, but is good, too.
July 24, 2009 at 12:13 pm Permalink
Brody, I do thoroughly enjoy Ledoux’s version of “Caballo Diablo”. Especially his later remake with Charlie Daniels. I had actually hear Ledoux first as a little kid, my dad being the fan he is, and didnt hear the more rocked out CDB version until a few years ago. The same as the two artists and their respective versions of “Billy The Kid”
July 24, 2009 at 12:14 pm Permalink
“Don’t Come the Cowboy with Me, Sunny Jim” — either Kirsty MacColl’s or Kelly Willis’s version. The perfect woman’s “yeah, yeah” response to the cowboy fantasy.
July 24, 2009 at 12:18 pm Permalink
re: cowboy songs – The late Tom Dundee’s “These Cowboys Born Out Of Their Time” most recently covered excellently by Gretchen Peters & Tom Russell
July 24, 2009 at 12:20 pm Permalink
Let us not forget Gary Floater’s “It’s High Time This Old Cowboy Quit Getting So Goldanged High.”
July 24, 2009 at 12:28 pm Permalink
Drew: “It seems a lot more proper to put it as [so and so] passes away”.
I actually prefer: “JOE BLOW TAKES A DIRT NAP”
July 24, 2009 at 12:32 pm Permalink
Brady, I wasn’t familiar with Ledoux’s version of “Night Rider’s Lament”, but I checked it out and it’s great. In fact, I liked the whole sound of the album that it’s from enough to buy it just now.
July 24, 2009 at 12:57 pm Permalink
Glad to hear it, Leeann. As far as I’m concerned, Cash’s version of “The Blizzard” pales in comparison to Ledoux’s, and you might even like his rendition of “Tennessee Stud,” but I won’t hold my breath knowing your aversion to the song.
July 24, 2009 at 1:04 pm Permalink
Actually, I like Chris’s version. I’m realizing that, maybe, I just hate Cash’s version…blasphemous, I know.
July 24, 2009 at 1:09 pm Permalink
Brady, I totally agree with you about Marty Robbins’ Gunfighter Ballands and Trail Songs. It’s the very best cowboy album of all time. I have three young boys all under the age of 11 and for them, it just brought the old west alive in song- pretty cool stuff.
July 24, 2009 at 1:36 pm Permalink
You can pretty much pick any Chris LeDoux album and find a handful of good cowboys songs. That’s probably why he’s one of my favorite artists.
July 24, 2009 at 2:04 pm Permalink
Am I going to be the only stereotypical one and say Strait’s “The Cowboy Rides Away”?
July 24, 2009 at 2:07 pm Permalink
If we’re gonna go with some Strait..”I Can Still Make Cheyenne”
July 24, 2009 at 2:12 pm Permalink
It’s tough to beat Willie Nelson’s “Cowboys Are Frequently Secretly Fond of Each Other.”
July 24, 2009 at 2:41 pm Permalink
“Amarillo By Morning” is my favorite Strait song in this category.
July 24, 2009 at 2:51 pm Permalink
Or Willie’s “My Heroes Have Always Been Cowboys”. Piece of trivia…Lane Frost was on his way to do stunt work for the movie of the same name the day he died.
July 24, 2009 at 3:17 pm Permalink
That video of Joey Martina brought me to tears almost instantly… I’ll love “To Say Goodbye” even more now than I already do.
I sure hope they make a real music video for that song… the video she posted shows that it could be the next “Stay”… but much, much better
July 24, 2009 at 3:52 pm Permalink
Richard Thompson is bluegrass now?
cue Jon response in 10 minutes…
fave cowboy song: Desert Skies-Marshall Tucker Band
July 24, 2009 at 4:54 pm Permalink
I’ll come out of left field and pick Nanci Griffith’s version of “Night Rider’s Lament” as my favorite. I seem to recall the guy who wrote that song was from Alaska, thus the reference to the northern lights, a very unusual thing in a cowboy song.
Jim C, Del McCoury’s highly successful cover of Richard’s “1952 Vincent Black Lightning” made him instantly an adopted part of the bluegrass musician family! (lol)
July 24, 2009 at 6:10 pm Permalink
I love that song Rick. I do love me a red head.
July 24, 2009 at 7:44 pm Permalink
The Last Cowboy Song, my favorite version is by the Highway men.
And on the pop side–Where Have All the Cowboys Gone by Paula Cole.
July 24, 2009 at 8:24 pm Permalink
‘Richard Thompson is bluegrass now?”
Richard’s been bluegrass for a long time – he’s been contributing to the Bluegrass Blog for a year or two now, and he’s editing the newsletter of the British Bluegrass Association.
Or is there some other Richard Thompson you’re thinking of?
July 24, 2009 at 8:28 pm Permalink
Cowboy songs: I’m continually amazed at how far back knowledge and taste doesn’t go – not that there’s anything wrong with that, but it’s odd to see folks go on about “traditional” or “real” country and then see that what they mean by that goes all the way back to, uh, 1970 or so . Me, I’ll take “Tumbling Tumbleweeds,” which is a boatload of fun to sing, or else “Goodbye Old Pal,” which is a boatload of fun to play.
July 24, 2009 at 8:52 pm Permalink
how about Lacy J Dalton’s “are there any cowboys left in the good ol’ USA” and it wasn’t about cowboys really but “16th avenue” was a great song about the oldtime songwriters, I kind of think those guys had the same kind of code that most people imagine is part of a cowboy’s makeup.
July 24, 2009 at 8:54 pm Permalink
Wow, Rick. You’re right, the Nanci Griffith version is awesome. It may be my favorite so far. I’ll admit that I didn’t know there were so many versions.
July 24, 2009 at 8:55 pm Permalink
Because none of us are aware of Sons of the Pioneers or Roy Rogers or Gene Autry or Tex Ritter or Ken Maynard or Patsy Montana?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fcv5e6xX25I
July 24, 2009 at 9:17 pm Permalink
Jon: I know the song Tumblin Tumbleweeds, I just hate it.
July 24, 2009 at 9:24 pm Permalink
of course there’s always “High Noon” from the movie of the same name starring Gary Cooper, sung in the film by Tex Ritter and made a big pop hit by Frankie Laine
July 24, 2009 at 9:29 pm Permalink
If we are going for worst cowboy song there is always The Man Who Shot Liberty Vallance.
July 24, 2009 at 10:29 pm Permalink
“Here’s Hopin’” by Kathy Mattea
I just watched Nanci Griffith sing “Night Rider’s Lament” on youtube and find I much, much prefer the version Suzy Bogguss included on her live album.
July 24, 2009 at 10:36 pm Permalink
I know the Bogguss version and while I love her, I think her version is kind of lackluster.
Brady,
What? Who?:)
Jon,
I grew up with that song thanks to my dad (who is unbelievably knowledgeable about music and most other things, it seems) and I just don’t find it interesting. That’s why I didn’t mention it or even think of it.
I don’t have anything against cowboy songs, but it’s definitely not one of the themes that interests me in real life or song. At least I love a good drinking or cheating song, even if I don’t participate in those activities.
July 24, 2009 at 10:59 pm Permalink
I just watched a youtube video of suzy boggus doing “Night Riders Lament” with Jerry Jeff Walker…I’m pretty sure she stole Stevie Ray Vaughns hat.
July 25, 2009 at 12:07 am Permalink
A few more to add…”Happy Trails to You….” (sing along everybody) and the Cowboy Call from Eddy Arnold and “Home on the Range” by Gene Autry and “Wildfire” by Michael Martin Murphy.
July 25, 2009 at 6:25 pm Permalink
Joe, I was specifically referring to the album cut of “Night Rider’s Lament” from Nanci’s covers album “Other Voices, Other Rooms” which features Don Edwards yodeling on the song as well. Nnaci’s live performances often don’t do it for me….
July 26, 2009 at 5:00 am Permalink
I love Suzy Boggguss’ versions of both Night Rider’s Lament and Someday Soon.
One I don’tthink anyon else has mentioned that I really like is Radney Foster’s Went For A Ride.
July 28, 2009 at 4:31 pm Permalink
Night Riders Lament may be the best. I like Faster Horses by Tom T. Hall a lot too. Cowboy Song by Thin Lizzy…anyone? Bueller? Bueller? Bueller?
July 28, 2009 at 5:43 pm Permalink
“Faster Horses” isn’t a cowboy song – the horses are racehorses, most likely Kentucky racehorses. Tom T. would go nuts if he heard it called a cowboy song. Just sayin’…
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