Sisyphus Tracks Review

Sisyphus Rolls Review
A guide to currently featured music/artists on ST's flagship, talk-free broadcast
Feb 18 - 24, 2002

Waylon Jennings, 1937-2002
Featured Albums
Various Artists, Lowdown, Dirty, Mississippi Delta Blues, a recent release from Stand on the Ocean, a new roots label; Highwayman/Highwayman 2

Riffs
Van Ronk notes, including 3 essential reissues; DVR tracks in our playlist rotation as of 2/18; Nashville folkie Ann Tiley, cont.; other artists you'll hear more from this week.

in memorium: waylon jennings
It wasn't enough that we lost Dave Van Ronk to cancer last week. On Thursday, Waylon Jennings - who had survived heart bypass surgery in 1988 - lost his own battle with the long-term ravages of diabetes.
Waylon built a long and successful career - although not without bumps in the road along the way - as the first of the "Outlaws," a pioneering brand of alternative country that mixed old-style cowboy independence, attitude and rebelliousness-to-spare with raw, edgy, hardcore honkytonk that owed as much to rock and blues as it did to Hank Sr. Ultimately, the Outlaw movement included fellow Texans Willie Nelson and Billy Joe Shaver, as well as Johnny Cash, Kris Kristofferson, and for a time, even - sort of - Hank Williams, Jr. (we're including an interesting novelty duet between Waylon and Hank Jr. called "Conversation" on this week's playlist).

Jennings was born in Littlefield, Texas in 1937, and by the age of 8 had taught himself guitar. Continuing precociously, at 12 he was working as a DJ for a local radio station, and shortly thereafter was in his first band. He did some cotton-picking before moving to Lubbock in 1954, where he met and befriended Buddy Holly, who produced Jennings' first single ("Jole Blon") and recruited him to play bass for the Crickets. In one of those defining moments that either is decreed by fate or just dumb luck, Waylon was there-but-not-there on The Day The Music Died; at the last minute, he gave up his seat on the doomed plane to the Big Bopper.

Shaken but not stirred to dissolution by the loss of his friend and his near-relegation to legendary footnote status ("on the plane with Holly were also . . . ") - not to mention his own close encounter with the Big Sleep - Jennings went on with his musical career and had fair commercial success on the Country charts. It wasn't until the 70s, though, that Waylon became a bonafide superstar, by sticking to his guns and the roots music he loved; he simply began refusing to record in the pop-laden style that even then was afflicting Nashville. Other artists, including Nelson and Kristofferson, followed his anti-Nashville stance, and eventually the whole "outlaw" movement became one of the most significant musical forces not only of the '70s, but the major influence on the alternative country movement that continues today.

Jennings did not get where he did in a straight line - personally or professionally. There were substance abuse problems which sometimes hindered him. Until relatively late in the game, too, he often struggled with record companies for control of his work, and his earlier recordings often inform us of that battle. There are some early examples of the sugary pap he so detested in his catalog along with the gritty, maverick Waylon we know and love.

In the later years beginning in the 80s, much of his most memorable work was with other Outlaws in various combinations and manifestations, including Highwayman, with Cash, Kristofferson, and Nelson. By way of tribute, we're thus featuring both Highwayman 1 and 2 this week, as well as playing a goodly number of Waylon solo cuts from all over. We also are continuing to play tracks from his Honky Tonk Heroes collaboration with Willie, Shaver, and Kris, which we began featuring in mid-January.

Waylon was buried Friday, according to his wishes, in a quiet ceremony in Mesa, AZ, although his widow, Jesse Colter, says she shortly will announce plans for a public memorial service in Nashville. For information, keep your eye on http://www.waylon.com.

We'll let you know all the Waylon tracks in our playlist rotation next issue, but we're at 45 and climbing as we begin this week.

featured albums this week
NEW/RECENT: Various Artists, Lowdown, Dirty, Mississippi Delta Blues (Stand on the Ocean Records, 2001). Stand on the Ocean is a new, small, independent-minded, Chicago-based label whose goal is to get blues and other roots music to the public, in their own words, "before the suits, focus groups and PC police get their hands on it." This title is among their initial releases, and includes performances from several acts recorded live in Mississippi Delta juke joints. The performers - Willie Foster, Mickey Rogers, Guitar Charlie, Blues Prodigy, and others - play the electrified version of Delta blues that has come to be associated at least as much with Chicago as Mississippi. Regardless, this is the real thing, folks - real people playing and listening where it all began, in an intimate setting so well-captured that you can smell the beer. Not available on Amazon or CDNOW, at least not yet - click on the title to go to the label's website to order (it's 15 bucks).

Other Albums: Waylon Jennings, Johnny Cash, Kris Krisofferson, and Willie Nelson, Highwayman (Sony/Columbia 1985) and Highwayman Vol 2 Sony/Columbia 1990). The first is a classic, the second merely essential. I like what Amazon's Roy Kasten wrote about the initial release: The myth of the American West--lawless lands, resolute heroes--takes on a grave, elegiac quality on this first, and best, collaboration from Waylon Jennings, Willie Nelson, Johnny Cash, and Kris Kristofferson. There's little bravado here, just a sense of ticking time, of frontiers lost, cowboys singing their last songs. In the end, Highwayman works because it fuses mythic, serious material with the artists' own legendary personas and well-aged voices. Lesser lights would be lucky to muddle through Jimmy Webb's epic title track; these four cagey desperados make every fantastic image believable. If Chips Moman surrounds them with less than subtle layers of guitars, keyboards, and drums, he does update vintage progressive country in a suitably cosmic but rugged fashion. Romantic legends and production values notwithstanding, it's the tough, wise singing here that's the real draw.

riffs
First, some essential Dave Van Ronk reissue CDs that we didn't provide you last week: Inside Dave Van Ronk, The Folkways Years 1959-1961, and Statesboro Blues. We'll just show the cover pics, no links; for availability and price, use the searches to the retailers at the bottom of this page:

The following Van Ronk tracks are currently in our playlist rotation as of 2/18. Put together, they would make a helluva nice set by themselves, giving a good overview of his range, chops, and humor in the studio and in live performance:

1. Aberdeen Mississippi Blues, Geoff Muldaur (with Dave on guitar), Prestige Folklore Years
2. Baby Let Me Lay It On You, Dave Van Ronk, Statesboro Blues
3. Bed Bug Blues, Dave Van Ronk, The Folkways Years 1959-61
4. Candy Man, Dave Van Ronk, A Chrestomathy
5. Careless Love, Dave Van Ronk, The Folkways Years 59-61
6. Cocaine Blues, Dave Van Ronk, Inside Dave Van Ronk
7. Death Letter Blues, Dave Van Ronk, Prestige Folklore Years
8. Did You Hear John Hurt, Tom Paxton and Dave Van Ronk, Greenwich Village Folk Festival, 1989-90 (VA)
9. Don't You Leave Me Here, Dave Van Ronk, The Blues Project (VA)
10. Dryland Blues, Dave Van Ronk, Statesboro Blues
11. Duncan And Brady, Dave Van Ronk, The Folkways Years 1959-61
12. Garden State Stomp (live), Dave Van Ronk, Laugh Tracks Vol II (VA)
13. He Was a Friend of Mine, Nanci Griffith (with Dave Van Ronk, others), Other Voices Too
14. He Was a Friend of Mine, Dave Van Ronk, Nanci Griffith, Eric Taylor, Barbican 1 (VA)
15. Hesitation Blues, Dave Van Ronk, The Folkways Years 59-61
16. Midnight Hours Blues, Dave Van Ronk, No Dirty Names
17. Motherless children, Dave Van Ronk, Inside Dave Van Ronk
18. Sleepy Man Blues, Geoff Muldaur (with Dave on guitar), Prestige Folklore Years
19. St James Infirmary, Dave Van Ronk, Statesboro Blues
20. Stackerlee, Dave Van Ronk, Inside Dave Van Ronk
21. Statesboro Blues, Dave Van Ronk, No Dirty Names
22. Teddy Bears' Picnic, Dave Van Ronk, A Chrestomathy
23. Temptation Rag, Dave Van Ronk, A Chrestomathy
24. That Will Never Happen No More, Dave Van Ronk, Blues At Newport (VA)
25. Would you like to swing on a star, Dave Van Ronk, Sunday Street

Finally, a nice interview with Dave from 1998 that discusses, among many other things, his days growing up Brooklyn and Queens, Catholic school, Dylan, the flow of recording contracts to folkies in the 60s, success, money, and his political sympathies is available by clicking here.

Last week, we began featuring the homegrown songs of Ann Tiley, a Nashville-based folkie and painter. We added a link, midweek, to a feature written about her by Jim Ridley of the Nashville Scene (click to read) from December 1997. Since you may not have seen it due to our tardiness, this is must-reading re Ann, who among other things is an old friend of Townes Van Zandt, Tom House, and others who used to play back in the late 70s at the tiny Norman's on 27th Ave in Nashville (which ultimately turned into the equally tiny Springwater.) We've revised Ann's contribution to this week's playlist by adding 5 more songs, several of which are with her old partner, Rick Roberts.

As we do every week, we've turned over much of our playlist rotation, although you will continue to hear tracks from most of our earlier Winter 2002 featured albums and artists. There's also a good chance you'll hear from Ramblin' Jack Elliott, Eric Andersen, Nick Drake, Phil Ochs, and Michael Nesmith this week - as well as the host of others not currently spotlighted here as Sisyphus Rolls on.

Notes by Michael Westerfield unless otherwise indicated.

CD LINKS NOTE: When highlighted in gold, click on artist name for associated website or album name (or cover) for more information and/or to purchase if desired. Album links are generally to Amazon or CDNOW, or when appropriate to an independent artist's website. You also may use the searches below to Amazon and CDNOW if you prefer one over the other or want to compare price for an item; note that your purchases help support our community radio-style programming, and we thank you in advance.

Search by keywords:

To find album, song or artist information, use either of these searches as you need them. Remember, too: Any purchases made through Sisyphus Tracks help support us, and are greatly appreciated.

counter