For me, this morning, it's "Black Water" by The Doobie Brothers. I don't think I'd ever played a Doobie Brothers song on my own.
It's odd the way old songs that used to be pushed at you endlessly on the radio drift back to mind. I was just thinking about the word "backwater" — not "black water" — after it came up in a podcast: "He suggested that the horde ride west and toward a previously unexplored land that sat on the periphery of the world, a great peninsula jutting out of the Asian land mass, about which The Mongols knew little. These were the lands of Europe. Europe around the year 1200 was something of a backwater...."
"Backwater" began as a literal description of water: "A piece of water without current, lying more or less parallel to a river, and fed from it at the lower end by a back-flow" (OED). But we know it better figuratively: "A place or situation in which no development or progress is taking place." If you're trying to think of a song with "backwater," it might be "Backwater Blues."
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७७ टिप्पण्या:
Mrs. Robinson. When I read Anne Bancroft died. Had heard the song dozens of times. The Doobie Brothers make me think of the movie Romancing The Stone. “The Doobie Brothers broke up. Shit! When did that happen?”
You must remember though, that there were no "Dark Ages" because to acknowledge the collapse of civilization when Rome was overrun is to comment on present politics.
If you're trying to think of a song with "backwater,"....
Or it could be "Backwater" by the Meatpupets!
Midnight Train To Georgia - of course I'd heard it many times, but when my oldest, then a junior (I think) in college, was taking an elective class in American music, he fell in love with it. He played it for us when he was home for Christmas as part of one of our family kitchen dance parties and I really listened to it for the first time. Now it's a favorite - in part because I can still see my kids dancing around the kitchen to it.
"The Long One," aka side two medley, Abbey Road. I was reading about how the Beatles were left with bits of unfinished songs, and how they stitiched those bits together creating a masterpiece, concluding with John, Paul & George trading guitar solos, and Ringo's one and only drum solo. "And in the end, the love you take is equal to the love you make."
When that CEO was shot I looked up Chuck Mangione's instrumental hit, "Feels So Good." It was very familiar music, though I didn't know the title. Now whenever I read about the case, I hear the tune in my head.
I feel that way about ELO. Heard their over-played music on radio, but never purchased album or added to my playlist. Then saw the great VW add in 2017 with Livin Thing and realized how much I like that song (song charted on billboard after ad came out). SInce have actively played a few ELO songs. Jeff Lynne is pretty impressive.
Blackwater is a rare and unique song for the time (1973) and place (USA Pop/Rock FM radio) where it emerged. It has a bluegrass feel and an amazing vocal harmony section — neither one of which would be successful — or appreciated — with young people today.
Here is a YT link to an interesting reaction by college kids a few years ago — who were surprised at the quality of the musicianship:
https://youtu.be/iFB87zTZs8I?si=YDZmh4hBBO2vZEZz
I've been revisiting highway 61 rRevisited. I love Dylan's OT stuff.
God said to Abraham, kill me a son
Abe said man you gotta be puttin me on
God said NO
Abe said WUT
Etc
Only very peripherally related: I've never been able to shake the image of one scene from the book Small Sacrifices, about Diane downs, who killed one of her children and attempted to kill the other two. It's a courtroom scene. I believe it was her oldest child who was on the stand, and the prosecuting attorney began to play the song Hungry Like the Wolf, which the girl had said was on the radio when (according to Downs, but denied by this child of hers, who said that she, Downs, had shot them all) a stranger stopped them in their car and shot the three children through the window. The girl was obviously terrified as she listened to it. Diane Downs, at the defendant's table, was smiling and tapping her fingers.
Music hath more than charms to soothe the savage breast.
A few recent listens
Benny Goodman “Sing, Sing, Sing”
Phil Collins “Something in the Air Tonight”
The Last Mohican Soundtrack “Promentory Point”
Alanis Morrissette “Uninvited”
Desmond Dekker's "The Israelites". A tremendous song that was basically an AM novelty song when it first got airplay in this country and not taken seriously. Suddenly I find that I have four different versions on my phone.
Nothing really to do with Zionism, RCOcean. Easy...
"He suggested that the horde ride west and toward a previously unexplored land that sat on the periphery of the world, a great peninsula jutting out of the Asian land mass, about which The Mongols knew little. These were the lands of Europe. Europe around the year 1200 was something of a backwater...."
Reading that, my thoughts went to the Righteous Brothers "If I Ruled The World" (1965). I have that on my 'Airport Ride Playlist'.
Just last night for "Southern Cross" by Crosby, Stills, and Nash. Someone in our Discord had linked a story about people who dissed The Marquesas as possible port of call.
This is a great thread because I just recently started a post-retirement casual project of trying to go through every song I've ever heard, grabbing the lyrics and listening carefully to as many as I can. I gotta say it's been fantastically enjoyable and eye (ear?) opening to spend "quality time" with great songs. Too often they're just...there as our lives rumble on. Giving them a solid listen and having the lyrics right there has made so much music really stand out. It's also shocking to me how much fantastic music comes from the 60's, 70's and 80's that we didn't hear because of the way music was marketed and studios controlled artists. The latest song I really dug into was "Any Major Dude," the Steely Dan classic.
Every day I wake up with a song running through my head that I sing in the shower. It always a song I've heard recently, and it changes sometimes daily, sometimes it lasts a few days. The only problem with this is that sometimes it's a song I can't stand, but the powers that be insist that I hear it over and over until they lift the needle. Fascists!
Check out Big Bill Broonzy doing ‘Backwater Blues’ at Ann’s link. Gotta love a resonator guitar with the blues. :)
Sinatra’s “It Was A Very Good Year”.
After giving it a close listen I found it very depressing.
“Midnight Train To Georgia”… Gladys Knight had (probably still does) an unusually strong, spectacular voice and a wide range. One of my memories related to the song was the Doonesbury comic strip Summer of 1974 that featured her and her three back-up guys singing it in the panel, with the men doing their dance moves and making comments to each other like “isn’t this a sweet gig!”, etc. I just found it hilarious.
I do this all the time, because I always loved music at the instrumental level, but rarely paid attention to the lyrics. Often I have no idea what a song is about despite loving it for years, so now with the internet I can get "the rest of the story".
Latest one would be a band I never even liked, Duran Duran. I checked out "The Reflex", because I wanted to see what "reflex" they were on about. Turns out, it's not about anything.
Several '70s funk songs. . . .I just discovered it a couple of years ago. Rubberband Man (Spinners), Pick up the Pieces (Average White Band), Never Can Say Goodbye (Jackson 5), Play That Funky Music (Wild Cherry), and. . . .Kung Fu Fighting (Carl Douglas). Plus a bunch of '80s tracks I never actually purchased, e.g., What I Like About You (Romantics).
Actually, quite a lot, once I could stream whatever song I wanted.
One of mine is “Lay Down Sally”, by Eric Clapton. I’ve been on The Replacements and Nick Lowe kicks for a few months now.
Once in a Lifetime by Talking Heads. It perfectly vibes with my Gypsy Life as an itinerant hydrogeologist
#2 is Can't Stop by the Red Hot Chili Peppers
With rare, and usually anglophone, exceptions Europeans make lousy rock music.
This life is more than just a read through
Have always loved this - especially the a cappella part.
Happens to me all the time, that I'll hear a song and just want to grab a guitar and figure out how to play it. Latest is 'Spirit in the Sky', but I've also recently been working on 'Al Di La' - a beautiful song with beautiful Italian lyrics and 'Midnight in Harlem'. Like bagoh20, the songs repeat over and over in my head for days. The only way to exorcise them from me is to perform them. Spirit isn't tough, just 3 chords, but getting the right fuzz tone takes some work.
Beasts: My very-talented 35yo son just bought a great 12-string guitar and I turned him on to Leadbelly and a couple others. That got his juices flowing.
Donnie Iris was/is a rare quirk, Still rockin @ 80 somethin.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MQKU3R6Lf4I
Leah - haunts.
"Have always loved this - especially the a cappella part."
I agree. It keeps changing and goes on for 4+ minutes and when they get to that point it breaks down into pure fun.
My favorite backwater song from Big Smith. https://youtu.be/HZJ3CctYtOI?si=atfXB3xSf5jUUGVt
Goodtime Charlie's Got the Blues.
Also Midnight Train to Georgia. What a great song.
I'm reading the Wikipedia article for "Black Water" and see that Arlo Guthrie plays autoharp and wind chimes.
Mississippi Queen - Mountain
Love the doobies and love this version of Black Water.
This cover is pretty awesome too. Michael Mcdonald Doobies.
The Meat Puppets pretty much define the feeling of growing up in Phoenix in the 1970s-80s for me. "walking the breezeways again..."
I'm a music junky, I must have at least 3000 CDs and I listen to them all (although last run through from The Allman Brothers to Warren Zevon took a year and a half). But a couple of years ago I heard a band cover Telephone Line by ELO and it made me listen to them for the first time since they were ubiquitous on the radio. Telephone Line turned out to be the only song I really liked. When they were new on the scene I liked Firefall and a few years ago one of their lead singers along with a couple of other old-timers played Waterfest in Oshkosh and they did the song CInderella which I had always liked, but I made the mistake of listening to the lyrics this time and what an awful song. Now I hate it.
Backwater by Eno.
Listen to “Swingin’ Party” (The Replacements),which came out in 1985, and then “Midnight in Harlem” (Tedeschi Trucks Band) which came out in 2011 (I think). I suspect Paul Westerberg might be “entitled to compensation”, as they say.
Both have memorable melodies and are among those I can’t get out of my head after hearing them, lol.
Desmond Dekker's "The Israelites".
I've never heard that played on the radio, but after hearing it in the film "Drugstore Cowboy" I bought Desmond Dekker's greatest hits. It's one of those songs that never fails to lighten my mood.
“Once in a Lifetime by Talking Heads. It perfectly vibes with my Gypsy Life as an itinerant hydrogeologist”
Man… I would’ve guessed Psycho Killer, but given the itinerant life you’ve chosen, perhaps Serial Psycho Killer… always one step ahead like Bundy. 😬
Irma Thomas. Wow!
There are some songs that I've liked but resisted playing on my own volition because I don't like what the artist or song represents. Enya's Orinoco Falls is one such song. Enya's too New Agey for me, but ever time I hear the song I feel like prancing. And I'm not normally a prancer.
"Try That in a Small Town" by Jason Aldean and "Nights in White Satin" by The Moody Blues. Guess I just have to be different. "Shrugs"
A newer post just promoted me to listen to ‘Kings’ by Steely Dan. Per usual, a lot of fine guitar slingin’ on that track.
Today. Pachelbel's Canon in 'D'
"The Devil Went Down to Georgia" by Charlie Daniels. I had been listening to random music and had the song "Devil's Been Busy" by The Traveling Wilburys come up. Two of the new/new-to-me songs that I've discovered this year, "Devil's Diary" by The Caulfields and "The Devil Plies His Trade (Sn 6 Ep 3)" by Turnpike Troubadours, also have Devil in the title, so I decided to come up with a playlist, 'The Devil Has All the Best Tunes.' It's still a work in progress, but I put Charlie Daniels right after the Turnpike Troubadours, and it flows well.
See for yourself:
Turnpike Troubadours - The Devil Plies His Trade (Sn 6 Ep 3) [Official Lyric Video]
https://youtu.be/i0bFbK_1JAY?si=ncyLSZgDIMNHmlz2
The Devil Went Down to Georgia
https://youtu.be/sh7BZf7D5Bw?si=Ydf8fYdnDU-srLZw
Last month, I went looking for Kate Wolf's "Here In California," after I heard Molly Tuttle's cover version on an EP from 2024, which is also among my favorite new/new-to-me music of this year. Both versions are very good.
Neil Young, Hangin' On A Limb, Steely Dan, Black Cow
And Dreams, by the Cranberries. Her voice makes me weep.
You Dropped a Bomb on Me by The Gap Band and Copperhead Road by Steve Earle. Yes, I know, he's a commie but it's an awesome song.
I saw Charlie Daniels Band in concert doing "Devil' years ago, mighty impressive show.
Turn Turn Turn. Never got it till about 7 years ago. And by the McGuinn and Hillman are nobody’s hippies/commie losers.
By the WAY. Whoops.
"I saw Charlie Daniels Band in concert doing "Devil' years ago, mighty impressive show."
Saw him at a county fair almost 20 years ago. There was a curiously empty folding chair immediately in front of me. During "Devil" he suddenly runs off the stage, down the aisle, and jumps up on the chair and does Johnny's fiddle bit. Not bad for an old fella.
I knew a substitute Pip (as in Glayds Knight) in Sarasota. He was a neighbor. Great stories and voice. He sang Train to Georgia as many times as we asked.
Titus Dillard. Nice guy. Listed on some albums but not the Wikipedia page. Had an Emmy golden record on his wall. That may have, objectively, been the coolest I've ever been.
That's my earworm song. I don't believe airplanes stay in the air (yes, they don't call it irrational fear for nothing). So I took a whole lot of trains between Tampa and DC and Atlanta and DC for Press Club events and CPAC. It was very nice but very guilty, knowing the taxpayers were subsidizing my giant ribeye steak dinner and wine and room service breakfast and hot shower. It's not like that now, at least.
The sleeper car porters on AMTRAK would sing Going Back to Georgia to wake us up going back to Georgia. That was good, and I generally have zero interest in music.
But Old Black Water was my long distance race song, helpful because you could pare it down to hours of repitition in your gait. Jackie Wilson too -- died too young and under-rated. Johnny Mathis and Dean Martin.
Mozart's Elisa and everything by Queen. Some Iggy Pop and the Ramones. An obscure Czech quartet. That's it. That's all I like.
And any version of Ave Maria.
I’d have a real problem if I couldn’t look past some
Of my biggest artist’s idiocy.
Slightly off topic but related: Ace Frehley of KISS died! CC, JSM
I only danced with my mother one time, back in 1977, to the Doobie Brother's song Take Me in Your Arms (Rock Me a Little While). We did a little jitterbug. And it was great.
I did one this morning but I forget what it was already.
I do this all the time. Something sill remind me of a song that was very popular decades ago, and I will search it out. And, yes, Desmond Decker's "The Israelites" is on that list.
The last song I searched for, that I found of note, was "Lay Down," by Melanie, just after her death. It is quite evocative of the 60s.
“Slightly off topic but related: Ace Frehley of KISS died! CC, JSM”
I wanna take a nap all night and a deep sleep every day.
I had a metaphysical old song moment in the rest room of Shaw’s crab house in Chicago. When I was answering nature I heard on the speaker system, “ don’t you listen to him Dan, he’s a devil not a man and he spreads the burning sand with water. Cool, clear, water…Coool Waatter.”
When railroads were new in the US they needed the operting infrastructure of supplies of coal and water spaced out along the track routes. Some places were less populated so the railroads would set up tanks filled by the local yokels and the engineer could stop under the spout and pull a rope to fill his boiler tank. These places were known as jerkwater towns. Almost as bad s backwater towns.
When MLKjr was murdered in Memphis in April 1968, Time Magazine described the city as "a decayed backwater."
That prompted a local scholar and historian to adopt the nom-de-plume of D. Cade Backwater for his essays in defense of our fair city.
Sorry, cant answer. I only own a guitar. Never had a violition. We were too poor.
Interestingly, I've never heard a particular song >100 times. Except for Star Spangled Banner - for obvious reasons. Probably because i never listened to the radio for long periods of time.
I do this multiple times a day. My head is so full of music I'd like to borrow Bob Dylan's dump truck ("From a Buick 6").
“Lust For Life” Iggy Pop… “Station to Station”, “TVC-15”, “Hearts Filthy Lesson” David Bowie; “Fatman in the Bathtub”, “Dixie Chicken” Little Feat all stick in my craw.
"Black Water" refers to the tannin rich waters of a southern swamp at twilight.
Brandy, it's a fine tune, what a good song, it would be...
But if I hear it one more time I'm going to throw myself into the sea.
Genesis, "Turn It On Again"
Soul Sacrifice from Santana’s first album. A drummer friend is coming for a listening session in my audio room.
I try to find drum-centric songs to play. Remembered I had this original pressing that’s been played on every crappy turntable I’ve owned. Put it on and it still sounds fantastic!
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