NanciNet Digest 1-16-99
// A little on Townes, excerpt from the MOJO article, some list
// announcements...Enjoy...[BP]
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Subject: NN: 1998 year in review
From: Bill Page (bpage@scctel.com>
We've seen lots of lists from 98, and have made our own.
But airplay is important, and the best idea we have on airplay for our
favorite artists is from the playlists reported by Folk and Bluegrass DJs
across the country. The 98 results are in, and can be viewed at:
http://folkradio.org
Once there, click on "1998 in Review," and then follow the links to summaries
of the top songs, top artists, and top albums of the year (in terms of
airplay).
Some highlights from the top songs list:
1. "Howlin' At The Moon" (52) by Sam Bush
2. "Caleb Meyer" (47) by Gillian Welch
3. "Time Between Trains" (46) by Susan Werner
4. "Are You Out There" (45) by Dar Williams
4. "Christians And The Pagans" (45) by Dar Williams
9. "Visions Of Plenty" (42) by Kate Campbell
12. "By Way Of Sorrow" (41) Cry Cry Cry (Williams, Kaplpansky, Shindell)
14. "Cold Missouri Waters" (38) Cry Cry Cry
26. "Crazy In Alabama" (31) by Kate Campbell
26. "Here In California" (31) Lucinda Williams
Some highlights from the top albums list:
1: "Where Have All The Flowers Gone?: The Songs Of Pete Seeger,"
2: "What's That I Hear?: The Songs of Phil Ochs," Various Artists (267)
3: "Bottleneck Dreams," Salamander Crossing (245)
4: "Cry Cry Cry," Dar Williams, Lucy Kaplansky And Richard Shindell (242)
5: "Treasures Left Behind: Remembering Kate Wolf," Various Artists (217)
6: "Midnight Storm," Blue Highway (196)
7: "Other Voices, Too," Nanci Griffith (193)
8: "Hell Among The Yearlings," Gillian Welch (188)
9: "I Used To Be Nice," Rachel Bissex (185)
10: "Shaking Off Gravity," Vance Gilbert (183)
11: "Bluegrass Rules!," Ricky Skaggs (182)
17: "Visions Of Plenty," Kate Campbell (171)
19: "Car Wheels On A Gravel Road," Lucinda Williams (161)
20: "My True Name," Carrie Newcomer (151)
23: "Time Between Trains," Susan Werner (149)
Some highlights from the top artists list:
1. John Gorka (449)
2. Dar Williams (411)
3. Bob Dylan (372)
4. Nanci Griffith (371)
5. Greg Brown (355)
6. Salamander Crossing (345)
7. Bill Monroe (344)
8. Lucinda Williams (335)
9. Gillian Welch (287)
10. Emmylou Harris (286)
16. Carrie Newcomer (245)
17. Cry, Cry, Cry (242) (Williams, Kaplpansky, Shindell)
22. Kate Campbell (236)
23. Lyle Lovett (235)
26. Bill Staines (224)
27. Susan Werner (223)
28. Richard Shindell (222)
29. Cheryl Wheeler (220)
(be advised that this site uses frames...if your browser does not accomodate
frames, send me a private email and I'll help you get the info...)
Bill "where has all the money gone?" Page
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Subject: NN: Article in MOJO January 1999, Non-Nanci TV shows in the UK
From: "Zac Tullett" (Zac.Tullett@eclipse.co.uk>
Hi!
Well, I remembered to bring the copy of Mojo into work today, so I've taken
a short break to type up the article from January's issue:
---------------------------------------
This fly-on-the-wall account of the recording of Nanci Griffith's two albums
of cover versions is a fascinating chronicle of the symbiotic process.
Griffith goes out of her way to pay generous testament to songwriters such
as Harlan Howard and Richard Thompson, and musicians such as Clive Gregson
and Sharon Shannon. She admits that Other Voices, Too was "not so much a
Nanci Griffith project as a group project, all of us musicians and
songwriters - past, present, dead and alive - all working together".
Admirable sentiments, but the book-of-the-albums - her "personal history of
folk music" - is little more than an extended Q&A, with Nanci talking about
her favourite records when she was growing up in Texas. Her liberal parents
evidently provided a healthily eclectic musical background, and you sense
that Mr and Mrs Griffith were as delighted as their daughter when she began
recording with Bob Dylan and Tom Paxton.
To her credit, Griffith didn't go the easy course - and there is no doubting
her sincerity or devotion. She lets the spotlight shine into the shadows,
and, there is an intriguing interview with Pete Seeger, who reveals the real
reason why he was so incensed with Dylan's electric 1965 Newport show.
There is, however, still a terrific book waiting to be written about the
American folk revival - that extraordinary conjunction of the Civil Rights
movement, Kennedy's New Frontier and the finger-pointing songs of Bob Dylan.
Other Voices hints at the story on a personal level, but ultimately lacks
the necessary scope. As Griffith herself notes, this thing is bigger than
all of us: "What both albums... are all about [is] saying to people, 'Here
is your song, Sing it out. Pass it on'"
Patrick Humphries, MOJO January 1999.
---------------------------------------
For those of you who are interested, here's a couple of TV shows to look
forward to in the UK:
Storytellers - James Taylor: VH1, Midnight, Tuesday 26 Jan
Nick Drake Documentary - BBC2, 1 Feb
Anyone out there a fan of Nick's work?
Take care,
Zac.
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Subject: Re: NN: Article in MOJO January 1999
From: John Edward Graveling (kai21@dial.pipex.com>
I think I need to correct Zac's message, as I would hate people to buy
the January 1999 edition of MOJO magazine hoping to read a Nanci article.
So, if Zac will forgive my indulgance, I think you will find the
aforementioned article in the FEBRUARY 1999 edition of MOJO.
John "a stickler for accuracy" Graveling.
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Subject: Re: NN: Article in MOJO
From: Jeff Horne (jeffhorne@heartland.co.uk>
Just to make a little correction to the actual Mojo article, the book as
available in England is not a "Heartland import" as stated, but published
locally by Amber Waves (an imprint of Heartland Publishing Ltd).
The UK price is UKPounds 14.50.
If any British, Irish or Commonwealth NNetters are interested, and have
difficulty obtaining it from their local bookshop, it's available from various
UK online shops - Amazon.co.uk, Internet Bookshop, Blackwell's, Waterstone's
etc. - or direct from us (post free for NanciNet members).
For more info, see our web site http://www.heartland.co.uk
(end of commercial)
(but don't forget our other current book "Songbuilder: The Life
and Music of Guy Clark" ;)
Jeff Horne
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Subject: NN: OT: No Nanci Content: Emmylou Harris List
From: MAUDEENW@aol.com
Please excuse this off topic post, but since I think many of Nanci's fans are
also Emmylou fans, I just wanted to let everyone here know I have just started
a mailing list for fans of Emmylou Harris. To the best of my knowledge, this
is the only one available. There is a newsgroup but all it seems to get is
spam, spam, and more spam.
If you're interested in subscribing
http://www.onelist.com/subscribe.cgi/Emmylou
~Maudeen
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Subject: NN: Lyle Lovett list???
From: "Jennifer Woollatt" (jmwoollatt@dmci.net>
Great to see that a list for Emmylou Harris has started up!
Does anybody have any information on a Lyle Lovett list?
Jennifer Woollatt
jmwoollatt@dmci.net
web page: http://www2.dmci.net/users/jmwoollatt
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Subject: Re: NN: Lyle Lovett list???
From: Ed Maier (eddie@flash.net>
Jennifer Woollatt wrote:
> Does anybody have any information on a Lyle Lovett list?
Sure. Try http://www.onelist.com
click on Music
click on Folk
click on LyleLovett
click on Subscribe to this list
register if you need to or enter your email address and password
finally, click here to subscribe
Ed
// or, http://www.onelist.com/subscribe.cgi/lylelovett
// BP
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Subject: NN: Magazine covers
From: Ron Crain (ron@arken.net>
My wife went to Tower Records today so my daughter could use her $50 gift
certificate for music that none of us would appreciate.
I asked my wife to look in the magazine racks for Dirty Linen which has
been mentioned. She didn't find it and when she asked someone about it,
the looked at her weird - what kind of name is that for a magazine anyway?
But.... She came home with a UK magazine called Country Music People!!
It's a December '98 issue and claims to be the No.1 country music magazine
(must be #1 in U.K (g>). It's only 55 pages long!
Anyway, if it hasn't been mentioned before, I wanted to let you all know.
Also, if requested, I'll scan the pictures and post them on my website.
If you want to request the scans, you'd better email me - while Bill Page
and I work out my problems with my not receiving NanciNet messages since
the 12th.
// Please email Ron privately, not to the whole list. [BP]
_________________________________________________________________
Subject: NN: Re: mystery music
From: Mark Wiggins (M.Wiggins@ftel.co.uk>
Shawn Kimbro wrote:
> I think you must have Once In A Very Blue Moon. It was
> released in 1990. Here's the track list:
>
> 01. Ghost In The Music
> 02. Love Is A Hard Way
> 03. Roseville Fair
> 04. Mary & Omie
> 05. Friend Out In The Madness
> 06. I'm Not Drivin' These Wheels (Bring The Prose To The Wheel)
> 07. Time Alone
> 08. Ballad Of Robin Winter-Smith
> 09. Daddy Said
> 10. Once In A Very Blue Moon
> 11. If I Were The Woman You Wanted
> 12. Year Down In New Orleans
> 13. Spin On A Red Brick Floor
This is the listing on the Philo release I have but when MCA re-released
it (in the UK at least), "If I Were The Woman You Wanted" had been
dropped. The FAQ says that the US release (still on Philo/Rounder) has
all of the tracks. Hmm, dontcha just love MCA? Or maybe it was because
of some disagreement with Lyle Lovett (who wrote IIWTM(W)YW)...
Regards,
Mark.
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Subject: Re: NN: Re: mystery music
From: MISTERCD@webtv.net (SID PORTER)
Shawn Kimbro wrote:
> John Graveling sent me a back-channel note
> pointing out my grave mistake of saying OIAVBM was released
> in 1990. It was, of course, released in 1984 on vinyl and
> 1990 is the release year for the CD version. (I think.)
Hi Shawn,
My CD says 1986, which I'm sure is correct, as it was one of the
first CD's that I bought.
Best wishes,
Sid Porter
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Subject: NN: Re: Re: mystery music
From: "Hans Janssen" (hjanssen@mail.dotcom.fr>
>Shawn Kimbro wrote:
>> I think you must have Once In A Very Blue Moon. It was
>> released in 1990.
I have the Philo version, bought in the Netherlands, and that gives as
release date 1986. I don't have any 1990 Nanci CD, it was between S and
LNGH.
met vriendelijke groeten,
Hans Janssen.
np: Nanci at the Barbican
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Subject: NN: Townes Van Zandt query
From: "fagre" (fagre@digisys.net>
Due to NN's top ten CD lists I acquired L. Lovette's SITH. Townes Van
Zandt was honored in memory. I've just not been current here in the
wilds of Montana (less so now that I am on the NN) and missed the fact
of his passing. Please inform me about his death. I used to hear him
at coffee houses in the 70's in Ft. Worth. All of these Texas musicians
(Nanci in particular) keep me in touch with my roots in an important
way.
Regards,
Ann "still waiting for a real winter storm" Fagre
// you're more than welcome to ours...[BP]
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Subject: Re: NN: Townes Van Zandt query
From: dan.gerson@McKesson.com
We lost the Great One on New Years Day 1997, a very dark day for
poetry and music indeed. IMHO Townes was one of the greater poets that
ever breathed. From songs like "Mr. Mudd and Mr. Gold" to "If I Needed
You" to "To Live is To Fly", Townes gave voice to feelings and
perceptions that are recognizable at my deepest and truest levels of
being. There won't be another like him.
A good website is :
http://www.townesvanzandt.com/index.html
It's run by his widow Jeanene. You can order his stuff directly from
her and help support the family he left behind. You can also find lots
of other good stuff through links there (an account of his death, a
dream Jeanene had of him after, offerings from grief stricken fans,
and much more.)
Dan 'don't turn none away' G.
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Subject: NN: Re: Townes Van Zandt query
From: "Shawn Kimbro" (skimbro@bhset.org>
Ann wrote:
>Due to NN's top ten CD lists I acquired L. Lovette's SITH. Townes Van
>Zandt was honored in memory. I've just not been current here in the
>wilds of Montana (less so now that I am on the NN) and missed the fact
>of his passing. Please inform me about his death....
Hi Ann,
I don't think the full details were ever reported here.
About Christmas Day, 1996, Townes broke his hip. He didn't
know he had a broken hip, only complained of a "pulled
muscle." His wife Jeanene finally convinced him to go to
the hospital; he refused all her initial pleas with, "if I
go, I'll die." That may or may not have been a premonition
of his death, he was very concerned that he would have
nothing to drink at the hospital. Once the broken hip was
discovered surgery commenced with the agreement that Townes
would be sent home immediately afterwards. There were some
complications so Townes had to stay for a while and he was
not allowed alcohol. After Jeanene watched him continually
deteriorate, mostly due to withdrawal, she believed the best
thing would be to remove him from the hospital. She brought
a bottle along when she picked him up. After she got him
home he seemed much improved and was talking and in good
spirits. She gave him something to eat, some Tylenol
(doctors would not prescribe pain medication because of the
alcoholism) and then called her friend Suzanna Clark (Guy's
wife). While she was on the phone the children called to
her and she went to his bed side and found him dead. The
official cause of death was listed as cardiac arrhythmia and
myocardial ischemia. He was found to have very high levels
of antihistamine in his blood which may have been a
contributing factor. (Jeanene believed he may have taken
Diphenhydramine thinking they were pain pills.)
-Shawn
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Subject: NN: RE: Re: Townes Van Zandt query
From: "Eric Hay" (ehay@gateway.net>
A little more info to supplement what Shawn wrote:
I heard it mentioned that the heart problems causing Townes's death may have
resulted from a blood clot that formed while the broken hip went untreated,
then broke loose after his return from the hospital. I also remember a
story that his young daughter Katie Belle (I think she was about 3 or 4 at
the time) was in the room with her father when he died. She reportedly came
out of the room and said to her mother something along the lines of "daddy
is having a fight with his heart." It could probably be said that much of
Townes's life could be described by that phrase...
I had the pleasure of sharing one of Townes's last shows with some fellow
NanciNetters at the Cactus in Austin. I think it was October or November,
but I'm not sure. He was on some pretty shaky ground, but it was a magical
evening anyway.
_________________________________________________________________
Subject: NN: Re: Townes Van Zandt query
From: Halesbop@aol.com
There is an article with interviews in the current (Jan-Feb) issue of No
Depression magazine on Townes' last recording session and final days.
Steve
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Subject: NN: Transatlantic Sessions Vol 1 and 2
From: Mike Chesman (chesman@preferred.com>
Several weeks ago from across the pond we heard about the two new discs on
Iona Records. I'm referring to Transatlantic Sssions Two (Volumes 1 and 2).
There are four reasons for a Nanci collector to buy these. Boots of Spanish
Leather featuring Nanci, Trouble In The Fields with Nanci backing Maura
O'Connell, Always Will featuring Nanci and Blue Train with Nanci backing
Maura O'Connell again. These recording are from a BBC TV series of the same
name.
However, beyond what I've written above, the discs are gems with much
terrific music. Aly Bain, Jerry Douglas, Roseanne Cash, Ricky Skaggs and
that just scratches the surface. It's a nice mixture of folk, Celtic,
bluegrass, etc. The recording quality is absolutely superb. This cd is ten
times better than the Cambridge Folk Fest disc that was also mentioned a
while back. I highly recommend that you hunt for these discs.
We also ought to encourage our public TV stations to see if they could buy
this show to air in the U.S. The subtitle on the discs says "The Greatest
Back Porch Show Of All Time".... from the music on the discs they might be
right!
Mike
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Subject: NN: Steve Earle - UK Dates and album (no nanci)
From: "Charlie Macdonald" (charlie.macdonald@virgin.net>
Hi There,
Also listed in the February 99 edition of Mojo are the dates and venue's for
Steve Earle's UK tour with the Del McCoury Band are:-
May 20 - London (Royal Festival Hall)
May 21 - Coventry (Warwick Arts Centre)
May 23 - Cheltenham (Town Hall)
May 24 - Liverpool (Philharmonic Hall)
May 25 - Glasgow (Clyde Auditorium)
The tour will be promoting Steve's new album with Del McCoury, "The
Mountain", which has a UK release date of February 22.
Has anyone heard anything from the album yet? The Del McCoury Band are
described as "the best bluegrass band working today" - is this an accurate
claim and is he related to Ronnie McCoury who plays mandolin on Valerie
Smith's "Patchwork Heart" CD?
Best Wishes,
Charlie Macdonald
_________________________________________________________________
Subject: NN: Re: Tape Exchange [BP]
From: "Sandra Gallant (LMC)" (lmcsaga@lmc.ericsson.se>
"Robert Pugsley" (RMP6@leicester.ac.uk> wrote:
> Well I messed up the tape exchange this year, I sent my xxchangee a tape
> I was supposed to send another friend, so instead of getting alt.country
> and some nice ambient stuff, she got rap (old rap at that!), dodgy lyrics,
> some very weird stuff courtesy of Thurston Moore and I don't now what
> else! She's been real polite about it but I just know that thrash metal
> is not her thing! :-)
Just wanted to point out that I was the lucky recipient of Robert's mix...
I mean that! What I didn't tell Robert is that in my pre-NanciNet incarnation,
I wore a lot of black, and preferred skanking to any two-step beat! So, the
mistake was fortuitous in some ways (though kinda funny). What Hank Van
Slyke doesn't know is how close I came to mistakenly putting Robert's mix
in the mail to him...
Thanks again Robert.
ANd to Mike Chesman: I haven't forgotten about you. I'm just catching up
on all my mailing list commitments. I'll have the tape in the mail to you
soon !
/Sandra
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Subject: NN: NW Florida Search
From: "Bob McClellan" (lynnemusic@baycomm.net>
Hi...
Any NanciNetters in/near Northwest Florida ?? Maybe we can go to the
Florabama sometime??
Best,
Bob McClellan
_________________________________________________________________
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