// Enjoy... [BP]

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Subject: NN: Re: Gauntlet..... 
From: BMiller224@aol.com  
Date: Fri, 19 Apr 2002 14:13:07 -0400 

Mtwoodward@aol.com writes:

(( I like singer-songwriters because they put themselves on the line. Unlike
someone like, oh, Britney Spears, who whisper-sings into a microphone and
thru the miracle of technology actually appears to sing material she didn't
even write. Probably never met the "songwriter" either. >>

Poor little Britney, still gets dissed all over the place.  And of course
she *does* write songs, plus two books so far, besides being generally
talented and sincere and a nice Baptist young lady.  But can she get any
respect?  
No-ooo...

You would think that folk fans would appreciate her, since she insists that
it's important to her for things to be "real."

But instead, this Pink singer (whoever she is) sings about how's she "so
tired of being compared to d***ed Britney Spears."  Kasey Chambers - who's
so totally out of it that she describes Australia as the "the greatest
country in the whole wide world" (yes, she said AUSTRALIA not America!!)
says her current single "Not Pretty Enough" is a shot at all the radio
stations who play Britney but not Kasey.

And now even her boyfriend's dumped her.  No wonder Little B has to cry,
cry, cry in her lonely heart.

Bruce "what is the world coming to?" Miller
Oakland CA

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Subject: Re: NN: Gauntlet 
From: Petop@aol.com 
Date: Fri, 19 Apr 2002 14:21:55 EDT 

jwebb714@hotmail.com writes:


> Keep in mind that the DC 5 were the precursors to 
> Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band as, with the 
> exception of Paul Revere and the Raiders, they were the 
> only group of the 60's to have a 
> saxophone in their regular line-up

   Actually, Phil Spector and the groups of the early 60s (and late
'50s)--people like Gary U.S. Bonds--were the precursors to Bruce Springsteen
and the E-Street Band. It wasn't until the Beach Boys and the Beatles that
the guitar became "the official musical instrument of rock 'n' roll." In the
mid-50s through the early 60s, there was no predominant instrument, although
the saxophone was right up there, especially with instrumentalists like The
Champs and Johnny & The Hurricanes. All the major R&B artists relied on the
saxophone as the prime instrument; even Fats Domino, and Little Richard who
each played piano, used the saxophone to lead their instrumental breaks
(i.e., the incredible sax rhythm signature on Little Richard's "Slippin' and
Slidin'," still, to this day, one of the greatest singles in the history of
rock and roll.)
   I remember back in 1955, my first year as a teenager, attending a concert
by Bill Haley & the Comets. During one frenzied instrumental break, the
stand-up bassist was lying on his back on the floor, holding his bass up
with his hands and legs and the saxophone player is cradled on his back in
the natural dip of the bass just whaling away. It was a wonderful moment and
one of those moments when I knew music was going to play a major role in my
life.
   A few months later I saw Elvis for the first time in person and that was
it.
=========================================================
"When I die, I want to die like my grandfather who died peacefully in his
sleep, not screaming like all the passengers in his car."--Will Rogers


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Subject: Re: NN: Gauntlet 
From: lippert@pgh.nauticom.net 
Date: Fri, 19 Apr 2002 15:54:04 -0400 (EDT) 

Didn't Jimmie Hendrix say that the reason he put so much distortion and
overdrive onto his guitar was that he wanted it to sound like a saxaphone?

kenn "Mustand Sally" lippert


| kenn lippert                     "See Kate Campbell" 
| lippertNO@SPAMnauticom.net         KateCampbell.com
|
| "I have loved the stars too fondly     "The moon, the music, and me."
|  to be fearful of the night."            -Vince Bell, Texas Plates
|        -Sarah Williams                        www.VinceBell.com
|           3ap.org

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Subject: NN: If I Had A hammer 
Date: Fri, 19 Apr 2002 14:16:54 -0700 (PDT) 
From: "Bill Page" (bpage3@yahoo.com> 

It's been interesting to see characterizations of "If I Had a Hammer" as
irrelevant, with the corollary being that if Nanci is singing Pete Seeger
songs, she's lost it...

Frankly, I find this particular Pete Seeger song to be as morally and
politically relevant today as it ever was, particularly given the situation
on the West Bank and in Bethlehem (of all places). Similarly, "Deportee" is
still relevant; just look at the headlines on the treatment of alien
workers/visitors from the Middle East and the Indian Subcontinent. 

Nanci hasn't been singing "Where Have All the Flowers Gone," but it's still
valid, too..."...gone for suicide bombers, every one...when will they ever
learn?"

Indeed, if "It's a Hard Life" was Nanci's most important song when it was
written, it's no less relevant today. "Time of Inconvenience" may be even
MORE relevant today than it was when it written. And the Vietnam songs on
CWH resonate well, reflecting the pain that still lingers in the lives of
thousands of veterans and their families. 

Do I like the later Nanci Griffith work as much as I do the older stuff? Not
really: I liked OVOR much better than OVOR2, and found Dust Bowl Symphony to
be mostly uninspired. But I like much of CWH, and BRFTM has tracks that I
like (and some I can do without). 

Do I still listen to her work, even the later stuff? I usually listen to
SOME Nanci every week. This week it's been CWH. Last week it was LOTB. 

(Then again, I like Robert B. Parker's early Spenser novels better than the
later ones...but I still read them all, because even his worst work is
better than the competition.) 

Bill "but have you heard Norah Jones" Page

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Subject: NN: Re: If I Had A Hammer 
From: BMiller224@aol.com 
Date: Sat, 20 Apr 2002 19:59:10 -0400 

Gosh, Bill, your post sticking up for the relevance of Nanci's Pete
Seegeresque impulses sounded so much like something I might have posted
myself that I almost sent a "Huh?" in response! :) :)

Speaking of Pete Seeger, this post reminded me of a few items related to
him.  One, since today (Saturday April 20)is "Earth Day," it's worth
mentioning that Pete recorded an album of ecology songs back in early 1966,
called *God Bless the Grass*.  I don't know if it was really the first album
of popular songs on an ecological theme, although I believe I've seen that
claim made.  It's available on CD now.  And I think it's held up very well.

Ecology and conservation are more identified as "liberal" issues today.
("Liberal" = "left" [more-or-less] in the American political vocabulary, a
fact which can cause some confusion elsewhere.)  But in 1966, it was
surprising for someone with Pete's focus on political issues like civil
rights and labor activism to hold out ecological concerns as important.  I
guess we could see it as some kind of solidarity with the hippies, although
I'm not sure that particular term had yet appeared.  The original liner
notes included a message from then-Supreme Court Justice William Douglas.
Oh, man, the times they have 'a-changed.  Can you imagine Justice Rehnquist
doing liner notes for Steve Earle?

At least one of these tunes "Cement Octopus," takes a stereotypical
tree-hugger approach, which means it could still bring foam to the lips of
any Rush Limbaugh fan.  "Preservin El Parque Elysian" is probably the
closest to what most people would think of as a typical Pete song.  "70
Miles" (about the San Francisco Bay), "The People Are Scratching" and "The
Faucets are Dripping" are as good as you could ask for "message" songs.  "I
Have a Rabbit" is really cute.  And there are a couple of American-patriotic
songs, "The Power and the Glory" and "My Land is a Good Land." Both of which
prove that you can write a patriotic tune without being whiny and defensive
(a la Lee Greenwood) or jingoistic and bigoted (like Charlie Daniels and
"Flag Not a Rag").  One of the extra tracks on the CD, "There'll Come a
Time," sounds especially contemporary today.

And I don't recall anyone mentioning it, but Vol. 2 of "The Songs of Pete
Seeger" was published last year.  Nanci's "Hammer" was first released on
Vol. 1.  Vol. 2 ("If I Had a Song" is the album title) features a Jackson
Browne/Joan Baez duet of "Guantanamera" in Spanish, and Billy Bragg doing
"If I Had a Hammer" - a better rendition than the singalong version for my
taste.  Pete himself sings on three of the tracks, most notably with Arlo
Guthrie on "66 Highway Blues."  Steve Earle does "Walking Down Death Row."
I was especially impressed by a Moxy Fruevous (?!) version of "Maple Syrup
Time" and a rap version of "Talking Union" by John McCutcheon and Corey
Harris.  But my favorite is the McGarrigle sisters singing "Little Boxes" in
French.

Pete's influence continues to spread, including in the music of Arlo's
daughter Sarah Lee Guthrie, who has her first (self-titled) album out.  Arlo
was playing near here in January at a benefit for a synagogue; Arlo used to
be in a meditation group with the rabbi or something.  And Sarah Lee showed
up with her husband Johnny Irion.  I had heard Sarah Lee do a few songs at a
July 4 concert a couple of years ago, and it was a pleasant surprise to hear
how well she's coming along.  She made an affectionate crack about how Pete
Seeger would do a song at one point.  There was also a chilling moment when
Arlo did his song, "When a Soldier Comes Home," which he wrote about the
Russians in Afghanistan.  But it sounds different now.  

It's a cool idea that Woody's granddaughter and Arlo's daughter would also
become a musician and songwriter.  But however much her surname may help her
marketing, I really enjoy hearing her and I've been listening to her album a
lot since then.  One of the tracks she performed live in January is called
"River," which she said was inspired by the six years she spent in an
ashram.  (And she's not even from California!)  If there's a Woody-like song
on this album, it would be "Lazy Tongue," although "You Gotta Sing"
obviously borrows from the Gospel song "Lonesome Valley" that Woody liked
and Arlo and Pete recorded together.  If there's an Arlo-like song, it's the
genuinely hippie-ish "Rainbow" ("The rainbow is my favorite color/I could
never choose just one").

But Sarah Lee is not just relying on family tradition for her influences.
If some of her stage mannerisms aren't consciously copied from Gillian
Welch, the similarity is a remarkable coincidence.  I've also heard her sing
"Orphan Girl." After the concert, the aging hippies were reverently carrying
up their original LP covers of "Alice's Restaurant" for Arlo to sign.  When
I got to the head of the line, I was a bit embarrassed.  I'd never spoken to
Arlo before.  But all I had to say was, "Uh, I was actually hoping to get
Sarah Lee to autograph a copy of her disk."  He took it in stride, though,
and looked around to see if he could find her.  Turns out she and Johnny
were signing CDs out in the lobby.

Sarah Lee's definitely worth a listen.  Now, I don't want to overstate it.
I mean, she's not Britney Spears or anything!  But she's really pretty good.

Bruce Miller
Oakland CA

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Subject: NN: texas 
From: DRANCI@aol.com 
Date: Sun, 21 Apr 2002 07:18:02 EDT 

Having just returned from Texas (Houston) last Tuesday,  and having been
there in September, could some of you Texans please explain to a Scottish
Nanci fan, why 100% of the people I talked to had never even heard of Nanci.
Last year somewhat  stupidly, I expected to be travelling through Texas and
listening to Nanci on the radio. How disappointed I was to find the same
bland chart orientated music and  old style country that I can here
everyday. Not even a whisper of Iris De Ment or Lucy Kaplansky. I appreciate
I wasn't as far as Fort Worth, but two of the people I did speak to came
from Seguine, and still the same blank faces. 

I'm returning to Texas in September, could someone maybe recommend a radio
station to listen to, or even somewhere within a hundred miles of Houston I
might be able to find a bar or club that place similar music.   

Thanks Drew.

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Subject: Re: NN: texas 
Date: Sun, 21 Apr 2002 08:13:35 -0700 
From: "Susan Peete" (suepeete@cruzio.com> 

At 07:18 AM 4/21/02 EDT, Drew wrote:
>I'm returning to Texas in September, could someone maybe recommend a radio
>station to listen to, or even somewhere within a hundred miles of Houston i
>might be able to find a bar or club that place similar music.   

KPFT FM 90.1 is a community radio station serving greater Houston. Denice
Franke can be heard on this station on Thu. 4/25/02 at 3:00 P.M. 
     http://www.kpft.org

A great venue in Houston to hear good music is Anderson Fair. This is the
place where Nanci recorded her video "One Fair Summer Evening". It is
located  at 2007 Grant (at Welch). That's behind Texas Art Supply just one
block off Montrose. For more info, call 713.528.8576
http://www.andersonfair.com

McGonigel's Mucky Duck in Houston, at 2425 Norfolk (713.528.5999) is another
good place for music. Although I don't find it as comfortable as Anderson
Fair. At times (not always) there is background noise like people talking
during the music :(  http://www.mcgonigels.com

Sue "from CA but who loves to visit TX" Peete


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Subject: Re: NN: texas 
Date: Sun, 21 Apr 2002 09:27:13 -0700 (PDT) 
From: "Tom Overton" (thomasmoverton@yahoo.com> 

Howdy from Texas...

Also, KGSR 107.1 plays Nanci some here in Austin. 
They play a very eclectic mix of all types of music.  

It is the one commercial radio station that I've seen
that doesn't play standard commercial radio song
lists.
    Sincerely, Tom O, Austin, Tx


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Subject: Re: NN: texas 
From: "Michael Harrison" (miketeked@hotmail.com> 
Date: Sun, 21 Apr 2002 12:42:18 -0400 

That's a really good question and I can't give you any reason for it myself,
but maybe some of the folks who know more about the recording business can.
I'd like to know myself. I'm not from the Texas area, but the people here in
the northeast U.S. have never heard of those artists either. There are
absolutely no radio stations that play them. The only thing I can think of
is that the stations feel that the biggest market out there is the younger
people, and they want to listen to rock or the pop/country stuff. I first
heard Nanci on Country Music Television (CMT) many years ago. There was a
show on television called Northern Exposure where I heard a beautiful song
called "Our Town" and I dug around on the internet to find out it was song
by someone named Iris Dement. Would the younger people get hooked on "our"
music if they heard it more? I seriously doubt it. I have 2 teenage sons who
say it's too slow. It's a whole different mentality. Remembering back to
when I was their age, a lot of my generation did listen to some rock and
heavy rock, like the Stones and Led Zeppelin, but we also had the softer
side like Dan Fogelberg or (my old favorite) Linda Ronstadt. The softer side
doesn't seem to exist anymore. The only reasons I ever listen to the radio
now are for the news, weather or baseball scores.

Michael in New Hampshire

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Subject: NN: A good low end 12 string [no nanci] 
Date: Sun, 21 Apr 2002 12:40:04 -0500 
From: "Ed Maier" (evmaier@sbcglobal.net> 

I got a Brook Mays flyer in the Friday mail advertising a 12 string
guitar for $219.99. I didn't think there was any such thing. 
Yesterday I went there, looked at it, played it, and bought it.

I don't work for Brook Mays, I don't work for Sonata, I actually
don't even work. With that out of the way, I feel obliged to tell
you about it. It's a Korean made Sonata model YS710M12. I poked
around inside it with a dental mirror and flashlight, and the
interior workmanship is adequate with a traditional layout of the
bracing. The exterior workmanship is excellent, the finish is high 
gloss (I prefer a light, matte finish), the edge bindings are even,
the fret markers are inlaid, the neck is reinforced and adjustable,
but I think the marking around the sound hole is only a decal.
The top is the traditional spruce and the back and sides are 
mahogany, as is the neck. The fretboard is rosewood and the frets
are very nicely in-plane. The voice is good to excellent, the
sustain is excellent, and it is a joy to play. (The voice is much
better that a $700.00 12 string Gibson I owned in the early 70's.)

I would be interested in any comments that anyone else might have
on this brand name.

Eddie

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Subject: Re: NN: RE: Re: The Gauntlet!--chuck pyle 
Date: Sun, 21 Apr 2002 11:50:58 -0700 (PDT) 
From: "Deb Thornton" (timpcoyote@yahoo.com> 

I'm slowly catching up on April's NN posts. This part
Ron Hennessy said about Chuck Pyle caught my eye:

> I've also been learning to sing several of his
> songs, since my voice is similar to his.

Ron, if you have *hips* like Chuck's I am the first in
line for a house concert.

Happy day to you,
Deb Thornton

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