// A little discussion on Tom Russell's new release, with Nanci
// content added. Enjoy. [BP]

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Subject: NN: dixie chicks (nnc)
    From: DvBGardner@genelogic.com
    Date: Thu, 24 Apr 2003 13:56:23 -0400

One of the major networks -- I think it's ABC -- will have a special
interview of Diane Sawyer with the Dixie Chicks tonight.  Check your 
local
listings.

Gordon et al -- did you go and see Eric Taylor at O'Brien's last night? 
   I
can't believe I missed it....

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Subject: NN: Tom and Nanci
    Date: Sun, 20 Apr 2003 14:49:24 -0400
    From: "davidtsteere" (davidtsteere@yahoo.com>

For those of you hesitating about buying Tom Russell's new cd, MODERN 
ART,
don't.  A wonderful work.  Not quite up to THE MAN FROM GOD KNOWS WHERE 
but
lovely, nevertheless.  Spectacularly good original songs and covers.  
Nanci
is in gorgeous voice on three beautiful duets, especially on Dave 
Alvin's
"Bus Station."  I didn't think still another version of "Gulf Coast 
Highway"
could grab me, but this very different version did.  Eliza Gilkyson-one 
of
my favorites-sings harmony on several cuts...with lovely results.  Don't
neglect to purchase the 4-song EP disk just released, as well.  It 
includes
two repeats from MODERN ART and another memorable Russell/Griffith duet,
Rain Perry's "Yosemite."  They are available from Bill Lavery at Village
Records, Tom's own website and the Hightone Records site.  For those of 
you
who've heard this, what did you think...especially of the 
Russell/Griffith
duets and this version of "Gulf Coast Highway?"

david

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Subject: NN: Re: Tom and Nanci
    From: "John Graveling" (kai21@dial.pipex.com>
    Date: Mon, 21 Apr 2003 19:02:43 +0100

> For those of you hesitating about buying Tom Russell's
> new cd, MODERN ART, don't.  A wonderful work.

The album has been met with a lukewarm reception here in the U.K. 
garnering
only 2 star (out of 5) reviews in most of the music press. Seems they 
think
it is not one of Tom's better efforts.

So there it is, the balancing effect. I am not a great Tom Russell fan,
having dipped in and out of his music over the years, and he certainly 
lacks
a certain consistency as far as I am concerned.

John "what is Modern Art?" Graveling

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Subject: NN: Gulf Coast Highway blues
    From: "Miller, Dianne" (Dianne.Miller@mail.house.gov>
    Date: Wed, 23 Apr 2003 23:16:14 -0400

I've been having so much fun in the cafe, I thought I'd pop over to the 
big
list and talk about music for a change.  Just got Tom Russell's "Modern 
Art"
in a big box of CDs that came from Village Records last week.  So far, 
so
good, for the most part.  Y'all know, I'm sure, that Nanci sings on 
three
tracks, including a cover of Gulf Coast Highway.

True confession:  I really don't like that song.  I know it's a fan
favorite, but I've never cared for it.  It's just a little too precious 
for
my taste -- doesn't matter who's singing it -- Nanci, Hooker, Willy,
Emmylou... it doesn't work for me.

When I heard that TR was going to put it on his new record, my immediate
reaction was to wonder why, out of all the brilliant songs Nanci's 
written,
he'd cover one of her most overrated.  I decided to give him the 
benefit of
the doubt, because I adore what he did with another Nanci song (albeit, 
one
that he co-wrote).

"Outbound Plane" came into my life when I was going through a very bad 
break
up.  I was hurt, I was sad.  But it wasn't until I heard Nanci spit out 
the
words "I don't wanna be standing here and I don't wanna be talking 
here, and
I don't really care who's to blame" that I found a way to give voice to 
my
anger.  Instead of curling up into a fetal position and feeling sorry 
for
myself, I could channel her defiance and crawl out of the abyss.

A couple years later, I ran into my ex in one of those improbably
coincidental ways that only happens in soap operas.   We started 
talking,
tentatively at first, and I realized that I wasn't angry any more.  I 
was
still a little sad that things didn't work out, but I was amazed to find
that I'd stopped wanting him to suffer in indescribably painful ways.

About this time, I heard TR sing "Outbound Plane" and was blown away.  
He
sang the same words I'd heard a million times before, but instead of 
anger
and defiance, he sang them with regret and longing.  He'd accepted that 
he
had to move on, even if it wasn't his choice.  Like Nanci when I was 
raw,
TR, when I'd built up a layer of scar tissue, was perfect.  I still 
prefer
his version over hers, and that's saying something.

I'm neither a singer nor a songwriter, so I'm not sure how you could 
make
Gulf Coast Highway into something other than a sentimental ode to
bluebonnets and blackbirds.  But I had high hopes that if anyone could 
do
it, Tom Russell could.  Sadly, he plays it straight.  Oh well... 12 out 
of
13 ain't bad.

Dianne

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Subject: Re: NN: Gulf Coast Highway blues
    Date: Thu, 24 Apr 2003 08:05:43 -0400 (EDT)
    From: "KENN" (lippert@nauticom.net>


On Wed, 23 Apr 2003, Miller, Dianne wrote:

.....
>
> True confession:  I really don't like that song.  I know it's a fan
> favorite, but I've never cared for it.  It's just a little too
> precious for my taste -- doesn't matter who's singing it -- Nanci,
> Hooker, Willy, Emmylou... it doesn't work for me.
>

I withdraw my previous proposal.  ;)

> I'm neither a singer nor a songwriter, so I'm not sure how you could 
> make
> Gulf Coast Highway into something other than a sentimental ode to
> bluebonnets and blackbirds.  But I had high hopes that if anyone could 
> do
> it, Tom Russell could.  Sadly, he plays it straight.  Oh well... 12 out
> of 13 ain't bad.


Still, it was nice to read someone writing about music for a change.  
There
is a fine line between simple, honest, moving sentiment and syrup.  
Sometime
it depends on the mood of the listener, their current life situation and
mental stability.  So let's see, that would be: (black, crappy, 
teetering).

At least it is a song with a story and characters instead of just left 
over
teen-aged biographical angst masquerading as poetry (which is what
everything I write turns out to be).

Currently listening to Hooker's "Sea Prayers and Whispers" and realized 
what
"Gulf Coast Highway" really needs is some canon fire and whale song.

Which just gave me a great idea for a song.  Y'all know that story 
(it's NOT
an urban legend, I saw the video!) about blowing up a whale carcass that
washed up on a beach?

Gotto go get it down.

"Describe the sound of an exploding sheep."

"Sis, boom, baa"


kenn "ungulate" 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: My birthday [nnc]: WARNING! Long post
    Date: Fri, 18 Apr 2003 07:55:54 -0700 (PDT)
    From: "Reid Mitchell" (reidmitchell@yahoo.com>


Dear fellow Nancinetters, I turned forty-eight this Wednesday and 
passed a
pleasant time, eating out at Bayonna's--a great New Orleans 
restaurant-and
hanging out with my friends.  My wife Liza gave me a Ironclad one-quart
saucier and a new peppermill, both of which I was happy to receive, and 
I
figured that that was it. Yesterday she asked me to go out with her 
while
she ran errands.  We drove across the Industrial Canal into the lower 
Ninth
Ward, a part of New Orleans we rarely get to--in fact, the only reason I
used to go out there was because an old Italian guy sold homemade 
headcheese
and hot sausage out there on Alabo Street, and I knew he was long dead.

But we got out in front of a nice little house with chickens in the 
yard and
went in. Waitng for me were Coco Robicheaux, Mike West, and Sneaky Pete.
Maybe you're heard of at least one of them.  They're all three local
musicians here.  Mike West is a killer banjo, composer and performer of 
what
he call Levee-billy music and one of the best songwriters I know--and 
I'm
including Townes and Nanci here.  Sneaky Pete is a bass player as well 
as a
singer songwriter, whose newest cd I'd recently reviewed for ROCKZILLA. 
Coco
Robicheaux, who's been a professional musician since he was a teenage 
back
in the early Sixties, is a local legend and has toured the world.  He's 
a
psychedelic swampboogie cat. I've written about all three of them-not 
that's
not why you might have heard for them!--and I'm including links to those
little pieces at the end of this. So they were there at Mike's recording
studio, Coco had his guitar and a mike was set up for him to do vocals 
and
Sneaky Pete was set up on bass.  And Lo! and behold, Liza had smuggled 
my
Telecaster and my Fender Super Sixty amp out of the house and they were 
set
up too.  Coco, who had masterminded the whole scheme, had decided I 
should
mark my birthday by recording a cd.  He had also decided I should have 
no
advance warning so I didn't have time to panic.  Just in case, there was
also a bottle of Knob Creek and a twelve pack of Abita Beer--a lot of 
which
I got through. I haven't been playing much, my guitar was missing a
string--Liza doesn't know much about guitars; Mike had replaced it with 
a
banjo string--and I hadn't woodshedded anything, but somehow I 
remembered a
few songs and we got thirteen tracks.  Two of 'em are even pretty good.

As the afternoon wore on, my voice dropped as my chest drew less
constricted--total panic at first--and I almost got in tune. I don't 
know if
I came up with the average Nanci-netters set list, but I don't guess the
average Nanci-netter plays a Telecaster.  But we laid down, with varying
degrees of profiency on my part (and lots of flubbed lyrics), "Who Do 
You
Love," "That's Alright, Mama," "Stranger in My Own Home Town," 
"Traveling
Mood," "One Too Many Mornings," an unnamed impromptu blues about the 
women
who tend bar at me and Coco's favorite hangout, "Love in Vain," "Long 
Black
Veil," "Trying to Get to You"--yes, I really like Elvis--"In My Life,"
"Walking to New Orleans," Clarence Garlow's "Bon Ton Roulet," and
"Summertime Blues," with Coco doing the "No dice son, you gotta work 
late,"
lines.

Around four-thirty, Mike shooed with out and mixed it down. I'm mainly 
too
scared to listen to it, but from what I can tell, "That's Alright," and
"Love in Vain," came out best, with me playing Guitar Slim style lead 
on the
second one. Then we all went out for fried oysters.

Ain't life grant?  Ain't I loved? Reid "Lukcy" Mitchell

http://www.topsoil.net/freshdirt/issue15/features1.html
http://www.rockzilla.net/mitchell27.html
http://home.mindspring.com/~stever/FAA/RMA/rma.html

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Subject: NN: Nanci article in Performing Songwriter
    Date: Sat, 19 Apr 2003 17:41:41 -0700 (PDT)
    From: "AnnaMac" (carwheels_2000@yahoo.com>


I just got finished reading a great article in
the March/April edition of Performing Songwriter
magazine.  It doesn't really contain anything
that we as Nanci fanatics don't already know,
but her perspective on things is so unique and
inspirational.

I was at Tower Records (surprisingly enough with
a precious little cash to spend) picking up a few
CDs and saw the magazine.  I almost didn't pick
up the issue because John Mayer was on the
cover...I rolled my eyes (he's a good songwriter,
don't get me wrong---I know somebody who is like,
madly in love with him
and it gets on my nerves).  Nevertheless, I
spotted Nanci's name on the cover and snatched
that baby up!

ANYWAY!!  It has an article on Roseanne Cash and
blurbs about Dar Williams, Susan Tedeschi, Lloyd
Maines, etc.

Just wanted to make a quick recommendation---Hope
everyone is doing well!

Take care all,

AnnaMac


Now Playing --> Be Good Tanyas:  Chinatown


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Subject: NN: Nanci was on CMT Loretta Lynn "Controversy" program
    Date: Fri, 18 Apr 2003 13:59:11 -0500 (CDT)
    From: "Tom Gill" (tgill@igc.org>


The other night I was channel surfing and on CMT they were doing a 
rerun of
a new program called "controversy" or something like that, about 
country's
most controversial songs.   The subject of the episode was Loretta 
Lynn's
"The Pill."  What to my surprise but there was Nanci being interviewed 
with
her thoughts on the song.  It was late at night and I was so shocked to
suddenly see Nanci that by now I've forgotten what she said.  These 
type of
programs on CMT tend to get rerun MANY times so watch for it.

-Tom Gill
  tgill@igc.org

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Subject: NN: Re: Recommendations (was: an actual discussion of music)
    From: "Ron Hennessy" (ronhennessy@msn.com>
    Date: Sat, 19 Apr 2003 10:08:17 -0500

Tony Cox wrote:
> For those looking for something to lift the spirits,  "An Evening
> with the Dixie Chicks" on DVD will put you in a good mood for the
> rest of the day, I guarantee.

Hello Tony,

Thanks for the recommendation of "An evening with the Dixie Chicks." 
Earlier
this week I bought a DVD drive for the new computer I had put together; 
and
based on your recommendation, the Chicks' DVD was the first I 
purchased. It
is a delightful concert with superb musicianship by the trio and all the
other musicians. It was nice seeing Natalie's dad Lloyd Maines playing
along. He seemed to mostly play backup guitar and banjo. I was a little
disappointed he didn't have the opportunity to shine on steel guitar.

I had the pleasure a couple of years ago of meeting and talking with 
him and
Terri Hendrix, when they played at Uncle Calvin's Coffeehouse here in 
Dallas
TX a couple of years ago.

Best wishes,

Ron Hennessy

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Subject: NN: Winter Marquee on CMT Canada
    From: "MVM" (mvmartel@rogers.com>
    Date: Mon, 21 Apr 2003 22:16:20 -0400

Hi all,

I had the loveliest surprise on Sunday evening. Just before heading to 
bed
in our hotel in Kingston, Ontario, after much Easter feasting, I flipped
through the TV guide channel, and saw Winter Marquee playing! It was 
played
in its entirety. What a treat. I have the DVD, thanks to a wonderful 
NNer,
but I enjoyed the fact that Miss Nanci was on across the country.

Cheers,
Vicki

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Subject: Re: NN: Battlefield
    Date: Mon, 21 Apr 2003 19:18:00 -0500
    From: "Ed Maier" (evmaier@sbcglobal.net>

EnviroSoup@aol.com wrote:
> This is a request to all you guitar aces out there -
> has anyone worked out
> the chords to Battlefield?
> Tracey Wilkinson

I worked these out for Tracey last month, but forgot to offer them to 
anyone
else who might want them. Email me if you want a copy.

Ed "not an ace, but I managed to stumble through it" Maier

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