Folsom Prison Blues - Zeke Duhon

I looked around for a while to find a cool, somewhat modern version of this tune. This one fits the bill. It's fairly true to the pace of the original, but it definitely is the artist's own take on the tune. We get some loose hi-hats, grungy guitar, and pop-punk power vocals. The only thing I'm really missing in this take is the signature guitar riff to kick things off at the beginning. The main lead riff is hinted at in the middle, but we don't get that classic kick off tag.

You can learn more about Duhon at his website. He just "a guy who likes to write songs", and he hopes that his "songs can help you in some way". That's a cool sentiment to have about music. It's far better than the "I want to be rich and famous" mentality. A love of music is far more important in an artist's life than a love of fame and riches. If you can make a living playing, I say go for it, but that shouldn't be your motivation to play.

The song was originally written and recorded by Johnny Cash. It appeared on two of his albums. It was first released on his debut record, With His Hot and Blue Guitar, and it later appeared on All Aboard the Blue Train. The two albums were separated by only five years. The song was inspired upon a viewing of the movie, Inside the Walls of Folsom Prison. Cash also borrowed the melody from Gordon Jenkins. After the song hit its real stride of popularity in the seventies, Cash wound up paying Jenkins a settlement of around $75,000 for the use of the melody as well as some of the lyrics.

Cash did, however, come up with one of the song's most memorable lines. Reflecting on his time writing the song, Cash said, "I sat with my pen in my hand, trying to think up the worst reason a person could have for killing another person, and that's what came to mind". Of course, Cash was referring to the line, "I shot a man in Reno, just to watch him die".

I just Want to Make Love to You - Foghat

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C8SLmLm3o0c]

I've looked up and watched several live version of this song, but I cant find one that has the tight feel that the studio version has. It's a hard groove to capture just right. Honestly, it kind of seems like the band is bored during most of their live performances, the drummer in particular. I could be wrong, but that's how it seems to me. I guess it just feels lazier in a live version. I'm sure it's not easy to play the same song(s) over and over for years and have people ask for them hundreds of times no matter how much new music you release. I can see how it can get under your skin. I've felt that way playing some of the covers I've had to play repeatedly.

The song was originally written by Willie Dixon in 1954, a blues song. It was recorded by Muddy Waters. Foghat has, on occasion, performed a blues cover of the song live, but I can't quite get in to that either. Honestly, the driving beat behind the song is was caught my attention for it. There have been plenty of covers of the song from artists like Etta James to the Rolling Stones to Lou Rawls to Chuck Berry to Adele. It's a cool musical history to explore once you start listening to the different takes and interpretations.

Soul Finger - The Bark-Kays

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pEjjKNyeGt0]

This is one of those tunes you can hear in countless movies, TV shows, and commercials. You rarely hear the whole thing, but to know the song all you have to hear is one section, each of which is pretty recognizable. This was the first single released by the group with Stax Records in 1967. The band would have several other hits all the way through the eighties.

The recording story for this song is definitely one of note. The song was recorded by the group while rehearsing a cover of "But It's Alright" with Norman West. The "chorus" of the song that features a group of people yelling "soul finger", was thought up by Isaac Hayes and David Porter, both of who worked as songwriters for Stax. The shouts were recorded by a group of kids that had been hanging around the building outside. They were paid with Cokes for their part in the session.

Country Montage - Various Artists

Usually you'll find the song I'm posting about at the top of the entry, and text will follow. In this case, I'm gong about things a little different. I'm afraid that I'm gonna offend a few people out there, and I don't mind doing that at all; I just want to make sure I don't offend the wrong people or the right people for the wrong reasons. So, consider these opening words a bit of a disclaimer.

The first song I ever performed on the drums in front of an audience was "Brand New Man" by Brooks and Dunn. I honestly don't remember why I picked that song specifically, but I was lead to it by my love of country music, the music of my youth, the music that I still feel the strongest connection with today. New country, old country, semi-old country, alternative country, traditional country, pop-country, it doesn't matter what kind of country, so long as it's actually country music. I've posted on this topic before, but I didn't put a lot of thought into it, and previous posts were more about a particular song.

In order to understand where I'm coming from, you have to understand what country music is, and that's a subjective topic if there ever was one. People are different, so, their definitions of what is country music will be different. To me, steel guitars, twang, fiddles, banjos, and mandolins are are elements of a particular sound of a particular style of country, and to be honest, this argument/debate has been going on for years within the industry. That is where country started, with those instruments in a very traditional style, but music, all music, is a fusion of all the sounds that have come before it. Country has evolved in its sound, demographic reach, and tone. That last part, not the literal tone, but the figurative one, is where the real change occurs.

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n_KxM4rU38Q]

Paisley does a great job of summing up what IS country music.

Country music to me is more about content than any other part of its whole. Country music tells a story, deals with a life event, or talks about a particular way of life that no other genre covers quite the same way. The sound of the music is important, too. I can't always describe to you what country music is, but I can 100% tell you what isn't country music when I hear it.

The song linked to right there is "Kick It in the Sticks" by Brantley Gilbert. I like a lot of Gilbert's stuff, and some of it is absolutely what I'd call country, but "Kick It" is not. That's a rock tune if I ever heard one. Now, is there anything wrong with that? Not at all! Traditional country artists have cut their fair share of songs that weren't country tunes. Don't believe me? How bout George Strait singing a Sinatra tune...with Sinatra no less. How about Alan Jackson singing a rock n' roll tune...one that was quite a rebellious song during its original release, too? There are countless other examples. In lots of cases, the artists made them their own. Yes, I understand the way you perform a song can change the genre many people would put it under, and maybe that's something more people should consider when judging a song as "country enough" or not, and it's also why I think content is so important.

Now, with that all out of the way, today's post isn't one song. It's a collage of sorts one of the writer's over at Entertainment Weekly put together. He's attempting to show "why country music was awful in 2013". Some of the songs on this list are ones I like. Some of them are ones I hate. Regardless, a lot of them sound an awfully lot alike and seem to be so empty. They don't hit you at a personal level like country music is supposed to hit you.

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WySgNm8qH-I]

The most important thing to take away from this is that there's nothing wrong with a fun song about partying and drinking beer and getting down with your girl. If you're gonna do one of those songs, remember two things. One, please don't make it sound so much like every other song on the topic out there. Two, these songs should not be the vast majority of what dominates country music. They've always been around; the problem is that now there are more of them than there are of the ones that really makes country music country music: the ones that establish a deep connection to the people that listen to it.

Fotoplayer Tune - Joe Rinaudo

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a1R8Rx2db9c]

I have no idea what the name of the composition Rinaudo is playing is, but does it really matter? Just watching him play the thing is worth the minute and a half you'll spend watching the video. Doesn't he look exactly like the guy you'd expect to be playing one of these, too? I could spend forever writing about this instrument, but I think it's more fun to watch him tell you about it. So, if you're so inclined to learn more, check out the video linked below. It's awesome to see how passionate he is about this.

CLICK HERE TO LEARN MORE!

Also, there's THIS if you're in the mood for something fun. Grampa Skrillex!

Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas - Home Free ft. Jewel

December Theme: 25 Days of Christmas

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0k2i5MEljZU]

Being a drummer, the most impressive part of this video to me is how closely to the real thing the vocal percussionist mimics brushes on a snare drum. I would swear to you it's the real thing, right up to the end of the performance and the short stop they put in the music. That moment gives it away. Also, why do so many vocal percussionists feel the need to imitate the motions a drummer would make while playing the real thing. Maybe it's the equivalent of bass-face.

For me, regardless of the version, this is the perfect note on which to end my Christmas posts. It is Christmas day after all. The song was first heard by audiences as it appeared in the 1944 musical, Meet Me in St. Louis, performed by Judy Garland. The more common version is the cover Frank Sinatra later recorded.

Merry Christmas!

Secret Santa - Here Come the Mummies

December Theme: 25 Days of Christmas

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3KYXHg4MjT4]

In true, double entendre style, Here Come the Mummies have put out a Christmas tune that rings with their own unique flair. It's not anywhere near one of my favorite tunes of theirs, but it is, as far as I know, their only Christmas song. So, by that standard, it has earned a place in my Christmas blog. Any Mummies Christmas song is better than no Mummies Christmas song. Plus, it's spoofing one of those holiday classics from TV, a double dose of holiday cheer.

I've posted from the group before, and I'm sure I will again. The group has eight studio albums, and each one is a blast of tongue-in-cheek humor. They're supposed to be awesome to check out live, and I totally believe it based on videos I've seen. I'd love to catch them some time.