[geodeticman.5]

BILLW : WOW ! I had no idea what a poet-laureate Johhny really was... my wife's favourite...was Johny Cash, secondly, Gordon Lightfoot, and now I know why, among other things , she liked Johnny Cash so much - his lyrics are indeed powerful, and articulate - as was his voice - powerful. No the image I had in my mind of out-dated norms of country-music, where I have heard repeatedly that THAT is where the lyrics are lately in NEW music.

This, of course, excepting Gordon, I should say rather not acknowledging Lightfoot, who among non-Lightfoot fans, are hardly aware of his newest releases outside of the Lighthead following, imho. I gauge this from the reaction I sadly endure when I go to Best Buy, - a good local source for CD's, and the sales-kid says "Gordon WHO?" - we've all discussed this, but my point is I simply have more respect, growing dayly, for Country music - lyrics especially.

My only categorical distaste for Country is going away as well - that of the "twangy" sound, real or affected (not e-ffected) that typified so many (& many not at all) country artists in the 60's and maybe the 70's.

But even I saying that, I realize I bought cross-over country in the 70's when I bought Alabama, Don,,,,dangit,, ( he sang I believe in you) =WILLIAMS thats it... and many other cross-over country artists. Just goes to show, as usual, the roots of prejudice are indeed by definition- prejudging, something/someone that we are not well-informed of eg ignorant of, or fear, also being a hallmark of prejudice.... i catch myself fully, brakes on ABS stop, of forever discarding any pre-concieved notions I had about country.

I also like the new "John David Carrol" - I think his name is, who sings in a great video ....like I said..like I SAID..."I Can Sleep When I'm Dead" . He was the son of a preacher, who was not allowed to sing secular music in the home. He left home at 18, went to college, got a degree in a liberal art I think, and started recording with a bass voice that I thought got buried in time with my father, and Johhny Cash. All my mis-conceptions of country are dissolving, and not just in lip-service... I find myself listening to satellite-TV contemporary Country channels and enjoying much of what I hear.

on -thread - Dylans affectation of voice per Cyaneyes, I believe, on Lay-Lady-Lay, I am curious to hear a reply on that post, page 2 this thread. The voice I thought was pre-motorcycle crash. Not so I hear.

Yes BillW, Cash's poetry/lyrics are indeed Powerful , and I am given to thinking of my wife's favourite in a new light......fueling the very necessary and ultimately beneficial grieving process as I think of her in that regard -"Now I know WHY she spoke so highly of Cash".

I think of popular but fun generic folk, (yes ?) of the 60's with one of the songs in my myspace playlist - Jimmy Dean singing "Big John" or "Big Bad John"
"he was about 245, kind a wide at the shoulder and narrow at the hip"
"and everybody knew you didn't give no lip to big John" - great song - is that homogenized 60's country ? or folk ? I like it - just as I do the pop folk std's of Dylan's - "Blowin in the Wind" and "If I had a Hammer" - early stuff I think in a way was more powerful to the masses, notably of people ignorant of Dylan's whole body of work , as I am , and have demonstrated. But open-minded, I am learning more and more....about Dylan, and Cash.

I gotta say the MOST powerful set of folk lyrics IMHO IS indeed a slave-originated ( I think) song that Joan Baez did in concert - hard to find - and I am looking for it again lately - ''Ain't gonna let nobody...turn me around...turn me around"......repeat refrain.....then.. "gonna build a brand new world."
Those - are powerful words - and I know not of Joan's origin, but to me is an example of the page 2 this thread long post I wrote on the cultural under-class strife - as in this song which I believe to be of slave origin from my "Mudcat" lyrics website reading.

And of cultural significance of a struggling people, just now getting their ground-legs in most parts - not all - of the country - in equal regard in the workplace , etc., though I know the strong argument to the contrary of that, by many African-American's (and other blacks, many of whom carry my last name, moreso than "white" people, and many from celtic Anglo Scotland...where my last name is from .....interesting)..........

BTW in my playlist - "Big John" - is misnamed in the URL to myspace's built in source of 2300 -odd songs I drew from , sadly only 23 were of Gordon's, I must add other URL sources to Gord, and Johhny, and Dylan, instead of what playlist's source had a plethora of - Sinatra - who I like - but not 2/3 of my 100 song playlist worth !

~geo Steve