Doesn't Really Matter

 

Here's a Waylon-tastic taste from Dave Alvin's recent From An Old Guitar: Rare And Unreleased Recordings. "It's a measure of people who don't understand, the pleasures of life in a rock & roll band..." Indeed.

Dave Alvin - Amanda

Earlier this year, Alvin was clearly pining for the days when the Dead, Quicksilver Messenger Service and the Allmans ruled the roost. With his Third Mind project he didn't mind going retro all the way with five covers from the psychedelic sixties and one original. Below, he takes on Bonnie Dobson's immortal post-apocalyptic lament Morning Dew, featuring Jesse Sykes on vocals. For some cool anecdotes from the master Blaster himself, disappear here.

The Third Mind - Morning Dew

Still Worth Doing

Down here at FTSOTS headquarters we completely agree with Kris Kristofferson's maybe not very subtle but most definitely heartfelt motto: if you don't like Hank Williams, buddy, you can kiss my ass. Which is precisely why we present these honest homages to the Hillbilly Shakespeare this fine Monday. "We never met I know and yet I know you well my friend, and if ever I get to heaven on high I hope you'll shake my hand..." Amen to that.

Kris Kristofferson - If You Don't Like Hank Williams
Moe Bandy - Hank Williams, You Wrote My Life
Jimmy Murphy - I Long To Hear Hank Sing The Blues
Stoney Edwards - Hank And Lefty Raised My Country Soul
Freddie Hart - Hank Williams' Guitar
Tim Hardin - Tribute To Hank Williams
Mark Chesnutt & George Jones - Talking To Hank
Waylon Jennings - Are You Sure Hank Done It This Way
Johnny Cash - The Night Hank Williams Came To Town
Ry Cooder - Hank Williams

Into The Fire

Another record store day surprise, from the lost and found department this time. New Stuff is an endearing collection of late-nineties acoustic demos by the legendary Waylon Jennings, who sadly passed away in 2002. Recently rediscovered by his son Shooter, this unadorned batch of songs may not be outlaw country's holy grail, but it sure is fun to hear 'old number one' in such an intimate setting.

Waylon Jennings - Good Time

Light Up My Life

And here's our last tune of the year: a lovely reading of an old Waylon favorite. Bonnie Will Oldham and Mimi Parker from Low provide the fitting backing vocals. Oh, and a happy new year to you all, dear readers. Let's make 2017 a good one. Cheers!

Mark Kozelek - Amanda

Doin' Things My Way

Thanks to the unsurpassed New York Taper, here's yet another fine live cover by my fave band of the last couple of years, Durham's Hiss Golden Messenger. These guys can boogie, lord. Most of you will know Lonesome, On'ry And Mean by way of Waylon Jennings, but it is in fact a Steve Young original.

Hiss Golden Messenger - Lonesome, On'ry And Mean (live Brooklyn 2015)
Steve Young - Lonesome, On'ry And Mean
Waylon Jennings - Lonesome, On'ry And Mean

Temperature Rising

Have mercy on a cold and hungry Waylon, down and out in Dallas, Texas. Funky enough for ya? Thought so.

Waylon Jennings - Big D

Had It All

"I can hear the wind blowing in my mind, just the way it used to sound through the Georgia pines..." Here's a moody Stones ballad from the Some Girls sessions, recently released on the deluxe version of that '78 album, which is well worth it for the extra disc of surprisingly good outtakes alone. We Had It All is an oft-covered country classic written by Troy Seals and Donnie Fritts, and originally recorded by ole Waylon for his '73 outlaw masterpiece Honky Tonk Heroes. A year later, Fritts had a go at it himself, on his swampy solo debut Prone To Lean. "You were there to answer when I called, you and me, lord knows, we had it all..."

The Rolling Stones - We Had It All

Waylon Jennings - We Had It All

Donnie Fritts - We Had It All

Just remembered that Dylan played this lament to lost love a couple of times as well during his '86 True Confessions Tour, backed by Petty's Heartbreakers and with soulful help from the Queens of Rhythm. So here goes.

Bob Dylan - We Had It All (live in East Rutherford '86)

Wild Weekend Vol. 13

Welcome to Wild Weekend, edition thirteen. Just happens to be my lucky number, amigos. Haven´t got it tattoed on my back yet though. Let´s see what the magic shuffle function of the iPod has in store for us this time.

We´ll begin with a very recent song. Sweet Apple is a new side project of J. ´Dinosaur Jr´ Mascis, helped by some guys from Cobra Verde. And as I´ve Got A Feeling (That Won´t Change) clearly shows, these guys just plain rock. Ever seen the sleazy album cover of Roxy Music´s Country Life? If so, the sleeve of Sweet Apple´s Love & Desperation might just ring a bell... Johnny Daye, a white protege of the great Otis Redding, was one of the relatively unknowns in the Stax stable, but his gritty brand of soul still goes down a treat. That trademark guitar comes courtesy of the one and only Steve Cropper, who also co-wrote the song.

Sweet Apple - I´ve Got A Feeling (That Won´t Change) MP3

Johnny Daye - What´ll I Do For Satisfaction MP3

When it comes to the Replacements, everybody always names Let It Be as their fave album. I can see their point, but I personally rate successor Tim (´85) at least just as high. Maybe a lot more people would, if only the sleeve it came in wasn´t so pig ugly. Can anyone name a truly great record with artwork that´s even more horrible? While you´re racking your brains, we´ll be visiting Portugal, for a beautiful fado track about a foundling that one Maria Teresa De Noronha recorded in 1961. What a voice. I can listen to this Portuguese brand of blues for hours, getting sadder by the minute.

The Replacements - Little Mascara MP3

Maria Teresa De Noronha - Rosa Enjeitada MP3

It´s been a little quiet on the Kramer front lately, and that´s a shame. Mark Kramer played in such interesting bands as B.A.L.L., Bongwater and Shockabilly in the eighties, produced tons of bands including the complete Galaxie 500 oeuvre, and ran the influential Shimmy Disc label. The Lennonesque Nine Minus Seven Is Two shows the man is skilled in math, too. And we´ll call it quits with some fine outlaw country by way of ole Waylon, from Honky Tonk Heroes. Cool lyrics by the great Billy Joe Shaver, who penned nearly all the songs on this legendary ´73 album. "If I'd never felt the sunshine, hell I wouldn´t curse the rain, if I hadn't been railroaded, well I guess I'd been a train..."

Kramer - Nine Minus Seven Is Two MP3

Waylon Jennings - Ain´t No God In Mexico MP3