The Listening Room March 12, 2007: Watermelon Slim & The Workers, In Theory, Ryan Adams & The Cardinals, Dwight Yoakam

Part of: The Listening Room

If I had been forward thinking, I would have tried to be in the mood to listen to something from one of the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame inductees.  As it turns out, none of us had that kind of synergy or forethought going.  Still, we have one of the more diverse collections of songs to grace this series since its inception and that doesn't suck. 

These may not be the best songs ever, they may not even be our favorites, but they kept us entertained last week. You could do worse than to try a few of them out and see what they do for you.

DJRadiohead: “Black Water” from The Wheel Man by Watermelon Slim & The WorkersI told you in the Blues Round Up that Watermelon Slim's new disc, The Wheel Man, is in stores April 17. There is nothing about having connections that doesn't rule. I got an advance of Slim's new album and I listened to it from beginning to end three times within the first 12 hours of having it in my possession.His current self-titled release leads all BMA's in nominations with six. The Wheel Man might actually be a stronger album! I don't want to tease too much of my upcoming review, but here is the quick skinny: the best songs from the self-titled record might be a bit better than what's on The Wheel Man, but this new album is a more consistent listen from beginning to end.As I write this, I am listening to “Black Water.” There are some really cool songs with that title. Charlie Musselwhite's unbelievably good Delta Hardware has a great song by that name, Meat Puppets have a good one, and then there is the Doobie Brothers' classic.   Add this cut by Watermelon Slim to that list by pre-ordering a copy of The Wheel Man. This is easily going to be one of the best blues releases of 2007.Connie Phillips: "New Medication" from This is It by In TheoryI've been listening to In Theory's soon-to-be-released This is It in preparation to feature them as an upcoming Band of the Week. They have a modern rock and mainstream pop sound, and their first single, "New Medication" is extremely catchy. Inspired by a friend's struggle with alcoholism, it's ambiguous enough to be open to interpretation and could be a wake-up call for anyone suffering a loss and trying to self-medicate. It's a polished and solid-rocking track, and just a slice of what promises to be a break-out record.Mat Brewster: "Easy Plateau" from 06/03/05 by Ryan Adams and the CardinalsSounding more electric, more rock, and more like the Grateful Dead than the countrified version on Cold Roses, Ryan Adams and the Cardinals kick out the jams to open this astounding show in Clifton Park, NY. Every instrument is crisp, and clear, and turning like a well oiled machine, which is pretty spectacular considering the the band has only been playing together for less than a year. People have killed for less magnanimous openings.The rest of the show aint bad either.Tom Johnson: "Hyperballad" from Trio by Wasilewski/Kurkiewicz/Miski Having installed some new speakers in my truck, and having spent far too much time doing so, I needed to take a drive to both pick up dinner and test out the speakers. Frustrated and tired, I also just needed to get out and not think about anything for a little while.Choosing just the right music with which to try out those new speakers isn't easy, but after a few songs, I settled on just the right one, a cover of Bjork's "Hyperballad" by this nearly unpronouncable Polish trio. Freed of vocals, the tune here allows the band to emphasize the underlying melodic beauty while maintaining some room for them to explore. Of course, for my needs at the time, it sounded gorgeous, but most of all, it simply soothed my tool- and stress-weary nerves. Ian Woolstencroft: "Buenas Noches from a Lonely Room (She Wore Red Dresses)" from Buenas Noches from a Lonely Room by Dwight YoakamThis is just about the perfect country song. It’s got all the right ingredients – love, betrayal and murder. A sparse production really shows off Dwight’s vocals and Pete Anderson’s guitar provides excellent accompaniment. Yoakam’s nasal twang may be an acquired taste but it’s hard to imagine anyone else singing this tale of a scorned husband’s revenge on his philandering wife. All very un-PC of course but then so many of the best country songs are.Glen Boyd: "Untouchables" from Livin' Like Hustlers by Above The LawBefore gangsta rap became the commoditized, made for mass consumption product (and subsequent convoluted mess) that it is today, it's earliest records from the mid to late eighties could be great little lessons in musicology. On many of these original West Coast jams--especially those produced by Dr. Dre--you could find little snippets of everyone from Sly and The Family Stone to Ramsey Lewis, sandwiched in between all the rhymes about pimpin' hos and poppin' caps.On this track from the Dre produced debut album from Above The Law, rapper Cold187um rhymes about his hustling skills comparing himself and his crew to the "Untouchables" of the original Chicago gangster era, backed by this great jazz version of "Light my Fire" by ---? And that's the question. I've been racking my brain trying to figure out where this jazzy version of "Light My Fire" used by Dre and ATL came from ever since I pulled it out of the CD rack earlier this week. It's also been used as a music bed during bits on the Howard Stern Show.So this is as much of a query as it is a recommendation. Can someone help me identify this? This one's for all you BC jazz buffs. Saleski?Pico: “Strange Meadowlark” from Pink Elephant Magic by Joanne BrackeenMy ears perked up at the opening notes of this song: it's long been my favorite composition from the Dave Brubeck Quartet's all-world Time Out lp and it's probably the most overlooked. Brackeen goes solo piano on it (which is what Dave did for the first minute or so on the original, anyway) and gives the beautifully lilting waltz a heartfelt rendering.Brackeen herself has been inexplicably unnoticed. Her note-perfect interpretation of “Strange Meadowlark” is the kind of reward awaiting the curious for digging just a little bit beyond the big names and the big songs in jazz.Michael Jones: "Hourglass" from Internal Revolution by Diecast.Until seeing them open for Sevendust last Friday I'd never heard of Diecast. After seeing them tear up the stage, though, I found myself rushing to the merchandise booth in order to pick up their cd. By the time it took me to work through the line, amazingly, Paul Stoddard (the lead singer) was there signing autographs. Very cool, right?Even cooler is the fact that I've been spinning my autographed copy of Internal Revolution nearly non-stop since that night. For a band relatively new to the spotlight that opening for Sevendust will shine upon them, Diecast is an amazingly tight and talented band. Stoddard's voice screams and soars over the dual guitar attack of Jonathan Kita and Kirk Kolaitis while Dennis Pavla (drums) and Brad Horion (bass) hold down a fierce rhythm section.Of all the songs on the album, however, "Hourglass" has become my favorite. Fueled by a chugging guitar attack, Stoddard's lyrical assault on the idea of how living forever and watching the world decay is not such a good thing, is flat-out wonderful rock and roll thriving out on the metal edge. Great song on a great album, period.

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Article Author: Josh Hathaway

Josh Hathaway began with Blogcritics in August 2004 and served as writer, editor, and also hosted the beloved but short-lived BC Radio podcast. He also founded the music web site BlindedBySound.com. Follow me on Twitter …

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Article comments

  • 1 - zingzing

    Mar 13, 2007 at 12:45 am

    ian, when i saw dwight yoakam listed, i had to check it out, the fact being that dwight is THE BEST COUNTRY ARTIST OF THE LAST 20+ YEARS. and then, i was delighted that you picked one of his crowning achievements.

    buenos noches, side one, is the best 25 minutes of dwight's career. fucking perfect music. so deadly. gives me chills, that song.

    that said, i think he has a couple of albums that even top buenos noches, (this time--pefect pop, and if there was a way--his most concentrated effort to make a complete country masterpiece, no matter how far out there,) but if i want to show someone why dwight is fucking awesome, i just pop on those first five songs and say, "listen and learn, you fucking heathen." and it all culminates in "she wore red dresses" and that neon light.

  • 2 - Mark Saleski

    Mar 13, 2007 at 9:25 am

    ...this nearly unpronouncable Polish trio

    oh come on! those are easy polish names!

    ;-)

  • 3 - DJRadiohead

    Mar 13, 2007 at 10:35 am

    Thank God for blues musicians. Their names are nothing but physical maladies and fruits. Watermelon Slim, Blind Lemon Jefferson, Blind Willie McTell... easy.

  • 4 - DJRadiohead

    Mar 13, 2007 at 10:38 am

    "Easy Plateau" is not my favorite cut from Cold Roses, but it is one of the good ones. I wanted to go see them when they played Ryman awhile back.

  • 5 - Mark Saleski

    Mar 13, 2007 at 10:38 am

    what, you've never heard of Blind Melon Kurkiewicz?

  • 6 - DJRadiohead

    Mar 13, 2007 at 11:06 am

    Blind Melon is the bee girl band.

  • 7 - JC Mosquito

    Mar 13, 2007 at 11:50 am

    I saw Yoakam in concert about a year ago - his VOICE is so commanding it can carry the band.

    His albums always have some shining moments - I really liked his last studio album, which for a change wasn't produced by Pete Anderson. It had a bit more of an edge to it, almost like he was getting back to Hillbilly Deluxe.

  • 8 - Mark Saleski

    Mar 13, 2007 at 11:52 am

    i've gotta get some more Yoakam cds. i think's i've only got Dwight Live which is a big loada fun.

  • 9 - JC Mosquito

    Mar 13, 2007 at 12:27 pm

    In some ways Yoakam is country for people who don't like what's coming out of Nashville these days. It's closer to the source; and the closer you get to the source, the more country, blues and rock sound alike.

  • 10 - Mark Saleski

    Mar 13, 2007 at 12:37 pm

    yep, he's definitely more than pop tunes with big hats.

  • 11 - JC Mosquito

    Mar 13, 2007 at 1:00 pm

    He's even got a couple albums of covers - ZZ Top's I'm Bad, I'm Nationwide and tthe Dead's Truckin' are particularly hot numbers.

  • 12 - Ian Woolstencroft

    Mar 13, 2007 at 1:02 pm

    Thanks for the comment zingzing, you're right about this being Yoakam's peak as a pure country singer/songwriter.

    I remember when the whole "New Country" thing (the 80's version, I'm sure there have been others since) that included Lyle Lovett, Steve Earle and Nanci Griffith, started. A BBC documentary about these new artists was my introduction to Dwight and I've been a fan ever since.

    Mark, I'd recommend the new expanded version of Dwight's first album, Guitars, Cadillacs etc. etc. As well as the 10 tracks that were on the original album you get 10 demos from 1981 and 12 songs recorded live at The Roxy in 1986.

  • 13 - zingzing

    Mar 13, 2007 at 1:36 pm

    oh my. trying to imagine a bbc doc on "new country." wasn't it called "new traditionalism" over here? or at least yoakam was described as such, if i remember, which i don't.

  • 14 - JC Mosquito

    Mar 13, 2007 at 2:37 pm

    Some of Steve Earle's most recent stuff is far from traditional. The Revolution Starts Now sure sounds pretty rock to me. And he rhymes Grenada with Noriega, which I believe is a first in pop music history.

  • 15 - Leslie Bohn

    Mar 13, 2007 at 3:16 pm

    I can't think of any jazz versions of "Light My Fire" except by Stanley Turrentine for Blue Note. He did a kinda pop/rock abum like so many jazz guys did in the late 60s. I once made a "jazz versions of rock songs" tape for someone, and I put this on it, and also Stanley's "Stoned Soul Picnic." What a gas.

    (For non-jazz fans, ST was a secondary but still great 60s post-bop tenor sax man. Associated with the soul-jazz side of hard bop.)

    Shirley Bassey did one, and Astrud Gilberto did a bossa one, but it sounds like this is instrumental.

    Not jazz exactly, but Booker T and the MGs did a version too, and maybe Charles White? There's another familiar R&B version out there... Any of these work?

  • 16 - Mark Saleski

    Mar 13, 2007 at 3:43 pm

    George Winston did a version of "Light My Fire" on his Night Divides The Day album.

  • 17 - Leslie Bohn

    Mar 13, 2007 at 3:48 pm

    Mark, wasn't that only about ten years ago? Too recent for the late 80's sample, or did misunderstand? I know nothing about rap.

  • 18 - zingzing

    Mar 13, 2007 at 4:24 pm

    i'm seeing quincy jones listed (with the doors and the mc) as one of the songwriters of "untouchable," which suggests that he arranged whatever version of "light my fire" was sampled... unfortunately, jones produced and arranged a shit-ton of albums, and it didn't necessarily come out under his own name.

  • 19 - Ian Woolstencroft

    Mar 13, 2007 at 4:59 pm

    Glen, I think the version you're looking for is by Young Holt Unlimited from the late sixties/early seventies.There's an instrumental version and also a version with Erma Franklin (Aretha's big sis) on vocals.

  • 20 - Glen Boyd

    Mar 13, 2007 at 6:43 pm

    Well one thing for sure, I know it wasn't George Winston. This has an up-beat, borderline cheesy sort of seventies vibe, so I'm guessing Young Holt Unltd based on the responses (or possibly Turrentine with an arrangement by Q Jones, which would explain the writing credit). I'm going digging now -- thanx for the responses.

    -Glen

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