Month: November 2019

‘echo in the canyon’

this has been out for a while, but i just got around to checking it out in the last week or so. jakob dylan interviews many of the significant artists that drove the beginning of the folk rock sound, focusing on the ones who lived and recorded in the los angeles area – and more specifically – the area known as laurel canyon. a picturesque bohemian suburb uphill from the sunset strip, it became a destination for artists from around the world to convene and explore the synthesis of two musical genres that were considered somewhat incompatible just a few years before. the documentary combines conversations with artists that were there or directly influenced by the sound, video footage of the scene as it was in the late sixties, and concert and studio scenes of today’s generation of artists paying tribute to some of the classic songs from that era (i assume this is the reference to the ‘echo’ in the title). it is packed with information and i actually watched it a couple of times to make sure i didn’t miss anything.

i have two minor issues overall, the first being too much of the ‘echo’ component. my rough estimate is that maybe a quarter of the run time is devoted to newer artists tackling the material – some competently and others not so much. leaning towards the amateur musical historian that i am, i found this aspect of it less compelling.

maybe my second quibble is related to the first, but i also felt that the focus was somewhat more limited than i had hoped. it really only covers the period from late 1964 through 1967 – and it does a great job at that – but the area continued to be a driving force in the musical world for at least another five years. we see jackson browne waxing nostalgic on the byrds, brian wilson and others, but we don’t here any of his contributions to the scene. joni mitchell isn’t mentioned at all, not to mention gram parsons, the flying burrito brothers, or james taylor. if you want a good read on that, try barney hoskyn’s ‘hotel california’.

but overall i enjoyed the movie and would recommend it to anyone who wants to learn more about where that jangly twelve string sound came from.

this one is for you, kevin:

bob dylan, ‘travelin’ thru, the bootleg series volume 15, 1967-1969′

the fifteenth edition of bob’s usually great bootleg series focuses on two things – his flirtation with the nashville sound, and his relationship with johnny cash. both of these subjects are pretty well documented, and although there is nothing here that wasn’t known by dedicated dylan fans, this is a nice package that doesn’t get too much in the weeds. it is broken down into three discs, the first being outtakes from the two albums he made there during this period, ‘john wesley harding’ and ‘nashville skyline’. the selections are well played and produced, but offer only slight variations from the tracks that were eventually chosen for release. ‘as i went out one morning’ is presented as a waltz tempo, and many of the ‘skyline’ tracks have a bit of an edge to them(‘country pie’ gets funky with charlie daniels on guitar).

the second track focuses on an impromptu session put together around the ‘skyline’ sessions with johnny cash. bootlegs of this have been going around for years (indeed, my good friend dave c. sent me a copy of this just this summer), but it is offered here from the original tapes. it is interesting the first few times you hear it, and it certainly has historical significance. carl perkins was recording in an adjacent studio, and joins the gang for a few tracks. but overall it is a little rough and unrehearsed, and the suits decided that is wasn’t good enough to issue as an album.

the third disc has more from those sessions, then three songs he did on the ‘johnny cash show’ that may. following that are three johnny cash tunes he covered for the ‘self portrait’ album, and then four songs recorded at a house in 1970 with the legendary banjo player, earl scruggs.

once again the liner notes are extensive and informative, and even a bob nut like me learned quite a few things. this video below does a good job of providing more background:

ian noe, ‘between the country’

this has been out a few months now, so i am a little late to the party, but i took a liking to him the first time i heard his material. hailing from eastern kentucky, it is not hard to see him eventually gaining national notoriety much like his fellow kentuckians sturgill simpson and tyler childers. in my opinion he may be the better songwriter of the three. his hero is john prine, and it is easy to hear that in his style and delivery. i also hear faint echos of ‘john wesley harding’ era dylan. his songs are full of small town characters, usually down on their luck. the material is raw, gritty, and real – tales covering murder, addiction, broken romances and appalachian desperation abound – but there are also glimmers of hope strewn throughout.

he has been opening up for artists such as son volt, blackberry smoke, and mr. prine himself, if that gives you any idea of the types of artists that are trying to give him his well deserved audience. dave cobb produced the album, and it is just about perfect.

this is another one of those artists i just ask you to hear him out and give him a chance.