Poco

Finally, another album that I can’t stop listening to!  I had picked it out of a couple of boxes that my aunt and uncle were getting rid of.  I hadn’t had a chance to listen to it (my collection is getting rather large), but as time allowed I finally put it on the turntable and haven’t been able to stop listening to it!

The album ‘From the Inside’ was recorded in 1971 by country rock band Poco.  I have a couple of their other albums and actually my favourite was ‘Pickin’ Up the Pieces’ but From the Inside is taking over!

There is a great book you should read by Barney Hoskyns about the Laurel Canyon music scene back in the late 60’s to mid 70’s in LA called ‘Hotel California: Singer-Songwriters and Cocaine Cowboys in the LA Canyons 1967-1976’.

Anyway, the short story of Poco is that a couple of members of Buffalo Springfield, Richie Furay and Jim Messina joined forces and created this band along with Rusty Young and George Grantham (among the others that auditioned but not chosen was Gregg Allman.).  It all sounds so country rock/California-ish.  Which is great if you’re into The Byrds, The Eagles, Poco, Buffalo Springfield and Mason Profit.

If you dig country rock, then you should get your hands on From the Inside and or Pickin' up the Pieces.  One or the other, but preferably both.

Twang

There is something magical about the sound of a pedal steel.  Some people love them, some people hate them.  I LOVE THEM!

It all started with my first listen to Gram Parsons with The Byrds and their 'Sweetheart of the Rodeo' legacy album, with all of the outtakes.  I was given that album back in 2004 and cranked it in my headphones.  I couldn't let anyone know that I liked country music.  I was becoming a closet fan!  If you knew me a few years ago you would know that I absolutely hated country music.  Well, I was ignorant.  I didn't know enough about it to differentiate between top 40 country and real country music, western music.

I brought this over to the UK with me and started loving country music. 

It was the sound of the pedal steel that would just make me melt inside.  Under the influence, it would kill me even more!

I met all kinds of folks over there who felt the same.  It surprised me.  I didn't think anyone really liked it.. especially anyone my age.

I attended 'Come Down and Meet the Folks' at a pub in Camden town, London one Sunday afternoon for a piece of country pie, wearing a 'The Band' shirt that some kid made me when I was volunteering down at Levon Helm's.  Some long haired, bearded 'bloke' approached me with a card.  'Sin City' nights near the  'Great Portland Street' tube station.  Down there in a little pub was a f*cking hoedown.  Proper!  It was amazing.  Folks dancing to Waylon, Emmylou, Southern Rock, all kinds of great tunes and westerned right up.

It was heaven!  I can only hope to do something around here someday.  It's been my dream ever since to play this awesome music and have people dance to it.  Actually, build a music barn and have hoedown's.

Bryce and I put on a barn dance in September of '09 with live music and I DJ'ed some great tunes afterwards.  We had the barn looking ripe.  Straw bales to sit on, corn stalks, gourds, pumpkins, white lights, corn roast, the whole lot.  People were pumped about it and this will become an annual event.

Anyway, I will come up with a list of great ditty's that will surely impress you if you love the sound of pedal steel like I do.  Just a great mix of country music.  Bands and artists that you SHOULD KNOW ABOUT.

Knee Deep in the Blues

Reading Keith Richards' autobiography is really bringing me back to my love for the blues.  I was knee deep in the blues at one point in my life.

My love for the blues spiraled out of control after I had seen The Last Waltz and was on my search for the elements of rock and roll.  That and visiting Levon Helm and listening to the blues; eating, sleeping, breathing the blues.

I didn’t realize how much Keith and Mick loved the blues.  I mean, yeah their first singles were blues covers, but I had never read any biography’s of theirs.  Actually, my search for the elements of rock and roll were all American based, and I can honestly say at this point, I am reading for the first time how and when the blues exploded in the UK.  Didn’t I mention that some of the greatest rock and roll bands came from the UK?  Led Zeppelin is 100% blues influenced, Eric Clapton, Free and Fleetwood Mac’s Peter Green.

I need some book recommendations for the birth of rock and roll in the UK.  Believe it or not, while I was actually LIVING in the UK I went crazy over country music.  London and country music.  Who knew?  I came home a country gal.

Anyway, I was right heavy over Chicago blues’ Willie Dixon, obviously Muddy Waters and Jimmy Reed.  Man, Jimmy Reed is one cool cat.  “Bright Lights, Big City”, “Big Boss Man” and “Baby What You Want Me to Do” is a real groovy ditty.

I have met some blues legends and greats when I was knee deep!  Little Sammy Davis, Bob Margolin, Luther Johnson, and Hubert Sumlin to name a few.

Chicago blues and the Delta blues.  Delta blues artists like R.L. Burnside, John Lee Hooker, Son House, Elmore James, Lead Belly, Sonny Boy Williamson, Mississippi Fred McDowell, and of course Robert Johnson.  My love for both Chicago and Delta are both the same.

To discover more blues, I used to go to the record shop and pick any album that had a great cover.  I discovered Sonny Terry & Brownie McGee that way!

It has been really great rekindling my love for the blues through reading Keith’s biography.  I am pulling out some albums that I haven’t listened to in a while.

The blues just filters through you.  Right to the bone; the sound of the blues.  Real soul music. 

I can't not mention the attitude that comes with being a blues cat too.  Bad ass.

I always loved Son House's quote about blues being about a man and a woman in love.