Happy Birthday Mississippi John Hurt-When Women Play Rock 'N' Roll For Keeps-On The Road With Bonnie Raitt

Happy Birthday Mississippi John Hurt-When Women Play Rock 'N' Roll For Keeps-On The Road With Bonnie Raitt 

DVD Review

Bonnie Raitt-Road Tested, Bonnie Raitt and various artists, Capitol Records, 1997

Let us take a trip down memory lane to the Boston Common in the summer of that fateful year, 1968. A bunch of us were sitting (on the ground, no less) fairly far back in that locale and then suddenly a woman’s voice came booming through the air. Moreover, she was playing not the female de rigueur acoustic guitar but an electric one. Just like the guys! That, my friends was my introduction to Bonnie Raitt and she has been rockin’, bluesin’ and folkin’ ever since. This San Francisco concert from 1995 brings all those trends together. For Bonnie Raitt fans, or just the casual blues/folk/rock fan this is a treat. When I occasionally call back memories of the 1960’s and say that that was a time when men (and women) played Rock ‘n’ Roll for keeps it is Bonnie that I have in mind as one of the women.

Honestly, after that early introduction to Bonnie on that long ago summer day I did not follow her career that closely for a time although I knew she learned here craft later at the feet of Mississippi Fred McDowell and would catch her at various Cambridge night spots. However, this concert brings all that back. Not only that but the added attractions of Jackson Browne and the legendary blues singer Ruth Brown (a favorite of mine from way back) round out a very nice concert. What’s good here: John Prine’s "Angel From Montgomery"; "Never Make Your Move Too Soon" (with Brown); Chris Smither’s "Love Me Like A Man" and Rock Steady. Nice stuff, well performed with her band and guest artists.

Lyrics to I Ain't Gonna Let You Break My Heart Again :

There ain't no use in me trying to tell you how I feel
'Cause what I feel ain't what you're feeling
I don't know what we did wrong
I just know if you come home
I ain't gonna let you break my heart again

There ain't no use in me trying to find out where you've been
Where you've been ain't where I'm going
'Cause if I ask you where you've been
The hurting starts and it don't end
So I ain't gonna let you break my heart again , no
I ain't gonna let you break my heart again , no o

Tears don't become me
Pain ain't my friend
It seems like you enjoy my crying , baby
You always said that I was strong
But I believe that you were wrong
Lately , God knows , I have been trying

There ain't no use in you trying to kiss away the hurt , baby
'Cause it hurts where it's deep down inside of me and it's hiding
If you decide you're coming home
You walk in , it won't be like before
'Cause I ain't gonna let you break my heart again , no
Ain't gonna let you break my heart again , no no


Lyrics to No Way To Treat A Lady :

You can tease me
You can sweet-talk and lead me on
But believe me
Won't be long till I'm catchin' on

Now you left me here with nothin'
And you put my love on hold
Well there must be somethin' behind those eyes
Cuz I believed every lie you told

That ain't no way to treat a lady
That ain't no way to treat a woman in love
That ain't no way to treat a lady
I coulda sworn that you'd had enough

So you'd leave me
When I'm lonely and in despair
It intrigues me
How you don't really seem to care

Well I ain't here for nothin'
And my love doesn't come that cheap
I would hold you to all your promises
If I could find one you meant to keep

That ain't ain't no way to treat a lady
That ain't no way to treat a woman in love
That ain't ain't no way to treat a lady
That ain't no way to treat a woman in love

You can tease me
You can sweet-talk and lead me on
But believe me
Won't be long till I'm catchin' on

Cuz I ain't here for nothin'
And my love doesn't come that cheap
And I would hold you to all your promises
If I could find one you meant to keep

That ain't ain't no way to treat a lady
That ain't no way to treat a woman in love
That ain't ain't no way to treat a lady
That ain't no way to treat a woman in love

***On Sugar Mountain"- The Musak Of James Taylor

DVD MUSICAL REVIEW

James Taylor Live At The Beacon Theater, James Taylor and various artists, Columbia Music Video, 1998

Strangely, as a youth caught up in the fervor of the early 1960's folk revival and its aftermath James Taylor the subject of this review was never on my personal radar. I knew the name, knew people who knew him, and had many chances to hear him perform in the old days. I passed. And with the exception of a couple of songs here that remains true. Somehow he is, however, the perfect performer for aging `baby boomers' who have lost the taste for hard-driving, edgy music but still love the old tunes-and memories. Moreover, Taylor is the perfect performer for Public Broadcasting System fundraisers. The PBS fundraising moguls know their demographics.

Oh yes, I listened to Fire and Rain and You Can't Close Your Eyes back in the days like everyone else. That is not the question. I listened to tons of stuff in those days (and now, as well). However, those songs lacked pathos for me then and off of Taylor's performance here at New York's Beacon Theater in 1998 that condition still prevails. Moreover, the covers here like Jimmy Jones' Handy man and Buddy Holly's Not Fade Away point to my problem with Taylor's work. Generally, good workmanlike performances but no "soul". And to these eyes and ears no real stage presence despite the blurb accolades that accompanied the DVD to the contrary. Unless you are a die hard Taylor fan pass this by.


Bonnie Raitt-Road Tested, Bonnie Raitt and various artists, Capitol Records, 1997

Let us take a trip down memory lane to the Boston Common in the summer of that fateful year, 1968. A bunch of us were sitting (on the ground, no less) fairly far back in that locale and then suddenly a woman’s voice came booming through the air. Moreover, she was playing not the female de rigueur acoustic guitar but an electric one. Just like the guys! That, my friends was my introduction to Bonnie Raitt and she has been rockin’, bluesin’ and folkin’ ever since. This San Francisco concert from 1995 brings all those trends together. For Bonnie Raitt fans, or just the casual blues/folk/rock fan this is a treat. When I occasionally call back memories of the 1960’s and say that that was a time when men (and women) played Rock ‘n’ Roll for keeps it is Bonnie that I have in mind as one of the women.

Honestly, after that early introduction to Bonnie on that long ago summer day I did not follow her career that closely for a time although I knew she learned here craft later at the feet of Mississippi Fred McDowell and would catch her at various Cambridge night spots. However, this concert brings all that back. Not only that but the added attractions of Jackson Browne and the legendary blues singer Ruth Brown (a favorite of mine from way back) round out a very nice concert. What’s good here: John Prine’s Angel From Montgomery; Never Make Your Move Too Soon (with Brown); Chris Smither’s Love Me Like A Man and Rock Steady. Nice stuff, well performed with her band and guest artists.


John Prine At Sessions At West 54th, John Prine with Iris Dement and various artists, OnBoy Records, 2001

Over the last several months I have done more musically-oriented reviews that I had expected. One of the themes that keep cropping up is that for some folk/blues-oriented musical artists like Bob Dylan my attachment was immediate, long time and on-going. For other artists like John Prine it has been more of a recently acquired taste. I had, obviously, heard Bonnie Raitt do his Angel From Montgomery but I never associated his name with that song. Then a couple of years ago I happened to listen to his Hello In There and Sam Stone. Yes, this guy has something to say that I wanted to (on some songs, needed to) hear.

This concert represents a small selection of some of his work, although with the exception of Sam Stone, Lake Marie and Hello in There not much in the way of classics, at least that I am familiar with. This concert would thus only rate as a pretty fair performance except that on a few songs like When Two World Collide he is accompanied by Iris Dement (wife of the folksinger/songwriter Greg Brown). Iris is also a recent acquisition. I would travel very far to hear that voice of hers (and have done so). Incidentally, I have seen both these performers in person over the past couple of years- they still have it. Still this is not the DVD that YOU need to understand either talent, but you may want it.

*Happier Blue- A Chris Smither Documentary-"One More Time"

Click on title to link to YouTube's film clip of Chris Smither performing "Train Home".

DVD Review

Chris Smither, One More Time, Homolumus Productions, 2007

The last time I mentioned the name Chris Smither in this space was in a review of a few of his CDs that I have listened to over past fifteen years or so. Chris, although he has been on the folk scene in the Boston area since the 1960’s and has played all the venues associated with that folk revival and its current dwindling remnant, has become an acquired taste picked up almost accidentally by hearing him being interviewed on NPR in the early 1990’s. I will use the first paragraph of that CD review to start the DVD review of this present musical documentary because the same question asked there applies here.

“If I were to ask someone, in the year 2008, to name a male folk singer from the 1960's I would assume that if I were to get an answer to that question that the name would be Bob Dylan. And that would be a good and appropriate choice. One can endlessly dispute whether or not Dylan was (or wanted to be) the voice of the Generation of '68 but in terms of longevity and productivity he fits the bill as a known quality. However, there were a slew of other male folk singers who tried to find their niche in the folk milieu and who, like Dylan, today continue to produce work and to perform. The artist under review Chris Smither is one such singer/songwriter.”

I do not know if Chris Smither, like his contemporary Bob Dylan, started out wanting to be the 'king of the hill' among male folk singers but he certainly had some things going for him. From the very informative interview segments that are interspersed between songs in this film it is, however, hard though to read his appetite for success that one can easily read in Dylan, early on.

Chris was in close contact and around those who were influential in that folk revival, especially Dick Waterman who was crucial in getting the old Southern black blues players like Son House a moment of glory. Chris, moreover, plays that signature blue guitar (not used in the film) for all it is worth, as seen here on several songs including Blind Willie McTell’s "Statesboro Blues". Or "Love You Like A Man" (covered with certain flair by Bonnie Raitt and others)

Moreover he is as capable as a songwriter as any of writing of longing, lost love, thoughts of mortality and...being stupid in the world. Witness "Let It Go" on that last point. Then turn it up a notch with a bittersweet song like "Caveman" (males-haven't we all had our stories of love and lost like that). Yes, Chris had the tools to go out and slay the dragons of the folk world. This film is thus a very important piece of folk music history as a work in progress. That work may not be well known outside the precincts of the graying folk world, but it should be.

******

Here's the lyrics to Chris Smither's "Love Me Like A Man" that Bonnie covers so well. They go back to the old days in Boston at various venues and might have ahd the same manager early on. Chris tells the story that most of those who have had success covering this song are women. Touche, right?


Love Me Like A Man

The men that I've been seeing
They got their soul up on a shelf
You know they could never love me
When they can't even love themselves

And I want someone to love me
Someone who really understands
Who won't put himself above me
Who just love me like a man

I never seen such losers darling
Even though I tried
To find a man who can take me home instead of
Taking me for a ride
And I need someone to love me
Darling I know you can't
Don't you put yourself above me
You just love me like a man

They all want me to rock them
Like my back ain't got no bone
I want a man to rock me
Like my backbone was his own

Darling I know you can't
Believe it when I tell you
You can love me like a man

Came home sad and lonely
I feel like I wanna cry
Want a man to hold me
Not some fool who ask me why
And I need someone to love me
Baby you can't
Don't you put yourself above me
Just love me like a man

Here is a song that Chris covers from the older blues tradtion-"Dust My Broom", originally done by Robert Johnson and then creatively covered by Elmore James.

Dust My Broom

I'm gonna get up in the mornin',
I believe I'll dust my broom (2x)
Girlfriend, the black man you been lovin',
girlfriend, can get my room

I'm gon' write a letter,
Telephone every town I know (2x)
If I can't find her in West Helena,
She must be in East Monroe, I know

I don't want no woman,
Wants every downtown man she meet (2x)
She's a no good doney,
They shouldn't 'low her on the street