Played in Vienna,Virginia and stayed at The Mansion on "O" Street in the heart of DC.
This ancient old house is filled with brick-a-brack, art, and rock 'n roll memorabilia. The most interesting piece in the house is a letter from John Lennon to the laundress (some laundry person somewhere) that they were ignorant bastards who "stained his new shirt." Lots of cheap guitars signed by rock stars. Working new songs into the gigs, losing my voice from a peach blossom allergy, and looking for a decent meal in Ashland, Virginia. It's hard in America. Cars full of people jamming deep fried sea food down their throats and washing it all down with diet cokes.
You've got to navigate your way across this country, careful not to step in the dog shit. Played a one hour concert solo on XM Radio's cross country with Jesse. Sang a bunch of new songs. I hear tell that XM and Sirius are merging.
I've been thinking about Fred Neil lately. "Everybody's Talking," etc. What happened to Freddy Neil, Paul Seibel, Peter La Farge, Karen Dalton, Phil Ochs, Tim Hardin and a dozen other good writers from the 60's? I guess Bob Dylan happened. Other people were terrified and bailed out. And anyone who doesn't think Alan Lomax and Pete Seegar were not pissed off at Dylan's total detonation of old, tired, folk music......but I rail on. The songwriter section is sinking in Borders.
I'm high on deep fried bush puppies. Pulled pork. The promised land. I think this blog is being read by about three people....one of them a very literate truck driver roaming the States in a high powered Semi....the other is the ghost of Fritz Scholder. We're headlining Kerrville Folk Festival next month and we begin work on a few records - but I'm saving the originals. Gretchen Peters may cut "Guadalupe," which is my favorite of the new songs. The Mother of the Americas. Take a listen to Fred Neil's version of "The Water is Wide." "There is a ship that sails the sea...it's loaded deep, as deep can be.....but not as a deep as this love I'm in...I know not if, I sink or swim." Dig it.
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17 comments:
I read...
and enjoy.
And a Pancho Villa obsessed folker out in Sisters, Oregon, with a fistful of new songs thanks to the inspiration from a workshop in Elko, NV.
Stepping lightly around the dog shit... or kicking it.
Jim Cornelius
Not to worry...I'm sure that there far more people reading the notes.
'Missed the show in Vienna[damn]so now i wait for the next one.
Keep writing, Tom.
Best, Ernie Pazmany
Nope, there's at least 4 of us, maybe 5, reading this. I personally look forward to your tales on the road, the good and the bad. I hope you stick with it. Yes, the merger is supposed to happen, and I look forward to it. I believe it'll be good for the listener, Sirius and XM.
And don't forget us over here in Europe - certainly not roaming anything in a high powered semi but every word is welcome, and plentyof us here to welcome them. Keep it coming Tom.... see you on the road sometime
TR . . . looks as if you have stirred them out of their (worldwide) silence. I knew better at the time you said it. Unfortunately I am a Sirius subscriber and did nor catch your show. XM got Dylan after I subscribed, but Sirius has Cowboy Jack Clement and Steve Earl. Cowboy has guest performers as well. What a matchup you two would make. Maybe you already know each other.
" The road can be a cruel muse at times. She gives and she takes. Sometimes I have her by the tail . . . while at others, she has me by the . . . "
Thanks for the nod TR. -ST
I read, too, so now we are up to 6 or 7 :).
In addition to the content, which is always interesting, I am always struck by the accurate spelling and grammar; a real rarity in the modern world, though I wouldn't really have expected less.
We're trying to get you back to Tulsa....
Make it eight--I'm the Ann Arborite who furnished the waitress's line from "Haley's Comet." Carry on.
There are some of us reading....
I remember Fred Neil from somewhere in Berkeley in '66. There aren't many songs better than "The Dolphins".
If fewer and fewer people care about lyrics, consider that fewer and fewer people even *read*. The rest of us are lucky you're still writing.
-eric
ondale pues el blogger
He speaks that border Spanglish well . . .
... no carpet store, I hope.
TR . . . extending to the " dog shit" line that stirred up a stink with your fans I would add :
" Beware of golf shirts wearing cell phones with the power to destroy landscapes with a push from their poisonous finger ".
TR and astute fans will recognize the source and thread line that inspired my quote ".
"The map . . . is not the road". - ST
Well, Tom, I also read your blog here in Spain. I would love to listen to that song, "Guadalupe", My late father was born in Guadalupe, Spain. I Hope you come around here soon.
Saludos.
i finally figured out the google-blog signup protocol tom. love the entries. will practice restraint.
but pulled pork...oh yeah
I hope you keep posting, writing, saying what you have to say. It's hard at our age, losing friends and family and yet trying to keep the light on. For Gaffney, for Van Zandt Parks,for missing songwriters and poets and storytellers everywhere, remember the fun. Come on over to Believable Lies when you get a chance. I'll light one up for you.
http://believablelies.blogspot.com
I just discovered your music thanks to X-Country. I find your lyrics genius.
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