Quick Hit Album : Greg Brown – Slant 6 Mind

If I keep going the way I am with the chronological album trip, I’ll never get to half the records I dig. So while my album cuts are still in the 70’s (on hold for a while) with all that great music I discovered, the ‘Quick Hit’ thing is to share some of the later music that really turns me on. So here’s the first album I’m bringing to you. It’s a killer!

“Hey CB I got a record for ya”. I love those words especially when the record blows your mind. My buddy Jay spoke those words to me. I went home and slapped it on. After listening to the opening cut I knew i was meant to hear this record. Greg Brown was everything I liked in music. Great groove, voice, lyrics and some great slide. Nothing I didn’t like here. Just to make sure the first cut wasn’t a fluke I stuck around for the second cut.  It was just more of of what I got from the first song. I was laying bets that the whole album was going to be an instant Cincinnati Babyhead favorite.  It was.

Not a bad cut on the record.  I’m keeping this under my “Quick Hit” flag.  I could write up every tune, that’s how good ‘Slant 6 Mind’ is. That’s the reason I’m featuring the whole album. It’s good! No matter where CB is in his life good music finds him. Am I ever glad this found me. Sparse, haunting, sexy, beautiful, dark, unique, uncensored.  It’s coming out of the American soil, the dirt and it gets into your crevices and cracks. Gritty , raw, absolutely no bullshit. This music comes from the earth and Greg Brown pulls it out and gives it to us.

He has lots of help with the music with Bo Ramsey (Bo has some of his own stripped down music. Check out his cut ‘Strangers Blues’ below for a taste). providing great guitar and slide guitar. I try to stay away from comparisons but I’ll give it a try but keep in mind Brown is his own man and not cloning anyone. He’s just giving us music, Greg Brown style.  Harsh, sparse Americana. If you like the music of J.J. Cale, Townes Van Zandt, Tony Joe White, Dave Alvin, Tom Waits, Springsteen’s (‘Nebraska’), Woody Guthrie, country blues you might dig this.  Listen and draw your own comparisons. At the end of the day it’s his music and ours.  Perfect music for CB, my style.

So what ever kind of listening device you have, bracket some time and get some soil on ya. Have your own experience with ‘Slant 6 Mind’ and Greg Brown, he’ll stir up some images and emotions and put a smile on your face, he did all this for CB anyway. Plus I was tapping my toe. I think I’ll go listen to a little of that Brown guy right now and roll around in the dirt.

“Like a guy in a bra it’s the idea that counts”