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”
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My wife’s boss is a big fan.
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That makes it at least two people who dig Greg.
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Here’s some trivia. GB is married to Iris Dement. One of her songs (Our Town) played over the final scenes of the final episode of Northern Exposure. I was a big fan of that show. It was on back in the days when I watched quite a bit of stuff on the tube. I wish it was on in repeats on one of the channels I get. Enjoy the upcoming week, CB. Bye till next time.
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Big fan of hers for a long time. John Prine and Merle Haggard banged her drum early in her career. Just found out recently that she was hooked up with Brown. I always like it when musical people I dig collaborate. Now you have ‘Our Town’ going through my head. Thanks for that tidbit. I met a couple cast members from that show. Nice folk.
Like the song ‘Enough’ from this album, my Gal and I are going down to the berry patch today.
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I love Iris Dement. Her song “Let the Mystery Be” is a sort of autobiographical theme song.
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Great tune. She has that Rick Danko waver in her voice. I love it. She has kept good company with some of my favorite singer songwriters. Like I said, Haggard, Prine and now Brown. She obviously is pulled to their music and vice versa. She’s the real deal. I wonder if a lot people are aware of her.
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Nice write-up, CB. Didn’t know him previously, but names like Cale, Van Zandt, Waits, and Springsteen put him in good company.
But what exactly is a “Slant 6 Mind”?
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I hate to compare but it gives people a sense of what he’s about. He’s a wordsmith for sure and I love his style and the images he conjures. Check out ‘Mose Allison Played Here’
Who knows what Brown had in mind with the title. A Slant 6 was an engine. I grew up with car guys. It would run forever. I think it was easy to work on. Some car freak out there would be able to fill you in on all the specifics. I would guess there would be a bunch of people who absolutely love it and club up. “The Slant 6ers”
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Just realized I missed this one. I don’t know either of these guys but I’m digging what I hear. Very bluesy.
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Get a chance listen to his ‘Mose Allison Played Here’ cut. I think you’ll get a chuckle.
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Ha! Now I know where I heard his name. You recommended him and that song once before. Can’t remember how it came up. Yeah, good tune.
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Kind of tells a little story.
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Currently enjoying Tonio and I’m gonna be hitting up Brown next. You haven’t given me a wrong steer yet, so I’m in (especially with the names you mention!).
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Oh yeah J. All these people are tops with me. Greg is a stripped down, do it his way, no bullshit, no pretending type guy. Another of those hidden secrets. It’s always about finding this kind of music for me. I had this on repeat for days when I first got it. Never heard a note or even knew of the guy until like I said ” I put the needle down”. He does a mean version of ‘Railroad Bill’. I was reminded of it when I was listening to Henry/Bragg today.
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We definitely look for the same stuff from our music. A bit of grit and spit. Balls and truth. Soul and heart. That’s what I’m picking up.
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I would subscribe to that.
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