Headed for the Exit

Song 348: This week’s playlist pick is One Way Out by The Allman Brothers Band, written by Elmore James, Marshall Sehorn and Sonny Boy Williamson II. Following last week’s post of a Chuck Berry song to honor him a day after he died, I chose this week’s Allman Brothers track as a way to honor drummer Butch Trucks, who sadly took his own life in late January of this year at the age of 69. When I got on a plane in Chicago on June 10, 1971, I don’t think any of my RnR friends knew anything about the Allman Brothers Band, nor did I, but within days of landing in Atlanta, I was hearing their music a lot, and hearing about them quite a lot. In the middle of that summer, their live LP At the Fillmore hit the airwaves, and justifiably made such a splash that by the time I returned to Chicago in September my RnR friends there also knew all about the Allmans. Following Duane’s tragic death in late October, many of us wondered about the band’s future, but then in February they released a double album that showcased them at their peak. This cut opened side 3 on a very strong rocking note, and made it quite clear just what a talent the RnR world lost on the day Duane died. Now, in early 2017, the RnR world has lost another of the talented crew that created this magical brew, which they recorded live in front of a packed house back in June of 1971. We may never know why Butch Trucks decided to head for the exit, but though he took the One Way Out, gone he is, but he should not be forgotten, and this track is but one of many musical reasons why his memory should live on.

Sounds Berry Good

Song 347: This week on the playlist you can hear Rock and Roll Music by Chuck Berry, who also wrote it. Only 11 weeks ago, when I posted my second Chuck Berry track on this list, I did not expect to be posting another so soon, but following his death yesterday at age 90, I feel the need to commemorate the man as one of the major pioneers of Rock and Roll Music. Back when the Beatles first rocked my world in February of 1964, I knew nothing of the 1950s rockers, and I thought the Fab Four had invented RnR. It took a while before I clearly understood that 2 of my favorite Beatles recordings — Roll Over Beethoven (Song 236) and this song — had actually been written by an American musician I knew nothing about. Then, it wasn’t until I had finished my regular School Days, a bit after the turn of the 1970s, that I came to understand Chuck Berry’s pivotal role in the birth of the musical style that had captivated me. With a sort of 1950s revival happening on rock radio, I got to hear the classic golden oldies, and a Rolling Stone subscription filled in the details, to the point where it surprised me when a blues booking agent I knew told me that his girlfriend didn’t know who Chuck Berry was. Having realized Berry’s significance, I found it strange that someone with an interest in the music didn’t know about him. I would guess that these days most RnR fans recognize the value of Berry’s contributions to the form, and personally, I plan to honor his legacy by following his advice to keep on rocking that piano. Sure thing, Chuck! I’m glad to do it. It’s got to be Rock and Roll Music! 

Time to Give Back

Song 346: Seven weeks after my previous personal friend song post, this week on the playlist you can find The Favor by my friend Terry Kitchen, who also wrote it. On a cold March evening, I once again recall the March weekend 24 years ago when I visited Terry at his Boston area apartment, in the midst of a major blizzard, so it seemed like an appropriate week to post another of his creations. About a year and a half after our shared blizzard experience, as we traded tunes around a campfire at a folk festival, upon hearing my song Curiosity, Terry insisted that I needed to expand the story. Not long after that festival, I followed his advice and added a fourth verse. A few years ago, in exchange for a copy of Who Said What, Terry sent me one of his CDs that included this cut, and it made me feel like it was time for me to return the favor, so to speak. I think the chorus line on this piece is one of the best ever, and when I hear it, I imagine it taking off in many different directions, so I plan to urge him to consider additional lyrical possibilities, although, since he already has a good recorded version, he may not want to do so, but maybe he could be persuaded to put a little time into exploring some other ways the favor can be returned.

The Time for Action

Song 345: This week on the playlist is a good week for Takin’ It to the Streets by The Doobie Brothers, written by Michael McDonald. This record from 4 decades ago seems to generally fit the current political moment better than perhaps any other track, articulating an urgent call for solidarity and large public demonstrations to express the prevailing mood of discontent and the critical need for responsive leadership not twisted by the pull of the super-wealthy. Back when this single first took off, the large demonstrations against the Viet Nam war had subsided, with the war having ended, but then, only a few years later, many of us would be takin’ it to the streets to oppose nuclear power plants like the one that got built in Diablo Canyon, despite all of our efforts against that nonsense. Over the decades, foolish and corrupt political leaders would, by their actions, often stir up that feeling of I ain’t blind and I don’t like what I think I see, with the 2003 Iraq invasion taking its place among the most prominent of follies, but the early months of 2017 have managed to top all of the previous eras as a time for takin’ it to the streets.