Do you have any thoughts on this chart being a thing that you put out and then other people on the site assign a numerical value to via the star ranking? I mean, it's kind of a weird thing so if your answer is just "yeah it's kind of a weird thing", I think that's totally valid. But have you ever gotten any feedback through that or comments that really made you look at your chart differently?
MercuryTurn your back on the pay-you-back last callProfile St. Louis
Do you have any thoughts on this chart being a thing that you put out and then other people on the site assign a numerical value to via the star ranking? I mean, it's kind of a weird thing so if your answer is just "yeah it's kind of a weird thing", I think that's totally valid. But have you ever gotten any feedback through that or comments that really made you look at your chart differently?
Well, yeah on one level rating charts is a strange practice. Without getting to into it, the main reason it seems strange is we I don't really know why they rate a chart high or low.
The charts I've always most lived were the ones that introduced me to new favorites. So, I'd give most all the Pitchfork decade charts 100s due to the fact that every one of them has really intriduced some great stuff to me.
But, no, when I get a high rating I naturally feel a slight surge of goodness and when I get a low rating I could care less and it has no effect on me. Then there is the people like Kiki and happymeal that change their votes like every month or every other month and that's just good chaotic fun.
I actually have another question from your earlier response.
Mercury wrote:
I love American music. And I'd say a lot of my favorite musicians seem to have their finger on the pulse, so to speak, of American roots and musical traditions. Whether Dylan or Waits or Townes Van Zandt, or Jeff Tweedy or Lucinda, etc, they all have a great feel for that distinctly traditional American folk aesthetic. A common theme to all of them is that musically they all were/are nicely grounded in traditional folk, deep blues, deep country. At the same time none of those artists were or are strict revivalists or purists. Rather, their bedrock is tradition while as well adding to tradition through their songwriting and experiments.
I notice that you were careful only to mention American artists, but it seems to me that there are many non-American artists on your chart who also have their finger on the pulse of the American folk aesthetic. When these artists incorporate elements from American folk traditions into their music, do you feel that it ceases to be Americana? When I listen to the Rolling Stones or the Tallest Man on Earth, their music is so beholden to American folk/blues/country that it sometimes feels as if they're more American than most artists actually born here. Do you think an artist's musical heritage is more about where they're from or what they love to listen to?
I actually have another question from your earlier response.
I notice that you were careful only to mention American artists, but it seems to me that there are many non-American artists on your chart who also have their finger on the pulse of the American folk aesthetic. When these artists incorporate elements from American folk traditions into their music, do you feel that it ceases to be Americana? When I listen to the Rolling Stones or the Tallest Man on Earth, their music is so beholden to American folk/blues/country that it sometimes feels as if they're more American than most artists actually born here. Do you think an artist's musical heritage is more about where they're from or what they love to listen to?
I think that's a great question. I'd say in the case of the Stones they definitely loved American blues and other country and American folk and successfully fused it with their young brash British personality and made something uniquely their own. They sort of helped invent a whole new thing in and of itself, so I guess I never mentally associated them as being very American. Even though their influences were HUGELY so.
As for Kristian Mattson, well the first thing I thought of was Dylan when I heard him. The second thing I thought of was Dave Van Ronk for his more fiery, exuberant and extroverted personality than most early Dylan. Also I thought about Nick Drake due to his dexterous guitar playing/picking and alternate tunings. So, yeah I guess I didn't at first think of him as "sounding American" because there was far more to it to me than that. I felt connected to him as an individual musician seperate from such associations. Also if you hear Kristian's lyrics they aren't Americanized at all. He speaks of much more spiritual and emotional things and when he does mention specific things that can be used to pin point a culture or location, it's referencing the geography and locale and culture of Sweden and northern Europe. Hell, even the main theme and title of "The Wild Hunt" comes directly from northern European myth.
I suppose I don't know what my point is in those things I just said except to say not much and not answer the question. 🙁
To answer your question I think it depends. I think that the closer to present time the more easy it has become to drink in the music and culture of other far off lands. To the point now when a Japanese band can embrace and beautifully interpret British punk better than the Brits and an American Ivy League band can embrace and play west African music ably. I think in the 60s when the stones became what they were it was a lot harder and they developed their initial sound by seeing Howlin Wolf and some other blues men who toured England (rare at that time but still more common than it had ever been possible prior to the explosion of blues interests in the late 50s through mid 60s) in person a bit and from playing some of their records over and over until they could kinda play like them. But that sound the stones initially created was not really a perfect mimicry, and as a result something unique came out of the clash or mix of cultures. And then if you go earlier and go back to the 30s and the fact that Robert Johnson clearly had learned an mastered elements of East Coast style blues from a region a couple hundred miles away was a revelation and very unique.
So their is a gradient. At this point with the interweaving communication lines that exist and the easy access most people have to all forms of music that they are interested in, it seems distinct Regional and national sounds are disappearing. So, these days it has a lot more to do with what music you listen to and love than it does where you are from.
As for Kristian Mattson, well the first thing I thought of was Dylan when I heard him. The second thing I thought of was Dave Van Ronk for his more fiery, exuberant and extroverted personality than most early Dylan. Also I thought about Nick Drake due to his dexterous guitar playing/picking and alternate tunings. So, yeah I guess I didn't at first think of him as "sounding American" because there was far more to it to me than that.
I have to admit that I hadn't actually heard Tallest Man until I started studying your chart a few days ago, but I really enjoyed it. Although the influence from Dylan is pretty obvious, I agree with you that he really has his own thing going on and I honestly stopped thinking about Dylan after a track or two of my first listen. How did you discover Matsson? You mentioned in your chart note that the lyrics have special personal meaning to you. Do you associate The Wild Hunt with a specific event in your life?
MercuryTurn your back on the pay-you-back last callProfile St. Louis
I have to admit that I hadn't actually heard Tallest Man until I started studying your chart a few days ago, but I really enjoyed it. Although the influence from Dylan is pretty obvious, I agree with you that he really has his own thing going on and I honestly stopped thinking about Dylan after a track or two of my first listen. How did you discover Matsson? You mentioned in your chart note that the lyrics have special personal meaning to you. Do you associate The Wild Hunt with a specific event in your life?
Well, I suppose I associate The Wild Hunt with about November 2010. I was in a strangely optimistic and yet lost situation. I felt sort of like the graduate in The Graduate. I had finished a bunch if training and I was home and yet I was living at home with dad and I just didn't know what to feel. So, something happened and a person on Facebook saw that I mentioned Josh Ritter in a post and he and me became friends and tarted talking about music and he recommended the Tallest Man On Earth. That was the first I'd ever heard I him. And a but later I herd "The Wild Hunt" for the first time. And yeah I was strongly affected by it. It was because I felt that the music was passionate, optimistic, romantic, clear and just so refreshing. I felt a connection to Kristian Mattson like I haven't felt with anyone else in my musical life besides maybe Dylan.
The themes of the album seem to be wonder and wandering, being aimless and yet overcome by wonder at the beauty and possibility of life. And every song was emotionally stirring as powerful. Actually, I'm listening to it now as I write as the power is still there as much as ever. The slight, idk really, reverb(?) on the guitar and the way Mattson barks and howls out his passionate words just makes my eyes water with happiness every time. This is just by far the greatest album I've ever heard.
It's also something special about the way this record is presented. I can't stress enough how refreshing it is for me to hear a beautiful, succinct Folk LP that is exuberant and Extriverted and hopeful basically the entire way through. Even in its darkest moments such as on "Love Is All" and the tear jerker "Drying Of The Lawns" there is a certain wisdom and whimsical power there. Like the main character is learning from the pain and moving on with positivity and perseverance. I can listen to this album and these words and I ALWAYS feel hope and happiness from it. Album's divine.
As for specific lyrics that have a special significance to me, it hard to pinpoint it. The album kind of flows for me internally like a whole concept. The concept of which I've already rambled about in this overlong post. But for example the words of "King Of Spain" are just so rich and meaningful for me all about love an pride and dreams and how being in love can make anything feel possible. "A Lion's Heart" and "Kids On The Run" communicate again a great idea of love and being a sort of loner in the world. It's a wonderius idea. "Kids on The Run" has a similar affect on me that "Born To Run" possibly has on many others. It just communicates a lot of the youthful lostness that I felt and still feel. "Drying Of The Lawns" sounds like the greatest poet girlfriend ever writing a break up letter. It's so sad but also so poetically expressed. And you can really see it from the other person's perspective in why they are leaving you, or whoever this person is who is being dumped. "Love is All" is godly. The words the guitar an the greatest vocals I've just about ever heard. And it expresses the devastated grief that took me over whenever I lost someone I loved. "Hear come the tears. But like always I let them go. Just let them go. .... Future was our skin but now we don't dream anymore. Our house was made of spider webs and the clouds were rolling in." I don't know, that songs guts me everytime.
And on other stand outs (every fucking song) their are similar moments of emotion and vulnerability as well as power an happiness.
Yeah, so that is a small explanation of some of what I feel about The Wild Hunt.
As another note, my aunt Kim passed away last night at 12:05 from cancer. And in my grief the usual feelings took over and the usual griefy questions of why? and declarations of making more of my life and treating my acquaintances with more love and respect. And a much much smaller personal loss last week was Cardinals Outfielder Oscar Tavares suddenly dying at 22. So I guess I've had some wake up calls lately. And as I sit listening to this, one of my oldest friends, the inspiration and beauty of the album is being driven home more than ever. Life really is wonderful, wondrous and sometimes brief. There is no moral to what I'm saying. Just a renewed observation. _________________ -Ryan
As another note, my aunt Kim passed away last night at 12:05 from cancer. And in my grief the usual feelings took over and the usual griefy questions of why? and declarations of making more of my life and treating my acquaintances with more love and respect. And a much much smaller personal loss last week was Cardinals Outfielder Oscar Tavares suddenly dying at 22. So I guess I've had some wake up calls lately. And as I sit listening to this, one of my oldest friends, the inspiration and beauty of the album is being driven home more than ever.
I'm sorry to hear about your aunt. 🙁
I don't have a particular go-to album in moments of grief but I have a touch of envy for those who do. I imagine it must be like when you're a child and you hug your favorite stuffed animal after being sent to your room.
I love TVZ, but I don't think of him as either an albums artist or a singles artist -- rather, he's a compilation artist. I have his debut album on my chart, but it's more of an honorary spot than anything else (I'm not knowledgable enough about his catalog to pick the perfect comp). Can you tell us a bit more about how you settled on this particular compilation? I've never seen the accompanying documentary, would you recommend that as well?
Also, I don't know how familiar you are with his catalog, but if you could, rank the albums you've heard (live, studio, or compilation).
MercuryTurn your back on the pay-you-back last callProfile St. Louis
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I love TVZ, but I don't think of him as either an albums artist or a singles artist -- rather, he's a compilation artist. I have his debut album on my chart, but it's more of an honorary spot than anything else (I'm not knowledgable enough about his catalog to pick the perfect comp). Can you tell us a bit more about how you settled on this particular compilation? I've never seen the accompanying documentary, would you recommend that as well?
Also, I don't know how familiar you are with his catalog, but if you could, rank the albums you've heard (live, studio, or compilation).
Well I tend to agree with you on TVZ. His Studio LPs aren't bad, as a matter of fact they're wildly consistently very good. But I feel there is always something missing. Sometimes I feel the production is too much or a little too clean or sweet. Sometimes it's that there just aren't enough stand outs and just a few songs reign supreme so it happens that it casts the rest of the tracks into an almost "filler" light. Or on his acoustic live albums, although great, I have the opposite problem. I feel the stripped down guitar and vocal approach captures his personality and poetry but not the full atmosphere of the more epic and brilliant songs.
I had "High, Low And In Between" on my chart for awhile. It's my favorite of his studio albums and contains the song "Highway Kind" which I don't have words to describe how fantastic it is. Especially that version. But while it had undoubtedly some fantastic songs, the production on there isn't always my cuppa tea - like the clean little triangle chimes on "Greensboro Woman". I mean I LOVE "Greensboro Woman" but that recording and those fucking triangles don't do it any favors in my opinion.
Anyway, I came across this soundtrack because I found
It used at Vintage Vinyl (local record store). And I had just seen the movie (which is fascinating. Highly recommended look at the strange personality and life of TVZ. Great music and great interviews with his friends like Guy Clark and Steve Earle.) Anyway, I looked at the track listing and the fact that it was 2 discs and I got it. And at that point I only had 1 studio album of his.
This comp has it all. It has some of the best cuts from the classic "Live At The Old Quarter", interspersed with some choice studio tracks from all his early albums up to the late 70s. It includes the same stunning version of "Highway Kind" that I love. It has studio versions of "Rake", "Nothin'"Flyin' Shoes" etc. It also has this staticy, eerie, live version of "Black Crow Blues" which is just astounding, and overwhelmingly beautiful. And the little vocal snippets of Townes talking taken from interviews contained in the movie at the beginning of each disc is a nice touch. It's brilliant.
As for how I rank his albums I've heard in full, including live albums, and studio albums it goes ....
0. BE HERE TO LOVE ME (2005)
1. High Low And In Between (1972)
2. Live At The Old Quarter (rec. '73, released '77)
3. Our Mother The Mountain (1969)
4. The Late Great Townes Van Zandt (1972)
5. Townes Van Zandt (1969)
6. Rear View Mirror (1993
7. Delta Momma Blues (1971)
8. Rear View Mirror Vol 2 (2004)
9. Highway Kind (1997)
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Oh and thank you for your condolences. _________________ -Ryan
I had "High, Low And In Between" on my chart for awhile. It's my favorite of his studio albums and contains the song "Highway Kind" which I don't have words to describe how fantastic it is.
I'll have to put that one on next. Right now I'm in the middle of Musgraves' Same Trailer Different Park (love that opening track).
One of the things I was surprised by after a careful look at your chart was the amount of punk. The highest ranked punk album was a new one for me:
It covers quite a bit of ground for a punk record and almost feels like a summary of the movement up to that point. There's a surf rock re-imagining ("Pipeline"), a Sex Pistols send-up ("London Boys"), a track from his New York Dolls days ("Subway Train"), and a closer that wouldn't have sounded out of place on a Stooges album ("Downtown"). How did you stumble across So Alone? Are you a big fan of Thunders' other work as well?
Also, where do the New York Dolls stand for you in the '70s punk/protopunk pantheon?
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