I recently spoke with Steve Berg, who plays bass for Dallas-based honky-tonk band Eleven Hundred Springs. Their last record, Country Jam, brought a whole new legion of fans to their legendary live shows. Their new record This Crazy Life will be out February 2nd. Five Records is an occasional feature of artists talking about the music that inspires them. Read more of these posts here.
Dwight Yoakam
Guitars, Cadillacs, Etc., Etc.
“I had lost my job at a fast food restaurant right around the time I saw Dwight at the Bluebonnet Palace in San Antonio in 1986. The songs on this record showed a younger dude talking on the old stuff with a punk rock attitude — growing up, I listened to Buck Owens and Bob Wills, but Dwight was blazing his own trail, not just dusting off the classics.”
Asleep at the Wheel
The Very Best
“Asleep at the Wheel never aged out of the music like a lot of western swing bands do — they are still making new music that they can be proud of, even after so long in the business. If they didn’t love it like they do, it would be hard to choke through their schedule, but they have always maintained a high level of integrity to their craft.”
American Graffiti
Original Soundtrack
“This was pivotal for me coming up — Bill Haley, Buddy Holly — that music was so special. Everybody played at once on the records, and they had a real live feel. This kept me fresh while making our upcoming record because after 10 hours of mixing fiddle and steel, I don’t exactly want to listen to Hank Thompson.”
Billy Joe Shaver
Greatest Hits
“I wish I had written “Live Forever“, by Billy Joe Shaver. Not only is it a great song, it would make a great tattoo. When he re-recorded it, someone convinced him to put Big & Rich on the track, and that still didn’t mess it up, it’s just that good.”
Tejas Brothers
s/t
“These guys have been opening shows for us since 2006 or so, and they are making a new record as well, which I can’t wait to hear. They have this Texas Tornados-type sound — upright bass and accordian, and real bluesy guitar. Great energy live. I have heard great records from artists who are real snoozers in concert — to me, the exciting artists are the ones who are able to deliver it live.”
Eleven Hundred Springs – Why You Been Gone So Long?
Posted: December 11th, 2009 | 5 Comments »
1. John Fogerty hails from the same state that Buck Owens once made his home, and the two might have had a lot more in common had they been closer in age. As it is, the older Owens took a more traditional country route in forging his Bakersfield sound, and the younger Fogerty flavored his slice of Americana with rock and roll and r&b. On his new record The Blue Ridge Rangers Ride Again, Fogerty returns to the classic country covers of his first solo outing, this time with a crack band including Buddy Miller, Kenny Aronoff, and Greg Leisz. Oh yeah, and two of the Eagles and some guy named Bruce Springsteen.
2. Fogerty pays tribute to some of his heroes who made the country music that belied CCR hits such as “Green River” and “Lodi” taking on Buck Owens himself with “I Don’t Care” and Ray Price with “I’ll Be There” and “Fallin Fallin Fallin”. A testament to his devotion to this era of country is the band he surrounded himself with, who ably fill the tracks with more twang than any top-10 country artist. Fogerty obliges the band with old-school shout-outs as they take their solos, adding to the charm. On Rick Nelson’s “Garden Party”, Timothy B. Schmit and Don Henley show up putting their best foot forward with a thick layer of harmonies that wonderfully echo Nelson’s understated original track. “Moody River” also benefits from some excellent harmony vocals that make it one of the more upbeat murder ballads I’ve heard.
3. John Prine’s “Paradise” and John Denver’s “Back Home Again” get the acoustic treatment with a bluegrass feel spiked by Leisz’s ace dobro work. Prine is a nice choice for the discerning country listener who might scoff at the inclusion of a John Denver song, but Fogerty’s earnestness makes the two sit naturally on the same record. In fact, Fogerty’s earnestness and obvious passion for these songs are what make this record work. These tunes are so dead simple that it would be impossible pull them off if you didn’t believe in them whole-heartedly, and John Fogerty leaves no room for doubt about that.
4. Wrapping up the record, Fogerty pays tribute to one of the great close-harmony duos of all time with his cover of the Everlys’ “When Will I Be Loved”, featuring an exuberant Bruce Springsteen. Here, the duo manage to combine the longing of the original with Fogerty’s rough-around-the-edges style that is damn near perfect. It would be hard to miss with this combination of American rock legends, but they somehow manage to beat expectations, even with a somewhat awkward vocal ad-lib in the middle.
4. John Fogerty has written an incredible amount of American classic songs (remember, Creedence was only a working band for about four years). I have always thought he and Tom Petty were musical doppelgangers, with Petty seeking the California sound via Gainesville and Fogerty seeking the Florida swamp-rock sound via California, but this record showcases the golden country music where their interests cross paths. These songs need more tribute, and need more artists like Fogerty who are willing to update them for a younger audience. Here’s to hoping this isn’t the only reunion of the Blue Ridge Rangers.
Buy this record
Posted: September 15th, 2009 | No Comments »
