First impression: What an odd record. Two versions of “Hey Joe,” each over 7 minutes long + 4 instrumental cuts + four story songs. It’s the arrangement of the album that makes it unique among Otis’ 14 releases; the story songs mixed with instrumental interludes, glued by Hey Joe, done in contrasting “voices” / personalities… designed and arranged to be heard in order, in one sitting. It’s the beginning to end listen that’s important here – a single piece of work.
“Hey Joe” has been recorded and released by over 400 artists since it first came out in 1967 by the Leaves (and by countless millions of lesser named artists no doubt). Otis himself recorded it with his daughter Cassie for the album Recapturing the Banjo (2008). Covering it twice on the same album? Wow, that takes balls. If the memory of the song is framed by Hendrix, Otis stands right next in line as the personification of the emotional intensity of the story – and of the impact of decisions we make in our lives.
“Red Meat” and “Peggy Lee” will likely be the most played cuts from “Hey Joe Opus Red Meat” at non-comm radio around the state. As part of the whole the songs help make the album virtually impossible to categorize simply, jumping across Americana-country, psychedelic rock, jazz, blues, and folk. Otis calls what he does Trance Blues, and he promotes the Trance Blues Festival. This singular piece moves Otis far closer to composer/arranger than traditional bluesman.
Guests include Warren Haynes (Gov’t Mule, The Dead, Allman Brothers Band), Billy Nerschi (String Cheese Incident), singer-songwriter Langhorne Slim and guitarist Daniel Sproul (the Black Crowes, Warren Haynes).
A great week as this year’s Colorado Music Hall of Fame class was announced by executive director G. Brown. Congrats to Caribou Ranch, The Nitty Gritty Dirt Band, Manassas, Firefall, and Poco. There is a considerable amount of history among those four acts, each of which contributed something significant to Colorado music history. It will be great for folks from around the world to see and hear what these bands brought to Colorado when they visit Red Rocks over the years to come. G has yet to announce the details of the show, scheduled for Jan 9 at the Paramount Theatre in Denver.
When I spoke with Richie Furay for our Offstage Beyond the Music podcast, he said he’d be a part of it. I’m sure Jock Bartley and Rick Roberts from Firefall will be present, and as well, Kenny Passarelli who did some time with Manassas, and who still lives and produces records here regionally. Jimmy Ibbotson from the Nitty Gritty Dirt Band still lives here, so I’m sure he’ll be a part of things also. Beyond that, I have to wonder if we’ll get to see Stephen Stills and Chris Hillman from Manassas or John McEuen or some of the other guys from “the Dirt” band. It’d be a hellova show for us baby boomers for sure if as many living members of the bands as possible were able to participate. Most of those guys are mid to late 60s and older now (Richie is 78) now and were instrumental in our lives in the 60s and 70s.
NEWS & NOTES:
EMAIL OR FACEBOOK?
One of my clients emailed me this week and asked my opinion about promoting a show. He asked which is a better method – email or facebook. What do you think? To add to the complication, an article hit just as I was hitting the publish button that underlies the confusion and lack of ease with which musicians and bands and others of us in the music promote our shows etc. According to an article published Nov 17 in Digital Music News, “Facebook will be reducing the amount of “overly promotional” posts from Pages in newsfeeds starting in 2015. Posts that aren’t paid ads will become less visible if they meet the following criteria:
“Posts that solely push people to buy a product or install an app
Posts that push people to enter promotions and sweepstakes with no real context
Posts that reuse the exact same content from ads”
To go with that, “…you can no longer offer incentives to get page likes.”
VIDEO PICK OF THE WEEK
Some friends introduced me to this “new” single from OneRepublic, off their Native album. There’s a story here worth our attention.
OFFSTAGE …BEYOND THE MUSIC
The 3rd installment of my conversation with Reed Foehl. If you’d like to download it go to KUNC or Radio 94.9 Colorado pls. I’m only allowing streaming from here.
PLAYLIST S8|EP44
(D) = debut of single, ep, or lp
(N) = new song from previously debuted ep or lp
HOUR 1
The Czars “What I Can Do For You” from Uncle Charlie and His Dog Teddy (1970) Space Team Electra “Saints Are Bleeding” from The Vortex Flower (2001) (D) The Sound and Color “Tug of War” from The Sound and Color (2015) Jeff Brinkman “Ordinary Day” from Strange (2012) Drew Schofield “Break It Down” from 150 Million (-1) (2014) (N) OneRepublic “I Lived” from Native (2013) The Wild After “Meant for You” from Lesson Learned EP (2014) (N) Silent Bear “Red Colorado Night” from The Green Lion (2014) Tennis “Tell Her No” from Tell Her No (2011) Stella Luce “Rain” from Caldera (2014) Chemistry Club “Miranda” from Miranda (2014) Tia Fuller “Ralphie’s Groove” from Angelic Warrior (2012)
HOUR 2
Nitty Gritty Dirt Band “Some of Shelly’s Blues” from Greatest Hits (1990) Manassas “Colorado” from Manassas (1972) Firefall “Livin’ Ain’t Livin’” from Firefall (1976) Poco “When It All Began” from Legacy (1989) (N) Leftover Salmon “High Country” from High Country (2015) Big Head Todd & The Monsters “I Get Smooth” from Black Beehive (2014) John Oates “Stone Cold Love” from Good Road to Follow (2014) Reed Foehl “When It Comes Around” from Spark (2004) Dianne Reeves “Endangered Species” from The Best of Dianne Reeves (2000) Hazel Miller Band “Spider Web” from Coming To You Live…From KUVO (2011) Jon Wirtz “Country” from Tourist (2013)
It’s really hard to write and watch the Broncos … lol. Okay. They won. So, we lost a station. Seems KFVR, The Fever, in Pueblo is gone. That’s it …they just disappeared. Time to lobby Colorado Springs to get the show on in SoCO. Would love it if KRCC picked up the show. Congrats to my friend, Greta Cornett, who passed a few dozen worthy candidates to become the new marketing director at the Fox and Boulder theaters. For those who don’t know Greta – she was the founder of the Fort Collins Musician Association (FOCOMA), the talent buyer at Road34 for a few years, and a member of three of NoCO’s top bands over the past decade, Mama Lenny & the Remedy, the 3 Twins Broadband, and 12 Cents for Marvin. She most recently married Dayton Hicks, the bassist for the fabulous Fierce Bad Rabbit.
A few new music shares this week from Strange Americans, Lion Drome, and Paa Kow. If you’re a fan of the Epilogues, the Lion Drome cut features Chris Heckman on vocals. Lion Drome is former thrash/shed guitarist Mike Lopez from Loveland, produced by legendary NoCO guitarist and record producer Dave Beegle… turning up the 90s alt-rock/U2 vibe.
VIDEO PICK OF THE WEEK
No new videos came to my attention the past couple of weeks, so I tweaked The Colorado Sound TV. Check out the playlist … hope you’ll view a few videos.
PLAYLIST S8|EP39 2014
HOUR 1
Leftover Salmon “Lines Around Your Eyes” from The Nashville Sessions (1999) Slim Cessna’s Auto Club “Limon” from Slim Cessna’s Auto Club (1995) (N) Strange Americans “Aggro” from That Kind of Luster (2014) Grant Sabin “Letter To An Old Mirror” from Anthromusicology (2013) (N) Kyle Hollingsworth “Beautiful People” from Speed of Life (2014) (N) Nina Storey “Strangely Optimistic” from Think Twice (2013) SHEL “Freckles” from SHEL (2012) (N) Lion Drome “The Nite Is On (feat. Chris Heckman)” from Curve of the Earth (2014) Leash of Foxes “It Sounds Like This” from It Sounds Like This (2014) Railbenders “Drive Away” from Like A Wheel (2009) Bonnie and The Clydes “Song for You” from Music For People (2014) Analog Son “The Game” from Analog Son (2014)
HOUR 2
Dan Fogelberg “Full Circle” from Full Circle (2003) Firefall “Winds of Change” from Elan (1978) Big Head Todd & The Monsters “Josephina” from Black Beehive (2014) John Oates “Stone Cold Love” from Good Road to Follow (2014) OneRepublic “Counting Stars” from Native (2013) (D) Quemando “City Nights” from Paradise (2014) (N) Paa Kow “Fakye Me” from Ask (2014) Richie Furay “I Still Have Dreams” from I Still Have Dreams (1979) Poco “C’Mon” from Deliverin’ (1971) Mike Clark & the Sugar Sounds “Summer Girls” from Round and Round (2013) Peter Sommer “Looks Like This” from Tremolo Canteen (2010)
First impression: What an odd record. Two versions of “Hey Joe,” each over 7 minutes long + 4 instrumental cuts + four story songs. It’s the arrangement of the album that makes it unique among Otis’ 14 releases; the story songs mixed with instrumental interludes, glued by Hey Joe, done in contrasting “voices” / personalities… designed and arranged to be heard in order, in one sitting. It’s the beginning to end listen that’s important here – a single piece of work.
Chris K's Colorado Playlist 