Hank Williams - Greatest Hits

Hank Williams - Greatest Hits. Polydor Records, 1961.

Hank Williams is almost a legend; a mythical figure in American music history. In fact, you can just say "Hank" and most people know who you're talking about. Hank Williams is country music. Everything that has come afterwards has been in his footsteps; some artists have walked in those steps a little better than others. But that's an argument for another time. Hank's life was short (he died at the age of 29) but the impact he left on America and its music will live forever. His legacy continues to live through his son Hank Jr. and his grandson Hank III but even without them we'd still be talking about this giant of the industry.

Numerous songs have been written about Hank, or used him as subject matter, perhaps more than any other artist. He has influenced countless musicians, and not just country ones, either. His songs have been covered by the likes of Taj Mahal, Jeff Healey, Johnny Cash, Volbeat, Al Green, Patsy Cline, The Rolling Stones, and Isaac Hayes, just to name a few. His story is a sad one, but the legacy he left has brightened the future of many an aspiring musician.

Other notable records from 1961:
Chubby Checker - Your Twist Party (With the King of Twist)

The Platters - Encore of Golden Hits

The Platters - Encore of Golden Hits. Mercury Records, 1960.

I honestly don't know much about The Platters as a group, but this compilation album has some great songs on it, including the hits "The Great Pretender," "Smoke Gets in Your Eyes," and "Only You (And You Alone)." These were the early days of rock and roll and R&B and The Platters were one of the most popular groups out there. The 60s saw the coming of the Civil Rights Movement, and groups like The Platters helped push African-American music into the mainstream, which played a role in breaking down racial prejudices. The music of that era continues to resonate today and is still enjoyable to listen to.

Marty Robbins - Gunfighter Ballads and Trail Songs

Marty Robbins - Gunfighter Ballads and Trail Songs. Columbia Records, 1959 (1971 reissue).

I've decided to highlight an album in my collection for every year since 1959 (that being the earliest LP in the collection). There will be a few years in the 1990s and early 2000s where I may not have one to highlight, but for the most part every year for nearly 60 years will be represented. This doesn't necessarily mean it's my favorite album from that year - there are certainly still lots of gaps in my collection that need to be filled. So, let's begin with 1959.

Gunfighter Ballads and Trail Songs by Marty Robbins is one of those seminal albums that should be in everyone's collection, whether you like country music or not. It's one of the classics of the genre and has been called "the single most influential album of western songs in post-World War II American music." The Western Writers of America have listed six of its songs as being among the top 100 Western songs of all time. "El Paso" and "Big Iron" are two of the best songs, in any genre, period. Both songs have been covered numerous times and the album has been an influence on countless artists. Social Distortion frontman Mike Ness' version of "Big Iron" is one of my favorite cover songs of all time.

Marty Robbins has long since passed on (he died in 1982) but he left a great musical legacy, and this album is his masterpiece and his contribution to the American cowboy mythology, and a must-have in any record collection.

Other notable albums from 1959 in my collection: 
Ferlin Husky - Born to Lose
Hank Snow - When Tragedy Struck 

Malcolm Young

Malcolm Young, founding member of AC/DC, died today at the age of 64 after battling dementia for the last several years. AC/DC has been of my favorite bands for a long time, and although his brother Angus was the face of the band, Malcolm and his rhythm guitar was the driving force behind the band. Malcolm is probably the greatest rhythm guitarist ever. Dementia forced him to retire in 2014, and was replaced by his nephew Stevie on the album Rock or Bust. But on every other album, he was there, laying down that bluesy beat that was so integral to their music. Along with several bass players, most notably Cliff Williams, and several drummers, including Phil Rudd, AC/DC provided one of the best rhythm sections in all of music.

After Bon Scott died in 1980, it wasn't certain the band would continue. But Brian Johnson came in, the band put out one of the greatest albums in rock history in Back in Black, and never looked back. For my money, along with The Rolling Stones, AC/DC is probably the greatest straight ahead rock and roll band on the face of the earth.

Malcolm is now gone. Brian Johnson was replaced by Axl Rose due to hearing problems. Cliff Williams recently retired from the band. I think it's safe to say that AC/DC as we have known it is no more. Angus will continue but it will never be the same. RIP Malcolm.

Tom Petty

"You can stand me up at the gates of hell

but I won't back down"

Yesterday was a sad day in the music world. Many of us woke up Monday morning to hear about the tragic events in Las Vegas at a country music festival. It's a scary world we live in when we can't even enjoy music without fear of being attacked. My heart goes out to those affected (although this kind of thing affects us all in one way or another) by this senseless violence. Then as the day went on we learned that Tom Petty had been rushed to the hospital after suffering a heart attack. Initial reports claimed that he had passed away; these were later retracted and word came out that he was clinging to life. Tom did pass away last night, and the world has lost another musical giant.

Tom Petty (along with his band, The Heartbreakers) was one of those rare musicians that could transcend genres. Yes, he was a rock artist, but he appealed to lovers of all music genres. Some of his music could be very bluesy; some of his music had more of a folk or country vibe. He was no nonsense, either. He did what he wanted to do and didn't care what others thought about it. The man declared bankruptcy just to get out of a terrible record deal - just to prove a point.

Petty's musical career started out in the early 1970s in the band Mudcrutch. After little success, Petty and band members Mike Campbell (one of the most underrated guitarists in the world, by the way) and Benmont Tench (one of the best keyboardists in the rock world) formed Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers with two new members, and the rest is history.

Tom and the Heartbreakers put out some incredible music over the years, and Tom put out some fantastic solo albums as well. Tom was also one-fifth of the supergroup The Traveling Wilburys, along with Bob Dylan, Roy Orbison, George Harrison, and Jeff Lynne of Electric Light Orchestra. Mudcrutch reunited in 2007 and put out two albums - I highly recommend checking them out. Fans of the animated show King of the Hill will know that Tom also voiced the character Lucky - who marries Hank's niece Luanne. One of the coolest things Tom and the Heartbreakers ever did was back Johnny Cash on his 1996 album Unchained, which included a cover of Petty's song "Southern Accents." They also played on Cash's follow up album American III: Solitary Man, with a cover of the song "I Won't Back Down." Tom's career was rich and he has left us as one of the greatest American rock musicians in history.

I'm not quite sure when I first heard Tom Petty - my brother bought the CD Into the Great Wide Open when it came out in 1991. A few years later the song "Mary Jane's Last Dance" came out and I bought the greatest hits album that song was on. I was hooked from then on. Petty was one of the great songwriters - his songs were catchy and easy to sing along to, but still had substance and meaning. Someone wrote yesterday that Petty was rock's greatest writer of opening lines; I think that's a fair statement. Tom Petty will be missed immensely by those closest to him as well as his many fans around the world.

The documentary Runnin' Down a Dream is available to stream on Netflix. It tells the story of Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers and is a great watch. It's four hours long so it might take a few sittings, but it's worth it.

NFL anthem controversy

I've been thinking a lot today about the controversy surrounding the protests of the national anthem at NFL games and feel the need to let some of what I am feeling off of my chest. Please understand that I love the United States of America. It is a wonderful country of opportunity and provides one of the highest standards of living in the world. I've lived in a third world country and I've seen first hand the crushing poverty that many people live with every day throughout the world. I'm grateful and feel blessed to live in the USA. But I'm also not blind to the mistakes this country has made. I'm not blind to the injustices that many still face. I grew up white in one of the safest parts of the country and live there again today. I don't know what it's like to fear for my life walking home from school or work. I don't know what it's like to worry if I'm going to be shot if I get pulled over by police. But many people in this country do. And many of them play professional football.

These protests are not about disrespecting the military. They are about bringing awareness to the injustices that they see in this country. Many people say they should protest in another manner - perhaps. I agree it may not be the best way to do it. But it has garnered attention. It has made their voices heard - if only we would actually listen to what they are trying to say instead of just focusing on their "disrespect" of the flag. Maybe they feel this is the only way to be heard. Only a handful of protests were still happening until the president began his usual Twitter tirade. Yesterday's protests were a response against him. Can we please stop talking about how our employers would fire us if we didn't stand? How many of us have jobs that require us to stand for the national anthem before work? Firing somebody for such a thing would be illegal - it's a violation of our constitutional rights. We don't force children to recite the Pledge of Allegiance (at least we shouldn't) and nobody should be forced to stand for the national anthem. I shouldn't have to say why forced patriotism is a scary thing. It's a slippery slope. I will always stand for the national anthem, but I respect the right of those who don't, for whatever reason.

I feel fairly confident that nearly all of the players in the NFL have some sort of connection to a veteran of the United States military. They love and respect our military and veterans; as I've previously stated, that is not what this is about. Some may take it as disrespectful and that's fine. That is their right. But I have read many comments from veterans over the last few days who support these players' right to protest. They fought for that right, and many have watched buddies die for that right. Many veterans may feel the opposite. I understand that and respect that as well and I am grateful for all veterans' service. My father and father-in-law both served in the military and I thank them.

I hope that this can lead to better discussions about how to solve these issues rather than continue to bicker about them and divide us even further. Unfortunately we have a president who seems to want nothing more than try to divide us. We need to ignore his childish antics and work together to make this country and world a better place for all of us to live in. It would be nice if he would focus on the real issues at hand - natural disasters taking a toll on our own country (yes, Mr. Trump, even though they speak Spanish in Puerto Rico, it is part of the United States), three earthquakes in Mexico that have devastated our neighbor to the south, another church shooting, looming war with North Korea and too many other things to list. But I doubt that will happen anytime soon.

Many will likely disagree with me about this and that's fine. I will NOT be boycotting the NFL. Of the countless sports teams out there, there is only one I am passionate about. That is the Denver Broncos. I have been a fan since my childhood in the mid 1980s and I will never stop loving them. Brandon Marshall protested last year and while I didn't necessarily agree with it, I respected his right to do so. Brandon made efforts to reach out to the Denver Police Department and have discussions about how to fix the problems these players are seeing. I admire him for that. I will continue to respect the right these players have to stand up (or take a knee) to make their voices heard.

Foo Fighters - Concrete & Gold

Foo Fighters - Concrete and Gold. Roswell Records, 2017.

Not many things better than coming home from work on a Friday and having the brand new album from one of your favorite bands waiting for you. It doesn't disappoint, either. I've been a fan of the Foo Fighters since their first album and have loved every one since. This one is a good balance between their straight up rock songs and their slower songs. My favorite tracks are "Run," "Make it Right," "Sunday Rain," and "Concrete and Gold." The title track has a heavy Pink Floyd influence (at least to my ears). Dave Grohl is one of the most talented musicians on the face of the planet and his knowledge and admiration of many different styles of music that has come before him is something I have always admired. I often wonder what might have happened if Kurt Cobain was still alive - would Dave have remained in Nirvana? I have my doubts - I think he likely had that itch to be a front man and do more than sit behind the drum kit. This is the first album that keyboardist Rami Jaffee has been credited as an official member of the band (he is also a member of the Wallflowers). It's not my favorite Foos album (that's a hard one between The Colour and the Shape and Wasting Light) but it's a solid effort that will certainly see more time on the turntable.