what Frank is listening to #93 – JOHN HARTFORD – Earthwords and Music – (RCA) – 1967
Do you know how good John Hartford is?
He is one of the great cult artists of "weird country" which is not a genre but is what I like to call this type of music that is country but certainly not mainstream country (others here include Dennis Linde,Terry Allen, Jerry Jeff Walker).
Officially it may be called "progressive country" but I think its pretty weird and eccentric.
For a long time I wasn't sure if I "got" John Hartford but I knew he wrote one of the best all–time country songs, "Gentle on my Mind" (as done by Elvis, Dean Martin, and Glen Campbell – in that order as I "learnt" the track) so I always cut him some slack.
By way of bio – wikipedia says, "John Cowan Hartford (December 30, 1937– June 4, 2001) was an American folk, country and bluegrass composer and musician known for his mastery of the fiddle and banjo, as well as for his witty lyrics, unique vocal style, and extensive knowledge of Mississippi River lore. Hartford performed with a variety of ensembles throughout his career, and is perhaps best known for his solo performances where he would interchange the guitar, banjo, and fiddle from song to song. He also invented his own shuffle tap dance move, and clogged on an amplified piece of plywood while he played and sang".
The guy recorded some forty albums and I only have five. Each one of his albums, because of the non-sales on release, costs an arm and a leg so it's a pain if you want to get into Hartford (though if you are happy with CDs they re-issued a lot of the RCA back catalogue as "2fers")
The beauty of Hartford is his experimentation … he was out there and he did what he wanted to … how?
"Gentle on my Mind" again … he once said the track "bought him his freedom" …
Allmusic: "John Hartford remains best known for the country-pop standard "Gentle on My Mind," a major hit for Glen Campbell and subsequently covered by vocalists ranging from Frank Sinatra to Aretha Franklin. The song remains among the most often recorded in the history of popular music, its copyright netting Hartford well over a hundred thousand dollars annually for many years".
He has also been referred to as "literary folk music" and "MOR romantic nostalgia told from the perspective of a homeless man remembering days of perfect love"… I like that … He has also been called Americana/Appalachian Folk/Country-Rock/Old-Timey/Progressive Bluegrass/Progressive Country/Progressive Folk/String Bands/Traditional Country … take you pick … but I like all those also.
This album is part folk, part country, part Pete Seeger, part Johnny Cash and part Roger Miller … there are a lot of jokey songs but they also have a pointed moral question in them somewhere … but like a lot of first albums (or second albums – this is his second) it is a hesitant step forward covering a number of bases. It was after Glen Campbell picked up "Gentle on My Mind" (though it was re-recorded on his 3rd album in 1968) that Hartford could do what he wanted. And that meant, write whatever he wants from whatever genre he likes. And of course it doesn't hurt if you have a sense of humour and you can play the banjo real well which he can (he played on the Byrds "Sweetheart of the Rodeo").
This album is a good 'un and though not as good as some of his later work it is utterly charming and perfect country folk (especially after a few moscatos) … the sound is crisp (despite the crackle and pop on my vinyl) as produced by Felton Jarvis (who "produced" Elvis ' later stuff – I say "produced" loosely as he didn't produce so much as organise so the artist can concentrate on the music as they see it … which worked well for Elvis and no doubt for John Hartford). Jarvis also probably introduced Elvis to "Gentle on My Mind" – which Elvis did in 1968.
Most of this LP is low key with Hartford and his banjo … and that works in it's favour.
The Tracks
All written by Hartford …
- Good Old Electric Washing Machine – the best song I have ever heard about washing machines … bar none.
- Love Song in 2/4 Time – done as a jokey statement of love but with great lyrics like …
Oh My Heart and soul is hung up in your magic spell
Yes even the way you put me down cause you do it so well
But if you hate my guts just half as much as I love you
well then I would rather have everybody else in the world hate me
then for you too
- Daytime of Life – a country death song … what's going on here !?
- Whose That? – pure Roger Miller ... I'm sure someone covered this.
- There Are No Fools in Heaven – a great track with a moral lesson.
- Earthwords – a folk poem plea – quite silly and quite endearing in its honesty.
- Gentle on My Mind – what can I say – a magnificent song and the best track on the album:
It's knowing that your door is always open and your path is free to walk,
That makes me tend to leave my sleeping bag rolled up and stashed behind your couch.
And it's knowing I'm not shackled by forgotten words and bonds and the ink stains
That have dried upon some line,
That keeps you in the backroads by the rivers of my mem'ry that keeps your ever
Gentle on my mind.
That makes me tend to leave my sleeping bag rolled up and stashed behind your couch.
And it's knowing I'm not shackled by forgotten words and bonds and the ink stains
That have dried upon some line,
That keeps you in the backroads by the rivers of my mem'ry that keeps your ever
Gentle on my mind.
It's not clinging to the rocks and ivy planted on their colums now that binds me
Or something that somebody said because they thought we fit together walkin'.
It's just knowing that the world will not be cursing or forgiving when I walk along
Some railroad track and find
That you're moving on the backroads by the rivers of my memory and for hours
You're just gentle on my mind.
Or something that somebody said because they thought we fit together walkin'.
It's just knowing that the world will not be cursing or forgiving when I walk along
Some railroad track and find
That you're moving on the backroads by the rivers of my memory and for hours
You're just gentle on my mind.
Though the wheat fields and the clothes lines and junkyards and the highways
Come between us
And some other woman crying to her mother 'cause she turned and I was gone.
I still run in silence, tears of joy might stain my face and summer sun might
Burn me 'til I'm blind
But not to where I cannot see you walkin' on the backroads by the rivers flowing
Gentle on my mind.
Come between us
And some other woman crying to her mother 'cause she turned and I was gone.
I still run in silence, tears of joy might stain my face and summer sun might
Burn me 'til I'm blind
But not to where I cannot see you walkin' on the backroads by the rivers flowing
Gentle on my mind.
I dip my cup of soup back from the gurglin' cracklin' caldron in some train yard
My beard a roughning coal pile and a dirty hat pulled low across my face.
Through cupped hands 'round a tin can I pretend I hold you to my breast and find
That you're waving from the backroads by the rivers of my memory ever smilin'
Ever gentle on my mind.
My beard a roughning coal pile and a dirty hat pulled low across my face.
Through cupped hands 'round a tin can I pretend I hold you to my breast and find
That you're waving from the backroads by the rivers of my memory ever smilin'
Ever gentle on my mind.
- Naked in Spite of Myself – naked in lyric and naked in emotion … twee comment by me … but accurate.
- How Come You're Being So Good to Me – very funny and quite thoughtful (and very Tom T Hall – though I think Tom was slightly later to record)
- No End of Love – another plaintive honest song on affections of the heart.
- Left Handed Woman – another jokey song – with a point of course.
- Baking Soda – the best song I have ever heard about the uses of baking soda … bar none.
And …
I'm keeping this album. It isn't perfect but it's well above average and I would like it to be better (or more "individual" ) but I love this stuff … don't give me shit about this …
Sounds
Good Old Electric Washing Machine
Gentle on My Mind
Baking Soda
attached
Other
Gentle on My Mind
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dCVQ3w3sKxA
Other versions:
Elvis ( in my opinion the most "individual" of the covers)
and if you chose to listen to this clip read the comment by steve 989 (I'm with him) … "Dino and Glen did? good versions , but I think this is the definitive. Elvis was the best singer EVER. No arguments , no debates , its a FACT, so if you dont agree , YOURE WRONG. Just get over it".
Glen Campbell
brilliant: below:
Dean Martin
Bio
Trivia
- His career had a mini resurgence with the film soundtrack to "O Brother Where are thou" … he wrote "I am a Man of Constant Sorrow"
by the way … have you noticed that Elvis is EVERYWHERE?
(originally posted:27/09/2009)
