Westerman was largely influenced by the immediate early protest folk of Bob Dylan (though I think he is closer to Phil Ochs) and the country music of his youth, especially Hank Williams. Though not mentioned in what I have read he must also have been influenced by Peter La Farge, the first of the great Native American (if he indeed was) folk singer activists (Johnny Cash covered his "Ballad of Ira Hayes"). Westerman's voice is a clean baritone and all the music is punctuated with straight country (not Nashville though and I don't mean that in a bad way). He comes over as a rougher Jim Reeves or Charlie Rich, or perhaps, even closer still, a Native American Johnny Cash. Ultimately there are unequal parts of country, singer-songwriter and folk in here, with country being the largest portion in the mix. Also, the legendary country session muscian, Pete Drake, supplies steel guitar to the recordings.
If you refer to Allmusic you will see that all the songs are credited to Westerman (and I note the that the album was re-recorded by Westerman in 1982) and indeed all the reviews refer to his talent as a songwriter. The album however indicates that Westerman only co-wrote three of the tracks whereas Jimmy Curtiss wrote or co-wrote all of the songs. In the fifties it was common for songwriters to give up some of their credit to secure a recording deal but this practice was pretty much dead by the early 60s. So what is the truth?
I suspect that Curtiss was mainly behind the songs. He produced this album on his label (Perception) and plays rhythm guitar whilst the liner notes by Indian activist Vine Deloria Jr indicate Curtiss as the main songwriter. And if any other proof is needed the album sounds very, very much like Curtiss's solo album from early 1969, "Life". ( what Frank is listening to #100)
And just to add to the confusion the album mentions in its notes : "Lyrics based upon the book Custer Died for Your Sins by Vine Deloria Jr."
What I suspect is that Westerman, the aspiring country folk singer and Indian activist, gravitated to New York and bumped into Queens, New York native Jimmy Curtiss and they thought they would hook up and do an album. Curtiss accordingly wrote an album of tunes, with some help from Westerman drawing on his experiences as well as on the aforementioned book (which is a seminal text on Native American history).
I only mention this at some length because a number of reviews of this album must be based on the later re-recordings or CD reissue where all the songs are credited to Westerman and wax lyrical about his songwriter abilities. I am sure they would not say the same if they found it was mainly written by a white guy from Queens. Of course this says more about music critics than anything else (I note that the allmusic review is from no less than the legendary Eugene Chadbourne).
Interestingly co-writer on 4 tracks is John Phillips … apparently it's the John Phillips of "Mamas and Papas" fame … but the sources I have read do not allow me to say that with any certainty.
Regardless, this is powerful protest music based on a mix of country and singer-songwriter. Curtiss has written songs with universal themes that have a Native American backdrop and the authenticness comes from his obvious close working relationship with Westerman or Deloria or both. It would be less authentic, and for me not really palatable, if he was the singer (not that Curtiss ever had that as an intention as he largely liked to hide in the background and usually doesn't even credit his name on albums but uses "J.C."). I norrmally like a bit of authenticness in my music …. you know what I mean?
…. delta blues from Tooting Bec?
…. reggae from Sydney?
- Custer Died for Your Sins – this song really sums up the tone and mood of the album – putting forward an alternative version of history, finger pointing at those who have done wrong, pointing out the suffering of Native Americans, casting an accusing eye at the "masses" and "middle America" who sit by and do nothing about the problems, and finally a plea for a "new day" to begin. If you can get past the late 60s early 70s arrangements the music is quite powerful.
For all the blood that we have spilled
For the treaties that were broken
For the leaders, you have sinned
Custer died for your sins
Now a new day must begin
For the tribes you terminated
For the myths that you keep alive
For the land you confiscated
For a freedom, you deprived
Custer died for your sins
Now a new day must begin
And for the life you have cost
For the good you prostitute
And for all, that we have lost
Custer died for your sins
Now a new day must begin
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Missionaries – a particularly barbed attack on white Christianity being imposed on Native Americans.
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World Without Tomorrow – a song right out of the Johnny Cash songbook.
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Going Back – whether it be straight country or Native American country matters not, here is a familiar theme – going back to the land of your youth and your ancestors. The potency here is of course the fact that the land is truly, before all else, the ancestral home of the Native American.
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Thirty Five More Miles – the story of Floyd's mother and her suffering.
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Red, White and Black – an interesting song juxtaposing the separate and distinct civil rights movements of Native Americans and Afro Americans and accusing white America of playing favourites.
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Where Were You When – a great song having a go at opportunistic people in the Native American civil rights movement. Much like something Phil Ochs would have written. Biting. Ouch!
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Here Come the Anthros – a hilarious, satirical, humorous song about anthropologists coming to research Native Americans
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They Didn't Listen – a powerful song about about environmental degradation in the search for wealth. Interestingly Westerman updated the song later to include the contentious "uranium mining" issue.
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Task Force – another humorous song – though this one darkly so. About a "task force" from Washington who come to see why the "Indians" are unhappy.
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B.I.A. – a Native American chant in both Native Indian dialect and English that attacks the B.I.A …. the Bureau of Indian Affairs (thanks google)
Sounds
Custer Died for Your Sins
the rerecorded version
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oY_a-HjdiOE
original attached
World Without Tomorrow
the rerecorded version
Other:
- It would be remiss of me not to point out these songs are universal enough to be relevant to any peoples dispossessed of their traditional lands whether they be Irish, Croatian or (especially) Australian Aboriginal. The WASP "invasions" of both Aboriginal and Native American lands are strikingly similar (though with some fundamental differences) and much of this album can be transported to present day Australia … "sorry" or not. There has been no official "sorry" in America but I suspect the knowledge of Native American problems as well as sympathy for them has more popular support than the equivalent here in Oztralia. Interestingly, the music of the Australian aboriginal, they being largely rural Australians till recently, is also country, not reggae or hip hop or any other forms of music associated with African Americans which they have little in common with. This is something that is largely overlooked, even though there have been quite a few Aboriginal country acts … and that is saying something as the Australian country music establishment is even more reactionary and conservative than the American equivalent. (Where are "Mop and the Dropouts" when you need them?)
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(originally posted: 17/01/2010)
