JOHN HARTFORD - Morning Bugle - (Warner Brothers) - 1972, comment, review, banjo, country, alt country.

I said this in an earlier comment:

Is John Hartford an acquired taste?

Maybe.

Though a lot of that "maybe" depends on where you start in his repertoire and what you know of music before hand.

For background on Hartford see?What Frank is Listening to #93 and #154.

There I called Hartford "Progressive" or "Weird" country. He is still that, but as I said then he is also much more.

I said, “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”.

I also said in relation to his "Aereo Plain" album in "What Frank is Listening to #154": “This album is his old timey album with bluegrass and Appalachian sounds thrown in. Hartford however is no mere traditionalist as themes are updated to suit the modern world. Its as if the music of times past was never marginalized but remained the dominant mainstream music and current concerns were incorporated into the sound, just like in rock music”.

This album is more mainstream, but that doesn’t diminish the thoughtfulness of the songs. Floating in the background is Hartford's personality which is definitely and defiantly left of centre. This is more of a folk-blues type album but it's still a little left of centre. There is a genuine fondness for the past, and not one based on some right wing misty eyed conservative reaction to the present. The past Hartford conjures up in his music was simpler, but not conservative, with all sorts of left of centre people populating his songs. The sadness or melancholy feel he sometimes elicits when singing about days gone by is sometimes so overwhelming it seems as he realizes that those days are indeed gone and can never be returned to whilst at other times he sings with conviction for a change of pace for the present, a change of pace that reflects life in times past. I assume from those seemingly contradictory themes that what is an ideal world would be a world where the best of the past is brought into the present and the worst of the present is done away with.

The album as all the others I have heard is well played and the informal sitting around the porch jam (the production by John Simon must have amounted to holding a microphone and not much else) ads to the ye olde worlde feel of the album

Tracks (best in italics)

Streetcar – Hartford – to some this is 100% corn. To me it reminds me of my youth in N'Orlens. The fact I didn’t visit New Orleans till I was in my 20s has nothing to do with it. Do you have to experienced what the singer sings about to understand his message? I suspect the answer is no. An emotional reaction is enough and this gentle song about simple times past can affect anyone who has seen places change.
Nobody Eats at Linebaugh's Anymore – Hartford – another gentle lament about changing times, this time about Nashville country music turning its back on its institutions in favour of Nashville’s theme parks. ie: a reference to the corporatisation of country music.
Howard Hughes' Blues – Hartford – it is what it says … and it's a good 'un.
All Fall Down – Hartford – not sure what this is about.
On the Road – Hartford – a old timey country blues about a man on the road but it's definitely not Kerouac. Excellent. Any emotional involvement with the protagonist narrator is as much elicited from the music and vocal pitch as from the words. Just goes to show communication is more than just words.
Morning Bugle – Hartford – almost an autobiographical song.
Old Joe Clark – Hartford – a excellent song about an opportunistic evangelist "Old Joe Clark" done partly as a narrative and partly as a revival tent rouser, all with tongue firmly in cheek. Not unlike, in mood anyway, to Ray Davies early 70s output (I'm convinced Ray was listening to a lot of country around that time).

Old Joe Clark was a preacher-man

He preached all over the plain

The highest text he ever took

Was a-High, Low, Jack, and a-Game.

Well, he came down to my house

And showed me all of his cards

He whispered low in his gambler's voice

It's really not too hard

I ain't never had no trouble

Just walk around wearing a sheet

Buncha people waving them palm leaves

Just to keep Joe Clark from the heat

Well, Old Joe Clark's got 2 little girls

To wash his feet and sing

"Old Joe Clark", I heard one say

"We'll give you anything"

Let's go down to the church-house

There's a lotta good things goin' down

The crown turns over at 9 o'clock

With the cream of the underground

CHORUS: Well get on down to Canaan brother

There's a lotta good things goin' down

With a little bit of luck and a couple of bucks

You could be down there when the Glory rolls

Wake up brother, there's a new day coming

And it hasn't got time to stop

If'n you got the bread, you could change your head

You could be down there when the Glory rolls

My Rag – Hartford – yup, a banjo rag … hey did you know this guy Hartford can really play (derrr).
Late Last Night When My Willie Came Home – Traditional – yes, it's sung straight. Willie was downtown fooling around but eventually went home.
Got No Place to Go – Hartford – a mood piece.
Bye-Bye – Hartford – a fitting end … a jam with largely nonsensical lyrics.

And …

Not as good as "Aereo Plain", which was great, but head and shoulders above a lot else – I'm keeping it.

Chart Action

No chart action.

Sounds

Streetcar

attached

Nobody Eats at Linebaugh's Anymore

attached

Howard Hughes' Blues

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fvuyBSG1ZZE&feature=PlayList&p=D5B79B4196FCB969&playnext_from=PL&playnext=1&index=2

Morning Bugle
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S5_mp6_ERDc