‘Rebel’ Rod’s Ramblings and other things – Linda Ronstadt, Emmylou Harris, Gram Pasons, & The Pointer Sisters, or My radio show is back this Saturday night!
Rod Ames
Posted On December 4, 2010
I hope everyone had a great Thanksgiving. I did.
My sister was down here from Denton, Texas and we were able to catch up on some things and eat a lot of great food.
She is a rabid fan of my radio show, and brought along some music for me to consider playing on the show. As evidenced by her selections, I have the feeling she is suggesting I play more music from a more feminine perspective.
I, being an open minded kind of guy, decided to carefully consider this symbolic stack of musical suggestions by actually listening to them.
The first in the small stack of three CD’s was Linda Ronstadt & Emmylou Harris’, “Western Wall:The Tucson Sessions”. The very first cut was the eerily emotional, yet beautiful performed “Loving the Highway Man”. I felt a better title would have been “Damn the Highway Man”. Seriously! However, it is what it is, and the main fact is that this is a great song, performed by two classic artists.
The very next song is “Raise the Dead”, penned by Ms. Harris. I instantly knew this is the one I would be playing on my show this Saturday night, when “For a Dancer” began to play.
“Dammit!” I said out loud to myself.
Jackson Browne has always been one of my favorite songwriters and Ms. Ronstadt sings it beautifully here. So I thought to myself, “It’s my show, and I can play what I want!”
I have to admit though. The CD came out of the player at that moment so as not to further frustrate me. This is one great record and you will eventually hear me play the record in its entirety in the very near future.
Next up was Emmylou Harris’ “Songbird”. The package consists of two CD’s and a DVD. Disc one possesses many of Ms. Harris’s classics from her early days with Gram Parsons. Naturally, I did not even have to listen to this one to know that I would be playing, at the least, “The Angels Rejoiced Last Night” and “The Old Country Baptizing”. I didn’t even get to disc two or the DVD yet, but I can assure you I will!
The last and the most versatile from the small stack of discs she delivered to me was The Pointer Sisters, “Yes We Can – The Best of the Blue Thumb Recordings”. This marvelous collection of songs was taken from their first two or three records when their were four sisters, Anita, Bonnie, Ruth, & June Pointer.
The very first cut on the record is the very first song I ever heard from these four very talented ladies back in 1973. “Yes We Can”, penned by Allen Toussaint and remarkably performed by The Pointer Sisters, completely blew me away back then, and has not lost an ounce of its punch since.
The Blue Thumb period was absolutely the most creative period of these four ladies’ career, in my humble opinion. A long with Linda Ronstadt, Emmylou Harris, you will be hearing several cuts from this incredible collection of tunes as well. There are many choices and I have not yet decided which ones, but their version of Willie Dixon’s “Wang Dang Doodle” is fantastic as is the surprisingly country “Fairytale”.
I’m thinking over a four hour period I can at the very least work in all three of these very special tunes.
So, thanks Sis. I appreciate the suggestions, and suppose I’ll have to dedicate my next “‘Rebel’ Rod’s From Under the Basement” radio program to my sister.
