In the interest in resuscitating a near-dead corner of the internet, I'm going to devote this long-overdue entry to my simmering [what's a milder word for obsession?] with the song John Henry.
...Not sure what got me going on this, but I've been accumulating several different versions of this song from different artists. For me, the song is just about one of the best American songs around. Its' got the man-versus-machine/man-beats-machine/man-dies-from-exhaustion storyline that really resonates with the kids these days. [Kind of like an early folksie version of the Matrix or the Terminator - only without all the suck-ass sequels]. John really pokes a finger in the eye of technocrats, so the theme is timeless. Its' even got a side story about his woman who also takes-names-and-kicks-ass. Given the right interpretation, the whole story plays itself out on top of a hard-driving train-inspired rhythm and melody. What more could you ask of a song?
Anyway, so far I've put together a collection of this song performed by:
- Brownie McGhee and Sonny Terry. …came across this song while a DJ at WUVT. These guys tear it up.
- John Cephas and Phill Wiggins. …two great contemporary (aka living) piedmont blues artists from Virginia that play the same instruments as Brownie McGhee and Sonny Terry (guitar and harmonica), but a smoother delivery.
- Doc Watson. Not bad, perhaps a bit too laid back for me, but that's just Doc Watson's delivery. This guy has one of the mellowest deliveries around - he could turn a Napalm Death tune into a lullaby.
- Paul Robeson. …not sure what to make of this one. Very formal. Sounds like a funeral. Still, this guy is kind of a legend. ...got it from the Corvallis Public Library.
The deliveries are pretty contrasting.
In Time (the Revelator), Gillian Welch doesn't take on the song explicitly, but her Elvis Presley Blues incorporates its elements and links them to the Elvis very creatively.
I kind of want to keep diggin and find the best version out there...
2 comments:
It is really hard to gauge which version is best given the short clip you get of each song. I mean to compare the versions we can say that each has a harp in the intro followed by a voice that has been cultured by moonshine and hushpuppies. Sounds good, though I think bourbon may be a better mix. That being said I'd have to go with the Brownie and Sonny version. They seemed to have more in it. Maybe it was a first cut. But I think you really need to hear the whole thing. And I think a responsible blogger would inform their reader's if this story is real or just myth.
100 percent god's honest truth, Z.
as a postscript to this entry, I just listened to the Mississippi John Hurt tune that NPR had posted on their website. There's no coincidence that Gillian Welch's Elvis Presley Blues has some strong John Henry influences. The melody is almost exactly the same as this Mississippi John Hurt tune. How 'bout that.
I also just found out that files with a .ram extension are "real audio media" files and can be heard using their player.
Many links on the blog entry are to the smithsonian Global Sounds website. I think the complete Brownie Mcghee and Doc Watson tracks cost 99 cents, but the John Cephas/Phil Wiggins track is slighty more expensive. I have all three, so if you're in Corvallis make sure to ask me about 'em.
Post a Comment