Looking for additions to my setlist

[Chipotle]

Hmm... how about Birth of the True by Aztec Camera--already an acoustic solo number!--, a Pogues song like A Pair of Brown Eyes, Dirty Old Town or The Band Played Waltzing Matilda if you want slow and very sad. (Those last two aren't written by the Pogues but did the versions I first heard.)

[rwmct]

Here is a fun song (IMO): Loudon Wainwright invoking the spirit of Charlie Poole:

High Wide and Handsome.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=twV9CY8NCGs

[Laughingboy68]

Originally Posted by Chipotle

Hmm... how about Birth of the True by Aztec Camera--already an acoustic solo number!--, a Pogues song like A Pair of Brown Eyes, Dirty Old Town or The Band Played Waltzing Matilda if you want slow and very sad. (Those last two aren't written by the Pogues but did the versions I first heard.)

I like the Roddy Frame song - I hadn’t heard that one before. There have been many suggestions for very sad songs here. I’m afraid my sad song ratio is already a little too high - or so my wife keeps telling me.

[Laughingboy68]

Originally Posted by rwmct

Here is a fun song (IMO): Loudon Wainwright invoking the spirit of Charlie Poole:



High Wide and Handsome.



https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=twV9CY8NCGs

This one is perfect. That phrase is so striking and LW III is always so funny and touching.

[Laughingboy68]

Originally Posted by jseth

Okay...

One of the new tunes I've worked up is a solo-blues arrangement of "Trans-Island Skyway", from the Donald Fagen record, Kamakiriad... it's basically a very hip "car" song that translates to a nice blues groove (tricky vamp to keep going!) in E7; the chorus departs, of course (It IS Steely Dan harmony,after all!), but it's doable... and I'll segue from that into a couple of the verses from Chuck Berry's "You Can't Catch Me"... then either back to finish the first tune or into something else...

I've always been proud of being able to "pull off" Stevie Wonder's song, "Another Star", on solo voice and 12 string guitar... the double courses of the 12 string give enough weight to the bottom end that I can achieve that opening latin bass groove... using "stop" chording, easy enough to play a few lines over the changes for a bit of a solo... and I ALWAYS love singing Stevie Wonder's songs; our vocal ranges "match up" kindasorta....

When I take on songs like these, it becomes a lot like "rubbing your stomach and patting your head at the same time"; take some concentration and repetitive effort to get the whole thing to be seamless and smooth, the way I want it...

As I've gotten older, certain "classic" songs, whether jazz, folk, blues, rock, what-have-you, have taken on different meanings to me, and I'll adjust tempos or keys or grooves to fit "who I am" now...

Good example, "Lodi", by John Fogarty (Creedence Clearwater Revival). When that tune came out in the early 70's, I was scuffling and struggling to find my own way as a songwriter and singer, tring to sell songs to various companies in LA... and, of course, everything Fogarty put out was instantly a "hit" (which was very much the point of the biz back then). So I heard Lodi, and thought, "Great... another hit for you guys, but I ain't playing that game...".

Now, decades later, Lodi (a town with which I am familiar) represents more of my own life's journey with this thing called music and songwriting... I've been there, I've played rooms like that, towns like that... so it's a deeper meaning for me, and one that isn't truly represented by the "Pop-y" feel of the original.

So I slowed it WAY DOWN, more of a slow gospel feel... check out Ry Cooder's version of "Dark End Of The Street" from a late 70's YT video... and the song really puts across the feel that it gives to me... of course, it makes it a bit dark to play for folks, so I make sure not to put two together that are similar!

With artists/composers that I love, many times there will be a number of their tunes that seem to "fit"; that continue or extend a feeling or storyline. I'll merge one song with another into another... NOT a "medley" per se, but more full versions of the tunes. Both Van Morrison and Bob Dylan are easy ones to "connect", but there are many times when a song of mine works with another which works with another, and I'll bridge them to tell a fuller story.

There you go! Be creative, expand your song/music listening base of operations, PAY ATTENTION to what you hear and what you're feeling... and keep having fun with it!

If you ain't growing and having fun, you may as well pack it in...

Thanks for playing along. Your suggestions are much appreciated.

[Laughingboy68]

Originally Posted by Mandobart

To hear new music you need to explore new artists, or better yet old artists that are never played on commercial radio. Give a listen to Robert Earl Keen, James McMurtry, Slaid Cleaves, Greg Brown...Joe Pug, Jeffery Martin, Justin Townes Earle.

I am already familiar with most of these guys, but there are some great songs here and this is a really good suggestion - I’d never heard Greg Brown or Slaid Cleaves. Nice.

[Laughingboy68]

I just want to thank everyone who contributed to this conversation. I’ve managed to identify several new possibilities thanks to your input.

Much appreciated.

[roylor4]

I REALLY like a lot of Paul Thorns stuff - they can be pop, funny, quirky and well written. Here are some of his I really like:

It's a great day to whoop somebody's ***
Burn Down the Trailer park
Old stray dogs and Jesus
Mission Temple Fireworks stand
Joannie, The Jehovah's witness Stripper

Jonathan Byrd is not well known, but an excellent songwriter:

Chicken Wire
Working Offshore
The Ballad of Larry

Dooley - The Dillards (played it as the Darlings on Andy Griffith show)

All Aboard - Del McCoury

[gfa]

LB68, seems like we have a somewhat similar POV in choosing repertoire. Here are some of my faves from off the beaten path:

-Too Much Time On My Hands-Styx. Works well as a slowed down, stripped down, sort of country bluesy feel.
-I'm 18-Alice Cooper. Seriously! Check it out.
-Oooh La La-Faces. Sort of familiar seeming, but not overexposed, total singalong chorus.
-Sulk, Radiohead.

Have fun. If you're interested, PM me and we can trade songbooks, probably do a lot of poaching from one another.

[BobbyBadd]

A couple odd ball tunes I like to play and seem to go over well

Always look on the bright side of life. - Monty Python

No more Mr Nice Guy - Alice Cooper

[davidbeinct]

Originally Posted by Chipotle

Hmm... how about Birth of the True by Aztec Camera--already an acoustic solo number!--, a Pogues song like A Pair of Brown Eyes, Dirty Old Town or The Band Played Waltzing Matilda if you want slow and very sad. (Those last two aren't written by the Pogues but did the versions I first heard.)

Aztec Camera do a great cover of Van Halen’s Jump which is different enough not to be expected. Another band from that era that you don’t hear as much anymore at Violent Femmes. Blister in the Sun used to always get crowds going. Bring that one back.

[slewis]

Of the songs I do, no song meets your criteria ("1. You love it; 2. It’s an interesting song (lyrics and/or music); 3. It’s not too obvious or too obscure, and 4. At some point you’ve heard an audience respond") than my pretty accurate (but my own) version of John Mayer's St. Patrick's Day. I've always loved the song, and the lyrics, and even JM himself at one point said that it was his pinnacle and standard, at that time, of songwriting. Every once in a while I see someone in the audience connecting with it, and I've had some really appreciative comments from some of them. Just a great song.

One more just came to mind for no apparent reason: Arlo Guthrie's "Coming Into Los Angeles." You know -- from Woodstock.

[wguitar]

I play out occasionally at local coffee shops, farmers market, and the like. The most gratifying audience comments for me is along the lines of " I haven't heard that song in ages - Great Song!" Maybe it feels so good to me because my goal is to find and play songs that aren't played everyday. Some examples of songs that have elicited this type of feedback are Save it For a Rainy Day (Stephen Bishop), Build Me Up Buttercup (The Foundations), Dance with Me (The Drifters), Rhythm of the Rain (The Cascades), and Don't Pull Your Love (Hamilton, Joe, Frank & Reynolds). While I play and enjoy them, try going to a summer venue where you don't hear Margaritaville or Wagon Wheel.

Happy Strumming,

Rick