resounding reviews

"I think they are all homosexual communists in Satan's army...I espect as well they all live together and bathe together every morning and have the anal sex with one another, with the fisting and the guinea pigs." - Manuel Estimulo
"motards" - Bravo Romeo Delta of Anticipatory Retaliation
"I can never quite tell if the defeatists are conservative satirists poking fun at the left or simply retards. Or both. Retarded satire, perhaps?" - Kyle
"You're an effete fucktard" - Jeff Goldstein of Protein Wisdom
"This is the most pathetic blog ever..." - Ames Tiedeman
"You two [the Rev and el Comandante] make an erudite pair. I guess it beats thinking." - Matt Cunningham (aka Jubal) of OC Blog
"Can someone please explain to me what the point is behind that roving gang of douchebags? I’m being serious here. It’s not funny, and doesn’t really make anything that qualifies as logical argument. Paint huffers? Drunken high school chess geeks?" - rickinstl

Swervin' in my Lane....kinda

I did say this was a music blog one time and meant it sincerely...

"The 20th Maine was the unit at the end of the line at Little Round Top on the Second Day of

the Battle of Gettysburg and if it hadn't been for them, all you motherfuckers would talk like

me!" --Steve Earle

Cold Dog Soup and Rainbow Pie -- Guy Clark

Not so long ago, I reconnected with an overly refined friend of mine, the radical lesbian Catholic theologian activist who has some very interesting things to say in between the proper nouns. In a recent note, she mentioned that she had spent the weekend in Nashville at Vanderbilt Divinity School but hadn't heard a note of "country music, thank God!" before leaving for her annual vacation back to our home town and then on to Germany. Love her dearly, respect her dedication and integrity, but felt that deserved a response...especially since she was cautioning me on twisting the tail of my fans from some of my more political posts...since this is the gal who went to Argentina in 1980 to do pastoral counseling with the families of the disappeared, I thought cautioning me was a bit arch...anyway, the relevant piece of my response.

Dublin Blues by Guy Clark

Shame about the country music, but a lot of the stuff based in Nashville is really just pop music with bluejeans and big hats. Lots of sequins, but lacking the charm of the Nudie Suits. (Always kinda wanted one in black leather, with Vikings and M16s picked out in ruby and purple sequins or something. )

[caption id="attachment_22" align="aligncenter" width="588"]

Mr. Clark[/caption]

"One of the best country oriented folk artists of the last 40 years is Guy Clark, who has never worn a Nudie Suit. He's won tons of Americana awards, influenced a wide variety of artists and writers and generally stayed pretty true to himself. American Songwriter recently did a profile on the guy -- he's in his early 70s and not in the greatest of health -- and it came out that he has is going to receive a "Poets Award" this year at the annual Academy of Country Music awards show. He's being honored along with Hank Williams, Sr. Who died on New Years Day, 1951 -- anyway, the letter to Clark announcing the award said "Mr. Clark and Mr. Williams are not required to attend the ceremony..." So, Clark is planning on not attending since he wouldn't want to upstage Hank.

"You're missing a lot of stuff in Country/Americana music. Lots of it is pretty silly, but some of it is interesting and a lot of the stuff is very good indeed. As Steve Earle is fond of saying, "It's amazing how much pinko shit you can put in a bluegrass record..." Here are a few...

Dixieland by Steve Earle

Going Nowhere Blues -- Robert Earl Keen

Black Diamond Strings -- Guy Clark and Emmylou Harris

"Enjoy the vacation. I'll be with Mr. Clark and Mr. Williams..." And probably some time with Ms. Harris as well...