One-Way Monday Morning
Just Past the 2023 Rubicon
I was listening to a pinch of a story on NPR about how young people view time, compared to how old-er people view time. And no big surprise, older people view it as a countdown – finite, while younger folks, such as the readers of Texas Fly Caster, have great difficulty not seeing the future as infinite in its vastness.
For example: The first time I did the landscaping in the front yard, I did it to last a lifetime, sweating and mumbling “lifetime guarantee, lifetime guarantee…” and then I promptly outlived that guarantee. The last three weeks I have been outside replacing the lifetime guarantee mumbling, “smart landscaping, I’ll never outlive it, I’ll never outlive it …” and doing improvements with style, intelligence and just reliable enough to last well into the next person’s life who will say, “… this guy was thinking.” Young people: There’s a significant difference between thinking you did a lifetime guaranteed improvement and knowing you just did a lifetime improvement.
Day 184
Today is number 184 of 2023! I think it is about time to relocate some music to get us thoughtfully and even happily through the remaining days of 2023! You remember music don’t you? Maybe if I didn’t bathe myself in silence, I would think less about the finite nature of life, and more about getting the bricks level in the new walkway?
The music scene has really taken back my ears even as I run way behind in finding the new releases dropping left and right.
IT IS almost as if the music world is finally coming up for air, freed to work together after the dark days of the world pandemic. The sounds are familiar, yet fresh, reassuring me that some of the things I love made it through and are still here for all of our enjoyment. Although the pandemic is an ancient memory for many, the lag time between creating music and releasing music for our pleasures, means we are now feeling the revival, and energy that is so sorely needed after the long strange shutdown.
Govt. Mule
This release? Go get it, and thank me later. Unbelievably good, and at times great, “Peace Like a River,” is a spectacular show of what has made Government Mule so great over the decades, yes my friends that much time has past.
A guest appearance by Billy F. Gibbons is a perfect example of fresh and familiar. Gibbon’s vocals come in so quietly that you wonder at first; what kind of effect they are running Warren Haynes’ voice through on the track, “Shake Our Way Out,” but the effect (another voice) comes on more and more as the song progresses. It sounds like clouds of shaman smoke swirling around Haynes vocal until it moves to the forefront. Then finally I realized, “That’s Billy F.’n Gibbons!” Haynes, his band and guest musicians are as sharp and tight as they have ever been, and if you love lead guitar that talks to you? You have to check out this double helping “Peace I Need.” Not to be left out, another guest B.B. Thornton does his best Cohen impression on “The River Only Flows One Way.”
Son Volt – Day of the Doug
It seems like Jay Farrar has been invisible from my view for awhile now, whether it is solo work or the music he does with Son Volt. Let me just say , “Jay Farrar is a Texan now.” Anyone who sings about, “… good old Seguin?” He’s taking the time to stop and smell the yellow roses. Geographic name dropping is an old musical trick, but I bite every time – like a bass seeing a Clouser, if you know what I mean. Considering this is a SON VOLT release, he seems to have assembled a band that is Texas as well (expect the accordion to appear here!). Very good.
Wilco – Cruel Country
A bit of commentary, is what we have here, not a batch of country cover music. Do we ever know what to expect from Wilco? I don’t know about you, but I just keep playing this one over and over again.
Foo Fighters – But Here We Are
Did you ever wonder if they would recover? Maybe this is recovery? “But Here We Are,” the title of their 2023 release is what some older children of ours call, “new rock your parents can handle,” and that may be true. Besides, we older rockers are very familiar with bands that experience losses, heavy losses, like the sad, tragic death of drummer Taylor Hawkins. Josh Freese picks up the sticks and the Foo Fighters deliver a security blanket of familiar sound that they really are still here. Listen closely to the lyrics. Grohl doesn’t hide any of his feelings here. Thank you Taylor. Thank you Dave.
Lucinda Williams – Stories From a Rock N Roll Heart
If you have taken time to go see Lucinda Williams live, then you know you never know. Now that she seems to be making yet another recovery, this time from a stroke, we are more obliged than ever to take value in her and her music whenever it comes. Lucinda Williams is a true treasure. What will we get from the “Stories” release? We will know soon. The new studio album hit the stores June 30th. My copy just got to my door Friday.
Bob Dylan – Shadow Kingdom
Yeah, Bob Dylan. Of course Bob Dylan. You always owe Bob a listen, and what you will hear in the June release is typical for the living King of his own kingdom. Stripped down nuggets of famous songs that paints yet another picture, or rather fills in some of the shadows of masterpieces. At 79-years young, I will take and cherish whatever Bob Dylan does, and I will hear it with great bias. If you have followed along on my musical journey, you know I put off listening to Dylan for years because I knew putting one toe in his deep waters would sink me – just like fly fishing has. I wasn’t wrong. My musical library contains vastly more Bob Dylan CD’s (remember CD’s?) than any other single artist or group.
REMINDER: Click on those images above – to ORDER DIRECTLY from Amazon.com today!
HALFWAY HOUSE
My true confession is that the always halfway done house? will probably always be halfway done. But, there is this other house, contained as it is in aluminum, and sitting on brand new rims. And the realignment of my mind on brick-and-mortar homework has a purpose – retraining my brain for the final push of the Airstream Safari rebuild. It is easy to lose confidence in your mechanical ability – especially if you’re not using it. At least it was easy for me to lose it! The halfway house is my “pre-season” before game-time-last-season building the 1970 Airstream Safari trailer into the next Fish Camp away. And not only is it a “fish camp,” it could well become a far roaming fly shop coming to you soon-ish.
Category: Body-Mind-Soul, Culture on the Skids, Fly Fisher Health and Wellness, Life Observed, Music
