The Texas Legends Series: Volume Six - Joe Ely, Jimmie Dale Gilmore, and Butch Hancock

 I know this was a rather obvious choice for the Texas Legends series, but that doesn't mean it isn't sorely needed (especially when I discovered that most of Butch Hancock's solo stuff is out of print).  I also like to do homages to artists that are still making music, so it's worth mentioning that the Flatlanders 2021 release, Treasure of Love, was very good, albeit a little inconsistent.  Hope everyone likes it.  I also re-upped the previous five Texas Legends series compilations. 

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Hello, Stranger (live)	Butch Hancock & Jimmie Dale Gilmore
Way Downtown	Jimmie Dale Gilmore with The Wronglers
Row Of Dominoes	Joe Ely
Queen Of Heaven	Joe Ely
Perfection In The Mud	Butch Hancock
Chase the Wind	Jimmie Dale Gilmore
Going Away	The Flatlanders
Just a Wave, Not the Water	Jimmie Dale Gilmore
Roll Around	Butch Hancock
Goodbye Old Missoula	Jimmie Dale Gilmore
Ranches and Rivers	Joe Ely
Braver Newer World	Jimmie Dale Gilmore
West Texas Waltz	Joe Ely
Mobile Blue	The Flatlanders
South Wind Of Summer	The Flatlanders
Pumpkineater	Butch Hancock
Keeper Of The Mountain	The Flatlanders
Another Colorado	Jimmie Dale Gilmore

The Texas Legends Series - Volume Five: Guy Clark, Blaze Foley, and Kimmie Rhodes

 It's time for another Texas Legends series compilation, though this one's a bit more downbeat than the other ones (check them out here).  If you're looking to do a deeper dive, I would start with Blaze Foley's Live at the Austin Outhouse, Guy Clark's Dublin Blues, and Kimmie Rhodes' West Texas Heaven.   You can also check out Blaze and Kimmie cuts on my 90's Texas alternative country compilation.  Lastly, I also recommend the Blaze Foley biopic Blaze, which is currently available on Netflix. In addition to Ben Dickey and Alia Shawkat as Blaze and his girlfriend Sybil, I really liked Charlie Sexton's portrayal of Townes Van Zandt.

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Dublin Blues	Guy Clark
Brother Flower	Kimmie Rhodes, Townes Van Zandt
Darlin'	Blaze Foley
I Should Have Been Home	Blaze Foley
Honky Tonk Song	Guy Clark
Just To Be Near You	Kimmie Rhodes
L.A. Freeway	Guy Clark
Let Me Ride in Your Big Cadillac	Blaze Foley
Rhinestone Highway	Kimmie Rhodes and Willie Nelson
Sittin' by the Road	Blaze Foley
Uncertain Texas	Guy Clark
Take Me Down	Kimmie Rhodes
Angels Get The Blues	Kimmie Rhodes
Oval Room	Blaze Foley
The South Coast of Texas	Guy Clark
I Just Drove By	Kimmie Rhodes
Better Days	Guy Clark
If I Could Only Fly	Blaze Foley

The Texas Legends Series - Volume Three: Shaver, Dale Watson, and Ray Wylie Hubbard

   Back in 2012, I posted a compilation featuring three great Texas artists: James Hand, Justin Trevino, and Don Walser and then last year, I posted a second volume of Texas legends - The Gourds, Doug Sahm, and Spoon.  I decided not to wait another six years so here's another volume in the Texas Legend Series featuring Billy Joe Shaver, Dale Watson, and Ray Wylie Hubbard.   I won't discuss their careers except to mention that Billy Joe Shaver was supposedly the inspiration for the Jeff Bridges character in the movie Crazy Heart.  Also, I must issue a mea culpa - I haven't been keeping up with Dale Watson's recordings over the last 5-6 years, but was very pleasantly surprised (well, not really surprised) at how good his latest, Call Me Lucky, is.  Additionally, if I had to recommend just one album from each of the featured artists, I'd go with Shaver's Tramp on Your Street, Dale Watson's I Hate These Songs, and Ray Wylie Hubbard's Loco Gringo's Lament.

     I've also re-upped a bunch of other Texas artists:
The Damnations' Where it Lands
The 3 named singer-songwriter compilation
The Robert Earl Keen - Lyle Lovett compilation
A Trip Back to Alternative Country - Volume 4 compilation

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(Up Against The Wall) Redneck Mother Ray Wylie Hubbard Highway Of Life Shaver Sweet Jessie Brown Dale Watson Nashville Rash Dale Watson When She Sang Amazing Grace Ray Wylie Hubbard Restless Wind Shaver ...Loose Nut Behind The Wheel Dale Watson She Can Dance Shaver Love Never Dies Ray Wylie Hubbard Coricidin Bottle Ray Wylie Hubbard Hey Driver Dale Watson This River Runs Red Ray Wylie Hubbard Ragged Old Truck Billy Joe Shaver I Hate These Songs Dale Watson Bottom Dollar Billy Joe Shaver Blue Eyes Dale Watson The Ballad Of The Crimson Kings Ray Wylie Hubbard Live Forever Shaver

Brazilian Legends: Jorge Ben, Gal Costa, and Elza Soares

I decided to take a little break from my yearly Texas Legends series this year and instead go a little further south for a Brazilian Legends compilation.  Alas, both Elza Soares and Gal Costa died in 2022.  But Jorge Ben is fortunately still alive at 85 and underappreciated (at least in the U.S.)

   If you are newcomers to Ben, Costa, and Soares, a lot of their recordings are only available on Spotify or Youtube.  I would particularly recommend Jorge Ben's Ben É Samba Bom and O Bidu, Costa's Fa Tal: Gal a Todo Vapor and 1969, and Soares' Elza Pede Passagem and Se Acaso Você Chegasse.

 Late Update:  Since the subject is Brazilian Legends, I've reupped both Caetano Veloso collections as well as the Brazil Classics compilation.

  Download both discs

Disc 1 Falsa Baiana	Gal Costa
Que Maravilha	Toquinho & Jorge Ben
Deixa Isso Pra La	Elza Soares
Rio Carnaval dos Carnavais	Elza Soares
Apareceu Aparecida	Jorge Ben
Desafinado	Gal Costa
Primeiro Eu	Elza Soares
Tuareg	Gal Costa
Pais Tropical	Jorge Ben
Mas Que Nada	Jorge Ben
Eu Sou Terrivel	Gal Costa
Boato	Elza Soares
Eu Vim Da Bahia	Gal Costa
Pressentimento	Elza Soares
Onde Anda O Meu Amor	Jorge Ben
Disc 2
Canário da Terra	Elza Soares & João de Aquino
Baby	Gal Costa e Caetano Veloso
Nascimento de um principe african	Jorge Ben
Meus Filhos, Meu Tesouro	Jorge Ben
Barato Total	Gal Costa
Bom Dia Portela	Elza Soares
O Dia Que o Sol Declarou o Seu Amor Pela Terra	Jorge Ben Jor
Dedo Duro	Elza Soares
Criola (Ao Vivo)	Jorge Ben Jor
Biscate	Gal Costa
Presente Cotidiano	Gal Costa
Lição de Vida	Elza Soares
A Tamba	Jorge Ben
Sambou Sambou	Elza Soares
Negro Amor	Gal Costa & Jorge Drexler

The Texas Legends Series - Volume Two: The Gourds, Doug Sahm, and Spoon

     Six years ago, I posted a compilation featuring three great Texas artists: James Hand, Justin Trevino, and Don Walser.   It's been a long time, but I finally have another volume in the series, this time with a more disparate collection of great Texas artists: The Gourds, Doug Sahm, and Spoon.  In addition to the aforementioned comp, I've also re-upped a bunch of other Texas-centric stuff: The Damnations' Where it Lands, the 3 named singer-songwriter compilation, and the Robert Earl Keen - Lyle Lovett compilation.

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Mendocino	Doug Sahm
(The New Way Of) Grievin' & Smokin'	The Gourds
Do You	Spoon
You Got Yr. Cherry Bomb	Spoon
You're Gonna Miss Me	Doug Sahm & Sons
Gin And Juice	The Gourds
First Caress	Spoon
Stab	The Gourds
I Wanna' Be Mama Again	Doug Sahm
It's Gonna Be Easy	Doug Sahm
I Summon You	Spoon
Cold Bed	The Gourds
Love Don't Treat Me Fair	The Sir Douglas Quintet
Vittorio E.	Spoon
Bugs	The Gourds
I Don't Want	Doug Sahm
Everything Hits at Once	Spoon
Makes Me Roll	The Gourds

The Texas Legends Series - Volume Four: Terry Allen and James McMurtry

      I'm trying not to dwell on the stuff I missed because of the pandemic, but.....I'm still a little bummed that I didn't get to see Terry Allen as he was scheduled to play a concert in Brooklyn last month.  I've never seen him live and his new album Just Like Moby Dick is really impressive - probably his best since Lubbock on Everything.  I should note that I don't have a cut from the new one on this compilation because I finished putting it together before I heard about the new album.  Also, I've re-upped the previous Texas Legend Series compilations as well as the following Texas artists and compilations:

The Damnations' Where it Lands
The 3 named singer-songwriter compilation
The Robert Earl Keen - Lyle Lovett compilation
A Trip Back to Alternative Country - Volume 4 compilation
The Wondrous Ways of Willie Nelson 

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The Bottom of the World	Terry Allen
We Can't Make It Here	James McMurtry
Tired Of Walking	James McMurtry
Texas Tears	Terry Allen & The Panhandle Mystery Band
Sixty Acres	James McMurtry
I Blame God	Terry Allen
How'm I Gonna Find You Now	James McMurtry
Gonna California	Terry Allen
Writing on Rocks Across the U.S.A.	Terry Allen
Safe Side	James McMurtry
The Burden	Terry Allen
Fight (Tonight's The Night)	James McMurtry
Amarillo Highway	Terry Allen
Too Long In The Wasteland	James McMurtry
Southern Comfort	Terry Allen
Levelland	James McMurtry

Country/Folk Legends: Kris Kristofferson, Bob Neuwirth, and Mickey Newbury

       I'm taking a break from the Texas Legends Series (they're all still available to download), though I do anticipate doing a few more in the future.  I'm can't precisely remember why I decided on Kristofferson, Neuwirth, and Newbury, though I do recall I was listening to a lot of Newbury a while back (and it was before Neuwirth sadly died a year ago).  Nonetheless, I think the three sound good together and serve as an excellent soundtrack for any lazy summer weekend doings.  I should note that Newbury and Kristofferson were both born in Texas (Neuwirth was born in Akron, Ohio), but they were both more associated with Nashville, especially Newbury.  And if you want to dig deeper into their respective catalogs, I'd start with Kristofferson's "Kristofferson", Neuwirth's "99 Monkeys", and Newbury's "Harlequin Melodies". Actually, I think Newbury's best albums are 'Frisco Mabel Joy" and "Heaven Help the Child", but they're inexplicably out of print.

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She Even Woke Me Up To Say Go	Mickey Newbury
I Wish I Was A Mole In The Ground	Bob Neuwirth with Eliza Carthy
Billy Dee	Kris Kristofferson
Born to Die Alone	Kris Kristofferson
Aracely's Natia	Bob Neuwirth
Why You Been Gone So Long	Mickey Newbury
The Lady's Not For Sale	Kris Kristofferson
Annabelle Lee	Bob Neuwirth
T. Total Tommy	Mickey Newbury
Somebody Nobody Knows	Kris Kristofferson
Life Is For Living	Bob Neuwirth
Frisco Depot	Mickey Newbury
Rock Salt and Nails	Bob Neuwirth
Why Me	Kris Kristofferson
Sweet Memories	Mickey Newbury
Just Dropped In	Mickey Newbury
Between Heaven And Here	Kris Kristofferson
Blue Detour	Bob Neuwirth

Remembering James Hand and Tom T. Hall

     It's been a pretty dismal 18 months now and a lot of music greats have died.  In just the last two weeks, Tom T. Hall, Don Everly, Lee "Scratch" Perry, and Charlie Watts have left us.   Another loss that I was not aware of until a couple of months ago was James Hand, the great country singer from Texas who died in June 2020.  I probably would still not have known about this were it not for Charley Crockett releasing an entire album of James Hand covers earlier this year that I highly recommend.  As a further homage to James Hand, I'm posting his out of print debut album, Shadows Where the Magic Was, a true honky-tonk masterpiece from 1997.   He's also one the first Texas Legends compilation (with Don Walser and Justin Trevino)  Since much of Tom T. Hall's output is still available for streaming and/or purchase, I'm posting the out of print 1998 tribute album: Real: A Tom T. Hall project.  As with all tribute albums, there are a few misses, but this one has a really high batting average. 

Shadows Where the Magic Was

Over There That's Frank
Baby Baby Don't Tell Me That
I Heard Mama Callin
Heart Of Mine
I Can't Afford To Go
The Banks Of The Brazos
If You Can't Tell The Difference
Little Bitty Slip
Shadows Where The Magic Was
Lord Above Can You Hear Me
Not Worth The Trouble Anymore
Merry Christmas Darlin'
Everybody Got It But Me
My Hearts' Been Cheatin' On Me

Real: A Tom T. Hall Project

I Washed My Face in the Morning Dew     Johnny Cash

That's How I Got to Memphis                 Kelly Willis

When Love Is Gone                             Richard Buckner

Don't Forget the Coffee, Billy Joe             R.B. Morris

Coffee, Coffee, Coffee                             Freedy Johnston

Old Enough to Want to (Fool Enough to Try)  Jonny Polonsky

Ships Go Out                                             Ron Sexsmith

I Miss a lot of Trains                             Iris Dement

Tulsa Telephone Book                             Calexico

Harper Valley P.T.A.                             Syd Straw & The Skeletons

Spokane Motel Blues                             Joel R.L. Phelps

Homecoming                                             Joe Henry

The Water Lily                               Ralph Stanley featuring Ralph Stanley II

I'm Not Ready Yet                                     The Mary Janes

Candy in the Window                             Mary Cutrufello

I Hope it Rains at my Funeral        Whiskeytown

It Sure Can Get Cold in Des Moines    Mark Olson With Victoria Williams