Whipping Post – Chris Stapleton

I’ve been run down
I’ve been lied to

I know this guy Kenny Greenberg. He’s married to Ashley Cleveland. We met when he was flown to L.A. for a session twenty years ago. He’s gone on to further success with the likes of Luke Bryan. And a month ago he told me about this new series he’s involved with called “Skyville Live.” No one’s ever heard of it. Because it’s paid for by Hearst and distributed on Verizon’s go90 and something called Rated Red and it might as well have been made on Mars. But Kenny just e-mailed me some links and my mind is BLOWN!

Who’s the hottest guy in country music?

CHRIS STAPLETON!

He’s fronting this band. All the rockers have now gone country, and Chris has got more credibility than any act on Active Rock and is much more listenable to boot, because instead of keeping the roots at arm’s length, he’s EMBRACING THEM!

Now, covers have become de rigueur. Something we see on YouTube, almost a cheap shot, somewhere you go when you’ve got nothing left to give.

But this version of “Whipping Post”…

The modern Allmans laid down in the groove and stayed there, they chugged along, whereas this is closer to the Atlanta Rhythm Section, in that the band is powering down the track like a freight train, building energy all the while, carrying you along whether you like it or not.

That’s the power of talent, that’s the power of MUSIC!

Sometimes I feel
Sometimes I feel

Like I can’t be reached, like I’ve seen it all, and then I hear this guy picking out the bass intro to “Whipping Post” and it’s like he’s channeling Berry Oakley, he may be sitting in a chair, but he’s got the music in him.

And then that guitar starts boomeranging and another one comes in and the horns start to blow and then…

Chris starts to sing like he means it. This is not the “Voice,” he’s not overblowing, trying to impress a phantom audience, rather he’s digging down deep and revealing his pain…and we can RELATE!

And the magic of the original Allmans was the twin guitars, and that’s what’ll get you going here, the way they lock in together and then separately solo and wail. When Kenny is working out all you can do is HOLD ON!

My friends tell me
That I’ve been such a fool
And I have to stand down and take it babe
All for lovin’ you

For loving classic rock. A format built on playing. You paid your dues, Duane Allman wouldn’t have known how to social network if Facebook existed, all he knew was when he strapped on his axe, you were closed.

The original version of “Whipping Post” is a marvel, on a Capricorn LP that was almost a complete stiff. But it’s still my favorite. With “Trouble No More” and “Dreams” too.

But I didn’t start there.

I became a fan listening to “Idlewild South” in Dave McCormick’s room on floor two of Hepburn Hall at Middlebury College during the far below freezing days of January. Who wasn’t infected by “Midnight Rider”?

The band was under control on that album, but they let loose on “Fillmore East.”

Overnight the Allman Brothers became the biggest in the land, that’s the power of playing.

And it was all about the side-long “Whipping Post.” They took the original and extended it, added the passion of a live performance, they blew everybody away with the music!

And at this point in time the band is no more. Duane and Berry have been gone for nearly half a century. You’d think you missed it.

But not when you see this “Skyville Live” amalgamation wail.

This is better than any Grammy performance, better than almost all of the Kennedy Center Honors. You get the feeling you’re at a rehearsal of people who did not get the memo, who did not hear that all the money is in banking and tech, who think pushing limits based on their talents is everything in life.

Screw those Grammy moments, faux greatness that leaves us with the blahs. Rather on “Skyville Live” it’s all about focusing on playing as opposed to image, after all music is something you HEAR first and foremost. It’s about a great tune, with great musicians locking on to it, all in service to the song.

If you’re not jumping up and thrusting your arm in the air when this track climaxes, you’ve never been to the rock show, you’ve never known how to let go, you’ve never known the power of music.

But you do now.

P.S. Meanwhile, if you let the Vimeo video play, and why does Vimeo even exist, everything should be on YouTube, especially these cuts, you’ll be exposed to a better take of “Copperhead Road” than the Steve Earle original. He’s now skinny, his hair is thinning, his beard is long, but his voice has deepened and if this makes you go back and listen to “Guitar Town” you’ll be exposed to one of the best country rock albums of all time!

Copperhead Road – Steve Earle

P.P.S. And Robert Hazard may be six feet under, but his anthem “Girls Just Wanna Have Fun” lives on. Somehow the assembled multitude makes this overplayed classic live and breathe. And Cyndi Lauper gets help from the younger generation in this clip, but instead of doing it for the exposure, everybody seems to be having so much FUN!
And fun is the one thing that money can’t buy, remember that. It’s something you have to manufacture yourself, and we used to do it by picking up our instruments and strumming and singing and this is a direct link to what once was, but it doesn’t feel dated at ALL!

Girls Just Wanna Have Fun – Cyndi Lauper

P.P.P.S. Distribution is king, never forget that. Content is what flows through the pipes, and if the pipes are clogged what you’ve made is never gonna reach its destination. The original era of the internet is toast, instant virality is history, everything needs a campaign, everything needs to be worked. And you cannot break immutable laws, you’ve got to go where the people are, you can’t be exclusive to Tidal and you can’t only be on Vimeo. You’ve got to play with the winners, you’ve got to go where the people are!

P.P.P.P.S. And everybody says you’ve got to go to England to see stuff like this. That everybody in America is in it for the cash, and what ultimately is revealed is too slick, too corporate, made for machines, not humans. But then you watch these “Skyville” clips and you think if this just got a push, if people were exposed not only would they be wowed, they’d want to join in and play too!

P.P.P.P.P.S. Listen to Orianthi wail on ZZ Top’s “La Grange.” Music is a big tent, short ones, small ones, big ones, tall ones, girls, boys, we all can play, all you’ve got to do is practice, get off the internet and pay your dues. As for the rest of us, we’re looking for your music to complete us, to turn this life of drudgery into one of excitement, as the assembled multitude does in these clips.

Billy Gibbons – La Grange

Why isn’t this a hit in America?

The Rag’n’Bone Man track  is #1 in eight countries right now, it’s been to number 1 on iTunes in 25 countries, it’s #2 on the European Airplay chart and is even #4 on worldwide Shazam (thanks ROTD for the stats!), but in the States it’s like it doesn’t even exist.

It’s a two listen get. First time you’re interested, the second time you’re hooked, and then with every hearing thereafter you get deeper into it.

Start with the Spotify version, because music really should be heard not seen, even though we keep hearing we live in a visual society, the truth is music when done right goes straight into your brain, bypasses your vision, which might be why Stevie Wonder is such a great artist.

Human – Spotify

But then pull up the video on YouTube, because it’s got its own gravitas, separate from the sound, the images make you believe this is important and that young people have their finger on the zeitgeist and musicians speak for society, when they shoot for that, when they see their art as primarily being about expression as opposed to money.

Human – YouTube

Then click on the live version from Jools Holland. We want to believe you can do it without the trappings, without the studio wizardry/trickery, that you’ve got the essence in you.

And at first Rag’n’Bone Man is underwhelming, he’s quiet and then his power builds and you’re convinced.

This is the way it’s always been, we can’t get enough, we want more, every version.

Human – Live

Some people got the real problems
Some people out of luck

Ain’t that the truth. Remember when musicians channeled our pain instead of boasting?

What a refreshing revelation.

Don’t ask my opinion, don’t ask me to lie
Then beg for forgiveness for making you cry, making you cry

We don’t know. We’ve got more questions than answers. We’re all struggling to get along, to get through. But if you push us we’ll say something, something untrue, something you don’t want to hear, but there will be consequences, there are always consequences.

“Human” was released on July 21st, by Sony Music, it’s been hiding in plain sight, this is not some indie track bubbling in the backwater, why hasn’t this song gotten a chance in the United States, especially now, in an era where the country is divided, it’s hurting and we need healing.

We live in a global village, but with so many marketing messages even the good ones can get lost, they need a push.

Who is failing to push the button in America?

Did Sony drop the ball? Is it waiting for the right time? Waiting is passe, set-up is history, when you’ve got lightning in a bottle, you go for it.

Or it is radio? Stations could own this track, they could play it immediately, the phones would light up, people would need to hear it again. And again. And AGAIN!

Or maybe Spotify could put “Human” on the homepage, seed it in playlists, make it a hit all by its lonesome, but the streaming service is afraid to piss off the labels.

“Human” has got 46+ million streams on Spotify.

It’s got 44+ million on YouTube.

Which means “Human” is getting more spins on paid streaming services, especially once you mix in Apple, Deezer, Tidal, Napster, et al… Is YouTube really the problem? People seem to be gravitating to other services because they’re most user-friendly, with their playlists, mobile utility…

I’m no prophet or messiah
You should go looking somewhere higher

None of us know, none of us is better than anybody else. But we keep hearing people tell us they have the answers.

But they’re only human.

P.S. And now listen to the acoustic version on Spotify, whew!

Human – Acoustic

P.P.S. “Human” is gonna be a monster hit in America, it’s just a matter of when. You heard it here first.

The job of an artist is to speak truth to power.

Where have all the artists gone?

They’re hiding. Afraid of losing their living, just like the rest of America, especially those who voted for Trump.

America is a nation of ideas. A country where everybody is created equal, where everybody gets a fair chance, but not only are those precepts teetering, our entire democracy is being challenged, by the Russians.

And if you don’t trust the CIA, who are you going to trust?

Certainly not Fox News or Breitbart, who refused to report this story.

Fake news from outside agitators? It’s much worse than that, the established news outlets are now untrustworthy. Except for the “Washington Post,” reignited by Jeff Bezos. Because when you’re a billionaire, you’re unafraid.

Now when you’re an artist, you’re just plain scared.

It’s not like we didn’t live through this before, fifty-odd years ago. The Russians were the enemy, but JFK stood up to them, ended the Cuban Missile Crisis, now we’ve got a half-cocked doofus with no experience pointing out Putin’s advantages. If that doesn’t make your head spin, your spine is fused.

So the responsibility is upon us. You and me, the rank and file.

And we’re going to be inspired by the artists, they’re gonna lead, just like they did back then.

But it requires all of us to come together, to stand up to this insanity. Record labels, concert promoters, agents, RADIO! We cannot see a repeat of the Dixie Chicks situation, where media bowed down to the naysayers most vocal. No, media has to push back.

HBO. CBS. Netflix. That’s right, we’re going to harness the power of television, the same enterprise that put this bozo in office, and we’re gonna put him on notice, we’re mad as hell and we’re not gonna take it anymore! Jimmy Iovine, this is time for you to organize, like you did after 9/11, we need a concert on all these outlets, to speak the truth!

It’s already started folks, just look at the cabinet appointments. The majority of this country did not vote for this. And we’re gonna push back. Starting now.

Max Martin, you’re the only one who can save us, along with a bunch of other expats, foreigners like DJ Snake and Mark Ronson, the people who make the hits, you’re under the spotlight, you’ve got to write the track.

All you wannabes looking for publicity, we don’t need you. Unless you’re gonna do cover versions of the hit track. We need the people who make the Spotify Top 50, because they’ve got the greatest reach, they’re the ones people are truly listening to.

Drake, Beyonce, Jay Z, even Kanye. You’ve got to step up to the mic! Of course Drake is Canadian, but so is Neil Young, and he wrote “Ohio”!

And the words are gonna be written by Lin-Manuel Miranda. There’s more truth in “Hamilton” than there is in a passel of hip-hop tracks. As for rock, they haven’t had that spirit there since 1969. But we will give Don Henley and Bob Dylan a crack. We don’t want to exclude winners, we just want a hit song everybody wants to listen to.

Which is broken on Spotify, because that’s where all the hits begin. Daniel Ek has to give this track real estate, homepage status. Apple too, this is a unified effort. This is artists against insanity, and if you support Trump…we don’t need you, unless you suddenly realize you’re in support of truth, justice and the American Way.

The truth is the Russians hacked. Justice means there must be responsibility. And the American Way is democracy, where everyone gets a voice and the majority rules.

Assuming everything’s on the up and up, assuming everything’s fair and square.

This is where we’ve gotten to folks, where facts are irrelevant. And it’s only gonna get worse. The problem isn’t fake news, it’s the newsmakers themselves, they’ve hijacked our country and are telling us to trust them.

No way.

P.S. Didn’t you learn in school that if everybody takes responsibility no one pays the penalty? Or if everyone is penalized the joke is on those enforcing the policy? Have a backbone, all of us must become unafraid. Our country is at stake, truly.

P.P.S. This is not about a re-election but a realignment. We’re gonna hold Trump and his cronies responsible. And push back if they want to cut abortion rights and Social Security and Medicare…because the majority want them!

P.P.P.S. The youth stopped the Vietnam War. And they were fueled by music. Never underestimate the power of art. One person can make a difference. One hit song can turn things around. And it’s our duty to make it and break it.

P.P.P.P.S. Send me hate mail, unsubscribe. I can take it, it’s no time to be afraid. I’m sick of the right pushing back, it’s time for the left to thrust. And, once again, this isn’t about changing the election results, this is about changing America, holding the government accountable to us, the people. This is the biggest crisis in your lifetime. We’re looking for leaders. We’re ready to fall in behind them. A politician is no match for a musician, no way.

We were behind the Russkis.

While we were busy lobbing softballs into space, Yuri Gagarin circumnavigated the globe and turned the United States into a second class citizen.

And then John Glenn trumped him by making three circuits around this mortal coil and then everything was good again, for a while anyway.

The sixties started with the election of John F. Kennedy. This was a big deal, he was young and he was Catholic and he wasn’t supposed to make it but he did, and we immediately had hope.

Heroes. Our country needs ’em.

Ironically, our biggest hero today is an immigrant, Elon Musk. Damned if I don’t believe he’ll take us to Mars. Because he beat Detroit at its own game, even the Asians too. While Toyota was selling hybrids, while Nissan was selling the anemic Leaf, Musk came up with a purely electric car as fast as a Ferrari that didn’t pollute. How did he do that?

That’s what we wondered way back when, how they did it. There was one scientific breakthrough after another. Not just apps spewing cash, but great leaps forward that benefited society. And the truth is the space program delivered so many of them. Back when taxes were not a bad word and we were all in it together.

No, I don’t want to candy-coat the early sixties, it was tough to be an African-American, or a woman, but there was this belief…that we were going somewhere, that we could make it.

And the spearhead for all of this was NASA and the initial seven astronauts.

Today, we’ve got the Super Bowl.

Back then, we had Cape Canaveral.

Remember, this is when airplanes still crashed, when navigation was based on what you could see, when most people hadn’t been far from home base, when Florida was a country away and you tuned in on your black and white to see…was the rocket gonna blast off?

Oftentimes it didn’t. There’d be a countdown, and then it would be stopped. A delay. Could be days before the rocket ultimately went up.

And yes, there was the Apollo fire in ’67, but it wasn’t until the eighties that the Challenger blew up. We were on a winning streak, but success was not taken for granted. You could push a man up into space and he could come back? Really?

So on February 20, 1962, we were all watching. We were all listening. This was our chance, to reclaim our glory as a country. Could we do it?

And our faith was all placed in one man, John Glenn.

Forget the “Right Stuff,” the book and the movie, which made him out to be a choirboy disliked by his compatriots. To those of us at home, he was an All-American risk taker, the only man who could do the job.

AND HE DID!

And only seven years later we put a man on the moon. And watched from our living rooms. How great is that?

But that was an eon later in the culture. The youth had revolted, the old men were out of touch, the establishment was hated, funny how everybody wants to cozy up to corporations today. But the astronauts… No one had a bad word to say about them. They may have been in the military, but they were light years from Vietnam. They were cowboys, prepared for the mission…and the mission was to save America.

Oh, how far we’ve fallen.

We’ve given up the big dreams.

Problems are always extant. Solutions? The public wants to circle the wagons, keep the foreigners out, just so they can survive.

But survival is not enough. You’ve got to have hope. You’ve got to believe.

After the astronauts it was the musicians. They were the only ones left who believed the rules did not apply.

And then the bankers took over and America no longer made anything and infighting was the national sport.

But one man soldiered on.

John Glenn went to Congress. He went up in the space shuttle. He was living proof that…you could make it.

I want to make it, do you?

I want to believe if I put my nose to the grindstone things will work out. I want to live a life so full I have no regrets.

And John Glenn led a full life. Of which I can only be envious.

I actually had dinner with him a bunch of times, he was a friend of Felice’s family. He expounded upon politics, I didn’t ask him about the space race, but others did, and he told it like it was, straightforwardly, after all, he was from Ohio.

But even more than John I enjoyed his wife Annie. They were grade school sweethearts. They’ve been together this long. Now Annie’s alone.

There were kids. Who lived through the sixties and had the same issues we all did, it’s fascinating to talk to them, what was it like to have John Glenn as your dad?

Tough, as you can imagine.

Because he was everybody’s hero. Beloved by all. The guy with the can-do spirit who executed on his vision. He said yes when everybody else said no.

And it’s weird with all the icons dying. Leon Russell and Greg Lake just now. Bowie and Frey earlier in the year.

But those memories are personal. Of listening and being transformed.

But John Glenn’s success was everybody’s. He shot into space on a mission, showing the power of one man to transform society.

He’s gone now, but his legend lives on.

And his lessons too.

It’s all right to be a straight arrow. It’s all right to keep your eye on the prize. It’s all right to keep going after your big success. It’s all right to live to the ripe old age of 95 and look back and say…

I squeezed every single ounce out of life, I did it.

Shall you do the same.