Son Volt- Honkytonk- 3.5.13

[chogdog]

As much a I love dent county I hate the fact it sounds exactly like Richard Marx waiting for you. I always thought it did and tried to suppress it. I remember playing this for a friend and his first response was "Richard Marx"

[Sandusky]

One could make the argument that 10 sec news, too early, and mystifies me are 'bluesy' songs but most here would rate them as homeruns.

TONS of twang on those songs though. More twang than blues. "10 Second News" is an ominous country dirge. Holds the album together. "when you're out across the county line, news travels slower than a 10 second buzz but only you'll ever know as day by day disappears". "Too Early" is bleary-eyed 3 am country for TVZ; perhaps it follows a blues template but it's a twang blues. "Mystifies Me" is one of the best songs SV ever cut. Man, Jay's vocal on that song warms my dead heart, and a total country vocal and sound; don't hear much blues. I agree, they're all homeruns.

[Sandusky]

Chog, I've never heard that song and don't want to.

[TravelbySea]

As much a I love dent county I hate the fact it sounds exactly like Richard Marx waiting for you. I always thought it did and tried to suppress it. I remember playing this for a friend and his first response was "Richard Marx"

I'm pretty sure Jay sounds nothing like Marx. I know the song you are talking about I dont hear it. Maybe the way the piano riffs but the melody is different.

[Verbow]

Can't say a bad word about "Dent County". One of the most heartfelt songs Jay has ever done.

[chogdog]

I love it too but the piano is very similar to the Richard Marx song and it drives me crazy. It's sort of like "good day" by Paul Westerberg which is another heartfelt and beautiful song that I think is marred by a very bad sounding piano part.

They both sound very 80's motley crew home sweet home/Richard Marx lionel richie type of piano ballads.

[TANEYTOWN]

Saw Jay solo with Mark Spencer. Jay was great, but Marks noodling screechy guitar made what could've been really good madness.

[TANEYTOWN]

I recall getting a bootleg of a Jay solo show in England before the first solo album. Sometime in 2000, nobody new for sure what Jay was doing as there was no news. It was Jay and Mark Spencer. I trully couldn't understand what I was hearing! Had the SV hits with Mark doing his best to turn them into Jazz numbers and Outside the Door, Vitamins, Barstow and Damn Shame. Loved the direction of this early version solo songs, but oh so happy when Marks insane guitar noodling didnt show up on the actual cd.

[TANEYTOWN]

Couldn't disagree more on Dent County. Doesn't sound anything like 80s piano.

[Hap]

I love it too but the piano is very similar to the Richard Marx song and it drives me crazy. It's sort of like "good day" by Paul Westerberg which is another heartfelt and beautiful song that I think is marred by a very bad sounding piano part.

They both sound very 80's motley crew home sweet home/Richard Marx lionel richie type of piano ballads.

YOU HAVE TO LIVE WITH THAT ASSOCIATION. Heh. I suspect you'll do just fine.

[Beldo]

It's not necessarily '80s piano, but chogs is right that it sounds like "Right Here Waiting"...doesn't really bother me though.

[Rick V]

Re that Farrar/Mark Spencer tour circa 2002: their cover of George Harrison's "Love You Too" was otherwordly imo. I have a soundboard boot of a show I actually attended at Tipitinas and it's one of the most played songs on my iPod. Doesn't sound jazzy (I despise 99% of the jazz I've ever heard). It's just a Pink Floyd freak-out jam to me. Done really well and sounds inspired. I wasn't blown away by much other than that but that one cover was amazing.

I've already pre-ordered Honkytonk btw. Looking forward to getting reacquainted with country Jay.

[BirdBrain]

I love it too but the piano is very similar to the Richard Marx song and it drives me crazy. It's sort of like "good day" by Paul Westerberg which is another heartfelt and beautiful song that I think is marred by a very bad sounding piano part.

They both sound very 80's motley crew home sweet home/Richard Marx lionel richie type of piano ballads.

stunning observation! Yes that ascending melody lick on the piano (0.06-0.10) is pure ripped from Marx.

Still, its not as shameless as Flaming Lips 'Yoshimi'/Cat Stevens 'Father & Son' for wholesale melody lifting.

[Blaze]

It's not necessarily '80s piano, but chogs is right that it sounds like "Right Here Waiting"...doesn't really bother me though.

Love this song!

[Blaze]

Chogdogs, on The Search do you think that the back to back songs "Satellite" and "Automatic Society" have a sort of latter day Guided by Voices vibe to them? I think it's the oblique lyrics and the guitar riffs. Kind of the most straight up rock songs he had done in a while if you think about it.