Any chance for an American Songwriters collection?
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1Truett
Since the LOA has had a couple of volumes devoted to great American Musicals, any chance for a volume devoted to great American songwriters? I know names like Bob Dylan and Bruce Springsteen would -- in all likelihood -- be hard to include (because, one assumes, of the cost of purchasing rights), but there are a LOT more great songwriters. And not just the obvious: like George and Ira Gershwin, Rodgers, Leiber and Stoller, Doc Pomus, Carole King, etc. (Not to mention, lyricists like Johnny Mercer).
It would OBVIOUSLY have to be a collection that focused on the lyric part of songwriting (although the musical part is just as important, the lyrics would be the focus for obvious reasons).
The death of the great John Prine -- a brilliant songwriter -- got me thinking about it. And of all the many, and varied, great songwriters that were born in the USA. And, while it would be tough, only one or two songs from each chosen songwriter could be chosen, thereby making enough room fLor a great many.
John Prine, of course. And , John Hartford ("Gentle On My Mind"), Leon Payne ("Lost Highway"), Ned Miller ("Dark Moon" or "From a Jack to a King"), Hank Williams (take your pick, although "I'm So Lonesome I Could Cry" would be mine), Chuck Berry (again, take your pick), Muddy Waters and Bo Diddley ("Mannish Boy"), Dolly Parton ("Coat of Many Colors"), Warren Zevon (LOTS of great choices, not the obvious, top 40 hit choice; his lyrics ranged from dark and satirical to straight up romantic), and on and on: Jackson Browne, Joe Ely, Neko Case, Lucinda Williams, Johnny Cash and June Carter (SHE wrote "Ring of Fire"), Rodney Crowell, Emmy Lou Harris, Tom Petty, Billie Holiday, Sam Cooke, Carly Simon, Chrissie Hynde, Bonnie Raitt, Rickie Lee Jones, Tift Merritt, Tom Waitts, Mark James ("Hooked on a Feeling," "Always on My Mind", Suspicious Minds", It's Only Love"), John Hiatt, Tracy Chapman, John Fogerty (take your pick), Kris Kristofferson (take your pick) and...well... LOTS of others I can't think of at the moment (although, if the LOA includes Canadians -- or if he has a dual citizenship) Robbie Robertson ("The Weight", and many others) should be included.
If you've never heard John Prine, take a listen sometime. His countrified voice makes a lot of people give him a pass, but he wrote songs in the Americana, Rock N Roll, Blues and even Gospel styles (and country and folk, too).
But his lyrics were nearly always absurdist. Kind of a songwriter version of Barthelme.
"We are living in the future,
I'll tell you how I know.
I read it in the paper,
Fifteen years ago.
We're all driving rocket ships,
and talking with our minds.
Wearing turquoise jewelry,
and standing in soup lines."
-- from, "Living in the Future", by John Prine
It would OBVIOUSLY have to be a collection that focused on the lyric part of songwriting (although the musical part is just as important, the lyrics would be the focus for obvious reasons).
The death of the great John Prine -- a brilliant songwriter -- got me thinking about it. And of all the many, and varied, great songwriters that were born in the USA. And, while it would be tough, only one or two songs from each chosen songwriter could be chosen, thereby making enough room fLor a great many.
John Prine, of course. And , John Hartford ("Gentle On My Mind"), Leon Payne ("Lost Highway"), Ned Miller ("Dark Moon" or "From a Jack to a King"), Hank Williams (take your pick, although "I'm So Lonesome I Could Cry" would be mine), Chuck Berry (again, take your pick), Muddy Waters and Bo Diddley ("Mannish Boy"), Dolly Parton ("Coat of Many Colors"), Warren Zevon (LOTS of great choices, not the obvious, top 40 hit choice; his lyrics ranged from dark and satirical to straight up romantic), and on and on: Jackson Browne, Joe Ely, Neko Case, Lucinda Williams, Johnny Cash and June Carter (SHE wrote "Ring of Fire"), Rodney Crowell, Emmy Lou Harris, Tom Petty, Billie Holiday, Sam Cooke, Carly Simon, Chrissie Hynde, Bonnie Raitt, Rickie Lee Jones, Tift Merritt, Tom Waitts, Mark James ("Hooked on a Feeling," "Always on My Mind", Suspicious Minds", It's Only Love"), John Hiatt, Tracy Chapman, John Fogerty (take your pick), Kris Kristofferson (take your pick) and...well... LOTS of others I can't think of at the moment (although, if the LOA includes Canadians -- or if he has a dual citizenship) Robbie Robertson ("The Weight", and many others) should be included.
If you've never heard John Prine, take a listen sometime. His countrified voice makes a lot of people give him a pass, but he wrote songs in the Americana, Rock N Roll, Blues and even Gospel styles (and country and folk, too).
But his lyrics were nearly always absurdist. Kind of a songwriter version of Barthelme.
"We are living in the future,
I'll tell you how I know.
I read it in the paper,
Fifteen years ago.
We're all driving rocket ships,
and talking with our minds.
Wearing turquoise jewelry,
and standing in soup lines."
-- from, "Living in the Future", by John Prine
4Truett
Jroger1 & Euphorb -- and, as I mentioned in the first paragraph above: LOA's American Musicals contains material by Hart, Gershwin and Rodgers and more.
But that's just missing the forest for the trees.
What none of the above-mentioned volumes contains are the many (many) brilliant songwriters and lyrics of the folks I mentioned in my initial posts, and of the many others who I no doubt overlooked. Considering the level of art therein, it would be a shame not to try and gather some of it (and since only one or two songs per writer need be included, a single book could be a treasure trove of information leading readers to a wider world of artistic lyrics and music).
But that's just missing the forest for the trees.
What none of the above-mentioned volumes contains are the many (many) brilliant songwriters and lyrics of the folks I mentioned in my initial posts, and of the many others who I no doubt overlooked. Considering the level of art therein, it would be a shame not to try and gather some of it (and since only one or two songs per writer need be included, a single book could be a treasure trove of information leading readers to a wider world of artistic lyrics and music).
5Truett
Although I_still_ think a volume on great American Songwriters (which, I'm guessing, would focus on the great lyricists) would be fantabulistic, after reading more and more about Lieber & Stoller -- two Jewish kids who were practically the fourth column of the modern R&B scene! -- I think even a volume collecting the lyrics of the great Jerry Lieber and Mike Stoller would be great! The list of songs -- and hit records -- that the duo wrote or co-wrote in the span of 10 years is jaw-dropping! From "Kansas City" and "Hound Dog" (#1 R&B hit for Big Mama Thornton _before_ Presley made it famous) to "Jailhouse Rock" and "Love Potion #9", right on through to "Stand By Me", "On Broadway" and "I(Who Have Nothing)" in the early 1960s.
And their stories are pretty interesting: Just after Presley recorded a cover of "Hound Dog", Lieber went to NYC to meet his buddy Stoller who was returning from an excursion to Europe, his first trip to that continent. Jerry Lieber had just returned from a fishing excursion in the Atlantic which turned into a harrowing affair, and he was all set to tell his writing buddy about that, and about the Presley recording.
But the night before Stoller's ship was to arrive in NYC, word was sent that the ship -- the Andrea Doria -- had sunk (46 of the passengers died).
And their stories are pretty interesting: Just after Presley recorded a cover of "Hound Dog", Lieber went to NYC to meet his buddy Stoller who was returning from an excursion to Europe, his first trip to that continent. Jerry Lieber had just returned from a fishing excursion in the Atlantic which turned into a harrowing affair, and he was all set to tell his writing buddy about that, and about the Presley recording.
But the night before Stoller's ship was to arrive in NYC, word was sent that the ship -- the Andrea Doria -- had sunk (46 of the passengers died).
