Here’s the cover art for one of my recent mixes, Storytellers. The music on this mix is pretty dark – I counted something like eight songs in a row on disc one that involve death in one form or another. I’m not sure if that reflects on the subject of storytelling songs in general, or just my own tastes, but it’s definitely the mood here.
This mix also brought up the question of what exactly constitutes a storytelling song. The P questioned two songs in particular – Harry McClintock’s ‘Big Rock Candy Mountain’ and Tom Waits’ ‘Putnam County’ – and while those songs don’t travel the usual A to B trajectory of your typical story, they nonetheless set a particular mood in a way that would fit within any literary journal.
I labeled this set Volume 1 and Volume 2, leaving the door open for the dreaded, inevitable sequel. Here’s the cover art:
[Here's a detail from the front...]
[Here's the front gatefold...]
[Here's the first inside gatefold...]
[Here's the second inside gatefold...]
[Here's the third inside gatefold...]
[Here's the back...]
[And here's the setlist...]
*** VOLUME ONE – “FRYING DOWN IN HELL” ***
The Movie * Jim Morrison
The Road Goes On Forever * Robert Earl Keen
King Of California * Dave Alvin
Ballad Of Billy And Oscar * James Luther Dickinson
Tangled Up In Blue (Live) * Bob Dylan
Welcome To The Boomtown * David & David
Me And My Uncle * Dino Valente
Matty Groves * Fairport Convention
Richard Cory (Alternate Version) * Them
Me And Jesus The Pimp In A ’79 Granada Last Night * The Coup
Gloria * Patti Smith
Brother Louie * Stories
Vx Fx Dx * Michelle Shocked
Tribute * Tenacious D
Satan Gave Me A Taco * Beck
*** VOLUME TWO – “THE WILD BUNCH” ***
Big Rock Candy Mountain * Harry McClintock
Pretty Boy Floyd * Woody Guthrie
The Red Headed Stranger * Willie Nelson
Sam Stone * John Prine
Drive On (Alternate Lyrics) * Johnny Cash
Ellis Unit One * Steve Earle
Highway Patrolman * Bruce Springsteen
Putnam County * Tom Waits
Everything’s Okay * Luke The Drifter
Alcohol And Pills * Fred Eaglesmith
Billy From The Hills * Greg Brown
The Devil Went Down To Georgia * The Charlie Daniels Band
You Don’t Mess Around With Jim * Jim Croce
Dirty Blvd. * Lou Reed
Have You Seen Bruce Richard Reynolds? * Alabama 3
Tags: Alabama 3, Beck, Dave Alvin, Dino Valente, Hank Williams, Johnny Cash, Luke The Drifter, Michelle Shocked, Robert Earl Keen, Steve Earle, Storytellers, The Coup
