Tag Archives: country music

Tragic Songs of Life

Charlie Louvin, one of the most influential and respected figures in American country music, passed away yesterday at the age of 83. He started out as part of the Louvin Brothers duo with his brother Ira and continued on his own following Ira’s death in 1965. The pair’s choice of songs and vocal harmonies were a big influence on subsequent acts such as the Byrds, Gram Parsons, Emmylou Harris and Elvis Costello. Their most famous collection is Tragic Songs of Life from 1956. The song Kentucky opens that album and their original version of Knoxville Girl appears on it as well. He re-recorded a fine version of the song with a little help from Will Oldham in 2007. My favourite country singer, Gram Parsons, recorded a version of The Angels Rejoiced Last Night with Emmylou Harris before his untimely death in 1973. More recently, an album I played a lot when it came out was Missing … Presumed Having a Good Time (1990) by the Notting Hillbillies. I must admit that I only discovered last night that the song Weapon of Prayer was originally by the Louvin Brothers. Cheers, Charlie

Kentucky – The Louvin Brothers

Knoxville Girl – Charlie Louvin feat. Will Oldham

The Angels Rejoiced Last Night (Louvin Brothers cover) – Gram Parsons & Emmylou Harris

Weapon of Prayer (Louvin Brothers cover) – The Notting Hillbillies

One Tequila, Two Tequila, Three Tequila, Floor!

I don’t like country music, but I don’t mean to denigrate those who do. And for those who like country music, denigrate means ‘put down’

BOB NEWHART

The convergence of new technology with an outmoded form of music has created quite a stir in the Irish entertainment business recently. A band playing an Irish version of country music (referred to as country & western) has gone from being a household name in rural Cork to national infamy in the space of a few short weeks. Crystal Swing is the name of a family trio featuring teenage siblings Derek and Dervla Burke and their mother Mary. Bands containing two or more close relations are not uncommon in the music world, although it is quite rare to come across a group that counts successive generations among its membership. Teenagers tend to form bands to rebel against their parents, but Derek and Dervla don’t seem to have any of those rebellious urges. In contrast, they possess an abundance of youthful exuberance, provincial naiveté and kitschy glamour. Their rapid rise to fame in Ireland has been facilitated by advances in modern communication instead of such traditional methods as practicing, rehearsing and gigging

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