Phonography

I guess there’s not a lot to say about these, the idea is they tell their own story. But as David Clennon stressed in “From The Earth To The Moon”, it’s all about context. And it is that which I propose to give you a lesson in… right now:

1. Pink Floyd, “When The Tigers Broke Free”
This is from the film version of “Pink Floyd: The Wall”, and does not appear in any version on the album or many and varied live performances of said work. I can only think that this song - a poetic and visceral summing up of the circumstances surrounding Roger Waters’ father’s death in World War II - is just too personal and soul-rending for the Floyd frontman to want to dilute through casual repetition. Understandable, since his father’s death is clearly, along with the mental self-destruction of Roger “Syd” Barrett, a formative experience in Waters’ life and in one way or another the subject matter of almost everything he’s ever written. I find this scathing indictment of the professional detachment of those planning war, and the personal cost exacted upon those waging it, quite moving every time I hear it.

2. Johnny Cash, “Casey Jones”
Another tragic and honorable sacrifice rendered in classic Americana style, this is the story of the very real John Luther “Casey” Jones and one fateful night in 1900 in Mississippi.

3. Christine Lavin, “The Wild Blue”
Long and rambling and a bit forced and awkward at times, this nonetheless manages to be an emotionally enthralling tale of the origins of the Japanese World War II kamikaze, and the personal toll it took on all involved. It’s rare that I feel that I actually learned something new and interesting from a song, but this is a clear example.

4. Jonathan Coulton, “Kenesaw Mountain Landis”
Shifting gears into the absurd and humorous, we get this slightly exaggerated retelling of the 1919 Black Sox scandal, embellished just a bit here and there by Coulton, who enjoys mining that grey area between the works of Robert Allen Zimmerman and Alfred Matthew Yankovic. This is a stellar example of Maxwell Scott’s adage that “when the legend becomes fact, print the legend”. Make sure you stay tuned for the end of the song where it suddenly takes a hilarious left turn into modern pop rock culture.

5. Bob Dylan, “Billy (part 4)”
This is from the aforementioned Zimmerman’s collection of songs written for the 1973 film “Pat Garrett And Billy The Kid”, Sam Peckinpah’s post-modern revisionist history of the last days of Henry McCarty and the man who knew him well enough to kill him.

6. James Brown, “King Heroin”
Believe me, I wish this wasn’t a true story - but unfortunately Brown knew all too well the power and influence of this immigrant from the Far East. There have been far too many songs written about this opioid and the crafty precision with which it seems to seek and destroy our best and brightest, but no others have personalized the battle by casting the adversary as an actual sentient entity. And here’s where I unfortunately know too much about the subject matter, as I watched this evil seductive being insinuate itself into the lives of far too many people close to me. Unlike some of the previous songs on this list, James is not exaggerating or embellishing one bit. He recorded this back in 1974, long before the “27 List” claimed a few more famous victims. Unfortunately it seems that this King’s reign will persist long past that of this Godfather.

Download: Pink Floyd, “When The Tigers Broke Free” (mp3)
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Download: Johnny Cash, “Casey Jones” (mp3)
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Download: Christine Lavin, “The Wild Blue” (mp3)
(Right-click/control-click link to download)

Download: Jonathan Coulton, “Kenesaw Mountain Landis” (mp3)
(Right-click/control-click link to download)

Download: Bob Dylan, “Billy (part 4)” (mp3)
(Right-click/control-click link to download)

Download: James Brown, “King Heroin” (mp3)
(Right-click/control-click link to download)