Artist:Billy Bragg & Joe Henry
Song:Rock Island Line
Album:Shine a Light: Field Recordings from the Great American Railroad
Billy Bragg is a throwback to 60s protest singers. But he also has great respect for the traditions of folk music and that includes songs about trains. So in 2016 Bragg booked a train ride from Chicago to Los Angeles aboard the Texas Eagle 421 train. And the idea was to record while in transit. Bragg's intent was to "reconnect with the culture of American railroad culture and the music it inspired". He brought singer songwriter Joe Henry along for the ride. Henry has recorded 15 albums but he has won three Grammys as a producer. Henry produced Bragg's 2013 album Tooth & Nail which is when this idea was hatched. They left Chicago's Union Station on a 2,700 mile 65 hour train ride. They performed in waiting rooms and train stations with Henry's recording engineer Ryan Freeland. Rock Island Line was the first song on the album so it must have been recorded in Chicago. They even had an overnight stop in San Antonio and they recorded at the Gunter Hotel because that was the location of Robert Johnson's only recording session. So they tried to add historical significance to the recording. And they even toured to support it. But the criticism of the album at the time was that it's an interesting idea but the execution is nothing special. I think the lack of planning was deliberate. Bragg and Henry wanted to record on the fly as a tribute to the transitory nature of railroads. The concept is compelling to them. It may not be compelling to listeners. So clearly they recorded it for themselves. Here's Billy Bragg & Joe Henry performing Rock Island Line at Seattle radio station KEXP Oct. 21, 2016.
No comments:
Post a Comment