Tag: Lyle Lovett

10 Grateful Dead Songs Covered By Bluegrass, Country and Americana Artists

The Grateful Dead have many claims to fame, from being at the heart of the development of psychedelic rock in San Francisco and paving the way for the Summer Of Love in 1967, to being the giant touring machine of the ‘80s and ‘90s setting attendance records at major stadia across America. They also just happened to have one of the best songwriting partnerships of modern times in guitarist Jerry Garcia and lyricist Robert Hunter. Those who have more than a passing interest also know that with their albums ‘Workingman’s Dead’ and ‘American Beauty’ they contributed to the development of country-rock. Continue reading “10 Grateful Dead Songs Covered By Bluegrass, Country and Americana Artists”

Classic Americana Albums: Lyle Lovett “Pontiac” (MCA/Curb, 1987)

Lyle Lovett – Pontiac 1987

I am sure it is an apocryphal and familiar story, but it does have a point regarding Lovett’s surprising union with Julia Roberts. There was speculation about how the one might manage to live with the other being such a talented superstar spouse, but it was assumed that Ms Roberts would find a way to come to terms with her situation. The point being that Lovett is something of a Renaissance Man. A graduate in Journalism and German, an actor on both screen and stage and even something of a wiz at reining horses at the highest level being awarded the National Reining Horse Association Lifetime Achievement Award. That’s before you consider his musical, multiple Grammy Award-winning, career. Roberts, of course, was an actress of middling range if superior looks. Let’s be fair, she seems to do a lot of laudable charitable work. Continue reading “Classic Americana Albums: Lyle Lovett “Pontiac” (MCA/Curb, 1987)”

C2C Country To Country, 02, London, 10th March 2019

The passion for some forms of modern country music is well and truly alive in the UK. This touring festival of Country/Americana acts which travels to the UK and around the world once per year is a much bigger affair than I had imagined it to be. It is the perfect PR machine for the brand. The 02 is an impressive venue and the atmosphere was friendly and positive. These fans, many in checked shirts and hats, clearly love their music and in some respects this is a perfect opportunity to see some of the biggest names in Country playing in one of the UK’s largest venues. For those that attend C2C, country music takes many forms. The large majority of the acts are not country in the traditional form. What is on display is the genre in its more modern form – a sound that is both commercialised and tinged with pop Americana. The stories of the songs haven’t changed, however. The themes of the songs are still of the road, lost love, whiskey and women. Continue reading “C2C Country To Country, 02, London, 10th March 2019”