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The Bottle Rockets Songs Of Sahm |
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Track List 1. Floatway
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(Bloodshot)
Ok, the "tribute album" thing is wearing really
thin, with relatively few of them actually being a tribute to anything
worthwhile. On the other hand, a small pecentage of them are very
much worthwhile, and artist being paid tribute, more than worthy. Songs Of
Sahm most definitely falls into the latter catagory. The late Doug Sahm,
hailed from Texas, his career spanned 40 years, and he was still going strong
right up until his untimely passing in November of 1999. Instead of accepting
limits, his music transcended them. Even during the period of his career in
San Fransisco's "flower power" psychedelic days in the late '60s, he never got
so far "out there" he ever forgot his Texas roots, as with his song "Lawd, I'm
Just A Country Boy In This Big Freaky City." Doug Sahm could do it all- from
stone country, trippy psychedelic rock, straight up garage rock, conjunto,
and blues, to Cajun. He was a bandleader, musician, producer, and arranger.
However, no matter what path he was on, his Texas roots were always worn
proudly on his sleeve, and he never once forgot them. Doug was probably one of
the greatest influences on what we now call "Texas Music," and those
influences can be heard rippling thoughout it. He should've been an icon, but
instead, wound up being perhaps the most overlooked and underappreciated
artist/musician/person in music.
Despite his success with bands such as the Sir
Douglas Quintet, The Texas Tornados, and his various incarnations as a solo
artist, his passing went largely unnoticed by the public and the music
community. Ironically, it took a Missouri alt-country/roots band, The Bottle
Rockets to step up to the plate to pay homage to this highly influential, and
sadly unrecognized, musical wonder. For The Bottle Rockets (Brian Henneman,
Tom Parr, Robert Kearns, and Mark Ortmann), this was a labor of love. Along
with producer Lou Whitney, they poured over Doug's vast catalog of music,
and finally picked 13 songs, some well known, some lesser known, that they
felt best represented the the many diverse phases of Doug's career.
The 13 songs they ultimately chose are pure gems,
and The Bottle Rockets have captured perfectly the essence of every phase of
Doug Sahm's career, with Brian Henneman's passionate and raspy vocals,
being the perfect icing on the cake. With the material they chose, they could
have played things cheekily, over the top, or retro sounding, however,
they played their hand straight up, and while staying true to Doug's
originals, the Rockets also manage to put their own unique stamp on the songs.
In their reverance for the man and his music, they bring a passion and a new
perspective to the songs, and make them sound vibrant and fresh.
They kick things off with the funky 'Frisco
era rocker, "Floataway," which sets the tone for this project, with Doug
Sahm's philosophy on his music- "come on everybody, take this trip with me/ain't
no crime experience, it ain't no LSD/just rockin' Texas music, best stuff in
the land." They give an incendiary take on
Doug's first hit with the Sir Douglas Quintet, the loping, funky "She's A
Mover," which should have Sir Doug himself smilin' down. In what would seem
like a song that would least work for the Rockets, they effortlessly take on
the bouncy, trippy, pop of "Sunny Sunday Mill Valley Groove Day," with
stunning results. The Rockets chose the obscure "Song Of Everything," one
of Doug's most complex songs, that incorporates psychedelic rock, blues, rock,
soul, and jazz, sink their teeth in, and come up with a masterpiece. They
close out Songs Of Sahm with the appropriate "I'm Not That Kat
Anymore," Doug's hard rocking statement that his cosmic cowboys days were
behind him, but he wasn't close to being through yet. On this final track, the
Rockets give him the perfect send off, cranking it up, and nailing this one to
the wall.
The Rockets touch on the "cosmic cowboy" side of
Doug, with country-meets-rock on Doug's ode to his Texas roots, "Lawd, I'm
Just A Country Boy In This Great Big Freaky City," and "Stoned Faces Don't
Lie." They chose two standout songs to represent his deep rooted love for
his Texas roots and country music, the shuffling,
it-don't-get-more-country-than-this, "Be Real," and the world weary lament of
messing up your life, "I Don't Want To Go Home," which the Rockets deliver
with nothing short of brilliance. The stellar "Mendocino" and "Nitty Gritty,"
represent Doug's raucous brand of infectious good time Tex-Mex, and his forays
into blues are covered with the outstanding cut "At The Crossroads" and the
gritty "You Can't Hide A Redneck (Under That Hippy Hair)."
With Songs Of Sahm, the Bottle Rockets
have not only accomplished the major task of showcasing Doug Sahm's amazing
musical diversity, they have also proved their own. From Brian's skillful and
passionate vocals, to the impeccable musicianship of the band as they
move seemingly effortlessly across several different genres, show the
incredible amount of depth the Bottle Rockets possess. They have chosen some
of Doug's most outstanding songs to represent his many facets, and have done
an amazing job of delivering them in the best possible light in their homage
to to a man that greatly influenced not only themselves, but music as a whole.
Songs Of Sahm is a little bit country, a little bit rock & roll, a
little bit Tex-Mex, and a little bit blues. The one thing the
music is though, is 100% Texas- Doug Sahm never forgot, or completely left his
roots out of whatever music he made. Listen to Doug Sahm, and when you listen
to today's "Texas Music," you'll hear the ghost of Sahm echoing throughout it.
Listen to the Bottle Rocket's Songs Of Sahm, and you'll be searching
out the music made by the man himself, whether it be one "incarnation" of Doug
or another. Most likely though, you'll be going for it all.
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AnnMarie Harrington
Take Country Back November 2002