( with the authors permisson )
I got this a couple of days ago. It's the compilation from Austin musicians, organized by Bukka Allen, the proceeds from which are donated to The VVAF (Vietnam Veterans of America Foundation, http://www.vvaf.org), a humanitarian group active in the campaign to ban land mines. This specific album's money will go to war victims in Iraq. I was not prepared for what wonderful songs are on this album.
I have played this CD repeatedly and am more gobsmacked each time I hear it. The 13 contributors composed their songs specifically for this album. The five songs that are haunting me the most, can't unstick that repeat button in my head, are from David Baerwald ("If Wishes Were Horses" - sample lyric: If only If only/ The good mother cried/ We never grew wings/ And took to the sky), Eliza Gilkyson ("Highway 9," which was posted here a while back: They had their own clear channel and a hell of a spin/ And a white man hidden in a black man's skin), Butch Hancock ("The Damage Done" - Turn this all another way./ A blessing in disguise./ Mourn the loss of paradise as something you'll survive), Abra Moore (Jerry W.! Do you have this album?) ("100 Miles" - I went out walking/ And I walked a hundred miles/ And I walked a hundred miles/ In these shoes), and Jack Ingram ("Edge of Nowhere" - Now we've all got holes to fill/ Bridges that we burned/ But we've nothing left to lose/ If we've nothing left to learn).
The other contributors are Bukka himself, Alejandro Escovedo, Richard Buckner, Will Sexton, Ian Moore, Terry Allen, Patty Griffin, and "Screen Door Music" - which is the "house band" for the album, consisting of Bukka, Brian Standefer on cello, and Robbie Gjersoe on everything else with strings and lots of other stuff. I know the rest of the songs will take their place in the soundtrack in my head.
It is simply a beautiful album. I urge you to seek it out.
Correction Posted as a follow up:
I mixed up Butch Hancock's title with Bukka Allen's lyrics. Here's what Butch actually says in "The Damage Done" - Lady Liberty you talked in circles and tongues/ While the boys all fought for you/ We thought you were all beauty and truth/ Now I see you thought so too. Bukka Allen "Brand New Day" - (Turn this all another way./ A blessing in disguise./ Mourn the loss of paradise as something you'll survive). And one last song: Ian Moore "Things We Carried" - (because inside every man is a killer when his anger has a guide/ but goddamn the man who kills thinking that he has god on his side).
The songs are all beautiful - the music is very different on each one, but they all have a good beat and you can dance to them.
