Chip Taylor wrote Angel of the Morning.
Chip Taylor wrote I Like Trucks.
Chip Taylor wrote Wild Thing.
I don't know how come I've only just discovered Chip Taylor, when it appears he's been writing great tunes for over 50 years and has released over 25 solo albums in that time... but that's why I like the music industry. It never stops giving. There's always somebody new to discover... even if that somebody has been doing their thing for half a century.
(I'm particularly impressed that Chip Taylor released a song and an album in 2012 called Fuck All The Perfect People. That's going on the list of songs for my funeral.)
Anyway, Chip Taylor has a new album out at the moment. He's 79 now and his voice and delivery owe much to latter days Johnny Cash & Leonard Cohen. Here's the title track (with a little help from an old George Jones tune). It's a belter.
I was lucky enough to see Chip Taylor perform at the Cambridge Folk Festival a couple of times during the 1990s. It's criminal that he's chiefly known to the world at large (including me unfortunately) for only a couple of specific songs, as he's much more than that. 'Whiskey Salesman' sounds great, but 'Fuck All The Perfect People' is absolutely terrific.
ReplyDeleteCambridge, I can just about handle. (See below.)
DeleteMy knowledge of Chip Taylor is restricted to his songwriting (Sweet Dream Woman by Waylon Jennings is worth a listen) but I never bought any of his albums.
ReplyDeleteI remember he recorded albums with the singer/fiddle player Carrie Rodriguez.
That's two votes for Carrie R. Will have to investigate.
DeleteLove the sentiment and choice of words for 'Fuck All The Perfect People', good on him (and you, for your funeral music idea). Unless of course he actually meant it more literally, in which case it puts across a very different suggestion... ;-)
ReplyDeleteHe'd be bloody knackered...
DeleteI saw him once in Austin
ReplyDeleteLike his stuff with Carrie Rodriguez
"I saw him once in Austin".
DeleteGod, another smug bloody world traveller! ;-)
I get this at home all the time, since Louise has travelled everywhere. "I've been there!" echoes out whenever the TV screen ventures past Weatherfield.
AS you say, the music industry just keeps on giving, and here is another artist I had never heard of before but really like the sound of. Yes, I think we all appreciate FATPP, but maybe not for my funeral!
ReplyDeleteSomething about voices as they age that adds such gravitas/emotion to any song. Loved that John Prine song last year When I Get To Heaven.
Yes. Johnny Cash singing Hurt is another great example.
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