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Robbins in 1966. | |
Background information | |
---|---|
Birth name | Martin David Robinson |
Born | September 26, 1925 Glendale, Arizona, U.S. |
Died | December 8, 1982 (aged 57) Nashville, Tennessee, U.S. |
Genres | |
Occupation(s) | Musician, songwriter, actor, NASCAR driver |
Instruments | Guitar, piano, dobro, vocals |
Years active | 1948–1982 |
Labels | Columbia, Decca |
Martin David Robinson (September 26, 1925 – December 8, 1982), known professionally as Marty Robbins, was an American singer, songwriter, actor, multi-instrumentalist, and racing driver. One of the most popular and successful country and western singers of all time for most of his near four-decade career,[2][3][4] Robbins often topped the country music charts, and several of his songs also had crossover success as pop hits.
- 6Motorsports career results
- 6.1NASCAR
- 6.1.2Winston Cup Series
- 6.1NASCAR
Biography[edit]
Robbins was born in Glendale, a suburb of Phoenix in Maricopa County, Arizona. His mother was mostly of Paiute Indian heritage.[5] Robbins grew up in a difficult family situation. His father took odd jobs to support the family of 10 children, but his drinking led to divorce in 1937. Among his warmer memories of his childhood, Robbins recalled having listened to stories of the American West told by his maternal grandfather, Texas Bob Heckle, who was a local medicine man.[6] At 17, Robbins left his troubled home to serve in the United States Navy as an LCTcoxswain during World War II. He was stationed in the Solomon Islands in the Pacific Ocean. To pass the time during the war, he learned to play the guitar, started writing songs,[7] and came to love Hawaiian music.
Robbins married Marizona 'Mari' Baldwin on September 27, 1948. They had two children, Ronny and Janet, and were married 34 years until his death. After his discharge from the military in 1947 and his marriage the following year, Robbins began to play at local venues in Phoenix,[7] then moved on to host his own show on KTYL and then his own television show on KPHO-TV in Phoenix. After Little Jimmy Dickens made a guest appearance on Robbins' TV show, Dickens got Robbins a record deal with Columbia Records. Robbins became known for his appearances at the Grand Ole Opry in Nashville, Tennessee. Music journalist Mary Harron wrote the following about him in The Guardian:[8]
'Robbins was a symbol of the Nashville establishment that younger country fans abandoned in the Seventies for the bleached-denim 'outlaw school' of Waylon Jennings and Willie Nelson. Robbins belonged to the Jim Reeves era and he wore his embroidered cowboy suits proudly. Best known for the western ballad, El Paso, his career also touched the rock 'n' roll side of country in songs like White Sports Coat And A Pink Carnation, and he kept a touch of the dude about him to the end.'
In 1980, Robbins appeared on the PBS music program Austin City Limits (season 5). In addition to his recordings and performances, Robbins was an avid race car driver, competing in 35 career NASCAR Grand National (now Monster Energy Cup) races with six top-10 finishes,[9] including the 1973 Firecracker 400.[10] In 1967, Robbins played himself in the car racing film Hell on Wheels.[11] Robbins was partial to Dodges prepared by NASCAR Hall-of-Famer Cotton Owens, and owned and raced Chargers and then a 1978 Dodge Magnum. He was also the driver of the 60th Indianapolis 500Buick Centurypace car in 1976. His last race was in a Junior Johnson-built 1982 Buick Regal in the Atlanta Journal 500 on November 7, 1982, a month before his death.
Robbins developed cardiovascular disease early in life. After his third heart attack on December 2, 1982, he underwent quadruple coronary bypass surgery. He did not recover and died six days later, on December 8, at St. Thomas Hospital in Nashville. He was 57 years old.[12]
Music and honors[edit]
Although by 1960 Robbins' output was largely country music, his initial hits like 'Singing the Blues', 'Knee Deep in the Blues', 'The Story of My Life', 'She Was Only Seventeen', and 'A White Sport Coat and a Pink Carnation' were generally regarded as more pop/teen idol material than his hits from 1960 onwards ('El Paso' etc.). His 1957 recording of 'A White Sport Coat and a Pink Carnation'[7] sold over one million copies, and was awarded a gold record.[13]His musical accomplishments include the Grammy Award for his 1959 hit and signature song 'El Paso', taken from his album Gunfighter Ballads and Trail Songs. 'El Paso' was his first song to hit No. 1 on the pop chart in the 1960s. It was followed up, successfully, by 'Don't Worry', which reached No. 3 on the pop chart in 1961, becoming his third, and last, Top 10 pop hit. 'El Paso' was followed by one prequel and one sequel: 'Faleena From El Paso' and 'El Paso City'. Also in 1961, Robbins wrote the words and music and recorded 'I Told the Brook,'[14] a ballad later recorded by Billy Thorpe.
He won the Grammy Award for the Best Country & Western Recording 1961 for his follow-up album More Gunfighter Ballads and Trail Songs, and was awarded the Grammy Award for Best Country Song in 1970, for 'My Woman, My Woman, My Wife'. Robbins was named Artist of the Decade (1960–1969) by the Academy of Country Music, was elected to the Country Music Hall of Fame in 1982, was rewarded three awards at the 17th Annual Music City News Country Awards in 1983, and was given a Grammy Hall of Fame Award in 1998 for his song 'El Paso'.
When Robbins was recording his 1961 hit 'Don't Worry', session guitarist Grady Martin accidentally created the electric guitar 'fuzz' effect – his six-string bass was run through a faulty channel in a mixing console. Robbins decided to keep it in the final version.[15] The song reached No. 1 on the country chart, and No. 3 on the pop chart.[16]Robbins was inducted into the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame in 1975. For his contribution to the recording industry, Robbins has a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame at 6666 Hollywood Boulevard.
Robbins has been honored by many bands, including the Grateful Dead who covered 'El Paso' and Bob Weir & Kingfish who covered 'Big Iron'. The Who's 2006 album Endless Wire includes the song 'God Speaks of Marty Robbins'. The song's composer, Pete Townshend, explained that the song is about God deciding to create the universe just so he can hear some music, 'and most of all, one of his best creations, Marty Robbins.'[17] The Beasts of Bourbon released a song called 'The Day Marty Robbins Died' on their 1984 debut album The Axeman's Jazz. Both Frankie Laine and Elvis Presley, among others, recorded versions of Robbins' song 'You Gave Me a Mountain', with Laine's recording reaching the pop and adult contemporary charts in 1969. Though Elvis never recorded any of Robbins' songs in the studio, he was a big fan and recorded 'You Gave Me a Mountain' live in concert several times; it appeared on 15 Presley albums. Johnny Cash recorded a version of 'Big Iron' as part of his American Recordings series, which is included in the Cash Unearthed box set. Cash also recorded other songs by Robbins, including 'I Couldn't Keep From Crying', 'Kate' and 'Song Of The Patriot'. He held Robbins in high esteem, having him guest several times on his network TV show. 'Big Iron' was also covered by Mike Ness on his album Under the Influences, on which he paid homage to country music artists. The song, originally released on Robbins' 1959 album Gunfighter Ballads and Trail Songs, gained renewed popularity following its use in the video game Fallout: New Vegas.
His song 'El Paso' was featured in the series finale of the AMC TV series Breaking Bad. 'El Paso' was also featured in the Only Fools and Horses prequel made by the BBC.
Robbins was awarded an honorary degree by Northern Arizona University.
Political views[edit]
Marty Robbins was strongly conservative in his political views. He supported Barry Goldwater in his 1964 United States presidential election campaign as a southern director for 'Stars for Barry'. Two of his patriotic political singles, Ain't I Right and My Own Native Land were rejected by Columbia Records as too controversial. In particular, Ain't I Right was a right-wing protest song that condemned the anti-war protests and talked about fighting communism in the United States. After Columbia Records rejected the songs, Robbins' band member Bobby Sykes recorded the songs for Sims Records under the name Johnny Freedom.[18]
NASCAR[edit]
Monster EnergyNASCARCup Series career | |||||||
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35 races run over 13 years | |||||||
Best finish | 48th (1974) | ||||||
First race | 1966 Nashville 400 (Nashville) | ||||||
Last race | 1982Atlanta Journal 500 (Atlanta) | ||||||
| |||||||
NASCARGrand National East Series career | |||||||
1 race run over 1 year | |||||||
First race | 1972 Gamecock 200 (Columbia) | ||||||
Last race | 1972 Gamecock 200 (Columbia) | ||||||
| |||||||
Statistics current as of August 19, 2016. |
Johnny Cash Song Discography
Robbins loved NASCAR racing. With his musical successes, he was able to finance his avocation. Robbins always tried to run at the big race tracks (Talladega Superspeedway, Daytona International Speedway) every year and a smattering of the smaller races when time permitted.
Robbins' cars were built and maintained by Cotton Owens. They were painted two-toned magenta and chartreuse, usually carrying car number 42 (though 6, 22, and 777 were also used). Over the years, he ran a few makes and models (Plymouths, Dodges or Fords) before buying a 1972-bodied Dodge Charger from Owens. Robbins had 6 top-ten finishes as well as a few major wrecks during the 1970s, and he had Owens rebuilt the car to update the sheet metal to the 1973–1974 Charger specifications, and then finally 1978 Dodge Magnum sheet metal, which he raced until the end of 1980. Robbins' final NASCAR race car was a 1981 Buick Regal that he rented and drove in a few races in 1981 and 1982.
In 1972, at the Talladega 500, Robbins stunned the competition by turning laps that were 15 mph faster than his qualifying time. After the race, NASCAR tried to bestow the Rookie of the Race award, but he would not accept it. He had knocked the NASCAR-mandated restrictors out of his carburetor and admitted he 'just wanted to see what it was like to run up front for once.'[19]
Robbins is credited with possibly saving Richard Childress' life at the 1974 Charlotte 500 by deliberately crashing into a wall rather than t-bone Childress's car that was stopped across the track.[20]
In 1983, one year after Robbins' death, NASCAR honored him by naming the annual race at Fairgrounds Speedway the Marty Robbins 420.
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Robbins' Dodge Magnum was restored by Owens and donated to the Talladega Museum by his family, and was displayed there from 1983 to 2008. The car is now in private hands in Southern California and raced on the Vintage NASCAR club circuit.
In 2014, Robbins' 1969 Dodge Charger Daytona was featured on an episode of Discovery Channels TV show Fat and Furious: Rolling Thunder.In that same year, an episode of Velocity's AmeriCarna featured ex-race team owner Ray Evernham spearheading the restoration of another of Robbins' NASCAR racers, a 1964 Plymouth Belvedere.
For the 2016 Darlington throwback weekend, Kyle Larson's No. 42 NASCARXfinity Series car was painted purple and gold in honor of Robbins.
Discography[edit]
Robbins' discography consists of 52 studio albums, 13 compilation albums, and 100 singles. In his career, Robbins has charted 17 Number One singles on the BillboardHot Country Songs charts, as well as 82 Top 40 singles.
Robbins' highest charting album is 1959's Gunfighter Ballads and Trail Songs. It charted to #6 on the all-genre Billboard 200, and was also certified Platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America. The album's first single, 'El Paso', became a hit on both the country and pop charts, charting to Number One on the Hot Country Songs as well as the Billboard Hot 100. Although being his only pop Number One, in 1957, 'A White Sport Coat' charted to #2, and in 1961, 'Don't Worry' charted to #3.
His final Top 10 single was 'Honkytonk Man' from the 1982 eponymous film in which Robbins had a role. He died shortly before its release. Since his death, four posthumous studio albums have been released, but they made no impact on the charts.
Motorsports career results[edit]
NASCAR[edit]
(key) (Bold – Pole position awarded by qualifying time. Italics – Pole position earned by points standings or practice time. * – Most laps led.)
Grand National Series[edit]
NASCAR Grand National Series results | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Year | Team | No. | Make | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 | 21 | 22 | 23 | 24 | 25 | 26 | 27 | 28 | 29 | 30 | 31 | 32 | 33 | 34 | 35 | 36 | 37 | 38 | 39 | 40 | 41 | 42 | 43 | 44 | 45 | 46 | 47 | 48 | 49 | NGNC | Pts | ||||||
1966 | David Warren | 53 | Ford | AUG | RSD | DAY | DAY | DAY | CAR | BRI | ATL | HCY | CLB | GPS | BGS | NWS | MAR | DAR | LGY | MGR | MON | RCH | CLT | DTS | ASH | PIF | SMR | AWS | BLV | GPS | DAY | ODS | BRR | OXF | FON | ISP | BRI | SMR | NSV 25 | ATL | CLB | AWS | BLV | BGS | DAR | HCY | RCH | HBO | MAR | NWS | CLT | CAR | 122nd | 20 | ||||||
1968 | Dick Behling | 32 | Dodge | MGR | MGY | RSD | DAY | BRI | RCH | ATL | HCY | GPS | CLB | NWS | MAR | AUG | AWS | DAR | BLV | LGY | CLT | ASH | MGR | SMR | BIR | CAR | GPS | DAY | ISP | OXF | FDA | TRN | BRI | SMR | NSV | ATL | CLB | BGS | AWS | SBO | LGY | DAR | HCY | RCH | BLV | HBO | MAR | NWS | AUG | CLT 12 | CAR | JFC | 78th | 0 | ||||||
1970 | Robbins Enterprises | 42 | Dodge | RSD | DAY | DAY | DAY | RCH | CAR | SVH | ATL | BRI | TAL | NWS | CLB | DAR | BLV | LGY | CLT | SMR | MAR | MCH | RSD | HCY | KPT | GPS | DAY | AST | TPN | TRN | BRI | SMR | NSV | ATL | CLB | ONA | MCH | TAL | BGS | SBO | DAR | HCY | RCH | DOV | NCF | NWS | CLT 32 | MAR | MGR | CAR | LGY | 94th | 57 | |||||||
1971 | RSD | DAY | DAY | DAY | ONT | RCH | CAR | HCY | BRI | ATL | CLB | GPS | SMR | NWS | MAR | DAR | SBO | TAL | ASH | KPT | CLT 15 | DOV | MCH | RSD | HOU | GPS | DAY | BRI | AST | ISP | TRN | NSV | ATL 13 | BGS | ONA | MCH | TAL | CLB | HCY | DAR 7 | MAR | CLT 37 | DOV | CAR | MGR | RCH | NWS | TWS 25 | 69th | 120 |
Winston Cup Series[edit]
NASCAR Winston Cup Series results | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Year | Team | No. | Make | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 | 21 | 22 | 23 | 24 | 25 | 26 | 27 | 28 | 29 | 30 | 31 | NWCC | Pts | ||||||||
1972 | Robbins Racing | 42 | Dodge | RSD | DAY | RCH | ONT 8 | CAR | ATL | BRI | DAR | NWS | MAR | TAL 50 | CLT | DOV | MCH | RSD | TWS 40 | DAY | BRI | TRN | ATL | TAL | MCH | NSV | DAR 9 | RCH | DOV | MAR | NWS | CLT | CAR 26 | TWS | 54th | 860.8 | ||||||||
1973 | RSD | DAY 34 | RCH | CAR | BRI | ATL | NWS | DAR | MAR | TAL | NSV | CLT | DOV | TWS 29 | RSD | MCH | DAY 8 | BRI | ATL | TAL 36 | NSV | DAR | RCH | DOV | NWS | MAR | CLT | CAR | 83rd | 828.80 | ||||||||||||||
1974 | RSD | DAY | RCH | CAR | BRI | ATL | DAR | NWS | MAR | TAL 15 | NSV | DOV | CLT | RSD | MCH 5 | DAY | BRI | NSV | ATL | POC | TAL 9 | MCH | DAR | RCH | DOV | NWS | MAR | CLT 42 | CAR | ONT | 48th | 23.78 | ||||||||||||
1975 | RSD | DAY 39 | RCH | CAR | BRI | ATL | NWS | DAR | MAR | TAL 31 | NSV | DOV | CLT | RSD | MCH | DAY | NSV | POC | TAL | MCH | DAR | DOV | NWS | MAR | CLT | RCH | CAR | BRI | ATL | ONT | 81st | 172.42 | ||||||||||||
1976 | RSD | DAY | CAR | RCH | BRI | ATL | NWS | DAR | MAR | TAL | NSV | DOV | CLT | RSD | MCH | DAY | NSV | POC | TAL | MCH | BRI | DAR | RCH | DOV | MAR | NWS | CLT | CAR | ATL | ONT DNQ | NA | – | ||||||||||||
1977 | RSD | DAY | RCH | CAR | ATL | NWS | DAR | BRI | MAR | TAL | NSV | DOV | CLT | RSD | MCH 13 | DAY | NSV | POC | TAL 38 | MCH | BRI | DAR | RCH | DOV | MAR | NWS | CLT | CAR | ATL | ONT | 99th | 76 | ||||||||||||
1978 | RSD | DAY | RCH | CAR | ATL | BRI | DAR | NWS | MAR | TAL | DOV | CLT | NSV | RSD | MCH | DAY | NSV | POC | TAL 18 | MCH | BRI | DAR | RCH | DOV | MAR | NWS | CLT | CAR | ATL | ONT | 77th | 481.76 | ||||||||||||
1979 | RSD | DAY | CAR | RCH | ATL | NWS | BRI | DAR | MAR | TAL | NSV | DOV | CLT | TWS | RSD | MCH 35 | DAY | NSV | POC | 70th | 519.50 | |||||||||||||||||||||||
36 | TAL 32 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
6 | MCH 27 | BRI | DAR | RCH | DOV | MAR | CLT | NWS | CAR | ATL | ONT | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
1980 | RSD | DAY | RCH | CAR | ATL | BRI | DAR | NWS | MAR | TAL 33 | NSV | DOV | CLT | TWS | RSD | MCH | TAL 13 | MCH | BRI | DAR | RCH | DOV | NWS | MAR | 71st | 204 | ||||||||||||||||||
Warren Racing | 79 | DAY 30 | NSV | POC | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
M.C. Anderson Racing | 6 | Chevy | CLT 32 | CAR | ATL | ONT | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
1982 | Robbins Racing | 22 | Buick | DAY | RCH | BRI | ATL | CAR | DAR | NWS | MAR | TAL | NSV | DOV | CLT | POC | RSD | MCH | DAY 37 | NSV | POC | TAL | MCH | BRI | DAR | RCH | DOV | NWS | CLT | MAR | CAR | ATL 33 | RSD | 79th | 247.95 |
Daytona 500[edit]
Year | Team | Manufacturer | Start | Finish |
---|---|---|---|---|
1973 | Robbins Racing | Dodge | 37 | 34 |
1975 | Robbins Racing | Dodge | 28 | 39 |
Notes[edit]
- ^Richard S. Ginell. 'Ruby Ann: Rockin' Rollin' Robbins, Vol. 3 – Marty Robbins Songs, Reviews, Credits, Awards'. AllMusic. Retrieved August 17, 2015.
- ^'Marty Robbins Biography'. AllMusic, RhythmOne, LLC. Retrieved December 29, 2016.
- ^'Marty Robbins Biography'. A&E Television Networks, LLC. Retrieved December 29, 2016.
- ^'About Marty Robbins'. Country Music Television, Inc., a division of Viacom International Inc. Retrieved December 29, 2016.
- ^Pruett, Barbara J. Marty Robbins: Fast Cars and Country Music. Books.google.com. Retrieved April 24, 2014.
- ^Rhymes of the Frontier. Books.google.com. 1929. Retrieved October 25, 2014.
- ^ abcMarty Robbins interviewed on the Pop Chronicles (1969)
- ^'Marty Robbins: Country Dude of Nashville. By Mary Harron : Articles, reviews and interviews from Rock's Backpages'. Retrieved June 25, 2018 – via Rock's Backpages.
- ^'Career Statistics'. Racing-Reference.info. Retrieved August 17, 2015.
- ^'1973 Medal of Honor Firecracker 400'. Racing-Reference.info. July 4, 1973. Retrieved August 17, 2015.
- ^'Hell on Wheels'. IMDb.com. Retrieved August 17, 2015.
- ^Pareles, Jon (December 10, 1982). 'Marty Robbins, Singer, 57; Won a Grammy for 'El Paso''. New York Times. New York, NY. Retrieved October 12, 2016.
- ^Murrells, Joseph (1978). The Book of Golden Discs (2nd ed.). London: Barrie and Jenkins Ltd. p. 95. ISBN0-214-20512-6.
- ^'I told the brook [music] / [by] Marty Robbins ; arr. by Alec Baynes National Library of Australia'. Catalogue.nla.gov.au. Retrieved August 17, 2015.
- ^'Twentieth Century Drifter: The Life of Marty Robbins – Diane Diekman – Google Books'. Books.google.co.uk. Retrieved August 17, 2015.
- ^Joel Whitburn's Top Country Singles 1944–2001
- ^[1]Archived January 3, 2007, at the Wayback Machine
- ^Diekman, Diane (2012). Twentieth Century Drifter: The Life of Marty Robbins. University of Illinois Press. p. 99. ISBN978-0252081255.
- ^'Cotton Owens Garage – Drivers'. Cotton Owens Garage and Stratatomic LLC. Retrieved August 17, 2015.
- ^'Marty Robbins Saves Life of NASCAR's Richard Childress'. Savingcountrymusic.com. Retrieved September 11, 2013.
References[edit]
- Pruett, Barbara J. 'Marty Robbins: Fast Cars and Country Music'. Lanham, MD: Scarecrow Press. 2007. ISBN0-8108-6036-8
- Diekman, Diane 'Twentieth Century Drifter: The Life of Marty Robbins' (Music in American Life). 2012.
- 'Fallout: New Vegas' Big Iron is used on Radio New Vegas, Mojave Music Radio, and Black Mountain Radio.
External links[edit]
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Marty Robbins. |
- Robbins page at Country Music Hall of Fame
- Robbins page at Western Music Association
- Robbins page at Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame
- Robbins bio by Hank Davis at AllMusic
- Robbins page by Gaylen Duskey at NASCAR
- Marty Robbins driver statistics at Racing-Reference
- Marty Robbins owner statistics at Racing-Reference
- The short film Country Style USA Recruitment: Episode 8 is available for free download at the Internet Archive
- The short film Country Style USA Recruitment: Episode 34 is available for free download at the Internet Archive
Buck 65 apparently doesn't have to be good-- he's that original. So original, inn fact, that his ...
Buck 65 apparently doesn't have to be good-- he's that original. So original, in fact, that his fans overlook his flaws, namely that he's an average emcee and his lyrics can be terrible. For over a decade the Nova Scotia native (née Richard Terfry) has been storytelling in verse over twanged-out beats. This stylistic donnybrook-- one of hip-hop's most distinctive-- has been met with equal parts approbation and bafflement. To some, he's the Johnny Cash of hip-hop; to others, a kitsch novelty act. (He's neither.) Early Buck albums had all the professionalism of a late-night weed experiment, but Terfry is growin' up and it shows. On career retrospective/archaeological dig This Right Here Is Buck 65, released in January, lyrics were revised and songs re-recorded. Charmers like 'my cock is so big and the end of it glistens' (from 'The Centaur') became 'my clock is so clean and the hour-hand is missing.'
Does vocal repentance make Buck's stuff more palatable? Not really, but it does enable us to take the emcee (slightly) more seriously. Secret House Against the World, Buck's first album of entirely new material since 2003's Talkin' Honky Blues, switch hits: The beats now belie the seriousness of the lyrics, if anything. Sometimes moods meet up and the result is moving: Pedal steel (always sad), marimba, and a narcotically lugubrious acoustic guitar underpin Buck's gruff lamentations on 'The Suffering Machine'. But on balance he seems out to prove his sadness runs deeper than even music can convey. And damn, his music can be some sad-sack shit.
The droopiest numbers are thankfully spaced out, in addition to being somewhat spaced-out. 'Corrugated Tin Facade' opines, 'nothing's more beautiful than a woman's tears,' over a burbling synth spread that might get Jóhann Jóhannsson to rap. Like 'Surrender to Strangeness', which pits elder statesman cello against an electronic beat, the song would be more beautiful without Buck's lyrics, but not necessarily better.
It's refreshing to hear Buck deliver over a non-dirgeful backdrop. The sadder beats amplify his flaws and push his style over the top, making his funereal drawl seem farcical. On 'Blood of a Young Wolf' he's unpleasantly robotic, evoking black-on-the-inside mallcore frontmen more than any American folk icon. It's possible dude's voice has dropped a couple semitones since recording his first EP in 1992, but c'mon. I don't think even Beck's gravelly monotone has ever sounded as silly as his consonant peer's on 'Kennedy Killed the Hat'. The less overtly downtrodden backings offer more proper sympathy. 'Le 65isme', which features a stripped-down beat of live drum kit, martial bass and a few snappy guitar notes, fares much better. The mood is dark (of course) but hardly sentimental. Buck gives the refrain ('sex... cinema... politique') a blunt, Shatner-esque reading.
In the past Buck seemed unsure of how to spit over his most country-flavored beats; here he's completely at ease. 'The Suffering Machine' sounds suspiciously like 'Phil'-- one of three new cuts on This Right Here-- but this time Buck lets the words come slowly, making room for the scruffily beautiful music. Similarly poised is 'Drunk Without Driving', which presents a techier variant on more straight-strutting twang jobs like opener 'Roughhouse Blues'.
In underground hip-hop, whose artists and fans bitch incessantly about authenticity, it's awesome that one of the artists with the most cred is a white guy from Nova Scotia who wears a trucker hat (check the website photos). Seven albums into his career, Richard Terfry has stayed as distinctive, and consistent, as anyone. Now he finally seems to be making a home of his hodgepodge.
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