For some reason this article made me feel like a relic.  I disagree with Brooks’ assertion that fiscally responsible, limited government conservatism that is based on personal responsibility has gone the way of the dodo.  I think what has hurt the conservative movement, typically associated with the Republican party, in America has been many of the party’s members not living up to the rhetoric they spout.  They say limited government, but then grow it.  It disillusions people and brings about unfortunate outcomes that could have been avoided by sticking with principles.  That’s just the tip of the iceberg.  Turning around the party will take the right leaders and time to convince voters that they mean what they say.

So maybe I’m a dying breed, a dinosaur.  But at least I can be content with the knowledge that I’m right and years later when big government policies fail to work as they always do I can bitterly say I told you so.  Because we are bitter, after all.

In that vein I thought my favorite Hank Williams, Jr. song, Dinosaur, would be very fitting.

Tonight’s theme is good advice. I’m sure I overlooked a lot of great songs, but here are three that came to mind. The first is Kenny Rogers’ “The Gambler.” Next Alabama lets you know what instrument is required to play in Texas. Finally, Aaron Tippin performs a song about a little father/son advice.

Here’s a couple from George Strait’s early years - Amarillo by Morning and The Cowboy Rides Away.

Tonight I’ll tie in a current event with a couple of great country classics.

Last year the U.S. Senate began to probe the finances of six televangelists.  This week they sent out letters to two more.

So, first we have Hank Williams Jr.’s American Dream, which includes the following lyrics:

There are some preachers on TV, with a suit and a tie and a vest

They want you to send your money to the lord, but they give you their address

Cause all of your donations, are completely tax free

God bless you all but most of all send your money

Charlie Daniels’ Long Haired Country Boy also touches on the venerable TV preacher:

Preacher man talkin’ on the TV,

He’s a-puttin’ down the rock ‘n’ roll.

He wants me to send a donation,’Cos he’s worried about my soul.

He said: “Jesus walked on the water,”And I know that is true,

But sometimes I think that preacher man,

Would like to do a little walkin’, too.

I like how the host introduced him as “funky” Charlie Daniels.

For tonight we’ll listen to one of country music’s top stars, Ronnie Milsap, who is third on the all time list with 40 number one songs.  The first video is a 1975 TV performance of Daydreams About Night Things and Just in Case.  The second is the video for his song Stranger in My House.  As a bonus I decided to also throw in Mel McDaniel’s Baby Got Her Blue Jeans On because for years, probably until I was a junior in college, I was convinced that Milsap had released that song.  No, that isn’t Mel in the video, but a little Daisy Duke never hurt anyone.

Enjoy.

Here’s some classics from the lighter side of country…

We’ll start out with Confederate Railroad’s “Trashy Women.”  Great song.  Bizarre video.  This song was a staple back during the collegiate keg party days.  I was actually “escorted out” of a Confederate Railroad concert once, but that’s another story for another time.

You can’t spell irreverent country music without Joe Diffie.  “Pick-Up Man” is a personal favorite.  Man, I miss my truck.

I better include the “perfect country & western song.”  Great ending.

It’s hard to single out just one Ray Stevens song, but we’ll go with the “Mississippi Squirrel Revival.”

Jimmy Buffet performed numerous songs with a country twang.  Some kids put together a video for “Great Filling Station Holdup” that is pretty good.

The truck driver from Smokey and the Bandit, also known as Jerry Reed, was a pretty decent musician in his day.  His song “She got the Goldmine (I got the Shaft)” makes the list for its name alone.

David Frizzell was in the avant garde of home redecorating.

I’m a big fan of classic country music.  I can’t say that I care too much for anything that comes out of Nashville these days.  The old stuff just seems to have more integrity than fluff like Rascal Flatts (which I consider to be one of the worst of the modern day offenders).

One of my favorite all time singers has got to be Merle Haggard.  Great voice and fantastic songs about hard work, freedom, prison, and (of course) drinking.  In fact the only song I have ever sung (”sung” may be giving me too much credit) in a karaoke bar was Haggard’s “I Think I’ll Just Sit Here and Drink.”

One of his songs that piqued my interest this week was “Are the Good Times Really Over for Good” so here’s The Hag performing it for your pleasure.

Huntsville has just one rock station that plays mainly current songs, Rocket 95.1.  The station has the strange habit of periodically injecting a relatively obscure song from the 80’s or 90’s into their regular rotation.  The latest song to weasel its way into the play list is “Everything About You” by Ugly Kid Joe.  I’ve probably heard it five or six times in the last couple of weeks.  I’m slightly embarrassed to admit that I was the proud owner of the album - on cassette tape of course - back in the early 90’s.  So, to continue the nostalgia I thought I would post a link to the video that went with the song.  Enjoy.

FYI: I normally would insert the video in the post, but when I tried that I got some unpleasant reactions with the new version of Wordpress I just installed.

Just for all you Bama fans:

“Bear” by Chance Jones and Mike Lantrip

Performed by Roger Hallmark

One of my favorite bands from my high school/college years has reunited, at least for a handful of shows.

Rage Against The Machine played its first concert in seven years on Sunday night (April 29th) to close the Coachella Festival in Indio, California, giving the packed audience classics from all three of the band’s original studio albums, as well as a brief sample of the political rhetoric that the group was known for in its Nineties heyday. Opening with “Testify” from The Battle of Los Angeles, Rage ripped through 12 songs before the quartet encored with its signature tune, “Killing in the Name.”

Personally, I’d like to see them actually put out some new music, provided it isn’t as abysmal as the work done lately by the same guys with Chris Cornell in place of Zach de la Rocha under the guise of Audio Slave.  For those of you anti-Dixie Chicks types who think that you can’t consume music/art/movies made by people whom you disagree with politically, I don’t buy into that.  Quite frankly, I think I’d have to throw away 90% of my CD’s and DVD’s if I tried to apply that logic.  Along that vein, Rage’s lead singer picked up right where he left off.

Although singer Zack de la Rocha kept his comments to a minimum during the show, he did say during “Wake Up” that the Bush Administration “needs to be tried, hung and shot. We need to treat them like the war criminals they are.”

Sounds about right based on the content of their lyrics and the commentary provided when I went to see them in Atlanta many moons ago.  Tom Morello apparently thinks the world revolves around the band.

Guitarist Tom Morello told us that one of the reasons Rage decided to return was to speak out on the current political climate: “Is it coincidence that in the seven years that Rage Against The Machine has been away, that the country has slid into a right-wing purgatory? Hard to say. Just taking a look at the dire times that we live in and, you know, Rage was certainly the most outspoken political voice in rock music throughout the Nineties, I mean, I think it’s long overdue that, you know, Rage comes back and has a say.”

Yeah, right Tom, we’d all be fat and happy (as opposed to just fat) if zit faced kids had been able to mosh for the last seven years.

Actually, what always amused me about bands like RATM that espouse anti-authority, anti-conformity propaganda was that at their concerts the lead singer would put down the mic during the chorus of their formulaic, made for radio (i.e. made for capitalism) songs and the crowd of sheep would dutifully bleat out the words.  Between songs the singers would engage in call and return antics and the crowds, again, would dutifully conform to the singers wishes.  The irony was not lost on me. I believe that at a Tool concert I went to in B’ham (at which I had to stand in the rain AND missed Auburn’s shocking upset of Florida - still worth it, though) their lead singer, Maynard, started up such a call and return, which I thought was odd, and then mocked the crowd for complying.  Amusing.

Video of the RATM concert is on YouTube of course.