Killing the blues - Shawn Colvin Lost Concert

[bk669]

oh lordy, i love this so much! Shawn, i could gladly just listen to you play this for the rest of eternity in heaven, if that's the way things turned out to a' bein. but nonetheless completely psyched that i've gotten to hear shawn play this live a coupla times at Tupelo Music Hall in Derry NH and hope i get to again.

[wolfone30062]

Heard her play this on "Prairie Home Companion" one cold December night. Told the story. I've loved Prine's version a good long while. Alison Krause and Plant did a fair version. But the only one that rang true was hers. Somebody said they saw me...

[XarlosArg]

she is pure pure soul... OMG!! peformance precious 

[swampy1952]

fantastic version , by a fantastic , artist

[TimMcMullen]

"Killing the Blues" is by Rowland (Roly) Salley. He recorded what I consider to be the definitive version on Woodstock Mountains: Music from Mud Acres (an amazing collection that includes Pat Alger, Rory Block, Bill Keith, Jim Rooney, Eric Anderson, John Sebastian, just to name a few), but Roly's song is the standout! He also recorded it on his recent solo album, Killing the Blues. Roly is the bass player for Chris Isaak. Check out Roly doing the song at a Chris Isaak concert on YouTube.

[wolfone30062]

@TimMcMullen Thanks for this info. I went many years thinking it was a Prine song. Must give Rowland his props. I've lived this song and then some.

[TimMcMullen]

@wolfone30062 I love Shawn Colvin's work as a songwriter and an interpreter, and clearly, her work here is terrific. But just to give perspective on what a truly great song this is, it has at least 25 versions on iTunes. I downloaded all of them—i.e, the 18 I didn't already have—for a "Killing" marathon CD. Every one of them is quite listenable; most of them are extremely good; a number of them, like Shawn's, are extraordinary interpretations. How many songs can come close to that?

[longjonwhite]

@TimMcMullen Hi Tim . I stumbled across this great song whilst trying to check out samples of a particular Martin guitar I saw on eBay.... First version I saw was by someone on here who goes by the handle "Grumpy Coyote Tunes". Recommend you track it down and add to your collection. I've heard this, Allison and Rob, J.Prine and Rowly's versions since, but that amateur guy is really good. Kind Regards, Jon

[TimMcMullen]

@longjonwhite Thanks for the tip, Longjon. Grumpy Coyote Tunes does a unique talk/sing version; quite interesting. The thing about the guitar is that it doesn't matter: this song is so good that you can finger pick it, flat pick it, strum it, play it on the banjo, the ukelele, the autoharp, a capella w/ harmonica, faster, slower, it just kills. I haven't recorded this one; I post mostly originals, except for my 3 musical lectures, but I sing this one for fun. Maybe I'll add my version sometime.

[TimMcMullen]

@TimMcMullen Of the twenty-five versions that I have, about half are women, and probably 2/3 are using Shawn Colvin's arrangement; clearly, hers is a primary source.  But check out Chris Smither's, for example, for a "finger-picker's" variation on the piece.

[longjonwhite]

@TimMcMullen Hi, Personally I am a pretty shit guitarist/singer!!, I like Grumpy's version cos it's kinda just about in my ability threshold...and key. If you love acoustic, Americana , alt country singer/songwriters whatever the hell you wanna call it, I assume you already know of Gillian Welch and Dave Rawlings if not, TREAT yourself !! If you like Shawn and Allison, Emmy Lou etc. you gotta love Gillian and David sings close harmony n plays a very cool and very different acoustic lead...

[longjonwhite]

@TimMcMullen PS, YES it's a truly fuckin great song an I'm busy trying to nail it on the guitar! But I'm 60, and there's SO MUCH music to hear. I haven't got enough time left to get too hung up on one song!

You tube is such an endless source of pleasure and DISTRACTION ! (without looking at any vids of skateboarding dogs or folk falling on their arses) I may never get a chance to actually play MY geetar again!

Just found Ray Wylie Hubbard ; WOW ! ! where's HE bin hiding all my long life !??

[Bigerjoel]

Very nice . Great moment ...

[hocuspocusfocusable]

on the 'Cover Girl' CD, she segues into Dylan's 'Your Gonna Make Me Lonesome When You Go' it's great...

[ttaitt]

@hocuspocusfocusable Not from this song she doesn't. She segues from This Must Be The Place.

[hocuspocusfocusable]

@ttaitt sorry...your right, I don't know what came over me.

[hocuspocusfocusable]

@hocuspocusfocusable

and I absolutely love that Talking Heads song, more so how she interprets it.

and I knew that... : )

[Terra210000000]

@hocuspocusfocusable ummm, i think it's a john prine song. talking heads?

[hocuspocusfocusable]

@Terra210000000 Killing the Blues is...yes a Prine song. We were discussing 'This Must Be The Place' as well. I muddied things up with thinking ahead, and posting irrelevance by not talking in complete sentences or being clear. I don't post much.

[sardinianwestcoast]

Absolute class! What a discover!

[blakedawg76]

Hold your breath. Listen to her quiet the whole place. Fantastic.

[leonidasleahy]

Subline.

[ourpat1]

dheck out her version of Saturday Night, the Tom Waites song. Absolutely Magic. The girl is class

[hocuspocusfocusable]

@ourpat1 that's one of my favoite's too...I know you said that a year ago, but I feel the same...

[eastwood203]

Lovely nuanced interpretation of a highly creatively written and crafted song.