DBT #200 Marcia Ball - The Tattooed Lady and The Alligator Man
As some of you know, I lost my favorite cat buddy Hobbes on Monday and needed some happy music. I recently just discovered Marcia Ball in some kind of search in Discogs, where I put trio vinyl called "Dreams Come True" on my wishlist. Of course you know me and I went to Bandcamp to see what I could find digitally to whet my appetite for more and found she had a page and quickly sampling this album I knew I had to have it. I love a good cajun blues mix, and I know my wife does. Sometimes she has the audacity to say in the car that much of my new singer songwriter buys blend together and don't stand out, I knew this one would stand out, and keep us moving down the road.
After I bought this album I noted that Marcia is on the Trempealeau Hotel (my favorite bar) Wall of Fame the has an incredible mix of musicians that have played there. I'll take a picture of it next trip and add it to this post. Here's one of the wall I found in Google.
Egads, you might say this is an OLD album; but you know my blog's motto "Good Music Has NO Expiration Date" Plus it was born in 2014 and my Hobbes was born in 2015. He died way too soon, and you must let good music live.
Well let's get to some music:
1) The Tattooed Lady and the Alligator Man
She definitely dances...
Here she is on Prairie Home Companion back in 2014.
2) Clean my House
This song already had made it into my House playlist, great song to get you rev'd up to clean her house.
I love how she crosses her legs while playing on this cruise tour.
3) Just Keep Holding On
Oh right we can shake all album, so glad your partner close groove to this one that has such a classic feel. This song isn't in YouTube for the playlist at the end.
4) Like There's No Tomorrow
Boy if this didn't remind me of a the circus coming to town as it started, and yep let's get the party started, and party like there's no tomorrow. BTW... when you are sad like said at the beginning this song does improve your condition.
Love the simplicity of her singing and playing the song too.
5) He's the One
This slow dance blues is written by the late Hank Ballard who also wrote Chubby Checker's famous, "The Twist"
And from no less than the Crawdad Festival
6) The Squeeze is On
Yes this Cajun swinging blues is my favorite song on the album, and has inspired an upcoming playlist based on Squeeze...
I thought I saw she might be coming back to the Dakota Club this year, lots of videos out on this song.
7) Hot Springs
Now let's give the guitarist Mike Schermer his due for some main attention. He also helped co-write two of the songs on the album.
I'm not sure if this is the same guitarist, but this guy gets his licks in too.
8) Human Kindness
This ballad will be burned into my memory as the song I listened to several times back and forth to Hobbes' last visit to the vet. As I type my eyes well up again, and I'll tell you that this is healing; and I hope you share or receive some kindness today. I especially was on the receiving end from all my friends who are in mourning for Hobbes as well. Their words touched me so.
Back to the music, I do love the organ touch and the church harmonies in this mix.
As a soloist it works too, and it almost helps that her voice cracks a little at the beginning.
You know what, there are four more songs on the album, but I want to end this review on this song. I hope I either inspired you to look up Marcia for the first time, or danced you down the street in sheer joy as you relived this wonderful album.
Here's the one click playlist for the YouTube songs above.
Next steps:
- Stop over to the Review page to my other most spinned and loved albums.
- Browse the rest of the blogs by stopping at this "Theme Page."
- Enjoy Tune Tuesday which brings you one song from a past blog post.
- See what other post have been most popular recently with our Stats Page.
- Find out who in the world thinks he has the authority to write this blog in the About.
- Let me answer why you won't find the playlists on Spotify here.
- Finally, the Mission page explains why there is no advertising cluttering the page.
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