If I could do it over again, I'd have my life start in precisely the way that "Sail Away Ladies" does - with a contrabass riff. After all, "Sail Away Ladies" turned out alright - it doesn't eat too much candy, drink too much Diet Pepsi, swear like a sailor, sail like Norman Mailor (i.e. badly), or suffer, really, from any of the myriad inadequacies that make me an unsuitable suitor, among other unfortunate things. It's easy to think of that bass riff as a source of life, too, since "SAL" sprouts from it like a plant from the earth, Odetta's voice a sturdy, striving stock, and the guitar parts, emerging at intervals, intricate and intertwining leaves. And like the earth, the riff is a cool cat; even as a song bursts forth from its very being, the stalwart bass riff remains aloof and unchanged, rising up out of the din and diving back down into it.
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Posted by Jordan at March 26, 2008 8:58 PMthis song blew me away. I'm writing this from a collapsed position.
I also like "interwining". is that like "between wines"?
Posted by dan at March 27, 2008 12:08 AMfuuuuuck. never have i so wanted to be a "daddio". this song just about ruined me tonight - i could crawl up and die under a starless sky, so long as i had this cupped to my ear.
how much of "one grain of sand" is like this? the only odetta album i have is the dylan covers album and it's way more OOMPH, less full-textured. more forward-game, less backhand and windcaught twirl. pls advise.
Speaking of Odetta, I recently stumbled upon this terrific video of her singing "Water Boy." Be patient with it. The sound is off at first but syncs up and is well worth the 10-second wait.
The performance is breathtaking.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VSDeROnTq64
Posted by rahawa at March 27, 2008 1:10 AM
and it will begin playing. All songs are also available to download: just right-click the link and choose 'Save as...'
