Great Train Songs...

[Juniatha]

Hi folks

 

Uh-well – about the Phoenix song we were all wrong :  No trains , nor Route sixty-six , no bus – it was by airplane ( and that would also appear to better fit the time table , no ?)  At least this looks like a window viewed from inside a jet plane – see at 1:02 in

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c1vQIboDxUo&feature=related

By the time I get to Poenix – Bobby Goldsboro

– calm , nicely sung , with pictures to the tunes , air plane window at 1:02

Here are yet another few versions I like:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nVOt-PLsmKc&feature=related

By the time I get to Poenix – Erma Franklin

-- definitely sings with a touch soul

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lxS3i-tb8uI&feature=related

By the time I get to Poenix – Chet Atkins

 -- nice guitar playing

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xbpMDuUp1ao&feature=related

By the time I get to Phoenix – John Walker – that’s a different kind of singing , more raunchy interesting moody voice , nice orchestra background

John Walker who founded ‘the Walker Brothers’ of famed

‘The sun ain’t gonna shine anymore’

-- hoooh wow – wasn’t that one haunting deep toned ‘world’s end since you don’t love me anymore’ type of song ? 

            Ok , you ask “But where are the trains?” Here they come :

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jFWZMmboIm4&feature=related

Homeward bound – Sandie Saw & John Walker

 -- interesting duet of the S&G song , some nice British Railways station scenes with Sandy on the platform

 

All this may raise a question : how can we hang on to all these dreams ?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CswH3FeTQ08&feature=related

Mimi Farina – How can we hang on to a dream

( who the heck is Mimi Farina ? Joan Baez’ sister , visibly )

… or in a totally different interpretation

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7RSRoM_fc9I

Hang on to a dream – The Nice

… and now the dream becomes still larger and turns into an uncanny powerful journey to the unknown

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mKemBE5dguQ&feature=related

Hang on to a dream – Kattoo

 

And with that I leave you to your own dreams

– good night

                      Juniatha

 

 

[Falcon48]

Here's another obscure train song (not a novelty number like "Hey Engineer").  It's done as an Irish jig.  The UP Chorale did a recording of it a couple of years ago.

FILLIMIOORIOORIA

 

VERSE 1

In eighteen hundred and forty one

I put me corduroy breaches on

I put me corduroy breaches on

To work upon the railway

 

REFRAIN

Fillimiooriooria, Fillimiooriooria

Fillimiooriooria

To work upon the railway

 

VERSE 2

In eighteen hundred and forty two

I left the old world for the new

T'was sorry luck that brought me through

To work upon the railway

(to Refrain )

 

Verse 3

In eighteen hundred and forty three

T'was then I met sweet Biddy McGee

An elegant wife she’s been to me

While working on the railway

(to Refrain)

 

VERSE 4

In eighteen hundred and forty seven

Sweet Biddy McGee she went to heaven

If she left one child, she left eleven

To work upon the railway

(to Refrain))

 

[seppburgh2]

When I first heard this song, I was a little boy growing up in the NY tri-state area.  Though it was a sad song and he was heading out on a bus.  To me, the only train was the Phoebe Snow and she didn't run that far west!

[Falcon48]

Here's one I'll bet no one's ever heard before.  It's called "Hey Engineer" (they don't write 'em like this anymore):

Hey engineer, is this train goin’ south

Back to that Mason-Dixon line

Hey engineer, is this train goin’, south

Back to that honeysuckle wine

Hey engineer, is this train going south

Back to my old stompin’ grounds

Hey engineer, if this train’s goin’ south

For God’s sake, turn it around

 

Why don’t they sing about Jersey

Where the sun is shinin’ all the time

Well they always sing about Georgia

And the girls from Caroline

Now, those girls from Georgia are peaches

And the girls from Caroline, they ain’t slow

But why don’t they sing about Jersey

Where the big fat tomatoes grow

 

[samfp1943]

A song about the WP&Y RR by Hank Karr:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OOkbyueLfWI&feature=related

 

"Life is like a Mountain Railroad" by Patsy Cline

 @ http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O9rwNQAeQgg&NR=1 ( WP&Y)

or this featuring an LMS (6114) Steam also by Patsy Cline:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wck03Y72340&feature=related

 

Or This :"Silverton"  by C.W.McCall:

@ http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7a_19VDqQgo&feature=related

[BaltACD]

While the song is lyrical - I don't believe it denotes the route of any particular train.  Looking to some old Official Guide timings & routing's .... While the SP's Eastbound Sunset Limited departed Phoenix in the 6 AM range, it did not operate via Albuquerque.  The Santa Fe's Eastbound Super Chief did call there about 1 PM and neither train had a routing through Oklahoma, with the Super Chief heading through Colorado & Kansas and the Sunset moving through Texas.  So I would guess the route might be US 66, a road which has had a number of other songs written about it.

Juniatha

Hi folks

Uh-m ... what about this song

By the time I get to Phenix ...

Well , I think it doesn't really say if he travels by rail or by road - although I have always felt for some reason it's by rail  - let's see , the lyrics vary slightly …

 

By The Time I Get To Phoenix - Frank Sinatra 

 

By the time I get to Phoenix she'll be rising.
She'll find the note I left hanging on her door.
She'll laugh when she reads the part that says I'm leaving
`Cause I've left that girl so many times before.

By the time I make Albuquerque she'll be working.
She'll probably stop for lunch and give me a call.
But she'll just hear the phone keep on ringing,

on the wall, that's all.

By the time I reach Oklahoma she'll be sleeping.
She'll turn softly and call my name out low.
And she'll cry just to think I'd really leave her,
Though time and time again I tried to tell her so.
She just didn't know I would really go.

 

 

By The Time I Get To Phoenix Lyrics - by Glen Campbell

 

By the time I get to Phoenix
She'll be rising
She'll find the note I left hanging on her door
She'll laugh, when she reads the part that says I'm leaving
Cause I've left that girl, so many times before

By the time I make Albuquerque
She'll be working
She'll probably stop at lunch,
and give me a call
But she'll just hear that phone keep on ringing
Off the wall, that's all

By the time I make Oklahoma
She'll be sleeping
She'll turn softly and call my name out low
And she'll cry, just to think, I'd really leave her
Though time and time I've tried to tell her so
She just didn't know,
I would really go

 

  

No , it doesn’t ( say if he travels by rail or by road ) .

So , we can make our choices and that’ll be for some passenger train connection ..

( hey , historians of passenger rail travel , here’s your challenge :

which trains could he have taken on this journey of no return ? )

.. because no farewell is as romantically-tragic or tragically-romantic or neither none of which , just sad or unnecessary , a regretful end of a series of misunderstandings or personal limits or the result of unbearable disappointment or unfulfilled love – oh , let’s leave it , people can make life difficult for other people .

If it wouldn’t be for good unwavering hope and some American optimism , where would it all end up ?

 

Regards

 

                   Juniatha

 

Links :

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5sesd9CvIsA

version by Johnny Rivers

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mUg5p3BncuQ

version by Glen Campbell

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E1pmBEZ4kr0

version with the 101 Strings Orchestra

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sJoi2QpbiF4&feature=related

version by Jimmy Webb

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VoEXwmxpCyM&feature=related

version by José Feliciano

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CTwwj631lBg&feature=related

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0mrQMCWs83M&feature=related

versions by Frank Sinatra

 

 

[Juniatha]

Hi folks

Uh-m ... what about this song

By the time I get to Phenix ...

Well , I think it doesn't really say if he travels by rail or by road - although I have always felt for some reason it's by rail  - let's see , the lyrics vary slightly …

 

By The Time I Get To Phoenix - Frank Sinatra 

 

By the time I get to Phoenix she'll be rising.
She'll find the note I left hanging on her door.
She'll laugh when she reads the part that says I'm leaving
`Cause I've left that girl so many times before.

By the time I make Albuquerque she'll be working.
She'll probably stop for lunch and give me a call.
But she'll just hear the phone keep on ringing,

on the wall, that's all.

By the time I reach Oklahoma she'll be sleeping.
She'll turn softly and call my name out low.
And she'll cry just to think I'd really leave her,
Though time and time again I tried to tell her so.
She just didn't know I would really go.

 

 

By The Time I Get To Phoenix Lyrics - by Glen Campbell

 

By the time I get to Phoenix
She'll be rising
She'll find the note I left hanging on her door
She'll laugh, when she reads the part that says I'm leaving
Cause I've left that girl, so many times before

By the time I make Albuquerque
She'll be working
She'll probably stop at lunch,
and give me a call
But she'll just hear that phone keep on ringing
Off the wall, that's all

By the time I make Oklahoma
She'll be sleeping
She'll turn softly and call my name out low
And she'll cry, just to think, I'd really leave her
Though time and time I've tried to tell her so
She just didn't know,
I would really go

 

  

No , it doesn’t ( say if he travels by rail or by road ) .

So , we can make our choices and that’ll be for some passenger train connection ..

( hey , historians of passenger rail travel , here’s your challenge :

which trains could he have taken on this journey of no return ? )

.. because no farewell is as romantically-tragic or tragically-romantic or neither none of which , just sad or unnecessary , a regretful end of a series of misunderstandings or personal limits or the result of unbearable disappointment or unfulfilled love – oh , let’s leave it , people can make life difficult for other people .

If it wouldn’t be for good unwavering hope and some American optimism , where would it all end up ?

 

Regards

 

                   Juniatha

 

Links :

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5sesd9CvIsA

version by Johnny Rivers

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mUg5p3BncuQ

version by Glen Campbell

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E1pmBEZ4kr0

version with the 101 Strings Orchestra

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sJoi2QpbiF4&feature=related

version by Jimmy Webb

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VoEXwmxpCyM&feature=related

version by José Feliciano

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CTwwj631lBg&feature=related

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0mrQMCWs83M&feature=related

versions by Frank Sinatra

 

 

[Firelock76]

Holy jeez, how could I have forgotten Duke Ellington's  "Take the 'A'  Train"?   OK. it's about the subway, but it's still a train!

[ramrod]

Duke Ellington's "Happy Go Lucky Local"

[Locojunkie]

There are a lot of train songs. I really like the train wreck ballads. Wreck of the Sportsman, Wreck of the C&O #5 was sang to me as a child by my grandparents. The Wreck of the Old 97 of course is a great one. There is a great book entitled "Scalded to Death by the Steam" that lists and has lyrics to most of these tunes.

[Ulrich]

SSW9389

“One veteran of the rails expressed the opinion of thousands when he

said, “When I was a kid, boys did not go to work on the railroad simply

because their fathers did. What fetched them was the sights and sounds of

moving trains, and above all the whistle of a locomotive. I’ve heard the call

of the wild, the call of the law, the call of the church. There is also the call of

the Railroad—or there used to be in my day.” wrote Era Ross Standefer in

her 1949 thesis The Romance of Railroading.  

 

 

 

It still works that way...sort of. When I was a kid back in the 70s the sound of trains rolling through the valley got me interested and thinking about a career on the railroad. That didn't happen, but I did get into trucking, and  now I get to see my family name rolling down the highway in big 36 in. letters.. Not quite the same with the romance and all...but close enough.

[SSW9389]

“One veteran of the rails expressed the opinion of thousands when he

said, “When I was a kid, boys did not go to work on the railroad simply

because their fathers did. What fetched them was the sights and sounds of

moving trains, and above all the whistle of a locomotive. I’ve heard the call

of the wild, the call of the law, the call of the church. There is also the call of

the Railroad—or there used to be in my day.” wrote Era Ross Standefer in

her 1949 thesis The Romance of Railroading.  

 

 

[Juniatha]

Hi Firelock

 

Well , actually I’m off this thread – however to answer to you :

 

That steam whistle was the call to adventure to a lot of bored farm boys who at days end probably said to themselves,  "***, there's GOT to be something better than THIS!" 

 

Oh , I guess that was so …

 

Probably a lot of farm girls thought the same thing, but the opportunities for escape for young women  just weren't  a good as they were for young men. 

 

Yes … dim chances indeed .   Unless in a curious twist of fate some high class city dandy on his way to prospect a remote site for possible oil drilling or the like , got lost and had to stop his marvellous sparkling white Auburn convertible in front of the local general store to ask his way and it so happened , Mary the only daughter of the owner of the biggest ranch was in there with servants to pick up the usual goods for the week and he got struck by her unspoiled natural beauty , prompting him to offer her a ride , ‘to show the way’ … she heard the words , saw that worldly , good looking dude with his winning smile , felt getting dizzy , didn’t know what to think of it , considered the consequences of town folk seeing her in that outlandish road yacht and talking , turned it down because it seemed so unreal – forever to be left in the dark about maybe having thrown away the chance of her lifetime or rather having avoided to become the talk of the town – later on marrying the lonesome rider who had come from nowhere to find work on the ranch and having had the grit to ask her father for her hand …

( how that ? well it’s from a short story I wrote in connection with a riddle )

 

 

Boredom's probably the reason a lot of young men rushed to the colors when the Civil War started in 1861, but that's another story

 

… one that I feel Buster Keaton had told in unsurpassable way in his simply ingenious tragic-comical film ‘The General’ of the stoic , slightly melancholic yet never giving up locomotive driver who rose above himself on the occasion – a film of great insight into the absurdity of tests and trials of life , human nature .. and besides , offering a great view at old times and railroad scenes for us people of  today .

 

Regards

 

                        Juniatha

.

 

God bless America !

[Ulrich]

Railroads may nolonger be  part of the common folklore, but that's also true of trucking and aviation. Remember back in the 70s with the CB craze? 10-4 good buddy, breaker 19,  and all that nonsense? Mostly gone now...And so is much of private aviation because even your Cessna is beyond the reach of most people's pocketbook. The romance is gone...and with it went the music.

[Firelock76]

Juniatha

Well , isn't it intriguing that train songs with very few exceptions were from the 1950s , 1940s , 1930s or earlier ?   And then they were mostly country and folk songs .   

I feel that tells something about RRs vanishing from view in the public mind and certainly from the citizen's minds ...

                      =  J =

  Per Juniatha's comment on trains songs being mostly  "Country and Western",  I suppose that for rural America in the early to mid 20th Century the railroad was the most interesting thing in the area.  Bear in mind life in rural America involved,  well I won't say drudgery, but a lot of hard work with not too many amusements or distractions.  The amusements usually ended with the letter  "N", as in  "huntin', fishin' ", or if you were lucky  "dancin' ".  

That steam whistle was the call to adventure to a lot of bored farmboys who at days end probably said to themselves,  "***, there's GOT to be something better than THIS!"  Probably a lot of farmgirls thought the same thing, but the oppotunities for escape for young women  just weren't  a good as they were for young men.  Boredom's probably the reason a lot of young men rushed to the colors  when the Civil War started in 1861, but that's another story.

[Sunnyland]

Personal favorites-City of New Orleans-Arlo Guthrie version

We also liked Johnny Cash-Orange Blossom Special and Ride That Train-Dad had the album.

And the oldies like Chattanooga Choo Choo

[Anonymous]

 

Here is a nice railroad work song.  Nice video too.  Lots of faces looking back at you across time.  I wonder what the world looked like to them.

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J9dOrghwDE0

[joesap1]

"peanut sitting on a railroad track, it's heart all a flutter. Trains comes rolling down the track. Toot! Toot! Peanut but-ter!"

That's part of a great children's song.

I love Johnny Cash's train songs, particularly " Rock Island Line"

"Well the engineer said before he died there were two more drinks he'd like to try. Conductor said what could they be? Hot cup of coffee and cold glass of tea."

Merle Haggard put out an album in the ear;ly seventies of entirely train songs. If you can find a copy, get it. All the songs are great.

[Juniatha]

Ok , now since train music seems to be much identified with Johnny Cash and a few more country singers mostly before autumn 1949 , here’s a record of old Johnny Cash songs , the record’s title is ‚Johnny Cash and the Tennessee Two  - Story Songs of the Trains and Rivers’ ;  there’s even a steam loco graphic on the cover and it contains the following titles :

Side A

Hey Porter  2:12 ( Johnny Cash , Hi-Lo Music )  /  Train of Love  2:22 ( Johnny Cash , Knox Music )  /  I Heard that Lonesome Whistle  2:24 ( Williams  & Davis , Peer Int’l )  /  Port of Lonely Hearts  2:33 ( Johnny Cash , Knox Music )  /  The Wreck of the Old 97  1:47 ( Johnny Cash , Hi-Lo Music )  

Side B

Rock Island Line  2:09 ( Johnny Cash , Hi-Lo Music Inc )  /  Big River  2:31 ( Johnny Cash , Hi-Lo Music Inc )  /  Wide Open Road  2:23 ( Johnny Cash , Hi-Lo Music Inc & Johnny Cash Music Inc)  /  Down the Street to 301  2:03 ( Jack Clement , Jack Clement Music Inc )  /  Life Goes On  1:58 ( Jack Clement & Johnny Cash , Jack Clement Music Inc )

Sorry , Big River is apparently not the name of a freight yard and Nō 301 isn’t a train Nō either but a house Nō .

 

As for my efforts at dieselizing train songs , one more try and that’ll be it ( I’m not EMD )

– so , how about that one : http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x5e3M6v-rCQ

– or this version : http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C0qbBQABx6E

( I think the first one is slightly better – you can play both in canon if you can hit the right timing )

At least for 3:28 it conveys some feeling of length and momentum of a long American freight train running – why diesel ?  well , 1973 , Album ‘The Captain and me’ ..

Here’s a bass play-along version for ‘more mass inertia’ : http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E0NkBPBagX0&feature=related

and live bass to playback original : http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1vXlBVEklDc&feature=related

 

However .. maybe you would listen to this :

Norah Jones – Tribute to Johnny Cash :

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7ufjeTqOhuM&feature=related

Norah Jones – Long way Home :

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HCQDWjN22X0&feature=related

Norah Jones and Eva Cassidy – Tennessee Waltz :

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ps8XPSkY_5Q&feature=related

Tennessee Waltz – acoustic guitar and singing Eva Cassidy :

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v1TD-7k52y4&feature=related

In the early morning rain ( Gordon Lightfoot ) – Eva Cassidy :

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bRI-TawlghI&feature=related

People get ready there’s a train a-coming – Eva Cassidy :

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J8W9rPxxnP4&feature=related

Poor Wayfaring Stranger – Eva Cassidy :

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_sDyE98AGzw&feature=relatedsmae

– same by Johnny Cash :

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OD---gVU06k&feature=related

    

                      ( I have deleted some links that I felt not fitting to the topic )

 

Leaving this thread with regards

 

                                       =  J =

 

[Dakguy201]

Here is a link to Texas - 1947:    Johnny Cash-Texas 1947 - YouTube

[Leo_Ames]

There are some good train songs on 'Chessie's 8,000 Mile Birthday Party' that I've never heard elsewhere (A video commissioned by Chessie to document their stream excursions at the time). No clue what their names or who the artist were. 

[greyhounds]

You folks must believe me, for this be the truth.   I seek no glory or fame.  I seek only to speak the truth and be judged accordingly.  There is a song about a diesel powered train.  It's title is:  "Texas - 1947".  Johnny Cash covered the song in his album "Look At Them Beans".

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Now bein' six years old, I had seen some trains before,
so it's hard to figure out what I'm at the depot for.

Trains are big and black and smokin' - steam screamin' at the wheels,
bigger than anything they is, at least that's the way she feels

Trains are big and black and smokin', louder'n July four,
but everybody's actin' like this might be somethin' more. . .

. . .than just pickin' up the mail, or the soldiers from the war.
This is somethin' that even old man Wileman never seen before.

And it's late afternoon on a hot Texas day.
somethin' strange is goin' on, and we's all in the way.

Well there's fifty or sixty people they're just sittin' on their cars,
and the old men left their dominos and they come down from the bars.

 

Everybody's checkin', old Jack Kittrel check his watch,
and us kids put our ears to the rails to hear 'em pop.

So we already knowed it, when they finally said 'train time'
you'd a-thought that Jesus Christ his-self was rollin' down the line.

'Cause things got real quiet, momma jerked me back,
But not before I'd got the chance to lay a nickel on the track.

Chorus
Look out here she comes, she's comin',
Look out there she goes, she's gone,
screamin' straight through Texas
like a mad dog cyclone.

Big, red, and silver,
she don't make no smoke,
she's a fast-rollin' streamline
come to show the folks.

 

Look out here she comes, she's comin'
Look out there she goes, she's gone,
screamin' straight through Texas
like a mad dog cyclone.

. . .Lord, she never even stopped.

She left fifty or sixty people still sittin' on their cars,
and they're wonderin' what it's comin' to
and how it got this far.

Oh but me I got a nickel smashed flatter than a dime
by a mad dog, runaway red-silver streamline. . . train

Chorus

That is a great capturing of the American Experience in art.  These people in a small Texas town have a concept of what a train is, then that concept is altered in a few seconds by a fast diesel streamliner.  It's great! And it is about a diesel train.

 

.

[Juniatha]

Well , isn't it intriguing that train songs with very few exceptions were from the 1950s , 1940s , 1930s or earlier ?   And then they were mostly country and folk songs .   

I feel that tells something about RRs vanishing from view in the public mind and certainly from the citizen's minds ...

                      =  J =

[wjstix]

Probably take too much space to get into here, but you could do an interesting article on the history of the "Wabash Cannonball" and it's different variations going back to the 1890's or so...a folk song that was discovered and published and then forgotten and then became a folk song again, and was rediscovered by A.P. Carter and recorded, and then to the Crazy Tennesseans recording which really popularized it (with Roy Acuff on fiddle and train whistle sound - but not vocals!! He didn't record his own solo version until I think 1947.)

[Juniatha]

Hi all

 

Some links to songs – I’d like to read your comments :

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TZZAQT6IsX8&feature=related

Life is a Rock ( but the radio rolled me ) – here sung by the Byrds

– my EMD diesel tune ( well , maybe someone would like to recite names of RR , builders , locomotives , trains and stations instead of names in the music scene ? that would be something *g* ) 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ORZutckKlGU

Life is a Rock ( but the radio rolled me ) – sung by Tracey Ullman

– what type of diesel would that relate to ?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3vof-DhWSoU&feature=related

Life is a Rock ( but the radio rolled me ) – sung life by Alexis O’Hara

– life !?  my goodness , how does she hold the air for that breathless sequence ..????

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ef-f-l2Pbn8&feature=related

Joss Stone trying to emulate Janis Joplin ‘Cry Baby’

– can she stand up to ‘Janis Pennsy steam’ ?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WISX2oSExIA&feature=related

singer remembering Janis Joplin , combined with JJ picture show

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6iX-EcRKXJw&feature=related

Janis Joplin singing ‘Me and Bobby McGee’ in 1970 combined with video showing her singing ‘Cry Baby’

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dE_m8gB5hAs&feature=related

Joss Stone – Don’t cha wanna ride

– listen , there’s another tune in the background , just a few tunes of it ..

à quiz question : what was the title of that tune ??

 ( hint : it was a one hit wonder , by which group)

 

Since it seems you guys don’t want to engage in conjuring freelance connotations , but rather keep to ‘songs prescribed by the authors’ , I’ve got two LPs here with train songs :

1 -        An old record , recorded Los Angeles, CA on Dec 15 & 16 1962 – the record incl cover is like new since it’s from my late father’s collection (I tend to think my records are kept in good shape but this one is at least as good as new ; I put it on for once , just to describe the music to you – that’s how far I go for postings in this forum – *g*)

The record’s title is ‘Night Train : The Oscar Peterson Trio’

Ok – no one would deny Oscar Peterson did perform some very good music – however , this Night Train sounds more like an afternoon seasonal local freight to me , with maybe a 2-8-0 up front , rambling some odd freight yards , leisurely picking up a load here , dropping another one there . The piece is 4:50 – see , Oscar already felt it would take some time for this train to get anywhere .  Side one continues at about the same tempo with :  C Jam Blues / Georgia on my Mind / Bag’s Groove / Moten Swing / Easy does it – and that does it for this side .   Back side :  Honey Dripper / Things ain’t what they used to be ( gee , back then already ?) / I got it bad and that ain’t good ( 5:05 , sigh , time passes slowly if you have it bad ) / Band call / Hymn to freedom ( a lasting hymn , relatively , at 5:30 )

2 –       A newer DLP of 2001 – recorded 2000 and 2001 , in the final months before 9/11 :

The record’s mysterious title is CHESSIE – overnight

( Chessie ? I thought .. hmm, there is a vague enough graphic picture of night over snow covered mountains and a sketchy train on curved line .. intriguing ) The track titles are :

A – Electro Motive / Daylight ;  B – K Tower / Lineside ;  C – Pantograph Up / Cross Harbour Interchange ;  D – Northern Maine Junction / S Tou / Eyes and Smiles .   

Well , before you rush the internet for this record I should maybe add that it presents quite a remote and abstract reminiscence of the ‘old Chessie RR’ – still , for me ‘S Tou’ evokes the mood and prowess of late Super Power steam – be it a 2-10-4 , 4-8-4 or even H-8 2-6-6-6 standing in the yard at night under a stary sky ; the piece transcribes a certain feeling of chillness ( winter night in mountainous scenery ) and latent steely force ( locomotive , waiting for next call ) that is really .. uhm .. chilling .   Pantograph Up is pretty abstract but not without relation to electric power – which is somewhat abstract by itself .  Electro Motive .. uhm .. dunno , after one initial listening I have never put that side on again ( not because of the title but because the tracks don’t grab me )

 

Regards

                        =  J =

[Juniatha]

( >> Substitute RS-18 for "locomotive" horn for whistle, and voila, we have our first diesel locomotive song.<< )

 .. first ..?

= J =

 

[MP173]

I almost mentioned "See the Sky about to rain" but absolutely forgot about "locomotive pull the train", thinking only of "signals curlin on an open plain".

See the Sky is a great song from a very rich, yet depressing album which was very reflective of the mid 70's, the hippie days were gone and we were left with the ugliness of post Viet Nam, post Nixon, and the beginning of reality.

Ed

[Ulrich]

SSW9389

I see Ed posted a Neil Young song so here is another:

See The Sky About To Rain

Written and performed by Neil Young

From the 1974 Album “On The Beach”

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/On_the_Beach_(Neil_Young_album)

 

See The Sky About To Rain

See the sky about to rain,
broken clouds and rain.
Locomotive, pull the train,
whistle blowing
through my brain.
Signals curling on an open plain,
rolling down the track again.
See the sky about to rain.

Some are bound for happiness,
some are bound to glory
Some are bound to live with less,
who can tell your story?

See the sky about to rain,
broken clouds and rain.
Locomotive, pull the train,
whistle blowin'
through my brain.
Signals curlin' on an open plain,
rollin' down the track again.
See the sky about to rain.

I was down in Dixie Land,
played a silver fiddle
Played it loud and then the man
broke it down the middle.
See the sky about to rain.

 

 

Substitute RS-18 for "locomotive" horn for whistle, and voila, we have our first diesel locomotive song.  

[Ulrich]

Bucyrus

 

This is one of those “movin on” songs that I always thought felt like a train.  It has that persistence of a train ride, and trains were always emotionally connected to leaving someone behind. 

 

Will You Miss Me

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-hdB5B5QuvE

 

Nice tune Bucyrus..the sort that just grows on you after a few listens...great rhythm and beat as well.