Something Borrowed: "Long Haired Country Boy," Every Mother's Nightmare/Charlie Daniels

As most of my friends know, Charlie Daniels' "Long Haired Country Boy" has always been one of the anthems of my life.

There's something about that chorus: "I ain't asking nobody for nothing, if I can't get it on my own/ If you don't like the way I'm living, you just leave this long haired country boy alone." It seems like a good way to live to me, and even though my long hair is long gone, it's a tune that I still identify with.

Saturday Shuffle: Amon Amarth, Sabbath, Metallica, Charlie Daniels, Alice in Chains

From Amon Amarth to Charlie Daniels in two songs. That path creator thingie online has nothing on me.

Amon Amarth, “A Beast Am I.” From the album Surtur Rising (2011). The day always goes better with a little Amon Amarth. I’ve always loved the blend of death metal and very catchy melodies and hooks that Amon Amarth delivers, and “A Beast Am I” has those. It’s like death metal for non-death metal fans.

The Formative 15 part 2: The Best of the Rest

So, like I said in my post on The Formative 15, I started out with about 100 records on my list, but when I had pared it down to 15, there were still some that I really wanted to mention. Since I can never do what I set out to do and just leave it be, I’ll leave those that care with a few more that were close, but didn’t quite make the cut. Amazon links also provided, where possible.

Charlie Daniels Band, “Fire on the Mountain” (1974). Released before the peak of his popularity, this record contains some true classic CDB tunes, including my favorite “Long-Haired Country Boy.” I immediately latched on to the message of that song, and took it on as a kind of personal anthem. Though my long hair has been gone for a while, the idea behind the song still rings true.

Stuck in my Head: "Long-Haired Country Boy" - Charlie Daniels

It's been my long-time habit, that when I'm working on a story by an artist that I like, I listen to a good bit of that artist's music. So, with Charlie Daniels coming to town for a festival, I find myself listening to his music to get into the right frame of mind to write the story.

Of course, it's not like I have to go out of my way to hear this song. Every time my cell phone rings, I hear Daniels sing the words, "If you don't like the way I'm livin'/You just leave this long-haired country boy alone." I've kind of taken the song on as a personal anthem, since, well, I do have long hair (what's left of it) and I am a country boy. More than that, though, I do really relate to the lyrics. No, I don't get stoned in the morning and drunk in the afternoon (and neither has Daniels in a whole lot of years), but you could certainly find some people who think I'm no good and crazy as a loon.

But the drug reference lines that people remember - "I don't want much of nothing at all, but I will take another toke" - belie the real message of the song, which is about living a simple, honest life and not trying to be anything but what you are.
For me, the chorus of the song is a great philosophy of life:
I ain't asking nobody for nothing, if I can't get it on my own; If you don't like the way I'm livin', you just leave this long-haired country boy alone.

I first heard the song as a child and was reintroduced to it in the late 1980s when it was covered by a hard rock act called Every Mother's Nightmare. I still like that version, but nothing really compares to the original. Daniels himself even revisited the song on his record "Blues Hat" with a bluesy take. Most recently, Daniels did a hybrid blues-country version of the song on his "Live from Iraq" record that came out earlier this year, and it was one of the highlights of that record. I still have trouble getting past the changed lyrics on newer versions, though.

Like several of Daniels' songs, it's been a long time since he sang the lines that reference drugs and alcohol. He now gets up in the morning and down in the afternoon, and he tells another joke as opposed to taking another toke. It's understandable that a Daniels in his 70s, who is just as likely to break out into a gospel song as one of his hits, would want to distance himself from some of the foolish things he did in his past. Still, I've always hated when people mess around with the songs I love.

Though Daniels has changed and the song has changed, the fundamental message of the song still rings true - keep it simple, be yourself and don't let the bastards get you down. The world would be a lot better place if we could all live like that.

Hear a sample of "Long-Haired Country Boy."

Get "The Ultimate Charlie Daniels Band."

Get "A Decade of Hits."

Get "The Essential Charlie Daniels Band."

Stuck in my Head is an occasional feature about whatever song happens to be running around incessantly in my head at the moment.

You Gotta Hear This: Dell Conner

I don't like a whole lot of country, but I know what I like when I hear it. So when I heard Dell Conner's "Runnin' Shine" rumbling out of my TV speakers, I had to hear more.

If you've been reading this blog, you already know I love Charlie Daniels. This song struck me as a harder-edged version of a great late 1970s, early 1980s Daniels number -- think "Stroker Ace" with a rock guitar instead of a banjo. So I headed over to his Web site, where you can see the video for "Runnin' Shine" and get 30 second clips of the other songs on his record "Knee Deep in the Blues."

The clips blend rock, blues, country and political incorrectness into a pretty tasty mix of aggressive and raucous noise that's equal parts Charlie Daniels, ZZ Top and Kid Rock. The only song that I didn't really find appealing out of the samples was the straight country ballad.

If you like catchy blasts of redneck noise, check this guy out. He deserves your attention.

Visit Conner's site.

You Gotta Hear This is an occasional feature about a band you probably haven't heard, but should. If you have a band you'd like featured here, drop me an e-mail. If I like it, I'll write about it.

Review: Charlie Daniels Band - "Live From Iraq"

Some readers may be a little surprised to see this review here among the Amon Amarths and Danzigs, but despite my love for metal, I'm a country boy. I grew up redneck, I'm still redneck and I'll always be redneck. While I could care less for most of the country music out there, I do have great respect and admiration for many country artists. One of those is Charlie Daniels, and others you'll probably read about here as the months go by. Now that the explanation's out of the way, on with the review:

At the age of 70, Charlie Daniels shows no signs of slowing down on his latest record, "Live From Iraq."

The ever-patriotic Daniels has always been vocal in his support of the troops, and on this record, he takes the stage like a fire-and-brimstone preacher delivering the gospel. It's perhaps one of the most animated and energetic performances that Daniels has given in a long time, and you can tell he's in his element waving the red, white and blue.

The record showcases his multiple talents, ranging from the Southern rock of "The Legend of Wooley Swamp" to the gospel tune "How Great Thou Art," to the Cajun-flavored fiddle lines of "Drinkin' My Baby Goodbye" to the free-flowing jazz jam of "Floreeda Road." Daniels has never been a one-trick pony.

The best performances here are his theatric version of "Wooley Swamp," the controversial "Simple Man," a bluesed up version of his classic "Long-Haired Country Boy" (a personal anthem of mine) and of course, Daniels' signature song and finale, "The Devil Went Down to Georgia." He also caters to the crowd of soldiers with a couple of verses of a new tune called "Iraq Blues." Rarely do live albums really excite me, but this is one heck of a performance that will make you feel like you're there.

The CD also contains a DVD that features interviews with soldiers, a look at the everyday lives of soldiers in Iraq and footage from Daniels' visit.

Hear a sample of "Long-Haired Country Boy."

Get "Live From Iraq."

Johnny Cash, 1932-2003

"Hello, I'm Johnny Cash."

Those four words, spoken in a deep bass rumble, are instantly recognizable to almost everyone, regardless of age or background.

The death of "The Man in Black," country music legend Johnny Cash, saddened both fans and his fellow recording artists on Friday. It was not just a loss for country music, but the music world in general, said Tim McGraw, who is in town for his annual Swampstock concert.

"Bigger than any musical genre was Johnny Cash," McGraw said in a statement through his publicist. "He was an American music icon that set the standard for how to make music on your own terms. We will miss him."

Country singer Andy Griggs remembered growing up listening to Johnny Cash before making his own way to Nashville.

"Johnny Cash was bigger than life on Charlie Griggs' road," he said. "That road grew intrastate to interstate, and I found Cash was bigger than life everywhere. I don't think any of us will be the same without The Man in Black."

It was Cash's independent and rebellious nature that many fans remember. The famous middle finger ad in Billboard after he won the Best Country Album Grammy in 1998, despite little or no radio support; the way he introduced country audiences to acts like Bob Dylan, via his TV show; the way he redefined himself in the 1990s with rock-rap producer Rick Rubin and reintroduced himself to a whole new generation of fans.

"It was an independent spirit that he brought to the whole music industry, especially for the last 10 years or so with the American Recordings," said musician and radio host Monty Russell, whose band the Hardcore Troubadours closed their set with "Folsom Prison Blues" on Thursday night, just hours before Cash's death.

Russell said he admired Cash for what he did in 1993, by just sitting down with his voice and guitar to record the first "American Recordings" album.

"It was so powerful, just him and his guitar," he said.

Over the course of those four albums, Cash created a new audience for his music through both originals and versions of songs by rock bands such as Soundgarden, U2 and Danzig. Most recently, Cash had a hit with a cover of the Nine Inch Nails song "Hurt." The video, which chronicled Cash's life, was powerful and moving for most fans. Russell said he was disappointed that it didn't win best video at this year's MTV Video Music Awards.

"I thought it was sad they didn't give him that award, because that video laid out his whole life," he said. "It makes you want to cry."

Trent Reznor of Nine Inch Nails told The Associated Press on Friday that he was honored when he heard Cash was interested in recording his song.

"To hear that Johnny was interested in doing my song was a defining moment in my life's work," he said. "To hear the result really reminded me how beautiful, touching and powerful music can be. The world has truly lost one of the greats."

Cash's turn on "Hurt" was not so surprising to long-time fans. It was the kind of thing he'd always done, said country singer Edd Greer. Cash shared both his triumphs and his pain through his music.

"What made him such a star was that he went through life sharing his hard times, along with his good times, with his fans," Greer said. "His music reflected his life, and he will be missed by millions."

Greer said Johnny Cash's legacy for musicians is in the way he showed them how to stay true to themselves. Like so many others who spoke about Cash on Friday, he used the word "original." Most people said there was no one else like Cash, and likely never would be again.

"I remember Johnny Cash as a great guy who was a total American original," said fellow country star Charlie Daniels. "He shall be missed."

Despite his checkered past and rebellious nature, most people believe that Cash has earned his place in the pantheon of music greats.

"All saints wear white, but I believe the good Lord will welcome The Man in Black," Griggs said.

Interview: Charlie Daniels

Even at the age of 66, Charlie Daniels would rather be on the road entertaining his fans than anywhere else.

You might think that after nearly five decades in music and 30 years with the Charlie Daniels Band, he'd have a little trouble getting excited about a new tour. You'd be wrong.

"I don't have a problem doing that," Daniels says. "It's a lot of fun. I just thank God that I can make a living doing something I enjoy so much."

Daniels is currently out in support of a new album, "Redneck Fiddlin' Man." The title pretty much sums up everything you need to know about the country rocker, and the sound is everything his fans expect.

"It features a fiddle on all the cuts; it's pretty much a straight-ahead CDB album," Daniels says. "It's got a lot of uptempo stuff on it. Travis Tritt did a duet with me, and Garth Brooks sang harmony with me on a song. But most of it's just me and the band kind of beating it out."

What that means is an album that can appeal to country fans as well as rock and blues fans. Daniels is one of a handful of country artists who enjoys respect from fans of rock and other kinds of music.

"We don't really specialize in any one particular kind of music; we play some of all of it," Daniels says. "We don't claim to be one thing or another. We just claim to be the Charlie Daniels Band, playing Charlie Daniels Band music. Whatever it is, it is."

The new album features a couple of Daniels' classic country rockers like "Little Joe and Big Bill," "Southern Boy" (with Tritt) and "Rock This Joint." It's also got a couple of his famous jam songs ("Redneck Fiddlin' Man," "Crosstown Traffic"), a Cajun-flavored tune ("Fais Do Do") and a few moments that reflect on Sept. 11 ("Last Fallen Hero" and a fiddle rendition of "The Star-Spangled Banner").

The song "Last Fallen Hero" and a previous Sept. 11 song "This Ain't No Rag, It's a Flag" have drawn criticism from some, but not from Daniels' fans. They've become two of his most popular songs in years.

"We appeal to the old boys that farm and work hard for a living," Daniels says. "They're kind of where we're at, and they seem to like those kinds of things, so I'm glad about it."

Daniels isn't shy about letting people know how he feels, and it isn't his first brush with controversy either. He aired some of his opinions on crime, drugs and politics in the 1989 song "Simple Man."

"It just depends on what I'm thinking about and what's on my mind," he says. "If something's strong on my mind, I'll write about it sometimes."

He's also begun posting his opinions on a section of his Web site called the Soapbox. Fans can read what Daniels thinks on a variety of subjects from political to personal.

"I've always been pretty opinionated, and one day I just thought: I'll just sit down and write something here," he says. "I did it, and it was pretty well received, so I decided I might do it on a regular basis."

His political opinions often earn him an inbox full of e-mail from both supporters and detractors.

"I get all kinds of responses," he says. "Some people don't like what I say, and some do. I think most of our people - the people we appeal to - agree."

But Daniels says he doesn't mind the people who disagree with him. That's just part of what makes America "the greatest country in the world."

"That's their right; they can certainly disagree," he says. "As long as they're intelligent about it. Some of them are just absolutely asinine. People write and say `you're a big, fat slob.' Well I may be, but I ain't the only one."

Political opinions aren't the only thing he airs, though. He's also talked about some intensely personal issues - including his battle with prostate cancer. He says he hopes to help others by providing some insight.

"That's a very common thing with men, especially up around my age, and even younger," he says. "I feel that they need to understand it's very important to stay on top of their PSA levels, because it can save your life. I think it's an important issue, and that's why I do it."

No matter what his opinions are, though, his legacy is his music - and there's more than 30 years of it with the Charlie Daniels Band alone. In his career, he's played with some of the luminaries of music, including a three album stint with Bob Dylan in the late 1960s. So, after all of that, is there anything else left for him to do?

"There's always a mountain to climb," Daniels says. "I'm still working on my first goal - to have every album platinum and every concert sold out. If I get that done, then I'll move on to something else."

And retirement? It's not an option for Daniels.

"What would I do?" he says. "Sit around the living room and play guitar? I might as well get paid for it."