| DISCourse: Twisting =
With the=20
Blues |
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| February=20
19, 2009 |
![3D""=20](3D"http://www.whatsupyukon.com/images/stories/mini_masts/discourse.pn=)
As=20
you may know, the poetry of the blues is full of metaphors =
that=20
allude to acts involving one=E2=80=99s naughty bits. Often =
lyrics will=20
allude to acts of defiance that, as in the case of Jim =
Crow-era=20
America, name the oppressor in an ambiguous manner.
As to =
the=20
former, witness if you will a recording of Robert Johnson =
and the=20
action he demands of his paramour to =E2=80=9Csqueeze his =
lemon=E2=80=9D or Lonnie=20
Johnson=E2=80=99s famous act of =E2=80=9Cjelly-roll=E2=80=9D =
baking.
Further, consider=20
the name of the 1960s group, The Lovin' Spoonful; or the =
1980s=20
group, The Honeydrippers.
To the latter, we could look to =
the=20
classic Killing Floor or Dust My Broom to suggest the end of =
a=20
relationship.
Murray Munn has released This Guy Is =
Falling, a=20
three-song demo of original blues songs that hearken back to =
these=20
themes and styles.![3D""=20](3D"http://www.whatsupyukon.com/images/stories/2009/WUY/Feb-19/cd.jpg"=)
This Guy Is Falling is not only a clever=20
malapropism, but also a fine foray into electric and =
acoustic=20
blues.
Typewriter Blues takes the action and mechanics of =
a=20
manual typewriter and imposes this reality on a =
relationship. There=20
are numerous suggestions to keys getting stuck and needing=20
lubrication and also finding your baby down at the space=20
bar.
What=E2=80=99s a guy to do?
=E2=80=9CUsed to do =
two-hand typing / Now I=20
hunt and peck for love / I need more typing lessons / =
can=E2=80=99t never=20
get enough.=E2=80=9D
Whitehorse Riverfront Blues takes =
the basic beat=20
and overall theme of Little Junior=E2=80=99s Mystery Train =
and mixes in=20
local train experiences. The first part is a serious look at =
the=20
White Pass Railway and its construction =E2=80=93 its =
trials, tribulation=20
and death.
The second half of the song takes the theme of =
=E2=80=9Cthe=20
train took my baby away=E2=80=9D and gives it a true Monty =
Python absurdist=20
twist by using the Whitehorse Trolley as the object that =
takes the=20
girl =E2=80=9Cfrom Rotary Peace down to Motorways=E2=80=9D. =
=E2=80=9CGonna find my baby=20
over in industrial land / If I can=E2=80=99t afford the =
train fare gonna=20
have to walk the best I can.=E2=80=9D
The last song on =
the CD is a=20
re-working of Howlin' Wolf=E2=80=99s song Little Red =
Rooster. Little Red,=20
White =E2=80=98n=E2=80=99 Blue Rooster is, well, the title =
speaks for=20
itself.
=E2=80=9CHave you seen the little red rooster? / =
He=E2=80=99s looking=20
far, he=E2=80=99s looking wide / he can=E2=80=99t get enough =
Texas tea and he wants=20
what=E2=80=99s on the other side.=E2=80=9D
Overall, the =
CD is a good listen. In=20
actuality, this is only a demo record, but given a proper =
recording=20
budget and time in a studio, I suspect Munn would create a =
fine=20
album.
As it sits, This Guy Is Falling can only highlight =
the=20
songwriter and a few good songs, all of which make me hope =
for a=20
longer album.
You can hear songs from Murray =
Munn=E2=80=99s This Guy Is=20
Falling at his MySpace page at www.myspace.com/murraymunn or =
you can=20
support Munn=E2=80=99s work by purchasing his CD at Triple =
J=E2=80=99s=20
Music.
Is =
the title=20
This Guy Is Falling a malapropism or an eggcorn? E-mail Bill =
Polonsky with your answer at
This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You =
need=20
JavaScript enabled to view it
. You can suggest a CD to review at the same=20
address.
| =20
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