Chit-Chat Check-In #150 • Transcript I’ve been reading Patti Smith’s memoir Bread of Angels, and reading about her debut album, Horses, which is one of a handful of records that transformed my young mind. These three songs came up and they just kind of coincidentally had to do with horses. “Great Horse” off A Beard of Stars by Tyrannosaurus Rex, one of my favorite records of all time. “Tennessee Stud” by Jimmy Driftwood, which Doc Watson recorded. And a song by Portishead called “The Rip,” which has lyrics about wild white horses. I’m sharing that one even though my recording is pretty sketchy. It’s an attempt to convey the feeling of the original with only the tools I had at my disposal, which were a phone, an acoustic guitar, and a looper pedal.
I also wanted to take a quick moment to share some thoughts on why I learn other people’s songs and record them so often. It’s something I’ve done for a long, long time. I remember the first time I played the “da da da da da” rock ’n’ roll riff on my guitar, I felt like I invented rock ’n’ roll. Which is ridiculous. But it’s also not, because I discovered the feeling myself. And it feels great. Since then, when I hear a song that I really love, if I have the aptitude to try and learn it, I usually do. And it’s because of the same impulse. I want to feel what it feels like to make that song go. I think that’s taught me to recognize when a song of my own feels right. The same excitement I feel about someone else’s song, the desire to be moved, is intact when I’m trying to write my own. Which reminds me. I saw Jonathan Richman perform last week, and he said on stage, “I’m not a songwriter. I just make these up and I write them down afterwards.” That’s a very Jonathan, very beautiful thing to say. He sounds like he’s still making them up. And it’s really one of the reasons he’s so unique, pure, and appealing to witness as a performer. It’s unabashed love and affection for the world and for his audience. Whether it’s Cameron Winter or Doc Watson or, you know, Hayley Williams or whoever, they’ve all written songs that make me want to make them myself or hear myself attempt to make them. That’s one of the things that drives me and probably would whether or not I had a public life. I highly recommend it. Carry on. OxO—Jeffy
Rec-Sec™Nitty Gritty Dirt Band — Will the Circle Be Unbroken?A beautiful record where a bunch of hippies dragged a bunch of old-timers into the studio for, in the case of Roy Acuff and Mother Maybelle Carter, some of their last sessions. They talked all these heroes of theirs into playing with them and doing some of their most beloved songs. It’s a really brilliant concept. I wonder all the time, how would you make a Will the Circle Be Unbroken? now? To me, there’d be a pretty vibrant indie rock or punk rock record to be made with some of my heroes still floating around. But maybe we’re not quite old enough yet. Which brings me to one of my heroes, musically and lyrically: Bill Callahan — My Days of 58I’ve loved almost everything Bill has done since the Smog days. Historically, Bill seems to play everything pretty close to the vest. But the thing that’s lovely about this record is, as he’s gotten older, he’s opened up emotionally. Apparently he had a cancer scare in his life. So there’s a lot of really poignant reflection that you don’t typically get from writers in the Drag City world—heroes of mine—in the camp of irreverent stoicism that goes along with the label’s ethos, as it seems to me from the outside, or, I guess, from the inside, since I’ve put out records on Drag City too. It’s a really beautiful and sweet record, and I think you should check it out.
This Week in Wilco, Etc.2025 / March 4: On this year’s Cayamo Cruise, Jeff performs with the members of Nickel Creek, billing themselves as Tweedy Creek for the night. The 18-song set of all Wilco songs concludes with “California Stars” with Rachael Price of Lake Street Dive on guest vocals. 2008 / March 4: Wilco plays Tipitina’s in New Orleans with John Doe opening. The 26-song set is filmed for potential DVD use, but only “Kingpin” is issued on the Ashes Of American Flags DVD. 1999 / March 5: Jeff appears on the Steve Dahl Show in Chicago and plays “I’m Always in Love,” “How to Fight Loneliness” and “Box Full of Letters.”
Great Horse (Tyrannosaurus Rex cover)
Tennessee Stud (Jimmy Driftwood cover)
The Rip (Portishead cover)...Continue reading this post for free in the Substack app
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