Stewart, of course, was the interesting first-generation rocker turned folkie with The Kingston Trio turned hitmaker for The Monkees (author of "Daydream Believer") turned vaguely outlaw country Austin guy turned 70s LA pop hit maker ("Gold," courtesy of huge fan/producer Lindsey Buckingham).
But I bring the whole thing up because when I first heard this live album track, I nearly fell off my chair when I realized that its several minute-long outro was, essentially, indistinguishable from the fade-out on the original 1966 Velvet Underground's classic "I'm Waiting for My Man."
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Seriously -- it's the same one-chord vamp, in the same key, and Stewart's has the same early rock piano triplets and walking bass with which John Cale adorned the Velvets track.
I should add that the surprisingly primitive-sounding drumming on "Never Goin' Back" is provided by Jim Gordon, of Layla and Derek and the Domino's fame, who is currently serving a life sentence for acting on the voices in his head who demanded that he take an axe to his mom. Make of that one what you may.
10 comments:
Loved John Stewart in the Kingston Trio. My favorite memory of him is in the PBS "reunion" special in the early 80's where he flubs the banjo solo in one song and they give him (good natured) shit about it.
Brings a smile to my face even now...
And, yes, I hear "Waiting For the Man", too...
You're right. Then again, I'd be willing to bet there are a few songs out there that use this ending. And, hey!... He may be an axe murderer, but that doesn't mean he wasn't a great drummer.
How many drummers have I said that about?
John Stewart was one of the great journeyman singer songwriters. California Bloodlines is one of the great albums of the early 70's.
Didn't Pete Thomas of The Attractions play with Stewart in the early 70's?( And looking at Wikipedia, apparently I recall correctly.)
I always found it weird that, at the very apex of their fame, Buckingham and Nix chose to revive John Stewart...nothing wrong with it, just odd. Always wondered what the background of that story was.
Or, as Jim Gordon's dad once told him, "Go axe your mother."
I recently got Stewart's version of "Daydream Believer" and the Monkees changed it so the opening sentence makes no sense.
Stewart's is: If I could hide 'neath the wings of the bluebird when she sings, the six o'clock alarm would never ring.
Davey says: Oh, I could hide 'neath the wings....etc. Doesn't make sense.
Yes it's anal, that's why we're all here at this site, right?
Buckingham and Nicks also did the same thing for California artist Walter Egan. Some good stuff there too, especially the tune Won't You Say You Will. Check it out!
Couldn't agree more with Edward about "California Bloodlines." And it might be a little over the top, but I'm a sucker for "July, You're a Woman": http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a4SMMpK0QU8
The story I heard about Buckingham is that he copped his picking style from listening to Stewart's banjo playing.
You left out Rosanne Cash's cover of "Runaway Train" (off Stewart's "Punch the Big Guy"). I'm a big fan of the "Blondes" album, too, aside from California Bloodlines.
I am sorry but that vamp has been used a million times and i don't really hear the velvet connect.
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