That Hideous Man posts his rather dull thoughts here. Watch this space, or indeed, go somewhere else.
Saturday, August 27, 2011
Book Notes: Lightnin' Hopkins, His Life and Blues by Alan Govenar
Alan Govenar's biography of Lightnin' Hopkins (Sam Hopkins, 1912-1982) is set apart from others in its genre, not so much by brilliant research and writing - but by the overwhelmingly idiosyncratic nature of the subject! There is no doubt that Hopkins is ranked highly amongst the aristocracy of twentieth century American blues musicians, indeed he is a legendary figure whose playing has influenced many succeeding guitarists. He has proved though, to be a difficult person to quantify, assess, or even to research, as so much of his life is hidden behind myths, contradictions, ambiguities and uncertainties. Given the problems involved in this project, it is not surprising that so little has been written about Po' Lightnin in the past, but yet despite that Govenar manages to piece together a pretty good book.
The first obstacle that Govenar attempts to overcome, is the sheer lack of coherent information about Hopkins' early years. Sources close to the man are tight lipped, while official records are poor. He makes several concrete discoveries, unearths a legion of myths - but still is left with significant gaps in his narrative. One of the issues faced is that Hopkins' was a raconteur who invented a mythology for himself as part of the package he sold - a less sinister parallel of Robert Johnson's remarkable method of self-promotion. This means that deciphering which (if any!) of Hopkins' stories about himself were true, partly true, completely false - or totally muddled versions of all three, is next to impossible!
The broad outlines of his career though are clear, a rural Texas bluesman who learned his trade from the likes of Blind Lemon Jefferson, he grew up in the segregated South, determined to escape the cotton-plantations of his childhood. Leaving home at a staggeringly early age, he became an itinerant bluesman, and served at least one term in the penal system. Unlike many of his contemporaries in the mid-Twentieth century however, Hopkins did not join the great migration to the Northern Cities such as Chicago; despite many performances in the North he never felt at home there, but retreated whenever possible to his own corner of Urban Texas. Another departure from standard blues mythology is that Hopkins never stopped gigging, only to be "re-discovered" by archivists and 1960s Blues-revivalists. Hopkins rather, played consistently throughout the 40s and 50s, in the South - before being idolised by a new white audience, mostly of folkies (whose stereotypical misreadings of only 'authentic' rural Southern blues, he was only too happy to pander to!).
Govenar supplies a lot information about sessions, backing musicians and Hopkins' particular contribution to Blues. He makes much of Hopkins' famous deviation from straight 12 bar blues into random changes which were impossible to predict and hard to follow (this point is re-iterated to the point of tedeum, however!). Govenar's interest is in the minutiae of the recording process, dates, times, producers, songs, fees and contracts - whereas my interest is far more consumed with locating the man and the music within the social, political and historical dynamics of his times. As such we learn that Hopkins named and shamed a notorious white share-cropping owner/farmer Tom Moore in his vaguely disguised "Tim Moore Blues". However we are left without adequate exploration of the nature or consequences of this social protest. Likewise with the advent of Civil Rights, the most significant era for African Americans in Dixie since Reconstruction - Hopkins views and choices as to how to respond to this burgeoning movement are almost ignored. Govenar's book could have been improved by reference to a wider canvass.
What is not ignored is Lightnin' Hopkins extraordinary, and rather extreme character. I admired the way in which the author was open to both the man's flaws as to his triumphs. It is so often the case that biographers are drawn to their heroes critical assessment is lost and hagiography triumphs. Hopkins emerges from the pages of this book as a complex man, who despite his alcoholism, unusual domestic arrangements, and massive insecurities, carved out a fabulous niche for himself as a master purveyor of a particularly Texan form of blues. Everything that sprang followed on from here, from Albert Collins, to Billy Gibbons to Stevie Ray Vaughan owes a debt to Lightnin' Hopkins.
Friday, August 26, 2011
Thursday, August 25, 2011
Wednesday, August 24, 2011
Tuesday, August 23, 2011
Night & Day at the Colorado River
Monstrous Steaks, served overlooking the Colorado River, as it winds its ways across the desert - the sun setting behind the red desert cliffs. Magic!
Monday, August 22, 2011
The Wilson Arch
Enormous, stunning, breathtaking.... we didn't even know the Wilson Arch was on our route, we couldn't believe what we were seeing. Clambering up into the window itself was just fabulous, although it was incredibly hot!
Guard: Durango & Silverton Railway
The guard is here responding to a request from the driver (through a series of coded blasts on the whistle). He is waving to inform the driver that the last coach of the long train has cleared a bridge on which there is a strict speed restriction. The tightly curved track means that he has to lean a long way out to be seen by the driver - who then whistles again to indicate that he has seen the guards' signal. Imagine the Health and Safety Executive allowing this in the UK!?!
Clinging to the ledges: Durango & Silverton Railroad
In places the railway seems to cling to the rockface , progressing upwards on viaducts, cuttings and tunnels.
The danger of the absolutely massive drop to the right - is brought ever nearer by the rocking motion of the little train on its wonky track!
Riding the Durango and Silverton Railroad
The open cars provide amazing views of mountains, rivers, precipices and forests, but they don't protect the passengers from the dirt and soot being belted out by the hard-working little engine up front.
The open-vestibules give an exaggerated sense of speed.
The old and bumpy tracks make the large cars sway wildly on their narrow base.
Taking Water: The Durango & Silverton Narrow Guage Railway
The Durango & Silverton Railroad is a preserved narrow-guage railway in the San Juan Rockies. Much of the line's early life was spent serving the mines and their communities. These days the 80year old narrow guague engines pull huge trains of tourists up the almost 3000feet of ascent, providing 45 miles of wonderfully smelly and noisy industrial pyrotechnics - set in stunning scenery. These engines are remarkably big for the little track the perch on, but they also get thirsty - these photos are of a couple of water stops for the engines on the Northwood uphill climb.
Calling any Ornithologists!
I know these aren't great pictures - but I would love to know what these are. Any ornithologist out there able to tell me? thanks THM.
Sunday, August 21, 2011
Book Notes: American Gospel by Jon Meacham
Inter-generational movements, bodies or institutions inevitably face battles to define their identity, purpose and future direction. Frequently these involve the present protagonists seeking to define themselves as the rightful and true heirs of the tradition - even as they seek to lead it in their own given direction. This is a phenomenon observable from local community groups, religious bodies, companies, family firms, charities or even perhaps countries!
The debate about the role of religion in public and political life in the USA today, is framed in exactly these terms. Secularists seek to advance their cause by appealing to the First Amendment of the Constitution which forbids the government from establishing an official state religion. Known as the 'wall of separation', such a division overturned the proscriptive arrangements in one or two of the North American colonies where participation in Christian worship according to the doctrines and practices of a specific denomination was mandatory. This wall of separation is now invoked to prevent state endorsement of anything religious, hence the fierce battles over issues such as prayer in schools.
Religious people in the States, unsurprisingly, handle the history in completely different ways. For them, the Republic as founded was a deeply Christian institution, albeit one in which Anglicans wouldn't force Presbyterians to adopt Episcopal structures by legislative force, for example. They point out that even though Jefferson was not an orthodox Christian - he was hardly devising a system through which to drive religious thought, practice or people from the public square! The 'Christian right' has also therefore sited historical precedent for their re-Christianising agenda.
Aware of the contemporary potency of the issues at hand, Jon Meacham wades right into the centre of this historical debate in his book, "American Gospel". In his broad survey of the role of faith in politics, which begins with the Founding Fathers and concludes with George W. Bush, Meacham argues that a non-partisan reading of history fits neither the agenda of the 'christian right', nor of secular-humanism. Against the 'christian-right' he demonstrates that from Jefferson onwards, the American State sought to prevent any form of compulsion in matters spiritual. Likewise he shows the repeated ways in which moves to endorse specific elements of Christian faith in public life have been resisted. However, far from siding with the secular-humanist reading of history, Meacham also points out the way that religious faith has consistently formed the backdrop for public political discourse, and people of faith have (rather than being excluded from public life - or called to compromise or privatise their faith) been essential figures in defining the American experiment.
In his reading then, faith has never been institutionalised in America. However, because America has been a democracy with genuine pluralism, (initially between Christian denominations, but subsequently between all points of view), then religion has always been a part of American public life. He charts the ways in which leaders and Presidents have drawn on faith, referred to faith and been inspired by it throughout the short history of the USA. Highlights in his discussion following the framers of the Constitution include the way in which Franklin D. Roosevelt drew America lead America into war against the evils of European Nazism while presenting himself in explicitly Christian terms as what Meecham calls a 'national pastor'.
While seeking to promote the historical precedent for the comfortable middle, Meecham obviously wants to suggest to both extremes that there should be room in public life for people of all persuasions. This he does well for much of the book - but not without some problems arising as well. Specifically these involve the development of what he calls "American Public Religion" - that is the use of predominantly Christian clergy to perform public rites for the American state, bringing as much of their faith with them as is publicly permissible at that moment. This has sometimes led to the watering down of the Christian faith for political consumption; something which Meecham is quite keen to endorse in fact. For those of us who might find such a position problematic, the implications get worse however. The suggestion that the 'cross' might have been subsumed by 'the flag' in this context, is not something that bothers Meecham - as his prime concern is not the cross, but America. However, writing as a non-American Christian, I would long to see a more critical view of America from the American church.
Nevertheless despite these reservations, this is a fascinating study which puts some of the wilder claims made by both extremes into perspective. Of course, what is more fascinating is that I write from the UK, a country which has long had various forms of established religion, no wall of separation at all - yet one in which Christian participation in public life is widely seen as being systematically undermined.
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