It’s All In The Story…
31 Days of Brannan – Day 12
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Today’s Playlist – Jolene
[Dolly Parton Cover]
So storytelling… and songs. I miss those times back in the seventies when storytelling in songs reigned supreme. It was the era of concept LP’s (yeah, we referred to albums that way – Long Playing records, or LPs). The singers and bands back then were always trying to come up with story like premises where all of the songs evoked a story with a solid beginning, middle and epic ending.
They were monumental in scope and people ate them up.
They were all well and good. Concept LPs were a whole lot of fun. Thematically they worked on many levels. But with today’s selection I am thinking more along the lines of a singular piece that tells a definite story.
Like, Angie Baby (which was always one of my favorites because it crossed into that realm of intrigue with a soupçon of horror or otherworldliness.
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Angie Baby is a song that I liked because of this otherworldly element. A psycho Alice in Wonderland sort of thing. Going down the rabbit hole. A Carrie on acid, if you will.
But there were others… Take for instance Vicki Lawrence’s Nights Went Out in Georgia.
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Both of these songs have that mystery, an evocative feeling that permeates the tale they are spinning. They are both cautionary tales, much like my choice by Jay today.
Jolene is one of those golden story songs – cautionary in that it is a plea from someone who is confident that in a showdown of love, the person singing the song would come out the loser. Dolly’s a brilliant song writer – of that there is little doubt. But I find it quite interesting how many times this song of her has been covered by other artists (both male and female alike). It is universal in that a love triangle is one of the most cautionary tales we can spin. Where, unless they all choose to walk away from one another, someone will definitely come out the loser.
I miss this era of songwriting. There are many others that fit this formula that are all memorable for being solid storytelling. I suppose it is my love of this particular type of writing that I am drawn to Brannan’s work. Brannan is also a master tunesmith. His prose is tight and well thought out. Measured like a master craftsman – layering at the right moments, revealing only when absolutely the right moment for the greatest effect.
I suppose one could classify them as folk songs. But they are so much more than that. The songs are humanist in nature. Dark thoughts mingling with the lighter (C’mon, Jay’s not known for flowery, running through pastoral scenes skipping and the wearing of rose colored glasses).
It’s cool. I’m good with it. Drama sells way more than light and airy.
Like one of my fellow opera singers said one time during a rehearsal of Cavalleria Rusticana – one of the most over the top drama operas ever written. He said:
Of course it’s over the top… who’d come to see a happy opera?
The same holds true for Jay’s work. I don’t know if his brand of storytelling would be as poignant or provocative if he sang happy thoughts all the time. It’d probably get old real quick. So yeah, I’ll take the darkly amorous Jay Brannan over his lighter fare doppelgänger any day. It just works for him.
I’m good with that…
The Always, Then & Now Tour…
Please check out his site with links for his upcoming shows. I am definitely a late comer to the Brannan bandwagon whenever he pulls through my city. But now that I am going this year, I am making it a goal never to miss when he swings through town. I hope you take advantage of the opportunity as well. Also be sure to check out his web store at the following link.
- Jay’s Website – jaybrannan.com
