Any Major Roads Vol. 2
Let”s go for a drive again with songs about cars and being on the road. The first Any Major Roads mix was very popular. This time around I”ve been a bit less purist about the song having to do with actual driving; here the artists can also talk about their cars or trucks. Though I cannot vouch that this is really case with Patrick Gammon”s rather metaphorical Yo” Chevy.
I have also waived my rule about not repeating artists: as indicated last time, there are just too many Springsteen songs about cars and girls (and look which Prefab Sprout I did not choose). And how did you like the beta-version of Thunder Road on the first mix?
One song here is about a real-life incident: George Jones” car crash in 2003 in Tennessee. Jones was talking on his cellphone when he crashed into a concrete bridge railing (luckily not into another car). He wasn”t wearing a seatbelt, which aggravated his serious injuries. So the Drive-By Truckers song is a valid public safety announcement. Talking (never mind texting) on the phone while driving is dangerous, also to other roads users. In terms of shitty driving behaviour, it ranks only just below driving while drunk.
The next Any Major Roads will comprise nominations from readers; quite a few were offered in the comments of Volume 1. If you have any nominations, please list them in your comments.
I made this mix at the same time as I was planning a musical road-trip around the US, which will kick off in Boston in a few weeks” time.
As always, this mix is timed to fit on a standard CD-R and includes home-serviced covers. PW in comments.
1. Canned Heat – On The Road Again (1968)
2. Allman Brothers Band – Brothers Of The Road (1981)
3. Carole King – Main Street Saturday Night (1978)
4. Steely Dan – Midnite Cruiser (1972)
5. Patrick Gammon – Yo” Chevy (1979)
6. Prefab Sprout – Faron Young (1985)
7. James Taylor – Traffic Jam (1977)
8. NRBQ – Ridin” In My Car (1978)
9. Dar Williams – Road Buddy (1997)
10. Son Volt – Highways And Cigarettes (2007)
11. Steve Earle – N.Y.C. (1997)
12. Bon Jovi – Fast Cars (2009)
13. Joe Walsh – Life”s Been Good (1978)
14. Bruce Springsteen – Stolen Car (1980)
15. Drive-By Truckers – George Jones Talkin” Cell Phone Blues (2009)
16. George Jones – The One I Loved Back Then (Corvette Song) (1985)
17. Johnny Cash – I”ve Been Everywhere (1996)
18. Elvis Presley – Long Black Limousine (1969)
19. Ronnie and the Daytonas – Little GTO (1964)
20. The Beach Boys – Little Deuce Coupe (1963)
21. Jan & Dean – Dead Man”s Curve (1964)
PW = amdwhah
Thanks as always for this and Happy New year!
No mention of Bowie? Perhaps the rest of the blogosphere has him covered quite thoroughly and besides, I can’t rightly remember you mentioning him here before. Maybe this isn’t the place.
Anyway here a few suggestions for the next road mix :
Let Me Be Your Car by Elton John (or Rod Stewart)
Car Wheels On A Gravel Road by Lucinda Williams
Back Of A Car by Big Star
Cartrouble by Adam And The Ants
Pulled Over The Car by Morphine
A couple suggestions:
Goin’ Mobile by the Who
Drive Me – Blodwyn Pig
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=buyALhw_AM0
I did repost the Ziggy Stardust cover story with the mix of versions of songs on the album — and then messed up the date, so it didn’t show on top of the site. Annoying… It’s here: http://www.halfhearteddude.com/2016/01/covers-ziggy-stardust/
But I think Bowie has been covered so much in the media, social media and blogs that I don’t really have much of original thoughts to share.
Excellent! The first compilation was classic, so I’m looking forward to this one.
As to suggestions, here’s a list I compiled a while back (some of which you’ve already featured)…
http://histopten.blogspot.co.uk/2014/11/my-top-ten-songs-about-driving-at-night.html
Well, not so much about driving, but – strangely enough – both about motor accidents: what can it mean, I wonder?
The Room – ‘Jackpot Jack’
The Normal – ‘Warm Leatherette’
Cheers,
Dirk
Nicely done, many thanks. Nothing by The Motors or The Cars? Trust me to suggest something the wrong way round!
Thanks Amd
Nice mix , good car music
Regards
Rhod
Thanks for this and I’m thinking ‘Radar Love…’