[ ]   [ ]   [ ]                        [ ]      [ ]   [ ]
Joe West — Johnny's Not Here
Album: Aberdeen, S.D.
Avg rating:
6.5

Your rating:
Total ratings: 44









Released: 2011
Length: 3:18
Plays (last 30 days): 0
share tweet wikiwebsitesearchamg
cd
mp3
search
(no lyrics available)
Comments (11)add comment
 Old_Pat wrote:
Rural Tom Waits?
 
 
I think you nailed it.
Posted 12 years ago by q4Fry    [ Reply ]
What a pleasant surprise - I just tuned in RP, and Johnny's Not Here started playing. Thanks, Bill!
Posted 12 years ago by SanchoPancho    [ Reply ]
 nagsheadlocal wrote:
OK, I'm a sucker for early Tom Waits, so I'm partial to this song.

And a thumbs-up to SanchoPancho for the sax work! 
 
Thanks, NagsheadL!  I sometimes play in the Raleigh-Durham area, & when I'm lucky one of your local rock stars is playing too:  Will McFarland.  Do you know him?  He's one of Bonnie Raitt's guitar players.
Posted 12 years ago by SanchoPancho    [ Reply ]
OK, I'm a sucker for early Tom Waits, so I'm partial to this song.

And a thumbs-up to SanchoPancho for the sax work! 
Posted 12 years ago by nagsheadlocal    [ Reply ]
Mmmhmm...
Posted 12 years ago by TerryS    [ Reply ]
 SanchoPancho wrote:
Joe's Aberdeen, SD album was recorded using vintage (ancient, actually) analog 4-track recording equipment.  He wanted the album to have a retro 70's - 80's sound. He invited me over to his house here in Santa Fe one afternoon last year, and said, "Put these headphones on. I don't really know what I want, so just jam along to the backing track."  A few takes & we were done.  Later he mixed in a bit of Josh Martin's guitar. Josh is another Santa Fe musician.  Josh does Dylan better than Dylan.

Santa Fe writer and music reviewer Steve Terrell had this to say about the Aberdeen, S.D. album.  Steve is the guy who called me sleazy:

 
Some of the songs seem like high-school flashbacks. Others, like “Old Friends” are about a prodigal Joe returning to his old hometown. One of my favorites, “Johnny’s Not Here,” is a bluesy number with a good sleazy sax. It’s about some barroom regulars concerned that the most regular of the regulars is missing. “He’s part of the landscape, part of the atmosphere / But it’s 4:30, and Johnny’s not here.” We never find out what happened to the guy, but there’s definitely a disturbance in the Force.


I'm happy with sleazy.

Cheers,

—Doug

 
Very cool — thanks for sharing !
Posted 12 years ago by coding_to_music    [ Reply ]
Joe's Aberdeen, SD album was recorded using vintage (ancient, actually) analog 4-track recording equipment.  He wanted the album to have a retro 70's - 80's sound. He invited me over to his house here in Santa Fe one afternoon last year, and said, "Put these headphones on. I don't really know what I want, so just jam along to the backing track."  A few takes & we were done.  Later he mixed in a bit of Josh Martin's guitar. Josh is another Santa Fe musician.  Josh does Dylan better than Dylan.

Santa Fe writer and music reviewer Steve Terrell had this to say about the Aberdeen, S.D. album.  Steve is the guy who called me sleazy:

 
Some of the songs seem like high-school flashbacks. Others, like “Old Friends” are about a prodigal Joe returning to his old hometown. One of my favorites, “Johnny’s Not Here,” is a bluesy number with a good sleazy sax. It’s about some barroom regulars concerned that the most regular of the regulars is missing. “He’s part of the landscape, part of the atmosphere / But it’s 4:30, and Johnny’s not here.” We never find out what happened to the guy, but there’s definitely a disturbance in the Force.


I'm happy with sleazy.

Cheers,

—Doug


Posted 12 years ago by SanchoPancho    [ Reply ]
Just another 'talking song'.
Posted 12 years ago by Rockit    [ Reply ]
Rural Tom Waits?
 
Posted 12 years ago by Old_Pat    [ Reply ]
News Flash — Johnny's Not Here is now out as a video:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gIV3N1N5YcE

The footage is from the bar in Aberdeen, S.D. that inspired the song.  You know, the time that Johnny wasn't there.

Cheers,

—Doug 
Posted 12 years ago by SanchoPancho    [ Reply ]
In the spirit of full disclosure, I confess that gave this song an "8" because, well, I'm in it.  The sax, described as "sleazy" by a local music reviewer is me playing my cherished 1921 Buescher C-Melody horn with the wonderful Joe West.

I'm happy with sleazy.

BTW, the album can be found here:   https://joewestmusic.com/Aberdeen-SD.html

Cheers,

—Doug (Aka SanchoPancho)
doug@parrot-farm.net
Posted 12 years ago by SanchoPancho    [ Reply ]