Sunday, March 06, 2011

Lefty Frizzell - The Long Black Veil

ORIGINATION Essential Country & Western (v/a)
RECORDED IN
1959
LAST LISTENED TO
a few days ago
RATING
★★★★★

Today finds me waking to another country song that, being Sunday, seems somehow appropriate. This one is another dark tale of a doomed man, sang by another country legend, Lefty Frizell. His clear voice with just the slightest hint of a lisp, wanders over a cleanly-strummed guitar that is framed by a minimal bass and some light drumming which echo with a sound Sun studio-like slap. Through all of this, a haunting pedal steel guitar slides, ghost-like, the spectre of the doomed figure of the tale, as he watches his best friend's wide mourning at his grave. It is a simple, elegant song that, although written in the '50s, seems of an earlier age.

2 comments:

Megan Chapman said...

Just an amazing song. I am singing it now.

Unknown said...

Well, you must let me hear!