MUSIC OR DIE #3–The Louvin Brothers, "Tragic Songs of Life" (1956)

No, this is not the poster of what could have been the most epic John Waters movie ever.

Part 3 of my 1000+ part series. 
(For info on that, clickety-click-click)

In which I learn about old school country, and how "tragic" it can be. 

TL;DR:
I still know nothing about country, but I see how this has influenced what little modern country music I have heard. 

More below The Cut>>>


The songs:

1.) Kentucky
Feels like a Johnny Cash song that never happened. It opens with some sa-weet mandolin and gets right into great harmonies. "Kentucky, I will be coming soon".

2.) I'll Be All Smiles Tonight
Of all things, the bass line, vocal melody, and rhythm guitar remind me of old Mexican tunes from around the same time period. Music is globaaal.

3.) Let Her Go, God Bless Her
Yeehaw! "She may ramble this wide world all over/But she'll never find a friend like me", they sing over the great bass line.

My heart.

From the opening notes, I was ready to get out my jug and join in.

"I'm ready, guys!"

4.) What Is Home Without Love
This is what I think of when I think of country–essentially 'I don't got a woman, a baby, or happiness, nooooo'. What's the point anymore, guyssss?

There, there.

5.) A Tiny Broken Heart

This is a ditty about a "little farm lad" whose sweetheart next door is moving away. It's actually really cute in the same way that "All I Want for Christmas Is My Two Front Teeth" is cute–somewhat grating, but endearing all the same. 

6.) In the Pines
I'm sorry, but for me, 90s kid that I am, this is the definitive version of this song:

That being said, The Louvin Brothers' version is a solid, family-friendly country take on this haunting folk song. Their version is more romantically inclined, taking out the hints of rape (and possibly murder) found in other versions. If I had never heard those other versions, I'd like this one a lot more.

7.) Alabama
I'm digging their place-themed songs. Whereas in "Kentucky" the "hound dogs" were "chasing coons", here they're "wagging and chasing their tails". Hey, any love song/ballad with an ode to "potatoes and corn" and "crawling possums" is going to win me over. I'm a simple person with simple needs.

8.) Katie Dear
Welp. All the murder-y bits missing from "In the Pines"? They found their way here: "And by her side lies a silver dagger/To slay the one that I love best". A sort of modern day interpretation of a Romeo and Juliet love story, complete with country mandolin. I can get behind this, with its strange, strange everything. 

Yep.

9.) My Brother's Will
Now everyone's dying! Yay! 
The ill-fated brother dies in a tragic hunting accident (seriously), his dying words for his dear Sally proving to be in vain as that tramp's already run off with some other guy. This is the kind of country I eat up with a spoon. Give me more of that melodrama, ktnx. 

10.) Knoxville Girl
Ah yes, Knoxville, "a town we all know well". With murder! 
YES, THIS IS WHAT I WANTED, THANK YOU! The character murders his Knoxville girl and throws her in the river, sitting in a jail at the song's end, since apparently the old "Oh, this blood? Man, it's just my KILLER allergies. Ha. Haha." excuse can only get you so far. Reminds me of Johnny Cash's "Folsom Prison Blues", where he famously "shot a man in Reno just to watch him die", or the Nick Cave + Kylie Minogue duet "Where the Wild Roses Grow". 

11.) Take the News to Mother
Now it's war, but literally, and we're dying in a battlefield. Tell Mom...I love her...
They sing of the "hell on Earth" that is war and of the sadness of never seeing a loved one again. There's something very earnest about it, but coming off the high of "My Brother's Will" and "Knoxville Girl", I'm a little bit let down.

12.) Mary of the Wild Moor
The album draws to a close with the death of ill-fated Mary at the door of her heartless father. Everyone else dies too. They say the place is still haunted to this day.
Disclaimer: I can't think of rejection and moors without thinking of this:

FINAL THOUGHTS:
From what I can tell, country singers tend to sing about what they know, and this is no exception. I know next to nothing about these brothers, but you can tell that they really feel what they're singing. This feels like a proto-Everly Brothers album, which is not a bad thing at all. Country still isn't really my cup of tea (Texas tea. Black gold.), but I can still appreciate this for what it is. Good, solid, early country. And so much drama. Whoa. I'm a sucker for vivid, one could say 'over-the-top' imagery in songs. I think I'll revisit some of these songs again.

Personal standout tracks:

"Kentucky", "Let Her Go, God Bless Her", "Alabama", "Katie Dear", "My Brother's Will", "Knoxville Girl"

Edit: On a side note, when looking up The Louvin Brothers, I discovered some fascinating tidbits. For one, their last name was actually Loudermilk (WHY wouldn't you use that?!) Elder brother Ira was apparently a womanizing drunk who "was married four times; his third wife Faye shot him four times in the chest and twice in the hand after he allegedly tried to strangle her with a telephone cord". He survived that, only to die in a car crash alongside his fourth wife. Whoops.

Also, this album happened:

All in all, this has been an enriching experience.