Cash Alone

You think of Johnny Cash and Country legend comes to mind. Even though he stands both in the Country music hall of fame as well as the Rock and Roll hall of fame. He can do just about anything, a rebel without a cause. Me personally can't compare Cash singing by himself to anything else. His voice alone with the guitar is just stunning. Hank Williams is the same way when it comes to being alone with the guitar. Its more personal and raw. I can just close my eyes and pretend that they are right there playing in the same room. Two of the greatest albums that I have ever picked up were Cash's Personal file and Hank Williams Alone With Guitar. This song Drink To Me With Thine Eyes comes from Cash's Personal file. Its an old song that has been passed down from generation to generation. No one really knows where it came from but it has a sense of romance to it and Cash's voice really does wonders with it. He explains how he first fell in love with it and why its such a special song to him. Its such a personal song for Johnny and you an really tell by the way he sings it.

Shane MacGowan Pours Another One

Tragic, sad, depressing, vulgar, disgusting, drunken bastard or just a creative genius with talent streaming out of his veins. Shane MacGowan may look like a train wreck that happen a hundred years ago but he sings from the heart with every bit of passion and fire. He has followed the destructive behavior of the fallen talent pool that has drowned such greats as Hank Williams, Janis Joplin, Jimi Hendrix and the list keeps going on and on. The weird thing about it is Shane can never die, he is the Keith Richards of Irish Rock. He constantly looks like he just crawled out of bed if his bed was 6 feet under and covered in dirt and his teeth looks like wooden splinters as if he never brushed since Kennedy was president. He has drug addiction after drug addiction and swims in alcohol daily. In this video he is seen at his best, what millions would love to see live, Shane as drunk as he could be with a glass in his hand singing one of his favorite songs taught to him by his mother, Kitty. The song reeks of tragedy and so does the look on Shane's face, especially at the end of the video when the bartender walks over and gives him a kiss on the cheek. As she pulls away you can see the pain of Shane MacGowan, alone with millions of fan. Shane's band The Pogues are innovators of Irish punk bands being loved, respected and idolized by such irish punk bands as Dropkick Murphys and Flogging Molly. I wonder what Shane would be doing on St. Paddys day? Probably just what he does every other day of the year, getting drunk off his arse.

Townes Didn't Wait Around To Die

On this date back in 1997 the music world has lost one of its greatest songwriters. John Townes Van Zandt better know as Townes Van Zandt died of a cardiac arrhythmia after falling weeks before down concrete steps at his home and not taking immediate medical attention. Townes later went into the hospital with his ex-wife and friends and had surgery after finding a injury to his leg. After the surgery his ex-wife Jeanene signed him out of the hospital against doctors orders. Townes was extremely irritated after being in extreme pain and being a lifelong alcoholic ordered his wife to get him drink. After drinking a flask of vodka and smoking a joint Townes son Will found him not breathing and looking dead. Townes died 44 years to the day of his idol Hank Williams death who also had a bout with alcohol. I've picked Waiting Around To Die to honor Townes is one of the most powerful songs and videos I've seen. From his beautiful voice eerily foreshadowing his life story to the black man shedding a tear behind him listening to the songs lyrics unfold, touching him in a way no other song has ever done before. Not too many songwriters can sing their own lyrics and bring a man to tears but here Townes did just that. RIP Townes may you never be forgotten.

Hanks Bitter Tears On The Lost Highway

Its one of the saddest songs I have ever heard in my life. Lost Highway was not written by Hank Williams like many people think, it was written by a songwriter named Leon Payne. But Hank made it his own, it was sort of biographical for him even though he didn't write it. He himself was traveling down the lost highway of life. Full of mistakes and drug abuse. He got lost many times and finally could never find his way back. But in the meantime of traveling his own lost highway Hank walked away as the father of country music. With his deathly whine and sharp voice he still is considered as the greatest thing that happen to country music.