Well it’s Turntable Tuesday because life is too short not to listen to great music! Tonight I am playing a very special vinyl of the Charlie Daniels Band called “Off the Grid ~ Doin’ it Dylan.” All Dylan songs as covered by The Charlie Daniels Band.
Charlie Daniels left the world yesterday after a long life of touring and playing music for all of us from the “older” generation. I was just getting to my teenage years in the 1970’s and could not wait to see a “real concert.” If you were young and trying to figure out the eternal transportation challenges of the teenage years it was a dream to think about traveling to the state capital and go see a band play in the coliseum. I was headed there…Jackson, Mississippi to see the “CDB.” I was stoked. My ticket was an astronomical $5. For reference this was equivalent to several hours of labor for a kid still in school. Long story short I pulled off all of the financial and transportation challenges and made my way to my first concert. I can still remember seeing Charlie Daniels standing on that stage with a full band behind him making the fire come off that fiddle all night. It was amazing. During the glory days of Southern Rock I was right there seeing one of the stars talking about “Skynyrd,” Marshall Tucker, and Elvin Bishop. I think I barely slept that night after just thinking about what I had seen. It was the beginning of a lifetime quest to see as much live music in as many venues as I could.
Fast forward a few decades. I have crossed paths with Charlie Daniels many times in my musical travels. I saw him down in the NOLA Superdome and check out this line-up: The Charlie Daniels Band, Wet Willie, The original Marshall Tucker Band, and the headliners The Allman Brothers Band. All for the low price of ten hard earned dollars when I was making $50 a month part-time and going to high school. But that is another story. I went on to talk to Charlie’s manager about hiring him for a gig in Key West but the cost was just too high for a “one-off” at the end of the road. That would have been a cool show.
A few years back I met a guy I now call a friend. He is a recording engineer with his own studio in Nashville called the “Insanery.” https://caseywoodmusic.com/ His name is Casey Wood. I started talking to Casey as he played with the likes of Will Kimbrough, Marshall Chapman, Michael Utley, and Jim Mayer. They had a fun band they called “The Wild Elephants.” For those who may not know those names they are artists with tons of hit solo records and many musical credits from working with Jimmy Buffett in his recording studio and on tour. As I started talking to Will and Marshall about coming down to Key West to perform the band needed a drummer. Casey was on the top of the list to do the job.
Will Kimbrough, Zebadiah Briskovich, Michael Utley, Casey Wood, Andrew Talbert, and Marshall Chapman after a show on the beach in Key West, Florida.
https://www.willkimbrough.com/
https://www.margaritaville.com/michael-utley
I remember the first night Casey arrived in Key West. I ran into him on the beach at the Casa Marina Resort and introduced myself. Soon several of us were having something cold at the bar and exchanging stories about all things life and music. One of those stories was about Charlie Daniels. I told Casey about my first concert where I went to see Charlie play and how I loved his music as a teenager growing up in the south. Then Casey told me about an album he had been working on in his studio. He was friends with Charlie and they were laying down the tracks for yet another new album. It was a whole album of Bob Dylan covers. It was released in 2014 as The Charlie Daniels Band “Off the Grid Doin’ it Dylan.” Man it can be a small world sometimes.
A few months later a brown box arrived on my door from Nashville. I opened it up and inside was the album I am listening to tonight. It was signed to me and when I read that my mouth dropped open. I pulled out my cell phone and called Casey and said “Wow this is very cool how can I thank you?” Casey told me that he had Charlie in the studio working on another project and told him the story of my first concert. Charlie listened and signed the album for me.
I never really get “star-stuck” around musicians or “famous” people. I do enjoy having a photo to share as we age in time. I especially enjoy having my albums signed by the people who created them. They are special gifts to have on days like this. The day after Charlie left us. Thank you Casey for a treasured gift and thank you Charlie for all the music. See ya down the road.
Long Haired Country Boy
People say I’m no good and crazy as a loon
‘Cause I get stoned in the morning
And get drunk in the afternoon
Kinda like my old blue tick hound
I like to lay around in the shade
And I ain’t got no money but I damn sure got it made’
Cause I ain’t asking nobody for nothin’
If I cant get it on my own
If you don’t like the way I’m livin’
You just leave this long-haired country boy alone
Preacher man talking on T.V.
Puttin’ down the rock and roll
Wants me to send a donation
‘Cause he’s worried about my soul
He said Jesus walked on the water
And I know that it’s true
But sometimes I think that preacherman
Would like to do a little walking too
But I ain’t asking nobody for nothin’
If I cant get it on my own
If you don’t like the way I’m livin’
You just leave this long-haired country boy alone
A poor girl wants to marry
And a rich girl wants to flirt
A rich man goes to college
And a poor man goes to work
A drunkard wants another drink of wine
And a politician wants a vote
I don’t want much of nothin’ at all
But I will take another toke
But I ain’t asking nobody for nothin’
If I can’t get it on my own
If you don’t like the way I’m livin’
You just leave this long-haired country boy alone