Hidden Treasures - Railroad Songs

[Scott]

Quick Note: Technically Im not late posting this week since this site hasn't been working for me since Sunday


Well here we are again, another week another playlist. This idea come courtesy of a recent New Music posting by some guy on here we'll call EGNog. This "guy" posted a song that had to do with a railroad and it brought back some memories of my hometown. A little old place in SouthEast Idaho that exists solely because the railroad runs through it. As a result my entire existence can be traced to that industry. A majority of my family on both sides are railroaders. Anyway... EGNog stirred up an idea and it was fun putting this one together.


If you havent guessed by now its Railroad tunes, and theres more to choose from than you'd think! I've biased this list somewhat towards the genre of Southern Rock because thats the spirit of it, at least thats the way I think of it. So pack your backpack and hop a freight car, its gonna be a fun ride...


PLAYLIST --> http://www.podsnack.com/sgabbert/a1n0d8mm

	Nazareth Expect No Mercy 1977 1 - Gone Dead Train On this 1977 album, Nazareth makes a full-blooded return to the hard rock sound they had neglected since their success with Hair of the Dog. The result is a potent, driving slab of hard rock that will please Nazareth fans and devotees of 1970s hard rock alike. The album sets its frenzied tone right off the bat with its title track, a blistering rocker that features Dan McCafferty spitting out a sharp-edged vocal about life's cruelty over a series of fast and relentless guitar riffs. The remainder of the album prominently features a similarly brutal string of rockers: standouts include "Revenge Is Sweet," a paean to getting even that combines chugging guitar riffs with a stomping beat, and "Gimme What's Mine," a fierce declaration of dominance that layers Southern rock-styled riffs over a churning bass line.
	Lynyrd Skynyrd Nuthin' Fancy 1975 2 - Railroad Song It was a self-deprecating title for a record that may have offered more of the same, at least on the surface, but was still nearly peerless as a Southern rock record. The biggest difference with this record is that the band, through touring, has become heavier and harder, fitting right in with the heavy album rock bands of the mid-'70s. The second notable difference is that Ronnie Van Zant may have been pressed for material, since there are several songs here that are just good generic rockers. But he and Skynyrd prove that what makes a great band great is how they treat generic material, and Skynyrd makes the whole of Nuthin' Fancy feel every bit as convincing as their first two records. For one, the record has a rawer edge than Second Helping, which helps make the slight preponderance of predictable (but not bad) material easy to accept, since it all sounds so good. Then there's the fact that many of these eight songs still showcase Van Zant at the top of his game, whether it's the storming opener "Saturday Night Special," "Railroad Song," "On the Hunt," or the rollicking "Whiskey Rock-a-Roller."
	Aerosmith Get Your Wings 1974 3 - The Train Kept A Rollin' The band itself sounds more distinctive. There are blues in Joe Perry and Joey Kramer's interplay, but this leapfrogs over blues-rock; it turns into slippery hard rock. To be sure, it's still easy to hear the Stones here, but they never really sound Stonesy; there's almost more of the Yardbirds to the way the group works the riffs, particularly evident on the cover of the early 'Birds classic "The Train Kept a Rollin'." But if the Yardbirds were tight and nervy, Aerosmith is blown out and loose, the sound of excess incarnate -- that is, in every way but the writing itself, which is confident and strong, fueled by Tyler's gonzo sex drive. He is the "Lord of the Thighs," playing that "Same Old Song and Dance," but he also slows down enough for the eerie "Seasons of Wither," a powerful slow-churning ballad whose mastery of atmosphere is a good indication of how far the band has grown. They never attempted anything quite so creepy on their debut, but it isn't just that Aerosmith is trying newer things on Get Your Wings, it's that they're doing their bloozy bluster better and bolder, which is what turns this sophomore effort into their first classic.
	Blackfoot Strikes 1979 4 - Train, Train After missing the boat with Lynyrd Skynyrd (for whom he played drums early on), guitarist/singer Rick Medlocke formed Blackfoot, arguably the first all-Native American rock group. The band struggled for almost a decade, playing run-of-the-mill Southern rock that they eventually injected with extra volume and attitude before signing with Atco, for whom they recorded their 1979 breakthrough Strikes. Known as a ferocious live unit and probably the heaviest of Southern rock bands (see opener "Road Fever"), Strikes also proved that Blackfoot could write great melodies for the gloomy "Left Turn on a Red Light" and the inspired cover version of Free's "Wishing Well." But the band's biggest hit would come in the form of the seven-minute "Highway Song," a tune that was admittedly very reminiscent of Skynyrd's "Freebird" and that helped drive the album to gold status. Also of note is the harmonica performance of Shorty Medlocke (Rick's grandfather) on his own blues, "Train, Train."

[RJhog (Admin)]

No Love Train?

[Scott]

Not even close to my wheelhouse, not even near my wheelfence, wheelpropertyline, wheeltown, or wheelcounty.

[Jon]

All these songs about trains and no Boxcar Willie? Do you know how many train-related songs Boxcar Willie put out? EVERY ONE OF HIS SONGS ARE ABOUT TRAINS BECAUSE HE'S BOXCAR WILLIE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Maybe you have something against good ole Boxcar. Maybe you have something against K-Tel. I don't know exactly what your problem is, but you need to hang your head in shame for not only posting no Boxcar Willie songs but for not even mentioning his name. When you mention train songs, the first artist that should come to mind is BW. Shame. SHAME!!!!

I have all these albums except for Aerosmith. I might have had it at one time, but don't think so. Never had the urge to get it. But I do have this song on something. Like the Yardbirds versions better (the original and the remake they did about 13 years ago). I dunno, it's like I've heard this version too many times. 

The Nazareth and Lynyrd Skynyrd picks are nice because you basically never hear them unless you have the albums.

As for Blackfoot, you're a fool if you get tired of this song. This is one to play on max volume everytime it comes up.

Alas, this would be a choo-choo-chooglin' pile of SHT if only Boxcar Willie was involved. EPIC FAILURE!!!!

[Scott]

Technically, and I don't think I'm going out on a limb here, Boxcar Willie is not considered Classic Rock.  Classic?  yes, Rock?  Nope...  So due to contractual obligation I was not able to consider any works of his.  And I'm a stickler when it comes to following the contract language on here.  Some of the others who post here could use a lesson in Contracts.

[Niels (Mod)]

The first "railroad-song", that comes to my mind is Albert Hammond's "I'm A Train":

I loved that song, when I was a kid.

NAZARETH - Great song, good album. The first Nazareth-album I ever heard. I never bought it, though. Love the album-cover.

LYNYRD - Now there's a band, I never listen to. This sounds good, though. I've never heard this song before. But just like you probably won't be a PJ Harvey-follower, I probably won't listen to much Lynyrd in the future. I'm still not sure, how you feel about Elvis Costello? ;-)

AEROSMITH - I love Yardbirds version from the movie "Blow Up". Remember that from my Yardbirds-VOTW? This is also good, but not as good. The "live"-version is the best, since the song should be played at that speed. Awesome riff!!

BLACKFOOT - Hmmmm, another "Southern"-song?! Yeah, it's.....whatever fine, okay, but nothing special. The guitarsolo sounds like it could had been Manny Charlton from Nazareth, so that wraps this very nice up.

Other train-songs? Ozzy's Crazy Train, obviously, The Who's 5:15 and Badlands fine Rumblin' Train.

[Scott]

Outside of what Skynyrd tracks Classic Rock radio plays is this massively cool rock and roll band.  If I were to dig deep and post an all Skynyrd SHT list you may be shocked at what you hear, and then again you may not...  I could be right or wrong, or maybe somewhere in between.  But one things for sure, its one of those three!

[RJhog (Admin)]

Nazareth - I have this album, but I don't believe I've ever heard it.  I definitely don't think I've ever heard the train song. But like most opinions here, I do like it for sure.  Really just a slab of good ole rock and roll.  

Skynyrd - It's such a shame, what happened to this band.  The world was assuredly robbed of so much great music that RVZ would have given us, in addition to what he did give us.  But Nuthin' Fancy isn't an album that I've spent much time with. Actually, practically none at all.  But I like this tune as well.  There must be somethin' 'bout trains and harmonicas.  But Skynyrd's bread and butter, other than Ronnie, were the amazing guitars.  Just the basic guitar track here is terrific.

Aerosmith - I'll take the road less traveled here.  I like this version best.  I love Perry's or whomever's guitar playing.  It's not really live, right?  Why do bands do that?

Blackfoot - Like I said, trains and harmonicas.  This is the most amazing harmonica piece I've ever heard.  And the song is just cool.  Turn it up loud.  Play it for some young folks.  Believe me, they need it.

Nice post Scott.  I'm thinking about the Night Train, the one by Andy Taylor (doubt any of you except Jon has ever heard that one) and the one by GNR.  Say what you want about that GNR debut and it being overplayed and all, but it was an amazing album for the times.  There's also Big Train by Black Country Communion, Locomotive Breath by Jethro Tull (wonder why Niels didn't mention that one), Homebound Train by Bon Jovi (can't believe none of you guys have the slightest affection for this band) and finally, Last Train To Clarksville by The Monkees.  Oh yeah, how 'bout Casey Jones by the Grateful Dead?

[Scott]

Nazareth, pre-The Fool Circle, are this great straight shot of rock and roll.  For some reason when the lights started to fade they tried to create a pop-rock record and then spent the next couple of decades recovering.  But they did, just in time for their singer to be too broken down to continue.  Shame too, but at least they have a great catalog to enjoy, including this album.  And if its sitting in your collection gathering dust then my recommendation is that you fix that soon.

thanks for chiming in...