"God Only Knows"- Joe Henry

[enigmatic]

I saw Joe open for Uncle Tupelo a couple times on their last tour in 1993 and have been hooked ever since. "God Only Knows" (not the Beach Boys song) is full of bittersweet melancholy, just like life:

http://recluseshow.blogspot.com/2009/03/god-only-knows-joe-henry.html

darkness settles on the ground
leaves the day stumbling blind
coming to a quiet close
and maybe just in time

we'd almost lost the heart to know
how to keep our best in mind
we'd almost lost the heart to know...
how to keep our best in mind

time has turned an angry face
and throws a dark eye back to sea
that what will pass for mercy now
how we practice unforgivingly

as if might will make right
or either one could make us free
as if might will make right
or either one could make us free

lovers laugh and cross this way
weaving out into the street
it seems we never were so young
or it was never quite so sweet

but the world is always beautiful
when its seen in full retreat
the worst of life looks beautiful
as it slips away in full retreat

well god only knows that we can do
no more or less that he'll allow
well god only knows that we mean well
and god knows that we just don't know how

but i've tried to be your lighted love
and pray that is enough for now
i tried to be your lighted love
now i pray that is enough for now...

[Amerigo Vespucci]

1. I bought Joe's "Murder of Crows" in 1999...

...primarily because it had Mick Taylor on guitar. It was also played to death on FM radio at the time, especially the track "Here And Gone."

[enigmatic]

2. "Kindness Of The World" is probably my favorite record of his

He does a killer version of Tom T. Hall's "I Flew Over Our House Last Night" on it:

[Amerigo Vespucci]

3. I just pulled it up on Rhapsody...

...the Amazon review mentions the song "Dead To The World," which...to my ears...sounds like a prime, Copperhead Road-era Steve Earle & The Dukes stomper, laced with a little R.E.M. twang and jangle. I also listened to the Hall track...you're right, very nice. Reminds me of some of Elvis Costello's Nashville experiments.

I'm going to spend some time exploring the albums Rhapsody's got (seven of them, and they don't have "Murder of Crows").

Henry never got the credit he deserved. There were others who dipped their cup into his stylistic well and took a drink, but I don't know...maybe it was decreed that he lacked "star quality," maybe it was just a fickle marketplace. He should have been bigger. He definitely had the material to back it up.

[enigmatic]

5. I think it was just the time and yes, a fickle marketplace

"Civilians" did fairly well a couple years ago; I'm not sure if he's recording anything now, and I should check..

[Tuesday Afternoon]

4. Thanks for this thread. I haven't thought about Joe in a long time.

Here is a pic

[enigmatic]

6. He's great

I had to put on "One Day When the weather Was Warm" on my show last night after posting this; he's such a great songwriter.

[Tuesday Afternoon]

7. Yes, I really should have some of his stuff.

My collection is not complete without some of his work.