Occasional Albums Thing 012 - Various Artists “Truckin’ Favorites”

I talked briefly about this record when we had a look at The Wonder Stuff’s second album “HUP” (https://www.whiterabbitrecords.co.uk/blog/read_206530/20234-albums-thing-420-the-wonder-stuff-hup.html). Not only did it play a big part in songs they wrote (“Golden Green”, “The Takin’ Is Easy” and latterly Miles’ song “These Things Remembered”) but it sparked something in me that now sees my record collection liberally sprinkled with Gram Parsons, Emmylou Harris, Hank Williams, Johnny Cash, Steve Earle and Jason Isbell records. A lot of people turn their nose up at Country Music, mostly because all they hear of it is schmaltzy, trite stuff by Kenny Rogers, Don Williams and the like. But at its heart Country Music, in all its myriad incarnations, is one great strand of American Folk Music and when you strip away the rhinestones and orchestras the real deal is great.

There is a whole sub-genre of Country music devoted to Truckers and Trucking and that is what this compilation (illustrated above by a photo with some long gone equipment of mine) is concerned with. It features some internationally known artists, there are songs by Loretta Lynn (“You Want To Give Me A Lift”), the aforementioned Don WIlliams (“Tulsa Time”) and Kitty Wells (“My Big Truck Driving Man”). But the gold here is to be found in songs by the Osbourne Brothers, a Bluegrass duo, with their hurtling banjo driven “Highway Headin’ South” which features the most ridiculous key change you’ll ever hear; former NASCAR driver Marty Robbins psychedelic-Country tale of the “Shotgun Rider” who would “shoot anybody that would try to stop this ride, A lot of outlaws tried it, a lot of outlaws died”; Hank Thompson’s tilt at the great “Six Days On The Road” (apparently a favourite of Joe Strummer’s) tells of the trials a trucker goes through to complete his job and get home. Special mention must go to Gary Stewart (the man who conjured the title  “She’s Actin’ Single (I’m Drinkin’ Doubles)”), his “Bertha The Truck Drivin’ Queen” features the line “I’m gonna knock the ears off the dog on the hood” to describe how fast Bertha is driving, and if you have no idea what that means this https://www.motortrend.com/files/660c69dba132030008b3ebc6/1208510-17.jpg?w=768&width=768&q=75&format=webp is what is mounted on the bonnet (hood) of a Mack truck.

These songs feature the popping of little white pills to keep you awake, dodging the cops and the scales because you’ve popped too many little white pills or you know your load is overweight, chatting up the waitress at the truck stop and trying to get a little lovin’ in the cab of your truck…so sex and drugs and trucks and roll then, not what you’d usually expect of Country Music, right ?

If you claim to not like Country then I’d always opine you’re listening to the wrong stuff. Give “Truckin’ Favorites” a try, you might be surprised.

Osborne Brothers “Highway Headin’ South” - https://youtu.be/aYLvA19BKEE?si=wl1reN6_CiyXxUjX&t=1308