Comments on: Friday Five: Billy Joe Shaver

By: Juli Thanki

Juli Thanki — Sat, 18 Aug 2012 19:54:01 +0000

I imagine the ethereal glow that perpetually surrounds Emmylou Harris makes it hard for her to show up on camera.

By: Donald

Donald — Fri, 17 Aug 2012 21:50:21 +0000

Marty’s version of If I Gave My Soul has long been a favourite. Mark Chesnutt’s rendition of Black Rose is pretty impressive, too. Dale Ann’s Live Forever is one of the best. A great Friday Five, Juli.

By: Donald

Donald — Fri, 17 Aug 2012 21:44:29 +0000

Re: Prine and Emmylou- I especially like when the yellow ball of light on the left sings. Or, is she on the right.

By: luckyoldsun

luckyoldsun — Fri, 17 Aug 2012 20:17:04 +0000

I’m surprised that everyone seems to have missed the most significant Shaver cover of recent vintage:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ko4XoyVSomE

He nails that to the wall. Pretty much the quintessential Billy Joe cover.

By: Juli Thanki

Juli Thanki — Fri, 17 Aug 2012 16:05:30 +0000

Yep, I was there. A great show, one of the best I've seen this summer. Here are a couple YouTube clips of Prine and Emmylou singing together that night. The videos aren't that great, but the sound is decent: "In Spite of Ourselves" "Angel from Montgomery" Another treat was when Emmylou brought out John Starling to sing "The Other Side of Life."

By: Arlene

Arlene — Fri, 17 Aug 2012 15:41:43 +0000

Juli- It sounds as though you must have attended the Emmylou Harris/John Prine concert at Wolf Trap on Wednesday. I’ve been wanting to see them as a double bill for a while because in addition to great solo sets from both, I understand Emmylou’s been singing the Iris DeMent part with him on “In Spite of Ourselves” and that when performing together, they also duet on “Angel From Montgomery” and “Magnolia Wind.” If you were there, I’m jealous.

By: Ben Foster

Ben Foster — Fri, 17 Aug 2012 14:45:58 +0000

I didn’t know that Shaver wrote “When the Fallen Angels Fly.” I love that song.

By: Leeann Ward

Leeann Ward — Fri, 17 Aug 2012 14:03:59 +0000

It’s only been a couple years or possibly less since I’ve become a Billy Joe Shaver fan, but I’m glad I’ve finally come around.

Some of my favorite Shaver covers/compositions are, in no particular order,: John Anderson, “Old Chunk of Coal; Mark Stewart and the Bastard Sons, ” Old Chunk of Coal”; Emmylou Harris, “Old Five and Dimers like Me”; Bruce Robison (feat. Kelly Willis) “Ride Me Down Easy”; The Gourds, “Omaha”; Nanci Griffith, “You Asked Me To”; Patty Loveless, “When the Falling Angels Fly”; Reckless Kelly, “Hottest Thing in Town”; Todd Snider, “Good News Blues”; and the Waylon Jennings Honky Tonk Heroes album.:)

By: Adam Sheets

Adam Sheets — Fri, 17 Aug 2012 13:53:01 +0000

I’d have substituted Cash’s version of “Chunk Of Coal” for John Anderson’s and Hartford’s version of “You Asked Me To” for Elvis Presley’s. Otherwise good list, although really anything from the “Honky Tonk Heroes” album would have worked.