This guy knocks my socks off. From today's paper --
http://www.nytimes.com/2011/04/13/us/13lindytown.html?_r=1&hpThis is probably as politically tinged as anything I have seen from him, and it isn't even that political. He writes about people and places. The title of his occasional pieces is "This Land," which is perfectly descriptive. He has the best gig in American journalism. He goes around the country writing about things which catch his fancy and he makes you care about them, too. And he has a nice easy writing style which wears well, which doesn't jump up and down waving its arm at the Pulitzer committee. (That he has not yet been awarded anyway borders on criminal IMO).
John Prine wrote a song on the same topic quite a while ago. Here is a more recent video.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XyPTIOJuWwsThere is room in every day for more than one John Prine song. Here is a funny feisty one with Iris DeMent. AFAIK they aren't married but they ought to be.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F5axlwCBXC8OK, one more and then we all need to get back to more serious things. Here is a live version of a late career song called "Lake Marie". The young guitarist is pretty good, isn't he? He hangs back for the most part, as any good backing musician should do, and finally gets a chance to cut loose a little near the end. Can you imagine how good you have to be to be hired as a band member for someone the stature of John Prine? Lucinda Williams has not just one but two backing guitarists of similar ability.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Exr-DOWJ3A0
