Cut X Cut

Mountain Soul II

[First, a note about this album: With the exception of two tracks, everything was cut “live”...WHAT A RUSH!]

“Busted” (Harlan Howard)

Back when Harlan (Howard) was still alive, he and Emory [Gordy, husband/producer] would occasionally get together for lunch, you know, just shoot the breeze. On one such occasion, Emory mentioned how much he liked “Busted”, and suggested to Harlan, “wouldn’t it be great if there was an Appalachian, coal-mining version of the lyrics.” Harlan replied, “You’re not gonna’ believe this, but the original version WAS about a family from coal-mining country.” The next day Harlan brought Emory the original lead-sheet. I think this is the very first recording using those lyrics. Even though the song was written many years ago, it’s still very valid today.
“Fools Thin Air” (Susanna Clark / Rodney Crowell)

Sometimes I get hold of really good songs that, for whatever reason, aren’t quite suited for my current project. I remember this song from material submitted on my very first MCA album back in 1986. It’s classic Rodney (Crowell) from his earlier writing with Susanna (Guy Clark’s wife); such wonderful poetry, and the melody comes naturally to me. It fit perfectly on this project. Young Sydni Perry (she’s only 16 years old; she was just 15 when she sang on my 2008 “Sleepless Nights” album) and Carl (Jackson) add rich, mountain-sounding harmonies.
“A Handful of Dust” (Tony Arata)

Words are only a “Handful of Dust” until great writers do their chemistry. I’ve always tried to do at least one spiritual song on each of my albums. Tony (Arata) told me this song was inspired by the birth of his daughter. I think Tony has the ability to tap into a higher power when he crafts songs. He has a way of putting together words that are so simple, yet so deep and profound. It would take a hardened heart to read the lyrics and not be spiritually moved.
“Half Over You” (Karen Staley)

Early on in my recording career, I went to Karen’s (Staley) apartment to listen to her new songs. This one floored me. If you’ve lived any amount of time, you’ve been a victim of a shattered dream. It’s a zombie-like feeling that just won’t go away. A broken-heart leaves you with no energy to move on. Healing is about moving on, and this song helped me to vocalize what I was feeling at that time; helped me to live through the emptiness.
“Prisoner’s Tears” (Mike Henderson / Mark Irwin / Wally Wilson)

Despite feelings about gender equality, some songs don’t lend themselves to a female approach. When I’m considering doing a song sung by a male, I automatically change the gender. So, when Emory played this for me (with a male vocal), I had a difficult time trying to view it from a woman’s standpoint. I think this song is actually stronger from a female point of view. Someone in prison is not a pretty sight, especially a woman. I really didn’t need to change the gender. “Love made the walls, love keeps me here” pretty much says it all. It’s rough on a man, but even rougher on a woman.
“Working on a Building” (public domain)

Seeing Del (McCoury) and his band perform live is a jaw-dropping experience. When Del was inducted into the Grand Ole Opry [in 2003], that night he was gracious enough to let me sing on this song with him and his son, Ronnie. “Del and the boys” is the real thing. If you ever have the great fortune of working with Del-‘n-‘em, I can give you this advice: I don’t worry about making mistakes with these guys, ‘cause I know if I stumble, they’ll lift me back up on my feet.
“Friends in Gloryland” (public domain)

I didn’t do anything a-cappella on the first Mountain Soul. I wish that I had, because it’s a big part of my childhood memories. “Friends in Gloryland” is an old song from the mountains that Ralph Stanley brought to our attention. Emory and I sat down and worked up a version; reworked some of the lyrics in the call-and-response, “old-line” style. But when it came time to actually consider it for Mountain Soul II, I resisted. I said, “Oh my, no! Give me a break! RALPH STANLEY! Those are awfully tough shoes to fill.” Emory suggested getting Vince (Gill) and Rebecca Lynn (Howard) to sing it with me, and that suggestion was all it took. I think Ralph would be proud.
“(We Are All) Children of Abraham” (Emory Gordy Jr. / Patty Loveless)

They say you spend the first part of life leaving, and the second part going back home. This is me going back home. And back home is powerful memories of Old Regular Baptist preachers almost losing their breath getting caught up in the spirit. Emory and I had been talking about writing this song for some time, especially the meaning of it. When we sat down to write, it just fell out in a matter of minutes. I can only hope I’ve done justice to the past, and maybe helped a little with the future.
“Big Chance” (Emory Gordy Jr. / Patty Loveless)

On Mountain Soul, I did a song called, “Pretty Little Miss”. It’s about a young girl who’s smitten with a boy who comes callin’-‘round (only to find out later that he’s after her older sister). Her mama tells her she’s much too young to marry, but she stamps her foot and says , “.... I’m gonna marry him when I turn twelve this summer.” “Big Chance” is a continuation of her fear of becoming an old maid. By now she’s at least 14 years old. I think it’s a fitting description of the foolish little impatient girl I’ve lived with all my life.
“When the Last Curtain Falls” (Emory Gordy Jr. / Jim Rushing)

Emory and Jim Rushing wrote this song, I think, in 1987. Even though I had sung the original demo back then, I wasn’t confident about doing it on one of my own projects. Instead, George Jones got first crack at it. When it came time for Mountain Soul II, I revisited the song. It’s an emotionally packed lyric, about the uselessness of “sweet revenge.” The lonesome fiddle sound of Jason (Carter) and Deanie (Richardson) remind me of why Bill Monroe loved multiple fiddles.
“Blue Memories” (Paul Kennerley / Karen Brooks)

Sometimes just getting bad stuff out will make you feel better. And although the words to this song are “down,” mountain music has always fought depression by shouting out. I know that’s difficult for some people to understand, that you can feel good about feeling bad, but that’s how it works for me. This turned out to be a bit of a musician’s showcase, with the instrumental fun countering the vocal hurt. Mountain type music is all about therapy. So, if you feel bad, yell at it. And see if you don’t begin to feel better. Try it....works for me! (It also helps to have Vince Gill goosing you to have fun. It’s one of his greater talents.)
“You Burned the Bridge” (Jon Randall)

When I first heard the Jon (Randall) version, I fell in love with the song. I studied his vocal, and thought, “I’m not sure I can top this.” Then I thought, “OK, I’ve got to be the person telling this story and understand what they’re feeling.” That’s what I always try to do, as much as I can. There are some other songs where maybe I haven’t been able to capture that, but on this particular song, I felt like I did. Jon was so thrilled. He said, “I finally got a Patty Loveless cut!” And I say, “I finally cut a Jon Randall song, and he played and sang on it!” Of course, the harmony singing of Rebecca Lynn (Howard) didn’t hurt things.
“Bramble and the Rose” (Barbara Keith)

To me, this has a Carter Family feel about it, and is a good representation of my more folky side. Emory played on Barbara Keith’s original recording of the song, back around 1971 or ’72 (I was just 15 years old). In preparing for a project, Emory would give me a cassette of songs to give me ideas about things that might be good for me to cut. Somehow all those tapes have managed to survive, this one on a cassette from 1986. There were lots of other great songs on those old cassettes. I said, “You know, it’s too bad that we can’t do a double album.” Mike (Auldridge) and Bryan (Sutton) give this their special touch.
“Feelings of Love” (Kostas)

I had done this song “live” on a John Denver Thanksgiving/Christmas TV special. The special was shot in Montana, and Emory was a thousand miles away in Nashville. We both had the flu. I felt awful, but I just thought about the lyrics, and somehow, I managed to make it through. A song like this can get you through tough times. It’s really weird that you can feel love, but you can’t touch it.
“Diamond in My Crown” (Emmylou Harris / Paul Kennerley)

There was a song by Emmylou (don’t need a last name, do you?) that I wanted to do: “White Line” from her album The Ballad of Sally Rose. I love that album. But the more I listened to “White Line” the more I realized that the song was too biographical, it could only be sung by Emmy. Emory and I listened to the entire album, and after “Diamond in My Crown” played, Emory said, “There’s the song you should do.” In the long run, I think he was right about that. Anyhow, at our house is an 1849 pump-organ that his mother had given him for Christmas one year. I think she would be so proud to know that we made use of it, and that we have taken care of it. So we recorded my vocal at the house with the pump-organ, then Emory took the “tape” to Nashville so that Emmylou could add her harmony vocal. Her voice is so distinctive. This was a fitting ending to the album.