The source of country music is generally said to be from Jimmie Rodgers. During a short period from 1927 to '33 he left recordings (I refer you to "The Essential Jimmie Rodgers" or "RCA Country Legends"), which had backing sounds mixed with old folk or mountain music or jazz, gospel, the blues. And his own voice was "blue yodel", the missile but charming skill whose sentiment was put differently on each song. His influence was exerted on various kind of people; the black blues singer Haulin' Wolf, for example, was said to be one of them, and country singers who were driven into Nashville, where the Grand Ole Opry radio program started in '25, were naturally baptized. However, yodel is so idiosyncratic a skill that almost anyone else's yodel should result in mere mimiking. That's why his followers struggled to do their own things. Hank Williams established himself with honky-tonk putting his sentiment on phrasing, and his songbook was read by ones more than Jimmie Rodgers. However, his character was too strong to be the main stream of the later country music. The style of Lefty Frizzell, who I pick up here, rather spread wider. For his style didn't put sentiment so strong than the former two, it suited well to the backing sounds which were emphasized with rhythms or added with electric guitar or sweet strings, and the character of country music since Jimmie Rodgers was kept with the subtle and superb tones of nasal breathing. It was, that is, intimate and easy to imitate. Although his prime time was short, from '50 to '53, and he cannot be said to have spent a good life of music until his death in '75, he put greater influence on his followers.
Essentials of Lefty Frizzell can be heard on "That's the Way Life Goes" including ABC recordings in his last days or two disc Columbia years compilation "Look What Thoughts Will Do". When I quit wage earner and made up my mind to be independent, excuse me for talking about myself, what haunted my brain like a theme song was his debut and signature tune If You've Got the Money I've Got the Time. Its title already says itself smart, and its lyric is optimistic, like "If you give me a drink, I will be your fellow and we can have a good time". Willie Nelson's rendition is also good, but each instrument's solo in Lefty's original well produces a joyful atmosphere like passing a drink around. His happy tunes such as Shine, Shave, Shower (It's Saturday) or Always Late (with Your Kisses), Give Me More, More, More (of Your Kisses) stay along with feelings of brothers and sisters around here at some joints after work. Meanwhile, his debut's flip side I Love You a Thousand Ways is a serious love song, by his own account, for his wife when he was in jail. His songs of honest love are such as I Want to Be with You Always or How Long Will It Take (to Stop Loving You), Don't Stay Away (till Love Grows Cold), Mom and Dad's Waltz. While soaked up in the lousy night life, he is hungry for ture love. His lyrics show the very honky-tonker's point of view. His producer was English man Don Law of Columbia, who appeared on the story of Ray Price. He cannot be told only as a member of country music industry; he produced Johnny Cash, far from sweet strings-laden Nashville sounds, and directed recordings of the black blues singer Robert Johnson in pre-war era.
Lefty made a series of large hits, however, he grew weak for songwriting because of burn-out syndrome or aversion for Columbia's direction. The death of Joe Beck, his gurdian since his pre-debut Texas years, in '56 gave him a hard blow. He got to sing songs of others mainly, and had a hit The Long Black Veil in '59. He tells the story of a man who executed as a murderer because he didn't prove any alibi of staying with his friend's wife at that time, and who watched her visiting at his own tomb. And then he made a big hit Saginaw, Michigan for the first time in years in '64. This tune with a sweet chorus, not like other honky-tonks, is plainly telling the story of a country fisherman's son who dug out a gold mine in Alaska and married with a wealthy man's daughter. Different from his own compositions talking about himself, he worked as a fluent story-teller and he was still well to put sentiments on his phrasings certainly.
After then he was in a dry spell and drenched with more drinks and drugs. Since Don Law retired Columbia and become a personal producer for Ray Price, he moved from Columbia to ABC. Thanks for Lefty's fans like Merle Haggard who was in somewhat common with him for circumstances, his last tunes are not sold well but pretty crafted. The way of singing on Lefty's own compositions like I Can't Get Over You to Save My Life or I Never Go Around Mirrors, Lucky Arms , That's the Way Love Goes shows his own original style even in the era of Lefty's followers. It always happens that things get to be appreciated and praised after they are gone; Not only those who had met him in person like Merle Haggard or Willie Nelson, but younger ones talk about him today. I was not so attracted by Lefty Frizzell at first listening, however, I am now so astonished because his singing style spread far wide and it makes me feel as usual. (2010/04/21)