Travels With Lind...

[Danny Harris]

"We don't want you in these diggings, Silver Heels", opined Lind, on behalf of the Christian folk of Fair Play, Colorado. (I hope the actor who played Tonto doesn't take it personally.) (LOL)

This, and Lind's interpretation of Woody's "Pastures of Plenty", complete with imposed 'Stars on 45' overlay production (no wonder Lind grinds his teeth about some of these tracks) kept me company when the town sign of Galaquil appeared, on a bright Wimmera winter's morning...isn't that a great town name - Galaquil?

[Danny Harris]

The tree-lined road at Moyreisk, where 'roos abound (and bound) found not a "shaky Chevrolet", but a white Ford motoring homewards, to the sounds of Lind @ Luna Star picking his way through "May"..."Hey, that's ok..."

These days, and nights...

[Danny Harris]

Ha-Ha! The local Council has rectified the spelling on the "Yarriambiack Creek" sign between Horsham and Warracknabeal -there's now a very discernible and very black "K" daubed on the end, just fitting in the sign space...(LOL)

"Counting", that climaxing song, was building, with early Nitzsche bells (remember "Cuckoo's Nest" and the opening music?) proving the base...

"Counting times that I've stood at the foot of your ivory tower..."

[Danny Harris]

Ah...the sun has wiped the sky sparkling clear with frost, and the day is staggeringly beautiful...

Through the Wimmera, touching on the Mallee...

...love the guitar on "Whose Is The Funeral?"...as I pulled into the Mount Wycheproof Motel the clear notes were filling the car...

The next day a flock of cockatoos settled like clean white washing on a fence on the outskirts of Lexton, lighting up the gloom of a winter's light...

...and I was singing "...they don't come by for nothing, these moments - they come to catch and carry you"...

[Danny Harris]

How about "Travels With Lind - in Ireland"...?

I'm thinking of having a crack at the emerald isle mid next year, so it could be a case of...

"Spilling O'ver", "Elusive Butterfly O'Love", "Cheryl's Goin' to Omagh", "Ireland Let It Take Me" etc. - oh, stop it..!

Plans are afoot...

Must take Robert Neale's dulcet tones along, if it comes off...

[Danny Harris]

"Just comin' out of a bad one, baby - finally shaken free..."

The Central Victorian countryside is ablaze with golden wattle, startling to the eye, after better than expected winter rainfall...

"Valentine From Neil (Neale?)" and its thoughtful rythmn line throbbed away in the car's cd player as I left Tarnagulla, marvelling at the wattle in this old gold rush area...

"You're the first one I've seen who doesn't look like a ball and chain to me..."

Then "Have A Lovely Yesterday" and its attempts to cloak bitterness and disappointment in a throw-away melody, complete with careless sax.

What sights...what sounds...

[Danny Harris]

"Tempy - (Barley Country)", the road-sign opined sagely. And the white heath is flourishing, spilling over (good name for a song...) the roadside embankments...

'He said "It's not easy to leave you. Please don't hold a grudge against me." She said 'What I'm holding are pictures I can never again make you see.' "

The song "Don't Pretend You Remember" smacks (says he) of demon exorcision - i.e. the words someone should have said, or noted, upon departure, yet didn't (couldn't?) quite manage ...?

Great song...raw, insightful - inspired !

[Danny Harris]

At Stuart Mill, I was "...a refugee from stagnancy, and no-one knows my name...".

Through a Donald dust storm, "I Fall To You".

At Curyo, "Maybe It's The Rain".

"...speaking low as the songs would flow from the radio that only worked sometime..", inching my about the Sea Lake streets.

- and Bendigo heard "..but the foolish have no patience with the blind..."

"Doll, You Should Have Seen It All The Time.."

[Danny Harris]

I have to engage cruise control for "Somewhere In This City", or else I'll lose my licence for speeding...

And I've discovered the bass lines on "Go Ask Your Man" (left hand side car speaker) can cause the foot to hit the pedal a bit too hard, too...as was the case at Ararat yesterday...

My current "crush" is on "It's Too Late To Let You Go"...boy, I love the lyrics, and the thoughtful keyboard intro...

Lucky me.

[Danny Harris]

With the unenviable aroma of the cattle-trucks ahead of me wafting through the window, I follow them as we wind around the bends out of Boort on the way to Kerang...

"I don't play long-shots", admitted Lind: "I had my money on Goliath.
One little sling-shot and now I have to eat my words".

"Wrong Again" was jauntily blaring from the white Falcon (yes, another one) and providing entertainment to one and all in the near vicinity.

The impressive catalogue of Lind's 'new stuff' reminded me that I am so lucky and grateful, Bob, to be finding you again...

No matter the circumstances or locale - be it another goodbye song about a busted relationship ("Go Ahead And Go", etc.) or the challenges found in sustaining a relationship in the hurricane of love, with all its emotional buffeting of confrontation and realisation ("It's Too Late To Let You Go", "From The Road", "Perspective", etc., I am among those who favour and savour the flavour of Lind...

When I want intelligent lyrics, melodious lines, and an interesting take on things, Bob, I turn to you.

"...and now my song has been surrendered to the wind..."

[Danny Harris]

"Let It Go" - a great travel companion... I've been to Portland's impressive coast and back, and then over to Daylesford's mineral springs-country and return, and this song hits me with the sense of "tension" that Lind remarked upon in a recent interview...

"I could blame it on my father - I could blame it on a world that moves too slow..."

How the hell does this guy "scat" sing like he does - my attempts are tongue-tied and lack confidence...

"Go Ahead And Go" is the perfect amalgam of frustration, feigned indifference, plaintiveness and arch self-protection...

When you compare the sentiments with "Valentine From Neil", the annoyance reveals itself (I think)...

Hey Bob32 etc. - here's an idea for your next thesis: "The Works Of Bob Lind"...

[Danny Harris]

The Green Triangle - with rain..."I Found You" was with me as I snuck through the kangaroo-dotted bush...Heywood, Digby, Merino, Casterton...

At first small black wallabies, then small grey 'roos - and then, nearing Merino: some very large grey 'roos - slow down, mate...

"Go Ask Your Man" thumped from the speakers as I circumnavigated the marsupials, headed for Casterton for an overnight stay - 7am meeting the next day...

Hamilton was very wet, and "Marlene", "San Franciso Woman" and "Somewhere In This City" got me there...

Home on Saturday, pushing Eastwards to the nest...

The Glenelg Highway flew under the wheels, to the strains of "The Laughing Song" - "Oh...is there no-one to hear me?..."

Dunkeld, with its amazing Mt. Sturgeon and Mt. Abrupt back-drop (we climbed this one a couple of week-ends ago), Glen Thompson, Lake Bolac (where's the lake?), Streatham (a town entirely rebuilt after '70's bush fires), Skipton (where "Sophie's Lullaby" from "Luna Star" drifted by), Linton, etc.

A 'normal' autumn might see good winter rains...fingers crossed...

"Let It Go" - the Lind tug of war inner tension admission abruptly morphed into an (I think) impatient "scatting" fade-out: "...these pressures kill you just as sure as guns and knives..."

I looped the reins of the white metal steed over the home hitching rail (strewth! I sound like Marty Robbins! ha ha) and I was home again...

[rob68]

Lind's interpretation of Woody's "Pastures of Plenty", complete with imposed 'Stars on 45' overlay production (no wonder Lind grinds his teeth about some of these tracks) kept me company when the town sign of Galaquil appeared

Stars On 45......ha-ha.

Must say though that I actually love the blasphemous production those ol' Verve session cats cooked up on "Hard Road".......can you even believe they titled it Hard Road?......there's a certain tension in the combo of the drumming and the strings that is strangely effective.....to my twisted ears, anyway.

[Danny Harris]

Lind's interpretation of Woody's "Pastures of Plenty", complete with imposed 'Stars on 45' overlay production (no wonder Lind grinds his teeth about some of these tracks) kept me company when the town sign of Galaquil appeared

Stars On 45......ha-ha.

Must say though that I actually love the blasphemous production those ol' Verve session cats cooked up on "Hard Road".......can you even believe they titled it Hard Road?......there's a certain tension in the combo of the drumming and the strings that is strangely effective.....to my twisted ears, anyway.

a warped sense of humour, Rob - yeah - who is this Woody Guthrie guy, anyway...? (ha-ha)..I'm sure that the "early" Lind wrote and recorded some songs which outrank a lot of "The Elusive Bob Lind" list...don't you think so...? Anyway, where have you been, mister? Long time no see posts from you...

[Danny Harris]

OK, so I'm off Friday with me ol' drinkin' mate, across the border, Lind in my ears - what an understanding missus!

Footy, beer, the punt, a top mate and RNL singin' and strummin' all the way...

- wouldn't be dead for quids!

BTW, really warming to the sax, Bob...overlooked my me but now firmly centre of attention...