Tony Joe White “The Train I’m On”
I’ve been holding off on posting this one here for a few reasons: 1) it sounds just on the other side of gritty, b) Tony Joe’s voice is, at times, uncomfortably smooth, and 3) I’ve been trying to hang on to a few secrets. But Train I’m On is just too damn good. TJ White makes like a white Barry White and melts the ladies’ minds, keeping it oh so real and raw on what may be his finest moment, this sweet and groovy roots rock triumph.
Give me acoustic guitar and the bass drum, that’s all it needs to hook me in sometimes. “Thing About You Baby” is sparse and smooth, fitted with just enough details to keep your ears addicted to the feel. Elvis took this one to number 5. Like contemporaries Bobby Charles, Lonnie Mack, Dale Hawkins, and Link Wray, Tony Joe was one of those swamp-rockers digging up roots in the 70s. On Train, his second album for Warner Bros, the production is stripped though not to the bone; a full band fills up about every track, the nice thing is you can always see the spine. Harmonica, piano, and organ help on dynamic ballad “The Family,” and raucous percussion and hyperactive jaw harp push along “Beouf River Road” while tunes like “Sidewalk Hobo” need little more than a guitar and that voice. Slightly absurd “Even Trolls Love Rock And Roll” approaches some grimy alley-funk and “As The Crow Flies” and “300 Pounds of Hongry” are as muddy as I’ll ever need a groove to be.
“Polk Salad Annie,” TJ’s huge 1969 hit, kept the paychecks coming, but this kind of record is how Tony Joe ought to be celebrated. Every song a keeper, this is one of those perfect records. Good introduction to a fine career in music.
“I’ve Got A Thing About You Baby”
CD Reissue | 2002 | Sepia Tone | at amazon ]
Vinyl | 1972 | Warner | search ebay ]
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Hey, I really like this one. I have to go through the rest of your recent reviews and ask for a mix for Christmas.
Aaee November 13, 2009 @ 12:13 pm
I found this one at the flea market recently – two big thumbs up!
dk November 13, 2009 @ 6:37 pm
A few months ago, I revisited my Tony Joe White albums and found The Train I’m On to be the least engaging. Gone are the lightning strikes that peppered his earliest work, and I think he wrote stronger, more fascinating songs on records like Homemade Ice Cream and his self-titled LP. Can I listen to The Train I’m On from start to finish?Of course. Tony Joe’s voice alone is worth the price of admission. But there are other records from his earlier years I’d prefer to savor.
Peter November 14, 2009 @ 6:19 pm
TJW is a true original of the bayou and an absolutely honest from-the-gut performer. I saw him play solo on Ready Steady Go on TV in 1968 with just his Gibson 330 and a wah-wah pedal, and he stole the whole show from the big bands. The only other artist who can give him a run for his money in this genre is Dr John. I love early Creedence, but they’re ersatz swamp rock from LA even though they do it so well on Bayou Music (must do a full review of that album somewhen). I don’t have The Train I’m On, but I do have the excellent Warner Archives retrospective from 1993 featuring the best of his Monument and WB work 1968-73, which includes five tracks from this album including “I’ve Got A Thing” and “Even Trolls”. My own solo set includes a medley of Polk Salad Annie and Roosevelt And Ira Lee: four chords never sounded better. As I say, a true original, and strongly recommended.
Len Liechti November 16, 2009 @ 3:45 pm
Have you heard the single version of I’ve Got A Thing About You Baby ? Same track, but given a very different psychedelic type mix, with lotsa reverb. Check it out.
Dewi Fraunhofer November 22, 2009 @ 9:03 pm
Thanks for this. My Father introduced me to Tony Joe White when I was a kid, I remember him yelling Polk Salad Annie to a guy playing covers of crap songs in a bar once. I loved the story of how trolls love rock and roll. We were lucky enough to go see him in a tiny bar in Nashville a couple of years ago, he was incredible, very cool distinct rough guitar style, and the obvious voice. We got to speak to him, very cool guy. People were dancing around and my buddy got a dance with Whites sister. Any way Ill quit going on about a good time you didn’t have. No one like Tony Joe White. Cheers!
Aidan December 9, 2009 @ 10:45 pm
[...] [MP3s coming soon. In the meantime, check out this great review] [...]
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