music reviews, fascinating trivia, opinionated commentary
Every week, about a dozen searches are performed here at KnowYourMusic.com for the phrase ‘walking in memphis’ which is what led to the additional header at the top of the page.
Anyone know the source of this interest? Wanna share it with me? I’m particularly fond of the tune, and particularly proud of my commentary on it, so I’m curious how others feel about both the tune and the commentary.
Finally catching up on recent searches. In descending order (I’m a database guy; I do things this way):
Who’s Next” needs more time than I have at the moment. Half beautiful ballad, half angry snarling, “Behind Blue Eyes” is often overshadowed by its position on the album, which places it just before one of the all-time-great crankers, “Won’t Get Fooled Again.” We’ll come back to it; honest. It was interesting to learn the meaning of the names in the song, but one wasn’t explained… who is “Reverend Green?”
Thanks
Sam
Although I can’t find an explicit answer, most sources claim it’s a reference to soul great Al Green, who has been a minister at the Full Gospel Tabernacle in Memphis since 1974.
Guess I shoulda mentioned that in the original article, eh?
Thanks for asking, Sam.
One of the search entries recently was “who sings walking in memphis” (sic); I hope you found your answer. If not, here it is: (shameless plug, forcing you to read my review).
If you’ve ever got questions about music or musicians and can’t find the answer, let me know. I love a challenge. I’ll do my best to find the info you seek, and we’ll all learn something. If I can’t come up with the right answer (or a really good wrong answer) I’ll post the question here and perhaps our esteemed cohorts can.
Today was going to be Squirrel Nut Zippers, but Marc Cohn had other ideas, forcing his way into my consciousness once again.
Put on my blue suede shoes and I boarded the plane. Touched down in the land of the delta blues, in the middle of the pouring rain . . .
Walking in Memphis is filled with the mental imagery and musical references that inspire and evoke. At the beginning spare and simple, building to a nearly symphonic conclusion and tossing in some Jewish gospel along the way, Marc’s piano and voice solidly lead us through. Opening with solo piano and Marc’s distinctive voice, eventually including a choir and full band, in the end winding back down to Marc’s voice and the beautiful piano theme that characterizes the tune.
Sounding terribly autobiographical, the tune is about travelling to the home of so much of American traditional music. Homage is paid to W. C. Handy, the late Muriel Wilkins (pianist at the Hollywood Cafe), Elvis, and Beale Street itself.
(More recently, Cohn has touched me with his song “Lost You in the Canyon.” It vividly reminds me of lost relationships, and some that never were.)
W. C. Handy is credited with writing, in 1910, the first American blues tune, The Memphis Blues which, due to publishing difficulties, was not released until 1912. The Handy tune I love most is his St. Louis Blues, especially Bessie Smith‘s version. The quintessential blues voice, drawling, swooping, climbing up to find one note, then sliding down for the next, is backed by one of the most passionate performances I’ve ever heard Louis Armstrong give. The only other instrument on the recording is Fred Longshaw’s harmonium (think ‘table-top accordion’) but somehow, it achieves a full-throttle sound you’d expect from a full jazz band.
Jazz forces me to think and feel beyond what is simple and obvious. Music should stretch your soul. Jazz stretches mine.