lundi 26 mai 2008

Les Grands Disparus : Stan Rogers



J'ai découvert Stan Rogers sur le dernier disque de John Gorka, Writing in the Margins. Lock Keeper.mp3 est surement la plus belle chanson de cet album, déjà magnifique. Dialogue entre un éclusier et un batelier, vie sédentaire ou périple permanent, fidélité ou amours plurielles, femme et enfant ou jeunes beautés de tropiques. Bref, cette chanson m'a donné envie d'en savoir davantage sur Stan Rogers. Né en 1949, il a chanté le Canada des plaines et des Grands Lacs, des provinces maritimes et de l'Ouest, à l'image de des personnages de Lock Keeper. Il est décédé en juin 1983, dans l'incendie de l'avion qui le ramenait du festival de Kerrville.



Si vous aimez les grosses voix capables de faire vibrer les chansons de marins comme les ballades les plus délicates (Guysborough Train.mp3), si vous aimez David Francey, alors Stan Rogers est fait pour vous.

Une dizaine d'albums en tout, du premier Fogarty's Cove au posthume From Coffee House to Concert Hall, qui résume bien la carrière de Rogers.

Stan Rogers, Barrett's Privateers



Oh, the year was 1778, HOW I WISH I WAS IN SHERBROOKE NOW!
A letter of marque came from the king,
To the scummiest vessel I'd ever seen,

God damn them all!
I was told we'd cruise the seas for American gold
We'd fire no guns-shed no tears
Now I'm a broken man on a Halifax pier
The last of Barrett's Privateers.

Oh, Elcid Barrett cried the town,
HOW I WISH I WAS IN SHERBROOKE NOW!
For twenty brave men all fishermen who
would make for him the Antelope's crew

God damn them all!
I was told we'd cruise the seas for American gold
We'd fire no guns-shed no tears
Now I'm a broken man on a Halifax pier
The last of Barrett's Privateers.

The Antelope sloop was a sickening sight,
HOW I WISH I WAS IN SHERBROOKE NOW!
She'd a list to the port and her sails in rags
And the cook in scuppers with the staggers and the jags

God damn them all!
I was told we'd cruise the seas for American gold
We'd fire no guns-shed no tears
Now I'm a broken man on a Halifax pier
The last of Barrett's Privateers.

On the King's birthday we put to sea,
HOW I WISH I WAS IN SHERBROOKE NOW!
We were 91 days to Montego Bay
Pumping like madmen all the way

God damn them all!
I was told we'd cruise the seas for American gold
We'd fire no guns-shed no tears
Now I'm a broken man on a Halifax pier
The last of Barrett's Privateers.

On the 96th day we sailed again,
HOW I WISH I WAS IN SHERBROOKE NOW!
When a bloody great Yankee hove in sight
With our cracked four pounders we made to fight

God damn them all!
I was told we'd cruise the seas for American gold
We'd fire no guns-shed no tears
Now I'm a broken man on a Halifax pier
The last of Barrett's Privateers.

The Yankee lay low down with gold,
HOW I WISH I WAS IN SHERBROOKE NOW!
She was broad and fat and loose in the stays
But to catch her took the Antelope two whole days

God damn them all!
I was told we'd cruise the seas for American gold
We'd fire no guns-shed no tears
Now I'm a broken man on a Halifax pier
The last of Barrett's Privateers.

Then at length we stood two cables away,
HOW I WISH I WAS IN SHERBROOKE NOW!
Our cracked four pounders made an awful din
But with one fat ball the Yank stove us in

God damn them all!
I was told we'd cruise the seas for American gold
We'd fire no guns-shed no tears
Now I'm a broken man on a Halifax pier
The last of Barrett's Privateers.

The Antelope shook and pitched on her side,
HOW I WISH I WAS IN SHERBROOKE NOW!
Barrett was smashed like a bowl of eggs
And the Maintruck carried off both me legs

God damn them all!
I was told we'd cruise the seas for American gold
We'd fire no guns-shed no tears
Now I'm a broken man on a Halifax pier
The last of Barrett's Privateers.

So here I lay in my 23rd year,
HOW I WISH I WAS IN SHERBROOKE NOW!
It's been 6 years since we sailed away
And I just made Halifax yesterday

God damn them all!
I was told we'd cruise the seas for American gold
We'd fire no guns-shed no tears
Now I'm a broken man on a Halifax pier
The last of Barrett's Privateers.

samedi 3 mai 2008

Souscription pour le nouvel album de RICHARD SHINDELL

Comme Jack Williams ou Kris Delmhorst, et avant probablement nombre d'autres songwriters de sa génération, Richard Shindell lance une souscription pour la réalisation de son nouvel album dont la sortie est prévue à la fin de l'année.

Nul besoin de rappeler le concert fabuleux donné par Richard à la Pomme d'Eve en septembre dernier. Il avait entre autres interprété Pancho & Lefty de Townes van Zandt que vous pouvez écouter en cliquant ici.

Le principe est simple, vous envoyez 20, 50, 100, 250, 500 dollars ou plus, selon vos moyens, et vous bénéficiez d'avantages correspondants, d'un exemplaire du CD et un CD bonus pour 20 dollars, à la peinture de votre maison pour 30.000 dollars!!! Entre les deux, plein d'options pour aider Richard à financer son album et se faire plaisir sans se ruiner (100 dollars = environ 60 euros).

De plus, 15% des dons sont reversés à une association caritative en Argentine où réside désormais Shindell qui vient par ailleurs d'ouvrir son blog.

Voilà, à vous de jouer!

Hervé

Extraits de Courier (live) : Courier * Arrowhead

Extraits de Vuelta : Che Guevara T-Shirt * The Last Fare of the Day

Et pour finir, la vidéo de Next Best Western :