“Been Gone Too Long” is another of my originals. I’m not sure if I first wrote this song on a 12-string guitar, but it’s definitely my instrument of choice for this one.

A couple of weeks ago a friend requested some Willie Nelson from me. I’ve never actually played any of Willie’s songs (other than “Blue Eyes…”) and he specifically mentioned this song, so I thought I’d tackle it. I’m glad I did, because in the two weeks I’ve spent with it, I’ve fallen in love with this song. (Also gave me a reason to don the cowboy hat again.)

I tried to preserve some of Willie’s signature guitar licks, like his ever-present bass walks. His son, Lukas, does a great version of it and I borrowed a couple of his licks, as well, but I tried to also put my own stamp on this performance. Willie wrote “Angel Flying Too Close to the Ground” and held it for a while before including it in the soundtrack for his Honeysuckle Rose movie. It was released as a single and became a chart-topper for him. I’m pretty happy with this one–hope you enjoy it, too.

Over time it’s easy to let the romance fade from a relationship, even if the love remains. “Listen to the Radio” is my original song on the subject. I think it’s a good reminder for us all (myself, included) that relationships take effort and should never be taken for granted.

Glenn Frey, Don Henley, and J. D. Souther wrote this and recorded it for the Eagles’ “On the Border” album in 1974. Frey didn’t want it released as a single because he wanted to move away from the country/acoustic sound, but it was released and then went on to become the Eagles’ first U.S. #1 song. And, of course, the group was never heard from again. No, wait….

I wrote “Louisiana Makes Me Smile” many years ago and it became the title song on one of my sister’s albums. It really needs a Cajun accordion or fiddle in the break, but, alas, I play neither. Not to worry, though–I’ve thrown some Louisiana flavoring into the video to spice it up. Laissez les bons temps rouler! (If you’re interested in hearing the fully-produced album-version video, you can find it here: https://petermarcantel.com/2014/10/14/louisiana-makes-me-smile/)

I posted this John Denver gem a while back, but I wasn’t happy with the quality of the recording, so I took another run at it. Whether you’re a JD fan or not, if you’ve ever reached for your guitar like an old friend to share your joys or sorrows with, you know what this song is about.

Here’s a simple little song with a special nod to our Canadian friends. Ian Tyson wrote “Four Strong Winds” in 20 minutes (or so he once claimed). He recorded it with his wife Sylvia (of Ian & Sylvia fame) and it quickly became a staple of the folk music scene of the 1960s. It was covered by fellow Canadians Gordon Lightfoot, Neil Young, and, well, just about everybody else who had a guitar and a recording contract. Twenty minutes well spent, I would say. As always, thanks for listening and commenting–hope you like it!

“Louisiana 1927” is a Randy Newman song from his Good Old Boys album released in 1974. It’s a concept album in which Newman takes on the persona of a “certain type” of Southern man and it paints a decidedly unflattering portrait of Southerners. Notwithstanding that, this song has been adopted in Louisiana as a sort of anthem. It speaks of the devastating floods that hit the state in 1927 and the federal government’s inadequate response to the disaster. The song had a resurgence of popularity after hurricane Katrina and, unfortunately, has become the theme song for too many similar events since then.

An original I call “The Journeyman’s Lament (Who Will Remember Me?).” Journeyman: a worker, performer, or athlete who is experienced and good but not excellent. We all want to make our mark in the world, right?

This Beatles tune is a bit misunderstood by most of us. It’s usually thought of as a sentimental look back at fond memories, which is what the first verse and bridge are about, but the second verse and bridge tell a different story. It’s actually a love song that says, “All those things are nice, but you are definitely better.” Anyway, it’s a lovely little song that’s deceptively complex in its structure, as most Beatles’ songs are.