Monday, January 31, 2011

Heartworn Highways


I watched an incredible documentary last night, Heartworn Highways. You probably don't know this (or expect it) but I love nothing better than watching a Western on a Sunday afternoon. Although unfortunately, TV schedules usually regulate them to the graveyard shift on listings. Gone are the glory days of the Western, eh. So, I record them and then watch them on a lazy Sunday.

Heartworn Highways is a documentary film by James Szalapski whose vision captured some of the founders of the Outlaw Country movement in Texas and Tennessee in the last weeks of 1975 and the first weeks of 1976. The film was not released theatrically until 1981. The film focuses on some of the major figures of the outlaw country movement of the mid-1970s. Texan troubadours Townes Van Zandt, Guy Clark, Rodney Crowell and a young Steve Earle all feature, performing some of their bestloved songs and discussing the stories behind the music. (Source; wikipedia and the GFT.)

This is one of many moments throughout the film that had me tapping my feet:


Anyway, this got me thinking back to a great movie I'd watched last year, Coal Miner's Daughter, with one of my favourite actresses, Sissy Spacek alongside Tommy Lee Jones. Beside not knowing much about country music at all, aside from possessing an admiration for it, I really enjoyed this bio-pic about the life of Loretta Lynn, a country and western singer that grew up in poverty in Kentucky as a coal miner's daughter to fame on the country music circuit. Spacek deservedly won the Academy Award for her role.









You can watch Coal Miner's Daughter on youtube!

I've bought two great denim shirts in the past few months so maybe I'm going a little bit country, and so what?

6 comments:

  1. Check out David Allen Coe if you haven't...he's kinda prickly, and did his best work out of spite, but he wrote some whoppers.

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  2. I shamefacedly admit that my only exposure to Loretta Lynn has been from those Country-Western infomercials on late at night, but this film looks excellent. Love a bitta Sissy Spacek.

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  3. Well I am a huge country fan.. Not so much the westerns but I do think 'Unforgiven' is incredible!

    Have you ever listened to Gram Parsons Zoe? I think you'd really love him, check out the 'Grievous Angel' album or 'The Guilded Palace of Sin' by the Flying Burrito Brothers. You'd really love those albums I think! 'Grievous Angel' has Emmylou Harris doing the backing vocals, so still a good bit of female c&w there!

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  4. I really want to see this movie! it looks so good!

    xoxo,

    colormenana.blogspot.com

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  5. nothing wrong with a little bit country...really interesting post m'dear x

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  6. I am not a fan of Westerners.

    And I REALLY want to see this.

    It's making me think maybe I did not give them a fair chance, and I was clearly watching the wrong ones. Thanks for opening my eyes!

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