Sunday, January 11, 2009

Danny O'Keefe - He's Back - In Time

I've been a huge fan of Danny O'Keefe for more than 30 years. And after a long time waiting - he's back with a new album, In Time. Check out Danny's MySpace to hear four cuts. And listen to all four - the only thing they have in common is the intimacy and poignancy of the lyrics and music.

Best known for his hit, Goodtime Charlie's Got The Blues, O'Keefe wrote a number of songs that became hits for other performers, most notably Jackson Browne's version of The Road that appears on his "Running On Empty" album and Judy Collins' cover of "Angel Spread Your Wings" on "Judith".

I've often thought that Danny is the most brilliant lyricist I've hear heard - and after all this time - I still feel that way. I remember the unexpected jolt I felt when I picked up Breezy Stories, his 1973 album. Complex, poetic, heartfelt lyrics combined with incredible arrangements. I hadn't heard anything quite like it before. I searched him out and saw him perform whenever I could. And wasn't disappointed at all when I grabbed his next album, So Long Harry Truman in 1975 with wonderful harmonizing by Linda Ronstadt, Don Henley and Glenn Frey,among others. American Roulette was released in 1977, containing one of my favorite O'Keefe songs, You Look Just Like A Girl Tonight and has become even more as I get older. The Global Blues was released in 1979 and then Danny seemed to disappear from my life.

In 1984, The Day To Day was released and then rereleased in 1989. Two songs, Along For the Ride and Someday, supposedly charged in the 20's on the AC charts - but I honestly never heard them on the radio. Someday is one of my favorite songs on this album. I've added it to my growing list of "songs no one knows about that I wish Clay Aiken would cover". Yeah, fat chance!

"Love songs on the radio, pictures on the screen
What does all this really mean to you?
The high life on the avenue, the players on the scene
Look so lost they don't know that it's true
Someday, someday soon
Love's gonna change the way of the world

I hear it on the radio; I see it on the screen
But what does all this really mean to me?
The channel's always changing, but the picture stays the same
People are always longing to be free

Someday, someday soon
Love's gonna change the way of the world

Wait a minute! I've heard this one before
Love will always be the great cliché
Wait a minute, Love's worth waiting for
When your heart is over-flowing
You can give the rest away

Someday, someday soon
Love's gonna change the way of the world
Someday, someday soon…"


Then I had a really long dry spell. I knew that in 1998, O’Keefe founded the Songbird Foundation (www.songbird.org), which seeks to protect songbirds and their habitats that are being destroyed by deforestation caused by non-sustainable coffee growing practices in Latin America. The Foundation educates and encourages coffee-drinkers to drink sustainably grown coffee rather than sun-grown coffee. Sustainably grown coffee is shade grown, organic, and Fair Trade.

Then in 2000 I fell upon Runnin' From The Devil! And what an amazing album! Filled with so many personal songs. Heartbreaking songs like Piece of the Rain:

"As the silver pearls of light
Slide down my window
I watch a stream of cars go by
Like shadows melting in the night

I listen to the sound of splash and whirl
I listen through the rain
To the whole wide world
I sit back down and loosen the shoes of my dreams

And I pick on my guitar
As I sit waiting by the phone
Tonight I'm more than single
Tonight I am alone

And if I could hold you with my heart
Like you were the guitar in my arms
I wouldn't have to play so long
My hands could feel the pain
If I could hold you with my heart
Like you were the guitar in my arms
I wouldn't be here in the dark
Playing pieces of the rain

A man who won't turn back
Will not know how to stop
Try living at the bottom
If you think that it's so lonely at the top

It's all puppet moves in pantomime
Who's voice is this that sings?
I think I'm on my own
'Til I feel your mem'ry pullin' on the strings

And if I could hold you with my heart
Like you were the guitar in my arms
I wouldn't have to play so long
My hands could feel the pain
If I could hold you with my heart
Like you were the guitar in my arms
I wouldn't be here in the dark
Playing pieces of the rain

I can see your face
Float out of the blue
Staring off into space
Wonderin' if you ever knew
Every piece I play
I play a piece of you

And if I could hold you with my heart
Like you were the guitar in my arms
I wouldn't have to play so long
My hands could feel the pain
If I could hold you with my heart
Like you were the guitar in my arms
I wouldn't be here in the dark
Playing pieces of the rain"


Alison Krauss does a lovely version of "Never Got Off The Ground" from this album on her Forget About It cd. And Sheila is a song I never tire of hearing. Well, Well, Well is a song Danny co-wrote with Bob Dylan and Outlaw is an insightful song about love and fame. There's not a song on this album I skip - but that's pretty much true for all my O'Keefe albums.

To get a feel for the brilliance of Danny's lyrics - go to his website, Danny O'Keefe and click on Song Lyrics.

After Don't Ask, a collaboration with his long-time associate Bill Braun was released in 2003 Danny seemed to disappear. The music business is one I'll never understand. To me, Danny O'Keefe was a brilliant artist deserving of wide recognition. But for some reason, he never became a household name and there are so many people who have never heard of him.

I made do by playing his songs and googling name every once in a while just to see what he was up to. Finally, just the other day . . . I Hit Pay Dirt! Danny O'Keefe released a new album, In Time and I bought it right away. It's on repeat constantly.


Danny, thank you from the bottom of my heart. Your music touches my soul.

Do yourselves a favor and pick up a Danny O'Keefe album - or all of them:



Or do a quick MP3 download of:

. Or download a great compilation:




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Posted by The ConCLAYve-Nan at 5:28 PM

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