Music Maestro Please

Red Dirt Rock and Country

This article can be seen as a companion to my earlier article “Soundtracks and Silence” although this piece is more of a playlist of favourites that I thought it would be nice to share.

In an earlier article I made some references to some favourite tunes and tracks that have had an impact over the years.

I have an extensive playlist that I have curated, and I was listening to some tracks as I was proofreading some articles – something that I need to do because too many mistakes are slipping through.

Then a couple of tracks came on that engaged the anarchistic gear in my brain and I went through the playlist looking for what I considered to be “shitkicker” music.

ChatGPT defines shitkicker music as

“a slang term that typically refers to country music, especially of the more raw, traditional, or working-class variety. The term is often used informally—sometimes affectionately, sometimes pejoratively—to describe music associated with rural, Southern, or blue-collar American culture.

It tends to imply:

· Honky-tonk, outlaw, or classic country sounds (e.g., Willie Nelson, Waylon Jennings, Merle Haggard)

· Themes like trucks, beer, heartbreak, hard work, and rural life

· An audience often stereotyped as wearing cowboy boots ("shitkickers"), jeans, and hats

The phrase can sometimes overlap with Southern rock or red dirt music, and it's generally understood in context as a cultural as well as musical descriptor.”

CoPilot agrees

"Shitkicker music" is often used as a colloquial term to describe a genre of music associated with rural or working-class culture, particularly in the United States. It typically refers to country music or Southern rock that embodies themes of ruggedness, independence, and a down-to-earth lifestyle. The term can also carry a humorous or irreverent tone, depending on the context.”

When I looked at the tunes that resonated, some of them fulfil the definition of shitkicker music and some do not. Some are a bit “glam” whereas two in particular are simply get down bad-ass.

So I thought I might share some of the tracks that resonated and I have tried to find some good video clips that can provide some visual as well as audio pleasure.

Let’s start with a southern country rock piece.

"Sweet Home Alabama" is a song by American rock band Lynyrd Skynyrd, released on the band's second album released in 1974 Second Helping.

It was written in response to Neil Young's songs "Southern Man" and "Alabama", which the band felt blamed the entire Southern United States for slavery. Young is name-checked and dissed in the lyrics. It reached number eight on the Billboard Hot 100 chart in 1974, becoming the band's highest-charting single.

I have heard this song so many times on road trips around the US South. It is good driving music and this is a live performance. Note the use of the Confederate Battle flag and the “South Shall Rise Again”. The opening riff must be one of the all-time greats.

Here is the track

The next track we heard for the first time heading south from Williamsburg, Virginia and into North Carolina, going through Roanoke and out to the Outer Banks.

This would fulfil the definition of shitkicker and we heard it played so often that day that we had the chorus down in no time.

"Boys 'Round Here" – a celebration of Southern Life is a song written by Rhett Akins, Dallas Davidson, and Craig Wiseman and recorded by American country music artist Blake Shelton.

The song is credited to "Blake Shelton with Pistol Annies and Friends", as it features myriad vocal collaborators including the Pistol Annies (Miranda Lambert, Ashley Monroe, and Angaleena Presley – more about them soon), along with country singer RaeLynn, all three co-writers, and Scott Hendricks, who also produced the track.

The song uses examples of a Southern lifestyle to create its lyrical narrative. It was released in 2013 as the second single from Shelton's seventh studio album, Based on a True Story. "Boys 'Round Here" received polarized reviews for its production style and lyrical content. It peaked at number 1 on both the Country Airplay and Canada Country charts published by Billboard.

“Boys ‘Round Here” – enjoy.

Blake Shelton’s next song is down home shitkicker. With a title like “You Can Kiss My Country Ass” could it be anything else. Like “Boys” it celebrates Southern life and was written by Rhett Akins and had previously been released by him in 2007. This one accompanied us through North and South Carolina.

Without extending an invitation here is the track

Onwards to Savannah, Georgia and on this part of the trip we encountered Blackberry Smoke formed in Atlanta Georgia in 2000. They have had remarkable success over the years and are some serious country rockers and you can see from the looks on their faces as they play that they are committed musicians.

The track is “Shakin’ Hands with the Holy Ghost”

Perhaps not quite country shitkicker but elements of country, rock and a lot of South make it rock shitkicker

Here is “Shakin Hands With The Holy Ghost” – this is the official version. A live version can be found here. The honky-tonk piano is a bit clearer in this version.

Technically this next one isn’t shitkicker, although it is Southern and it deals with Southern themes – a flooded levee on a river. The song “Down in the Flood” is by Bob Dylan and this version is by the Derek Trucks band. Derek Trucks is from Florida, a blues guitarist and at times outshines Clapton.

This version of “Down in the Flood” has a superb guitar solo. Starts soft and low and then gradually begins to soar. Worth every minute.

The ladies can do shitkicker. “Not Ready to Make Nice” is a bitter torch song by the Chicks – formerly the Dixie Chicks. It was released on March 20, 2006, as the first single from the band's seventh studio album, Taking the Long Way. The Chicks wrote the song in response to the backlash they experienced in 2003 after criticizing President George W. Bush.

"Not Ready to Make Nice" remains The Chicks' biggest hit in Canada. Though they have had bigger hits on the country charts, it is their only song to be certified 2× Platinum, reaching number four on the Hot 100. The song was written by Natalie Maines, Martie Maguire, Emily Robison, and Dan Wilson. The band features a violin played by Martie Maguire and I particularly like the use of a violin in country rock.

“Not Ready to Make Nice” Here is an earlier recording. There is a lot of feeling in that song.

The last of my Southern offerings comes from Pistol Annies - Miranda Lambert, Ashley Monroe, and Angaleena Presley.

Pistol Annies made their debut on April 22, 2011, on the Academy of Country Music's Girls' Night Out: Superstar Women of Country on CBS, performing "Hell on Heels".

The women gave themselves the nicknames "Lonestar Annie" (Lambert), "Hippie Annie" (Monroe), and "Holler Annie" (Presley). They released the album Hell on Heels on August 23, 2011, with the title song being released for purchase on their website two months earlier, on June 12.

After a series of performances during Lambert concerts, the Pistol Annies performed three sold-out headlining shows in December 2011 with guest performances by John Fogerty and Blake Shelton.

“Hell on Heels” is here and has some really stinging lyrics. More in the country style but that is where musically Miranda Lambert came from. Here is their first debut performance.

Then there are the anthems. Not shitkicker but timeless especially for desert driving.

“Hotel California” says it all. This is a 1977 recording.

Here is the track. And great duelling guitars at the end. Joe Walsh shines.

And so we transition away to other genres.

I first encountered David Bowie on the beautifully crystal clear superbly produced Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars. I don’t know if it was because it was my first encounter but that is my all-time favourite Bowie album followed closely by The Man Who Sold the World.

I have seen Bowie perform and occupy a number of personas but I think my favourite was when he made a guest appearance (thin white Duke persona) with Tine Turner, duetting his own song “Tonight”. It is here. Such a shame they are no longer with us.

Right away from the South, country and down home rock to Glam. One of my favourite bands was Roxy Music.

Their first song was about – a cigarette. Here it is. “Virginia Plain”.

Brian Ferry developed this very louche persona. An article in Rolling Stone suggested he was the only singer who could make a love song sound like the Decline of the West and I suppose that “Love is the Drug” comes close to that.

Ferry liked to put on a show complete with showgirls and dramatic entrances. None better than in this live performance of “Manifesto”.

I have been to four Roxy concerts – never a disappointment. His entrances were really great.

Roxy Music did a concert at the Apollo in London in 2001. It was recorded on DVD and one of my favourite tracks is “Out of the Blue”. It builds to a wonderful climax with a fantastic violin solo (yes – there is that rock violin again).

Here is the track

There is a New Zealand track that I particularly like. It was first put out by Larry’s Rebels in about 1968 (it may have been earlier) and it was covered by Citizen Band.

The song is “I Feel Good” and it is feel-good rock music. Here is the track

So on to the bad boys – shitkicker music in a sense because they misbehaved so badly.

Rod Stewart and Ronnie Wood were in a band called the Faces and they did a song called “Stay With Me” which is ageless. It has not dated one bit but it is hard raunchy rock. Stay With Me is here.

Another band who misbehaved badly was Fleetwood Mac but they still put on a great performance. One of my favourites was “Don’t Stop” written by the unparalleled Christine McVeigh. In this clip Lindsay Buckingham is replaced by Neil Finn. You just have to make your way through the distractions of Stevie Nicks and Chrissie McVeigh.

A clip with Lindsay Buckingham and a brass section – recorded some time ago – is here.

I always thought – despite Fleetwood Mac’s troubles – that “Don’t Stop” was a forward-looking positive song. It was a song I used to close my last lecture of my Law and IT class when I was teaching. I thought it was a good song for a techlaw outfit.

Hard Rock shitkicker and it is hard to go past the Rolling Stones. There is a studio recording from the Let It Bleed album of “Gimme Shelter” which is here (audio only)

But it really requires a live performance and the best I can find is here. The subtitles are in French. Brilliant use of idiom. Ron Wood is very restrained.

And so we come to “Angry” which was on the Hackney Diamonds album and is wonderful.

If shitkicker conveys anger then this song does it and I LOVE the video which captures the light of Los Angeles that I love so much. I know those streets. The video is brilliantly put together using all sorts of visual tricks that captures the essence of the bad attitude that the Stones have always epitomised.

Angry can be found here – kinda hard to ignore the distraction of Sydney Sweeney but c’est la vie (with a Gallic shrug)

How the video was made can be seen here – quite interesting. I bet they had a stack of fun making it.

So there are a few tracks from the playlist.

I hope you enjoyed them.

If you have any others that are favourites of your own share them in the comments.