David Baerwald Hellbound Train, Hard Times, Reckless Boy (2016-2018)

Hellbound Train/Hard Times/Reckless Boy David Baerwald

Released: 2016-2018 Available on Amazon: March 21, 2021 Peak: -- Sales (in millions): -- Genre: Americana

Tracks (Hellbound Train (2016): Song Title [time] Hellbound Train [3:48] Hi Ho Nobody’s Home [1:52] John Henry [2:38] Wayfaring Stranger [4:10] Omie Wise [3:30] Tracks (Hard Times (2017): Song Title [time] Down in the Willow Garden [3:24] Deep Ellum Blues [2:53] Hard Times [3:49] Banks of the Ohio [3:27] John Hardy [3:05] Long Journey Home [2:44] Pretty Polly [3:42] Drifting Too Far from the Shore [3:55] Tracks (Reckless Boy (2018): Song Title [time] Devil’s Train [2:18] Black Water Blues [3:02] Black Highway Blue [2:18] Time Is a Hunter [3:23] Reckless Boy [3:19] Vile and Blasphemous [3:04] Darkness Night [3:21] I’ll Die That Day [3:44]

About the Albums: After releasing A Fine Mess in 1999, Baerwald went on a long hiatus from releasing a proper album. Here Comes the New Folk Underground dropped in 2002, but was really an abbreviated version of A Fine Mess with three new songs. In 2004, he did release some new material on the Around the Bend soundtrack, but that wasn’t exclusively his work. In 2016, he dropped the surprise EP Hellbound Train through the A-Tone Recordings label. “All of the tracks on this album are traditional compositions with arrangements by David and…Dr. Steven Trip.” DB1 The title cut was previously featured on A Fine Mess and Here Comes the New Folk Underground, but this version is “much slower and atmospheric.” DB1 Another EP followed in 2017. Hard Times “can almost be considered Hellbound Train part 2,” DB2 considering it traverses the same territory with Baerwald dipping his toe quite convincingly into the Americana pool. Reckless Boy, released under the name The Regulators followed, although it was a collection of originals. DB3 Tracks on the latter are credited ot Baerwald, Dr. Steven Trip, and George Doering, who is “a popular session musician and a member of the bluegrass band, the Brombies.” DB3 This gave Baerwald three EPs in three years after a dozen years of studio inactivity. Collectively, the three essentially serve as a new Baerwald album, although there’s no evidence that it will be released as such. Hellbound Train and Reckless Boy are both available on Spotify and Amazon, however. All three of these EPs are available through the Extreme Music website (links below), which is “a clearing house for music available to purchase/license for movies, TV, and the web.” DB1

Resources and Related Links: DMDB encyclopedia entry for David Baerwald DB1 dbinfosource.com page for Hellbound Train DB2 dbinfosource.com page for Hard Times DB3 dbinfosource.com page for Reckless Boy E1 Extreme Music page for Hellbound Train E2 Extreme Music page for Hard Times E3 Extreme Music page for Reckless Boy Other Related DMDB Pages: First posted 8/21/2021.

 

Top 50 Songs of 2018

Dave’s Music Database: Top 50 Songs of 2018

These are the top 50 songs of the year based on their overall performance in Dave’s Music Database, which is determined by combining chart data, sales figures, streaming, video views, and aggregates from year-end lists. Check out “Top Songs and Albums of the Year” lists here. DMDB Top 1%: Lil Nas X with Billy Ray Cyrus “Old Town Road” (2018) Drake “God’s Plan” Lady Gaga with Bradley Cooper “Shallow” Drake “In My Feelings” Ariana Grande “Thank U, Next” Lewis Capaldi “Someone You Loved” Post Malone with Swae Lee “Sunflower” DMDB Top 2%: Drake “Nice for What” Zedd with Maren Morris & Grey “The Middle” Cardi B with Bad Bunny & J. Balvin “I Like It” Panic! At the Disco “High Hopes” Halsey “Without Me” Childish Gambino “This Is America” Travis Scott with Drake “Sicko Mode” 5 Seconds of Summer “Youngblood” Marshmello with Bastille “Happier” Post Malone with Ty Dolla $ign “Psycho” Juice Wrld “Lucid Dreams” DMDB Top 5%: XXXtentacion “Sad!” Benny Blanco with Halsey & Khalid “Eastside” Dan + Shay “Tequila” Calvin Harris with Dua Lipa “One Kiss” Post Malone “Better Now” Post Malone “Wow.” Ariana Grande “No Tears Left to Cry” Marshmello with Anne-Marie “Friends” Ella Mai “Boo’d Up” Imagine Dragons “Natural” Dean Lewis “Be Alright” Lil Baby with Gunna “Drip Too Hard” Ava Max “Sweet But Psycho” Kendrick Lamar with SZA “All the Stars” Shawn Mendes “In My Blood” Dan + Shay “Speechless” Trevor Daniel “Falling” Khalid “Better” Lil Baby with Drake “Yes Indeed” Khalid & Normani “Love Lies” DMDB Top 10%: Kodak Black with Travis Scott & Offset “Zeze” Morgan Wallen “Whiskey Glasses” XXXtentacion “Moonlight” Drake “Nonstop” Lauv “I Like Me Better” Mumford & Sons “Guiding Light” Tyga with Offset “Taste” Janelle Monáe “Make Me Feel” Shaed “Trampoline” DJ Snake with Selena Gomez & Cardi B “Taki Taki” The Weeknd “Call Out My Name” 21 Savage with J. Cole “A Lot” Resources/Related Links: Dave’s Music Database: Top Songs and Albums by Year lists Dave’s Music Database: Songs of the Year lists First posted 12/26/2021; last updated 1/17/2023.

Fleetwood Mac: In Concert

Fleetwood Mac Sprint Center Kansas City, MO October 19, 2018

Members: Mike Campbell (guitar) (MC) Neil Finn (vocals, guitar) (NF) Mick Fleetwood (drums) Christine McVie (vocals, keyboards) (CV) John McVie (bass) Stevie Nicks (vocals) (SN) l to r: John McVie, Christine McVie, Stevie Nicks, Neil Finn, Mick Fleetwood, Mike Campbell; image from ultimateclassicrock.com Review: This was close to, but not quite, the familiar Fleetwood Mac lineup. True to their history, the band is surrounded by drama as they embark on this tour, having ousted Lindsey Buckingham (who is now suing them) and replacing him with Neil Finn (best known from Crowded House and Split Enz) and Mike Campbell (of Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers). They proved capable and welcome additions to the band, resulting in some highlights which wouldn’t have occurred if Buckingham were still part of the mix. Not only did the band dip into pre-Buckingham/Nicks era songs like “Oh Well” and “Black Magic Woman,” but they tackled representations of Finn (“Don’t Dream It’s Over,” “I Got You”) and Campbell (Tom Petty’s “Free Fallin’”). Most of the show relied on fan favorites from their biggest albums with five songs from Fleetwood Mac (1975), seven songs from Rumours (1977), and three from Tango in the Night (1987). Occasionally McVie would introduce one of their “old” songs which made me snicker, considering the most recent song they played the entire night was “All Over Again” from 1995’s Time. That song was a rare duo from Christine and Stevie on a non-hit from a largely forgotten album. That was a highlight as was the extended drum solo and some amusing, albeit sometimes indecipherable, verbal spouts from Mick Fleetwood during “World Turning.” “Click here to see other concerts I’ve attended. Set List (vocalists in parentheses) The Chain (live in Tulsa, OK, 10/3/18) 1. The Chain (NF, CM, SN) 11 2. Little Lies (CM) 16 3. Dreams (SN) 11 4. Second Hand News (NF) 11 5. Say You Love Me (CM) 10 6. Black Magic Woman (SN) (1968 single) 7. Everywhere (CM) 16 8. I Got You (NF, Split Enz cover) 9. Rhiannon (SN) 10 10. Tell Me All the Things You Do 4 11. World Turning (NF, included drum solo and band introductions) 10 12. Gypsy (SN) 13 13. Oh Well (MC) 3 14. Don’t Dream It’s Over (NF/SN, Crowded House cover) 15. Landslide (SN) 10 16. Isn’t It Midnight (CM) 16 17. Monday Morning (NF) 10 18. You Make Loving Fun (CM) 11 19. Gold Dust Woman (SN) 11 20. Go Your Own Way (NF) 11 Encore: 21. Free Fallin’ (SN, Tom Petty cover) 22. Don’t Stop (CM, NF, SN) 11 23. All Over Again (CM/SN) 16 Discography: 1 Fleetwood Mac (1968) 2 Mr. Wonderful (1968) 3 Then Play On (1969) 4 Kiln House (1970) 5 Future Games (1971) 6 Bare Trees (1972) 7 Penguin (1973) 8 Mystery to Me (1973) 9 Heroes Are Hard to Find (1974) 10 Fleetwood Mac (1975) 11 Rumours (1977) 12 Tusk (1979) 13 Mirage (1982) 14 Tango in the Night (1987) 15 Behind the Mask (1990) 16 Time (1995) 17 Say You Will (2003) Resources and Related Links: DMDB Encyclopedia entry for Fleetwood Mac Dave’s Music Database: “Fleetwood Mac: Top 100 Songs” Dave’s Music Database: “Concerts” First posted 10/19/2018; updated 9/15/2021.