Gary Stewart - One Track Mind
We spin a "lost" record from Gary Stewart
Gary Stewart - One Track Mind - (Okeechobee Purple vinyl)
The story of Gary Stewart, who died by suicide in 2003, is long and intriguing. The country singer/songwriter started out working in the classic country genre, writing songs for the likes of Ernest Tubbs. He was lauded by Bob Dylan and had a #1 hit with "She's Actin' Single (I'm Drinkin' Doubles)" and a #4 hit with "Drinkin' Thing." As he moved into a sound more influenced by rock, he recorded with Gregg Allman and Dickey Betts among many others. A critic's darling, Stewart never achieved the mainstream recognition he deserved.
One Track Mind goes back to where it all started, with a set of 16 previously-unreleased tunes recorded from 1967-1971 and meant as demos for other artists. All are performed in the classic country style that was still popular at the time. Side 1 begins with the title track where Stewart sings "I'm the son of a railroad bum and I've got a one track mind;" it's women! The cut features pedal steel, which at one point creates a riff that reminds of an approaching train. "Kings and Queens" is weepy barroom country (Stewart is often referred to as "The King of The Honky-Tonks") while "Big Bad Train" is another railroad song that sounds like a mash-up of Hank Williams and Johnny Cash. Stewart co-writes here mostly with his frequent collaborator William Eldridge and the pair come up with a humorous winner in "Living the Life of a Dog" where Stewart sings clever lyrics like "I've been in the doghouse so many times I've started chasing cars." The cut bounces along to a snappy beat that indicates the tongue is firmly in cheek here. Side 2 is similarly filled with gems including the twang-fest that starts the side, "Iron Bar Motel," which is, yes, about spending a little time in jail. "There's a Whole Lot About a Woman (A Man Don't Know," again with weepy pedal steel, will find sympathetic ears from guys drowning their relationship sorrows in suds; a little more optimistic is the similarly-themed "If You Come Back Darling," which like lots of the music here recalls the sound of artists like Merle Haggard or perhaps Porter Wagoner. The eerie sounding "The Snuff Queen" is a bluesy acoustic number where the sparse instrumentation adds to the song's mystique. SSide 2 also holds one of several songs written solely by Stewart, the front porch blues of "Beautiful River." The inner sleeve of the record holds rare photos on one side and credits on the other. While his sound evolved considerably after this record,
One Track Mind is a great introduction to Stewart for the uninitiated. Released by Delmore Recordings.
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