Hear Mac Arnold talk about some of the big names he’s worked with. He will talk about his new record Country Man and you will hear some songs from it too.
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Mac Arnold’s new record Country Man is just his latest accomplishment in a life of accomplishing good things. In Mac’s home of South Carolina, USA he and his brother Leroy made his first guitar out of an old gas can when he was only ten years old. Later in high school he played in a band that had James Brown as the piano player. Mac talks in the show about what James Brown was like way back then and about working in Muddy Waters band. Mac is also on John Lee Hookers Live At Café Au Go-Go, most people consider it John Lee Hookers’ best record ever.
In the 70’s he lived in West Hollywood while going to college to learn about working in television. Mac worked on the Soul Train television show and did some work with Quincy Jones as well as Bill Withers (“Lean On Me”). Mac decided to retire to South Carolina in 1989 but as he says in the show “Retirement is not all it’s cracked up to be with me, I couldn’t stand not doing anything ” so he started driving a truck. Mac keep running into Max Hightower (mechanic & harp player ) who for the next ten years keep asking Mac to start a blues band. In 2005 they put out their first record. Backbone & Gristle followed in 2008 and now in 2009 we have Country Man.
This is a man who is truly down to earth. In his slow reflective song “Farmer” he talks about living on the land. “This Old Tractor” is a upbeat song about working on his farm and driving by his baby’s house on the tractor. “Country Man” again has that rural theme plus it shows off Max Hightower’s harmonica playing. “If Walls Could Talk” is a fun song that almost makes you feel your in some small bar listening to the band and having a good time. “Holdin’ On To Lettin’ Go” is a pretty song with a nice guitar solo, you’ll hear this in the show. In the song “I Ain’t Sugar Coatin’” Mac does a little preaching about what people are doing wrong. He sings
“Some folks lean to the left, some lean to the right,
some lean to for keep truth out of sight,
we gotta to stop fighting, fussing and hate,
we need to come together before it’s to late,
I ain’t sugar coatin’
I ain’t sugar coatin’
I ain’t sugar coatin’
just telling you like it is”
Good job Mac thanks for telling it like it is. The record ends with a fun jazzy-blues instrumental called “Swing Me Back Home”. Mac Arnold & Plate Full O’ Blues have made a very enjoyable down home country-blues-rockin’ record. Below are some links to where you can buy this CD as well as some of their others. The CD Backbone & Gristle has a wonderful song about kids staying in school called “I Can Do Anything”
Country Man was produced by another Muddy Waters alumni Bob Margolin. Bob said of Mac Arnold & Plate Full O’ Blues
“Crafting an album can be a very artificial process but Mac and his band are truly a musical family. Each player contributes and cooperates. They came in prepared enough to know what they wanted to play but still open to inspiration in the moment and changing arrangements. I enjoyed that very natural creative process and I think the results are very evident and audible in their music.”
11-07-09
Songs heard on this weeks show:
I Ain’t Sugar Coatin’
This Ol’ Tractor
Holdin’ on to Lettin’ Go
Too Much
Mule for a Chevrolet
Buy Mac Arnold’s CD’s at his website
Buy Mac Arnold’s CD Country Man at Amazon.Com
Buy Mac Arnold’s CD Backbone & Gristle at Amazon.Com
Buy Mac Arnold’s CD Nothin’ To Prove at Amazon.Com
See more photos of Mac Arnold taken be Brian S. Kelley
Thanks to Mac Arnold for taking to talk with me.
Thanks to Max Hightower for setting everything up.
Thanks to Brian S. Kelley for letting us see some of his wonderful photos.
Thanks to Bob Margolin for giving the nice quote to use.
You can hear an interview Bob Margolin click here.
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Blues Music and Interviews
A1Blues.Com
formerly A1 Artist Spotlight. Com
by A1 Mark
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