Charlie Crockett. This musician deserved an article on our website last year when he released his album Welcome To Hard Times, recorded before the pandemic, but unlike Lee Rocker’s post-pandemic work, Charlie’s music is much more serious and tragic, it’s a sad country music that sounds like it was in the 50s and 60s, in addition to this cinematic There’s something mystical about carrying around a hopelessly outdated phone. On his new album, Charlie sings songs by James “Slim” Hand, his untimely friend, an old country star.
There has always been a certain trend in American root music: when someone sings someone else’s songs. Roy Orbison sings Don Gibson, Roy Orbison sings Hank Williams, Johnny Cash sings Hank Williams, Waylon Jennings sings Hank Williams. Odette sings Dylan. Only Dylan sings (almost) exclusively himself. However, so is Hank Williams.
Charlie had been to James’ concerts many times, when he was playing with a band or alone. Crockett was impressed to tears by the song That’s How I Got to Memphis, and upon returning to his motel that night, he learned it. Hand later starred in his music video.
“He started singing and it was like I was hit by a Mac truck. He was so good that all the other speakers seemed just amateurs.”
At the performances, James hypnotized the audience and they realized that in front of them was the greatest honky tonk performer and songwriter of all time. Charlie promised James he would record his songs, and Slim told him to hurry up. They used to perform on the same stage. Slim died in June 2020. Charlie, having learned about this from the news, was heartbroken. A week before his departure, Slim sang him a song on the phone, Charlie and the band called it Slim’s Lament (Slim’s Prayer).
James Hand has been performing since he was 13, recording his first album only at 47. If it had happened at 27, things might have turned out differently for him. So Charlie dedicated this album to Slim. He was not familiar with Hank Williams or George Jones, but he knew James Hand, and in this regard communicated with the legend. Hand should have been born early and become a superstar on the scale of Lefty Frizzell or Webb Pierce.
The best songs here are Midnight Run and Lesson In Depression. Crockett doesn’t have the vibrato inherent in the Hand, but his concise phrasing is more than appropriate. Thanks to Charlie’s simple voice, these songs sound relevant and modern. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=svlmMjMzheY
In The Corner, At The Table, By The Jukebox and Floor To Crawl, as well as the song about the lesson of depression, are Slim’s quintessence, and together with Midnight Run and Just A Heart they set the foundation for this worthy album. Rockabilly Don’t Tell Me That. Poignant When You Stopped Loving Me, So Did I, catchy with just one name. Loneliness, alcohol, bars, women who have broken up with, lack of love, restlessness, wandering are the eternal motives of singing in pubs, otherwise why go there, because the happy stay at home.
