Each of us has a stake in the ongoing experience called Memphis Music. Those of us who remember the intoxicating heydays of Memphis in the late Fifties, Sixties and early Seventies know that the air was filled with a sense of possibility. Regionalistic expression swelled to the point that people around the world responded to the artistic freak flag of Memphis individualism and have done so ever since.
The great voices of our region were not obsessed with copying the popular sounds of the day, as much as they were focused on communicating themselves. Elvis Presley, Sam & Dave, Jerry Lee Lewis, Howlin’ Wolf, Phineas Newborn, Rufus Thomas, Carl Perkins, Charlie Rich, Big Star and many many others were totally unique.
There was one factor that nurtured that hopefulness. Local radio played local music all the time, in rotation, right next to the biggest artists of the day. Every night on the top 10 requested songs of the day you could hear tracks recorded by people within our neighborhoods. Not every homemade release was that well written, performed or produced, but it sounded like it came from us as a people. When radio played our music, the message was that we were special. That, in turn, inspired even better music.
It was a cold day when Stax shut it’s doors. For the last 20 years I’ve watched the Memphis Music community go through all of the headspaces associated with grieving anger, denial and the fantasy element of getting so lost in the past.
I sense the grieving cycle is slowly drawing to a close as many new young bands seem to be increasingly imbued with a pride in where they are from. Creative energy is on the rise and the air is again increasingly filled with a sense of possibility.
This collection features four fine local bands: The Great Indoorsmen, Lime, Mash-O-Matic, and Straight Up Buzz. Each of these bands are further proof of this regions continuing vitality.
As a kid I lived near the railroad tracks that go along Poplar Avenue in East Memphis. I remember the excitement of putting an ear to the track and feeling the rumble of a train coming from miles away. In regards to the current climate of Memphis music, I get the same feeling hearing this release. It’s time to clear the tracks and make way for new Memphis music.
By the way, let your local station know how much you want to hear this aired. Don’t let some programmer tell you that there isn’t any good music for them to play, because it is only a reflection that his or her aren’t to the ground where they should be. It’s their job to serve the needs of the community. It’s time for local commercial radio to quit "talking" Memphis and start playing it. That’s the next essential step in our growing as a fresh force to be reckoned with.
