June 9, 2007
Stompin' Tom Connors
Posted by Hal Bogerd at June 9, 2007 11:31 PM"Stompin' Tom, A Proud Canadian" is a compilation of "hits" from Canada's best known (read largely unknown in the United States) traditional country-western songwriter. Stompin' Tom earned his nickname from his habit of stomping on a piece of plywood as he kept time until it was demolished into small souvenirs for his admiring audiences during performances. Fiercely patriotic, Tom endured a 12 year self-imposed exile and returned his six Juno Awards in protest of the the music industries lack of support for Canadian performers.
If you're familiar with (and enjoy) trucker songs like "Radar Blues", "Pinball Machine" and "Diesel Smoke, Dangerous Curves" Stompin' Tom's working class country-western tunes "Bud the Spud", "The Snowmoble Song", "The Ketchup Song" and "Tillsonburg" are just a few of the songs on "Stompin' Tom, A Proud Canadian" that might grab your ear. I'm willing to bet Stompin' Tom is the only songwriter in the world who has rhymed K. D. Lang and orangutan as he does in "Lady, K. D. Lang"! Stompin' Tom "earns" a brief mention in Incredibly Strange Music Volume II along with religous ventriloquism, yodeling, Brazilian psychedelica and the theremin.
Stompin' Tom's music is hard to descibe. Think of Hank Williams and Johnny Cash with a dose of Hasil Adkins.
Don't file under alt. country!
After reading your post Hal, I'm going to have to dig out some of his old tapes. We used to listen to Tom all the time. Even had some of his more noteworthy days marked on the calenday!
Posted by: K.D Lang at June 13, 2007 2:18 PMThere is a DVD available(Stompin' Tom In Live Concert DVD) of a recent live concert Stompin Tom put on, and I think its great! The guy is in his mid seventies, and it amazing how good his shows still are. The DVD has a lot of favorites, theres a rockin band with him, and even a bit of yodeling. Highly reccomended!
Posted by: mrbill at June 20, 2007 7:49 PM
