They Don't Want Me Anymore- Okie Jones MP3
God Help Us Understand- Okie Jones MP3
6/18/11
beeradvocate.com- B+
Victory Summer Love Blonde Ale- Brouweji Lane- Greenpoint, Brooklyn- 32 oz. Growler- Poured in to Brandy Snifter Glass- 5.2% ABV- Brewed in Pennsylvania- Golden, straw colored. A bit darker than a Budweiser. I actually had a glass of this the other day and resealed the growler. The beer kept well but the head was not as impressive as the initial pour. The first days pour yielded about a two finger fluffy head which receded quickly. This time it barely had half a fingers worth of head. Little to no lacing on the glass. Lively small carbonation. This beer has a floral, slightly sweet aroma which is not overly hoppy. Mouth feel is definitely light bodied. The taste is truly refreshing and crisp and feels more like a pilsner to me than what I would typically consider an ale. Not super complex but has a subtle hop bitterness and absolutely no clingy aftertaste. I could definitely see myself drinking this again and it probably be just as good straight out of a bottle than it would be in a glass or from a tap.
My first 45 post is on the turntable, Okie Jones- They Don't Want Me Anymore b/w God Help Us Understand- Recorded in Nashville, Tenn. I am not a big 45 record buyer but on occasion I will leaf through some if I come across them in a thrift shop which is where I found this record. I was inspired to listen to this record after reading a blog post on http://somelocalloser.blogspot.com/2011/06/allen-potter.html which featured another Sur-Speed Records 45.
I don't know to much about Sur-Speed Records or Okie Jones but there is a bit of info on his discography at Hillbilly-Researcher.com for those interested. This 45 is, I am assuming pretty rare. What is even rarer is where I found it in a Long Island thrift store where really it had no place being. I wish I had the opportunity to find more records like this but being in New York certainly prevents me from coming across many old hillbilly records. This is a really weird little record and Okie Jones singing style has an almost preacher like quality similar to recordings by Porter Wagoner. Side 1 is They Don't Want Me Anymore written by H.R. Jonas which is a conversation between a bartender and a broken down customer who feels neglected by his family. Okie Jones wrote the flipside, God Help Us Understand, and is definitely not a politically correct track. This is the story of a man conflicted about his Christian upbringing and the way the world and himself treats African Americans. Both these tracks have minimal instrumental backing. Steel guitar, bass and guitar gently play in the background lending themselves softly to the voice on these tracks which is clearly the focal point.
