Musical Moment: Lari White's Don't Fence Me In

Hello My Music Loving Friends,

I've been toying with the idea of doing Musical Moment write ups about the music in my music collection. So Mondays, maybe not every Monday, I'm gonna to take a CD and have a Musical Moment Monday where I talk about the music, the cover, the disc design, and what ever odds and ends I can include with the particular album. Cause in this electronic age we miss some of this awesome stuff. I was going to go and do like one artist at a time and cover all their CDs in my collection, but that could be a very long post. So I'll do it a CD, maybe even cassette, at a time.

I originally was gonna start with a series of posts featuring Taylor Swift, but in lieu of the passing of Lari White I thought it appropriate the first one be dedicated to her. I was saddened to read of her passing on Bryan White's Facebook page. She was a beautiful woman, she made some great songs that I enjoyed through my middle and early high school years. This will be e the only album I cover of hers for now, cause it's the only one I own.

Artist: Lari White

Album: Don't Fence Me In
Cover: The cover features Lari White in a white dress looking to me like she's enjoying being blown about by the wind. She's in a field looking set up with a blue hued storm clouds appearing back drop, I guess the image of a untamed field and untamed storm point back to the albums title. The artist name is in white, fitting given her name, I wanna say it was done in a hand written looking font, but I don't think it's the artist's own signature. The album title is printed in a green.

Booklet: Most of the photos within the booklet feature color and black and white photos of Lari in the field looking like she's enjoying the state of being free and unfenced. There is a set of three photos that are close ups on her face. She's adorned in black in front of a brown background. The first of the trio I'd have to title as "Thoughtful", the second "Joy", the third "Profile". Below the photos is this quote from Shakespeare's Othello, given the amazing "Super Blue Blood Moon" event coming up I think the quote is kinda fitting. She actually mentions the poet in her thank you, I just wonder now how he inspired her.

Back Cover: The inside photo is a blue toned image of the artist standing in front of a floral print wallpapered wall like something out of an elegant parlor. The outside photo is the same scenery as the front cover minus the artist and an addition of an image of the full moon, once again fitting for the lunar event, that seems to have a burlap texture to it. The song titles and info is in white.

The Disk: It's off white with looks like silhouettes of the grass from the cover, the album title is in a muddy brown color, and the artist's name in Simply Nailogical's favorite color: Holo.

The Music:

Don't Fence Me- According to the song's Wikipedia entry, this song was written by Cole Porter and a poet named Robert Fletcher, and has been used in a couple of Roy Roger's flicks. On this album we get a 33 second live recording in which Lari sings in a style reminiscent of the old western songs along with singers Shelby Lynn and Trisha Yearwood (who was one of my first favorite singers and first "grown up" cassette I owned). The song sounds like it's being played on a record, graininess and all, or maybe one of those old fashioned radios. To add to the record effect the tune ends abruptly with a scratch as though you've taken the needle off leading straight way to the next more song an back into a modern sound.

Wild At Heart- This is a song that was written by Lari herself and Al Anderson. Basically it's a woman trying to get a guy to loosen up a bit. It's a song that I think would be a perfect fast dance number for the honky tonk, complete with fiddle and steel guitar.

Ready, Willing, and Able- I have such memories of this song, written by Jess Leary and Judy Alan Sweet. This was being played on radio when I was in Middle School. I loved this song. Probably even imagined myself on stage singing it, which was the case with many songs by female artists.

Ghost of a Chance- Another penned by White with Chuck Jones about a woman trying to compete with her love's past relationship, makes me think of Trisha Yearwood's The Woman Before Me. The song opens with blowing wind and a creaky door followed by whispers, perhaps the whispers of this man's past love that won't let him be.

The Test- Written by Don Schlitz and Billy Livsey about someone who is putting their relationship to the test with basically a pros and cons list and how love can be a stronger than any trouble they may experience.

Ain't Gonna Worry About Love No More- I really enjoy this upbeat number written by Michael Noble, which I really hope isn't like a continuation of the previous song's tale. Here we find a woman, that assume has just gotten out of a relationship, and is putting matters of the heart on hold.

Next to Love- Lari White and Chuck Cannon writes about hanging onto each other and love. That's all I got for this one.

Something Blue- Another song written by White and Cannon using the old wedding belief that you need something old, new, borrowed, and blue and using it to describe a failed marriage. This another song with a prominent steel guitar.

Do It Again- A third song with the just mentioned twice songwriting pair along with previously mention Chuck Jones. It's basically about someone who believes the old saying if they could live their life over they'd do it the same way.

I've Been Waiting For Love- A sweet love song by Stephuny Smith, never seen that name spelt that way, and Terry Burns where a woman has finally found that love she's been holding out hope for. Yeah still in the waiting stage for me.

Soul Searchin' Blues- Lari solo wrote this great blues number, only 42 seconds in length, maybe this song is the answer to life and everything (Hitchhiker' Guide to the Galaxy peeps know what I'm talkin' about). It sounds like a group of friends and herself got together and did a little acoustic jam somewhere.

Woman of the World- Once again we find White and Jones writing of two different women one who has been all over the country, especially towns that share names with famous foreign (to the US) cities, and one who's a hard working Mom who's never left her home county, but each woman has strength to overcome the hardships in their lives.

Don't Fence Me In (Reprise)- She "ends" her album with the rest of the opening song once again a live recording, but done in a more fast passed I guess you call it modern honky tonk style.

Soul Searchin' Blues- Apparently as a more or less hidden track , well it's not labeled in the book, but is numbered on the CD player, Lari included the entire version of the song. She gives a mention to the devil, which isn't he sometimes involved in stories of blues singers ( read this tale about Robert Johnson). Amazing the stuff I learn about music lore from the Travel Channel.

Extra Bits: I read that country singer Vince Gill did some background vocals, I'm not sure which song, will require a closer listening I guess. If any of you know let me know in the comments. *I gave a closer listen even though Vince Gill has a signature I'm not sure which one there's a few possible ones, if I was a betting person I'd say Something Blue is at least one of them*

And that's a wrap! Lari ended the album by saying "mighty cool" and I have to say her music was "mighty cool", and I'm sure she was too. I was giving her music another listen as I was on her official site and it just seemed like her photo had me hypnotized for a moment and you just wanted to wish her a peaceful rest and thank her for the music.

On a final note I have to say I really enjoyed doing this. It really gave me a chance to sit and not only give the entire album a good listen, but also really study the cover and CD art, and just learn things I didn't know before, example being the nods she gave Shakespeare. But stay tuned cause I got a lot more where that came from. I hope you have a good week my friends, and may God Bless You!

Ninja <[0000]---------------[0000]> Writer

Musical Moment: My Life Story Playlist

 

Hello Friends I hope your day is going well. We all know the old saying "Music is the soundtrack to life". Quite true, but I think out of all the music we listen to there's ones that really tell our life story, those songs we attach memories to, or speak about us so well. So in the continuing trend of reflecting before my birthday I decided to share some of the songs from My Life Story Playlist. I'm actually listening to it on Spotify as I type. So yeah let's do this musical journey.

Candida by Tony Orlando and Dawn
This oldie graces my list first because it is a highly important song in my life. This song was what inspired my mother’s choice in naming me. Of course the spelling is off from the song’s spelling, but that’s because my mother, couldn't recall if it was a second N or a second D. Either way this song is the reason I’m named what I’m named.

Daniel by Elton John
This is the song that could have been... my name that is. Had I been a boy this would have been my name and this song would have been the inspiration. My folks I think had musical names picked out for my sister and me in any scenario.

Ghostbusters by Ray Parker Jr.
The song is on the list cause "Ghostbusters" is a movie that is close to my heart due to the fact we came into the world the same week.

Coat of Many Colors by Dolly Parton
Dolly is one of my inspirations. She’s a creative soul that speaks to my creative soul. We both are mountain women from poor families. I choose this song because it reflects who she is and it’s the type of person she is that speaks volumes to me.

Bop by Dan Seals
This was my favorite song as a young child. I’ve been told I would run around the house saying "Play Bop Daddy, play Bop!", or in the vehicle with my Grandparents.
 She’s in Love with a Boy by Trisha Yearwood
This song was on my first cassette that wasn’t of the kiddy variety. She was one of my early favorite female artists.

Playing With the Boys by Kenny Loggins
When summer came my family would head out for a camping and/or fishing trip. As we drove out their Mom would play the Top Gun soundtrack. It was only in the summer when she would play this album. This song is one of my favorite tracks on the album.

Down Home by Alabama
When I was in fourth grade my elementary put on a variety show to raise money for the school. This song was the opening number, I remember they had a back drop that represented the nearby general store with some of the classmates playing checkers and dancing.

This Kiss by Faith Hill
I played the crap out of this song one summer it about drove Mom crazy and it's on the soundtrack of one of my favorite movies Practical Magic.
Brandy (You’re a fine Girl) by Looking Glass
Econut and I did a rendition of this song while in a river one summer some point in my high school years, plus I deemed it the official song of Free Comic Book Day 2017.
 Rocky Top by Conway Twitty
This song was played at our dances and proms, it was played on the cafeteria juke box so much that the principal, who despised the song to begin with, threaten to take the whole thing out. I’m not sure if this is the same version played on the juke or at the dances, but it’s my favorite.
 Never Had a Dream True by S Club 7
This was the first song I slow danced to with one of my guy friends at my first prom. I had no date so my friend let me dance with her boyfriend.

Hands(Christmas Version) by Jewel
When 9/11 happened it became a song I turned to to try to inspire strength with in me. Jewel is another creative soul that inspires mine.

Graduation (Friends Forever) by Vitamin C
Listened to it on the way to my graduation.

The Scotsman by The Whiskey Sisters
This was one of my favorite acts that played at the Renaissance Faire. This is the most memorable song they sang and it was the first version of it I ever heard. Originally by Mike Cross.

My World by Avril Lavinge
The chorus is so my thought processes.

Peggy Sue by Buddy Holly
This is the name Econut gave our first car; a red 1987 T- top Camaro. The song of course was the inspiration.

Enough by Barlow Girl
God is good enough said and all I need.
One Sweet Day by Mariah Carey/Boys II Men
There is a creepy to how this song ended up on my list. I had I think on of those satellite radio stations on. The clock had done crossed over to the next day which was the anniversary of my uncle's passing. Well around the time of his death this song came. Now you talk about some chills.

On Step at a Time by Jordin Sparks
Ok lone last song I'd had this song stuck in my head, so I tried to get it out by getting another one stuck in it, well that same day as I was in a Food Lion guess what song came on the speakers. So I pretty much figured God was wanting me to pay attention to the song's message.

Alright friends that's the end of that musical trip and another journey in my strange mind. Do you guys have any songs that are particularly special to you? If so tell me in le comments. Hope you have a great day friends, and May God Bless You!