Call Me Lucky (Vinyl)
Dale Watson delivers a batch of new original tracks that sound like instant classics with his new album, Call Me Lucky.
A fixture of the Austin, Texas, music scene for years, Watson recorded all but one song on Call Me Lucky in Memphis at historic Sam Phillips Recording. The album features some of Memphis’ finest as well as Dale’s longtime band, His Lone Stars, and includes a horn section on some of the tracks. Watson channels early Johnny Cash and even features Carl Perkins and Cash’s former drummer, W.C. Holland, on “The Dumb Song.”
Throughout Call Me Lucky, Watson’s songwriting is so descriptive that you can almost see him cruising into Memphis as he sings “Tupelo Mississippi and a ’57 Fairlane,” a throwback tune backed by a Memphis-style horn section. Meanwhile, a Hank Williams influence seeps into “Haul Off and Do It,” which is already a favorite in Watson’s live shows. And like the music from his musical heroes, many of the new songs clock in at roughly three minutes long – sometimes less.
“I’ve always been a fan of keeping songs short,” Watson confirms. “Long ago, I went to a library and checked out Tom T. Hall’s How I Write Songs. And in there, he said it’s not about keeping the songs short, it’s keeping the point. Make your point and get out. That’s always been my way of writing. There are some songs I’ve written that go on a bit more like a story, but I guess it’s probably my ADD that I don’t drag it out too much.”
On Call Me Lucky, Watson sings with fondness about his girlfriend, rockabilly singer Celine Lee, on “You Weren’t Supposed to Feel This Good,” while “Mama’s Smile” would have been perfectly suited for a young Elvis. Later, Watson’s electric guitar roars on “Who Needs This Man,” a clever number about finding a date through the personal ads. He concludes the album with “Run Away,” a country-tinged tune that echoes the records Johnny Cash made in Memphis in the 1950s.
