Highway Butterfly - Fink Faves

Once again not a lot to say today so I am diving right into the music. I am going to again highlight Neal Casal and the Highway Butterfly tribute album. I have picked out a few of my favorite songs to share with some back-story on each one.

I will once again remind everyone that… 

 

THE ENTIRE REASON I ASKED TO HOST SANITY SONG OF THE DAY THIS TIME AROUND WAS TO SHARE THIS ALBUM WITH YOU. NEAL CASAL DESERVES TO BE HEARD.

 

The first track released from Highway Butterfly was All the Luck in the World by Billy Strings and Circles Around the Sun. This is a very melancholy song from Neal’s album Rain, Wind and Speed. Neal’s first album Fade Away Diamond Time is an unknown and underappreciated masterpiece. I am not using that word lightly. A month after it was released his record label, Zoo Entertainment, basically went bankrupt and were unable to support the album. Neal got pulled from the road. He parted ways with the label soon after and released this beautiful but really haunting song. If you want to know how Neal’s musical heart was first broken, this song and album begin to paint the story.

 


Billy Strings selected the song to cover which brings me to Billy Strings, a true prodigy. Billy Strings is fucking amazing, the dude has IT and he is obviously blowing up. However for me it is still bluegrass, even if it’s cosmic bluegrass, and there is a limit to how much I can get into it. This song and some shows I have heard him play outside of his normal band (e.g. the Billy and the Kids shows from Red Rocks) really make me wish that Billy finds what I think is his true calling as a rock-n-roll jam band leader.

 

All The Luck in the World – Billy Strings


All The Luck in the World – Neal Casal


 

The second song I am going to highlight on the album is No One Above You by Marcus King and Eric Krasno. Apparently King & Krasno (that has a nice sound, as does the way the play off of each other in this song) rolled into Jim Scott’s studio sans instruments and like true professionals put this track down in a few takes. This is a tragic love song… the narrator was in love with a woman that he still thinks the world of and she ignores him. Neal was married but eventually got divorced. I forget her name but she was a stylist and/or did make-up for Bruce Springsteen’s wife Patti Scialfa. Neal had a front row seat at one of the biggest musical acts in the world. 50 feet from stardom… so close and yet so far again. From what I understand she was the love of his life, he fucked it up and never really recovered romantically from that.

 

No One Above You – Marcus King & Eric Krasno


No One Above You – Neal Casal


 

Third up we have Maybe California. I don’t have a ton of background on this song other than it was the song that the most people wanted to cover but Shooter (Waylon Jennings’ son) got it and really does it justice. The general consensus is that this is Neal’s best song, it is the most “popular” based on number of plays on Spotify. I fucking love it but of course I am a Californian. Wow its weird to type that, I don’t think I have ever said that out loud or even really considered it. I wasn’t born and raised here but I’ve been here 22 years and San Diego is my home. 

 

Maybe California – Shooter Jennings 


Maybe California – Neal Casal


 

Finally we have Day in the Sun covered by Susan Tedeschi and Derek Trucks. This is just a beautiful version of a beautiful song. Originally the entire 47-piece Tedeschi Trucks Band was going to cover a song from the album. Seriously though with so many band members how can TTB possibly make any money? True artists, they are obviously committed to the music. Anyway once covid hit rather than get everyone together Susan and Derek recorded this quiet, beautiful and powerful version of a song about hope. It is much more stripped down than Neal’s version and one of the songs on this album that might be better than the original… and I love Neal’s version.

 

Even with all the shit that went on for a while Neal believed he would have his day in the sun. Unfortunately he released his last solo album in 2011 becoming the musicians musician, always committed to the song and band leader. Two of whom it can’t be overlooked are some of the biggest assholes in rock-n-roll, Ryan Adams and Chris Robinson. It speaks volumes that neither one of them is featured on this tribute album. I put a lot of blame on what happened on those guys. Chris Robinson Brotherhood was on the road in Europe the night Chris told the band CRB was done. While everyone was partying after the show Neal was crying in the corner. 

 

Day in the Sun – Susan Tedeschi and Derek Trucks

 

Day in the Sun -  Neal Casal


 

Finally one more song not from the album and one I already shared as a SSOD, Everything is Moving released posthumously. I miss you Neal. Thank you for your music. You were an unnoticed genius and you enhanced many lives, including my own. 


Everything is Moving - Neal Casal 


My photo of the day is of me and my sisters Jenny and Kira from my cousin Lainie’s wedding. I love my sisters.

 



Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

A Love Letter to My Sister

Image
I have been really struggling with what to get Kira for her birthday.  I have asked and hinted and prodded and the only response I seem to get is something along the lines of “Nothing…. make a donation to charity in my name.” I know she means it however I would really like to get her something nice, unique, special, one of a kind and beautiful because she is nice, unique, special, one of a kind and beautiful. Historically I have given my sister some pretty awesome gifts.  Watches from Switzerland, jewelry from Tiffany, a tempur-pedic mattress, framed photos of the dogs, a Kate Spade purse, etc. Last year I gave her the greatest gift of all…I skipped Magnaball for her birthday party.  Granted it was her 40 th , the entire family was in town and she threw a dope roller-skating party. However what gift would be better than to show her I loved her more than Phish by missing Magnball for her birthday?  I obviously love her more than Phish – if you read this letter you...
Read more

Phish Riviera Maya vs Panic en la Playa

In early 2016 Phish and Widespread Panic hosted separate destination concerts along Mexico's Yucatan Peninsula. I was fortunate enough to have gone to both. A few people have asked me to compare and contrast the events so here are my thoughts. As always, I apologize in advance for the lack of brevity.  The Music Music is very subjective and circumstantial. People have different tastes in music. I really dislike the competition between bands in the jam band scene. There is a group of people in each fan base that feels part of their devotion to their preferred band includes hating other jam bands. I really don't like the negativity towards different bands or fan bases because people like different music than you. I'm happy that both fan bases have found a community that speaks to them, music that moves them and fills their souls. I think one of the reasons for the "rivalry" between Phish and Panic is because of how similar the communities actually are....
Read more

Suns Out, Bust Outs

Woop Woop!  I'm going to attempt to do some writing this tour, sharing my experiences and reviewing a couple of shows. As tour goes on the regularity (and length - got a little carried away here) of posts will likely drop off. So while this is my initial post of summer tour 2016, there is a chance it's also the last.  As always these posts share a lot of personal experiences and stories geared towards friends and phamily. If you don't know or don't care about the non phish part of my tour and want my thoughts on the show skip down to the "Phishing Report" section. Or if the opposite is true do what my sister does and skip only that section.  Status We are on the road, Destiny Unbound, from St. Paul to Chicago. Tour bro Gormley at the wheel, new friend Ana in the back. We will be doing a lot of driving this tour so he rented a nice SUV. Great driver, good buddy, but we disagree on tour music. Gormley = all Phish all the time. Fink = prefers to not listen to Phi...
Read more