We are working our way up the coast of the Beaver State and we need some songs to add to our ever-growing cache of great listens.
DB Cooper: I probably think about DB Cooper twice a week. The entire incident intrigues me (enough so that Miracle and I have our own pet theory about what really went down that would make a helluva HBO miniseries). At any rate, one of America’s most enduring mysteries has its own song written and performed by the criminally underrated Todd Snider. Though he never outright says Portland, Oregon in the song, he calls it the City of Roses, which for the purposes of my playlist selections, will suffice.
Portland, Oregon: Jack White and Loretta Lynn. Holy shit, man. Lynn’s vocals and the best damn lead-in by the best guitarist in the biz. Full and jangly, loose and close knit, refined and rough–this is a masterpiece by two giants who collaborated and didn’t merely average their talents; they redoubled it.
Grand Coulee Dam: Great cover of a great song penned by none other than Woody Guthrie. Name another song with a line as great as “making chrome and making manganese, light aluminum.” What one has to appreciate about Woody is his ability to craft a singsong tune that feels benign, yet it contains truth, critique and a few vocab words. Dylan and his backing band—The Band, mind you—turn this into a jaunty tune that is worth listening and wailing along to.
On the Road with Adie 