From the desk of: Stuart

The Bright Lights of Denver (pt. 1)

I have just returned from a much needed vacation.  It was wonderful – I got to drive hours and hours through the mountains, go fishing, hike, see the Grand Canyon again, and drink a lot.  The best part of the trip?  A 5 hour compilation of Colorado/Trucking songs I made for my drive from Denver to Crested Butte.  Not all of them are necessarily Colorado songs or Trucking songs, but the majority of them are. 

Some of you may know that I like Townes Van Zandt a lot, but some of you may not know that he also lived in Crested Butte for a while, which is why is is especially over-represented in this mix.

Careful, this mix is over-countrified.  It fits when half of a town’s population is made up of transient Texans.

 Oh yes, it was glorious:

I am practicing my bad-assedness.

Reverend Horton Heat – Big Sky
Reverend Horton Heat – Baddest Of The Bad
Townes Van Zandt – My Proud Mountains
BR-549 – 18 Wheels and a Crowbar
Lyle Lovitt – If I Had A Boat
Wilco – A Shot In The Arm
Slim Cessna’s Auto Club – This Is How We Do Things In The Country
Counting Crows – Omaha
Robert Earl Keen, Jr. – Shades Of Gray
Calexico – Sunken Waltz
Wilco – Impossible Germany
Steve Earle – The Gringo’s Tale
Willie Nelson – I Gotta Get Drunk
Willie Nelson – Whiskey River
Townes Van Zandt – Where I Lead Me
Rufus Wainwright – The Maker Makes
Iron and Wine – An Angry Blade
Cat Stevens – Peace Train
Alison Krauss – The Boy Who Wouldn’t Hoe Corn
Alabama – Rollin On
Lyle Lovett – Moon On My Shoulder
Wilco – Nothing’severgonnastandinmyway (Again)
Nick Drake – Time Has Told Me
Mark Knopfler & Emmylou Harris – All The Roadrunning
Robert Earl Keen, Jr. – Rollin’ By
Steve Earle – Mystery Train Part II
Luke Hawley – Grape Jelly
Emmylou Harris – Luxury Liner
Ryan Adams – New-York New-York
Bob Dylan – Thunder On The Mountain
George Jones and Tammy Wynette – Milwaukee Here I Come
Willie Nelson – Time Of The Preacher Theme
Willie Nelson – Just As I Am
Willie Nelson – Denver
Iron and Wine and Calexico – He Lays in the Reins
Robert Earl Keen, Jr. – The Road Goes on Forever
Townes Van Zandt – Nothin’
Willie Nelson, Kris Kristofferson, Waylon Jennings, Johnny Cash – Highway Man
Robert Earl Keen, Jr. – Merry Christmas from the Family
Townes Van Zandt – Pancho And Lefty
16 Horsepower – Strong Man
Tracy Chapman – Fast Car
Scissor Sisters – I Don’t Feel Like Dancin’
The Reverend Horton Heat – Bales Of Cocaine
Joaquin Phoenix – Cocaine Blues
Waylon Jennings – Lonesome On’ry & Mean
Elton John – My Father’s Gun
Calexico – Smash
Johnny Cash – San Quintin
Townes Van Zandt – Black Crow Blues
Hank Williams – Ramblin’ Man
Wilco – Sky Blue Sky
Johnny Cash – Big River
Townes Van Zandt – Colorado Girl
Gavin DeGraw – Chariot
Slim Cessna’s Auto Club – Pine Box
16 Horsepower – I Seen What I Saw
Wilco – Walken
Bonnie Raitt – Hear Me Lord
Nick Drake – Road
Cat Stevens – If You Want To Sing Out, Sing Out
Joaquin Phoenix & Reese Witherspoon – Jackson
Wilco – Via Chicago
Bob Dylan – Girl From The North Country (With Johnny Cash)
Lyle Lovett – Good-Bye To Carolina
Merle Haggard & Willie Nelson – Pancho & Lefty
Townes Van Zandt – Tecumseh Valley
Calexico – Frontera
Guster – Jesus on the Radio
The Waifs – When I Die
Jefferson Airplane – Embryonic Journey
Ben Folds – Landed
Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers – American Girl
Nick Drake – Three Hours
Counting Crows – Rain King
Iron and Wine – Upward Over The Mountain
Johnny Cash – Jackson
Ryan Adams – Come Pick Me Up
Willie Nelson – Bonaparte’s Retreat

…and they danced with their smiles on their faces.

Special thanks to Joe, who made the original "Joe’s Truckin’ Mix," of which this compilation is built on.

I have purposely left out a ton of tracks – hopefully I will get around to posting them at some point*
**Hopefully there will be a follow-up with a more serious mix of road-tripping songs**
***Stay tuned for the Chronology of See That My Grave Is Kept Clean later this week, as well as a new "Seven Steps!"***

Also, there may be a prize if anyone can guess [ EDIT ] *5*of the 25 songs my girlfriend made me include!  Leave it in the comments section with your email address.  I will pick the winner by Tuesday of next week, July 3rd.  Rob is also a contestant.

UPDATE: The prize I have decided to give is Regard The End by the Willard Grant Conspiracy.  Even if you don’t like them, you should definitely jump on this, because it costs about $25 to buy new, as it is pretty much only sold in Europe, where it retails for 15 Euros.  DAMN I’m generous.

Do it.  Do it.  Do it.