Concrete Blues
Release Date: September 13, 2024
Concrete Blues is the album immediately preceding Farmhand Blues and marks an earlier collaboration between Riviere and producer Tom Hambridge. It sits within the same later-period move toward blues and blues-rock, a style Riviere has described as a direct way to deliver stories, feeling, and the grit of everyday life.
Album Narrative
My first album with the great Tom Hambridge. Tom and I are ‘peas and carrots’ man. He’s a fantastic drummer, song-writer and producer. I’m really a lucky bloke to have the opportunity to work with him.
The title track was just another environmental rant, about all the water theft that went on and is still going on in the West. And there’s lots of other cool work here I think.
My continuing luck with and unbelievable group of players:
Vocals and guitars: Randy Lee Riviere
Drums, background vocals: Tom Hambridge
Guitar: Kenny Greenberg
Guitar: Bob Britt
Bass: Robert Kearns
Keyboards: Mike Rojas
Produced by Tom Hambridge
Recorded at Soundstage Studios, Nashville, TN
And The Switchyard, Nashville, TN
Track List & Lyrics
-
It’s what I want
What I need
My mania
My My mania
It’s what I need
What I want
My mania
My my maniaSo I can see
My mania
My My Mania
I need my mania
You need my maniaIt’s what you want
What you need
My mania
My my maniaSo I can see
That I am Iron Man
I am Iron Man
‘Cause when I’m Iron Man
I’m another manIt’s all you want
All you need
My mania
My my maniaSo I can see
My my Mania
You want my mania
You want my mania
You need my maniaIt’s all you need
All you want
My mania
My my maniaSo I can see
So I can see -
He runs the big road haulin river stone
He hears what you say, you got no moral bone
He’s been cut, burned, can’t get ahead
But he ain’t laying on this death bedHe’ll survive
Until he dies
And ain’t living on the waysideHe don’t have much to say about politics
He’s got work to do ……He don’t have much to say about that life you pick
He’s got work to doHe’ll survive
Until he dies
And ain’t living on the waysideNo one gave him nothing, got no family fund
He don’t march to the drums of those ‘enlightened’ onesHe cuts his own grass, fixes his car
Out on every weekend he’s a highway starHe’ll survive
Until he dies
And ain’t living on the wayside -
Hold on
Hold on
Hold on
Hold on
Change is strange
Change is strangeOr Move on
Or move on
Or Move on
Or move onChange is strange
Change is strangeChange is strange
Change is strangeChange is strange
Change is strange
Change is strange
Change is strangeStay on
Stay on
Stay on
Stay onOr move on
Move on
Move onJust tell me the truth
-
I got 27 tons on ice
Thinking that this must be the price
For making this no good living
The Owner got no moral bone
I been living out here alone
Just trying to get back home
I been running every day and night
Ain’t no end in sight
I’m not feeling alright
Got Both hands in the mason jar
I’ve been out here 40 days so far
Just trying to get back homeRunning heavy one more time again
The Dispatcher, well, he aint’ my friend
The Scale master won’t bend
The Banker won’t give no more loans
These logbooks will be my end
I’m just trying to get back homeMy brakes are smokin down Deadman Pass
Here dyin’ aint’ just part of our past
I’m headed for the big city
Where I’ll no doubt get hog-tied and bound
Wishing that I wasn’t around
I’m just trying to get back home -
I’m a magic bullet
All Shiny and Blue
Take your breath from you
I’m a revolution
Hold you in my arms
Take you out to the farmBring your friends along
This is where you all belongI’m a magic bullet
Take you in my hands
Make you a better manIt’s normal evolution
Give us what you make
Your sacred land and faithBring your friends along
This is where you all belongI’m a magic bullet
Don’t go far astray
There ain’t another wayBring your friends along
It’s where you all belong
Bring your friends along
It’s where you all belongMagic bullet
-
I got a stranger in my head
I got a stranger in my head
Met him down in Texarkana
I had no money
Love or manners
I got a stranger in my head
I dug potatoes like he said
I dug potatoes like he said
Filled up all ten nails
Just to load them pails
Oh this stranger in my headThey always said I’d amount to nothing
Spend all my days drinking something
What they didn’t know is that I’d come to meet
This stranger in my headI got em all to market like I should
Got em all to market like I should
He said if I did good
I’d get a shovel yes I would
Yeah this stranger in my headThey always said I’d amount to nothing
Spend all my days drinking something
What they didn’t know is that I’d come to meet
This stranger in my headI hitched the wagon like he knew I could
I hitched that wagon … he knew I could
He said she’d smile at me someday
Saying boy won’t you come my way
Oh that stranger in my headThey always said I’d amount to nothing
Spend all my days drinking something
What they didn’t know is that I’d come to meet
This stranger in my head -
You’re a liar
You’re a liar
A town crier
You’re a liar
But hey, it’s Thanksgiving Ya’ll
It’s Thanksgiving Ya’ll
It’s Thanksgiving Ya’ll
It’s Thanksgiving!Your hair’s on fire
Your hair’s on fire
Got guns for hire
Your hair’s on fireBut hey, it’s Thanksgiving Ya’ll
It’s Thanksgiving Ya’ll
It’s Thanksgiving Ya’ll
It’s Thanksgiving!Ahh … Ah
Ahh … AhTow the line
Tow the line
Nullify
Toe the line
But hey, it’s Thanksgiving Ya’ll
It’s Thanksgiving Ya’ll
It’s Thanksgiving Ya’ll
It’s ThanksgivingSnakes alive
Snakes alive
A big beehive
Snakes aliveBut hey, it’s Thanksgiving Ya’ll
It’s Thanksgiving Ya’ll
It’s Thanksgiving Ya’ll
It’s Thanksgiving!Ahh … Ah
Ahh … AhAhh … Ah
Ahh … AhThey got what’s mine
They got what’s mine
I’m in a bind
They got what’s mineBut hey, it’s Thanksgiving Ya’ll
It’s Thanksgiving Ya’ll
It’s Thanksgiving Ya’ll
It’s Thanksgiving!It’s Thanksgiving you all
It’s Thanksgiving you all
It’s Thanksgiving you all
It’s Thanksgiving -
Goin’ down to the swamp
Ain’t going there to talk
Goin’ down into that dark
Where the Devil’s dogs just don’t bark
You took my angel baby
With that dust that you make
You shook my soul and maybe
Your eyes are what they takeDown, Down
In Moccasin LakeShe was my darlin’ child
Walked down heaven’s aisle
She sang cool breeze in the summertime
Warmed hands … she was oh so kindI ain’t gonna pray for forgiveness
Ain’t gonna pray for my heart
Ain’t gonna pray for no sunshine Lord
Out here in the darkDown, Down
In Moccasin LakeOld book talk eye for eye
Old book talk tooth for tooth
You gonna look in a thousand eyes
For my baby that you took
Back with your kindDown, down
In Moccasin Lake
Down, down
In Moccasin Lake -
I’ve been brought down
Been built up too
Been praised for my beauty
And traded for something new
Been carried away
And brought back tooWe should have seen it coming
I’ve got the Concrete BluesI carried the water
From mountain to sea
But they did all they could
To try to stop meThey got ahold of my wrists
And my feet tooShould have seen it coming
I’ve got the Concrete BluesThey painted their signs
Got them up in time
I built all their houses
Let em all unwindI been taken away
And brought back tooShould have seen it coming
I’ve got the Concrete BluesMr. Engineer man
Said I ain’t right
But I won’t give up
Without a fight
I’m just biding my time … until they take that tooShould have seen it coming
It’s called the Concrete Blues
Should have seen it coming
It’s the Concrete Blues. -
Sail on big John
You know they got you all wrong
Eat their Chili today
Some Apple pie on the way
You could say, say, say what they want you to say
But won’t do, do, do what they want anywaySail on Big John
Make America strong
Down on Mobile Bay
In the saddle todayYou could say, say, say what they want you to say
But won’t do, do, do what they want anywaySail on Big John
Can’t you find your way home
You make the team if you won’t
You know the do’s and the dont’sYou could say, say, say what they want you to say
But won’t do, do, do what they want anywayYou could say, say, say what they want you to say
But won’t do, do, do what they want anywaySail on Big John
Sail on Big John
Sail on Big John
Sail on Big John -
Dimes
Come on time
All sparkle and shine
Spread them out in a line
But nickels come hard
Pain
Lives in these hands
With so much to say
Just not today
There’s much to be doneThe sun
Brings you light
In your days
Even into your nights
Here it’s just dark
Here it’s just darkBut it’ll be alright
It’ll be alright
It’ll be alright -
You’re alive
You survived
So drive
Blue skies
In your eyes
Drive
DriveGreen hillsides
Daydreams a mile high
Drive
DriveDrive, drive, let’s ride
Drive, drive, let’s ride
Drive, drive, let’s ride
Drive, drive, let’s ride
Album Reviews
Credits
Producer
Musicians
Vocals, Guitar: Randy Riviere
Drums, Percussion, Background Vocals: Tom Hambridge
Guitar: Kenny Greenberg
Bass: Stephen Mackey
Bass: Robert Kearns
Keyboards: Mike Rojas
Recorded at Soundstage Studios, Nashville TN
Engineer: Kam Luchterhand
Assistant Engineer: Chris VanOverberghe
Mixed and mastered by Michael Saint-Leon and Tom Hambridge at The Switchyard Studio, Nashville TN USA
All songs written by Randy Lee Riviere, except Concrete Blues, which was written By Randy Lee Riviere and Tom Hambridge.
Publicity
Mark Pucci Media
5000 Oak Bluff Court
Atlanta, GA 30350
770.804.9555
www.markpuccimedia.com
Art work
Joe London
The Good Art Co
VA, USA
www.goodart.net
MAC Radio Promo
Michelle Castiglia
macradiopromo@gmail.com
© 2024 Randy Lee Riviere. All rights reserved.
Wilderness Records, Bigfork MT and McMinnville TN USA.