American Song
American Song is a podcast that traces the origins and development of American - and ultimately world-wide - forms of modern musical entertainment. Over time, we will trace every major genre from its origins through the current day.American Song looks at the development of our music through the lens of social, political, and economic changes that were occurring in each case, and we'll feature the most important musicians in each genre.Every episode is chock-full of the music we love and where possible, we include archival interviews so you can hear about, in the actual words and voices of these great musicians and singers, the motives and passions that drove their creativity.
American Song
The Greatest Music You've Never Heard: The Songs of Mark Davis (2)
Part 2
Happy New Year, Everybody! (Even if you're reading this in July....)
Across the last five seasons of American Song, we've traveled the arc of American music and listened to some of the greatest songs ever recorded, by some of the best loved artists over a century of thrilling music that changed the world.
But what about all those artists whose music is as good, if not better, than those "giants", who (but for the fickle finger of fate) never got the massive acclaim that those rarified few received? What is it within a songwriter that drives their art and compells them to write, even if they're not filling stadiums, or winning Grammy's (questionnable why some of the folks who do receive them deserved it!).
I've been fortunate to share many road miles with one of these artists for most of my life, and in today's episode, I introduce him to you.
In 1995, LA Time music critic, Mike Boehm, said this about Mark's first album: "The two albums I couldn’t stop listening to in ’95 were a tie for the number-one position in my Top Ten. [One of these was] Mark Davis, “You Came Screaming”. Davis’ first album is graced by superb melodies and hall-of-fame influences. His intensely realized subject is the embattled condition of idealism in a fallen world."
Other music critics have said this:
"Getting at large truths with songs full of human-scale detail and unsentamentalized beauty. - Los Angeles Times
“Davis is truly a master of his craft… able to lift spirits even while supporting the weight of the world.” - Orange County Register
I hope you'll listen closely to this two part episode. I have a special feeling that when you do, you just might come to love this music and appreciate this artistic soul as much as I do.
Learn more about Mark Davis and support his music through these links:
https://songrites.com/mark-davis-and-the-inklings
https://markdavisinklings.bandcamp.com
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There, you'll get more information, video content, and more about the music and personalities covered in all our episodes.