8. Bill CallahanWoke On A Whaleheart
The opening notes of this song delighted me when I first heard it. I hear the guitars as just ever so slightly out of tune and I really like that. Partly because a few years ago I found a 1972 Gibson J-50 guitar in Los Angeles – a battered old thing that is really way too big for me but it forgives my quiet playing and is generous in its tone. The further up the neck I have the capo the worse the tuning gets, and so I didn’t feel I could use it for live performance. I went and got myself a new Martin so I could rely on the intonation. Hated it. I went back to my imperfect old Gibson because the intro to this song of Bill Callahan’s – apart from it being the most beautiful song altogether – made it feel alright to risk being a little out of tune.
