Back in 1980, sometime towards the Fall season, The Charlie Daniels Band released the studio album Full Moon, (Epic Records). I can remember this like it was yesterday, my late sister and I would sit around and listen to this great Charlie Daniels album and get the biggest thrill out of it. One song in particular, The Legend of Wooley Swamp was our favorite. This song evokes great memories of my late sister, with us being brought together through the music of the Full Moon album. This song scared the heck out of us back in 1980, it still gives me the jitters today. Talk about a cool and scary song… this one I should have put on my list of Scary Halloween Songs I posted recently. I really do not know how this legendary song slipped my Metal mind while compiling that list. Here is the story of The Legend of Wooley Swamp:
The lyrics tell the story of Lucius Clay, a greedy old man who would love and care for money more than people. Lucius Clay stored all of his money in mason jars, burying the jars all around his yard. On Summer nights, if the moon was right, Lucius Clay would dig these money filled – mason jars out of the ground. He would empty the jars of money on the floor of his shack and run his greedy fingers through it. Three young men named “the Cable boys” were trouble, they knew of Lucius Clay and all of his money. One night the oldest Cable brother decided he and his two brothers would go down to the Wooley Swamp and get the Lucius Clay money. Well, these brothers did find Lucius Clay, as he was digging up mason jars of money under a full moon. They beat Lucius Clay and threw his body into the swamp, watching as he was sucked down. As these Cable boys tried to run away with the jars of money, they realized they were being dragged down in quicksand themselves. As the Cable boys sunk to their death, they could hear the old man, (Lucius Clay), laugh. As Charlie Daniels relates the spoken word at the end of The Legend of Wooley Swamp – It’s been fifty years ago and you can go by there now. There’s a place in the yard in the back of Lucius Clay’s shack where the ground is forever wet. On summer nights, when the moon is right, down by the dark footpath, you can hear three young men screaming and you can hear one old man laugh.
This story as told in the song by Charlie Daniels, with his band behind him, is vintage. Yes, it is one hell of a scary song too. The Legend of Wooley Swamp makes for a perfect song to get ahold of for this Halloween season. Aw, heck, get ahold of the entire Full Moon album for Metal’s sake, it’s worth every penny. I am one Metalhead that is proud to admit my total fondness for this album, and the upmost respect for The Charlie Daniels Band and the music Charlie Daniels has created for five decades running. Call this song Country, Rock Country or call it Southern Rock. I like to call this song and the entire Full Moon album by The Charlie Daniels Band an American Classic.
You can find The Legend of Wooley Swamp on the Full Moon album, of course. This song is also found on many of The Charlie Daniels Band – Greatest Hits albums as well or on itunes. (I actually bought an extra copy of this song off of itunes myself). Regardless of what Rock genre you hold allegiance to, The Legend of Wooley Swamp and the Full Moon album is worth many, many, listens.
For a great look into the history of The Charlie Daniels Band, with tons of cool stuff, be sure to check out The Charlie Daniels Band website: http://www.charliedaniels.com
I first stumbled across Hallowmas – The Road To Hallow’s Eve on the Century Media Records online store – CM Distro.com. The CD cover artwork took my Metal breath away, I am a huge Metal sucker for the scary and horrific album covers… this goes back decades for me. You cannot always judge a book, uh, album by it’s cover. In the case of my purchasing The Road To Hallow’s Eve based on the artwork and song titles, well, I proclaim a Horror Punk victory! This album is on Coffin Records, a recognized label notorious for underground talent. Hallowmas released this album back in 2005, I bought it about one year ago, during one of my Halloween spirited moods. Cutting to the Metal chase here, this is one dandy of a Horror Punk Band, a terrorizing thrill a second is The Road To Hallow’s Eve. It’s all good… Horror Punk style. I have numerous times, since buying this CD, have tried to read and/or find out more about this cool Hallowmas band… all in vain however. The only trail I find on the world wide web about them are the basics I found in the liner notes of this very album. Hallowmas is without question an underground Horror Punk band. I sincerely hope they resurface and continue their Horror Punk path… The Road To Hallow’s Eve makes for an intense foundation for them to build upon.
King Diamond, the legendary Metal front man for Mercyful Fate and Horror Metal/Heavy Metal icon. King Diamond and his band have left more than a mark on Heavy Metal history, a chunk of Heavy Metal history is King Diamond. On October 13, 2009, the infamous Metal Blade Records will reissue two King Diamond Classics… The Graveyard and The Spider’s Lullabye. Very cool. Just in time for Halloween… very cool again. Both albums have been re-mastered by King Diamond guitarist Andy LaRocque. The Spider’s Lullabye was originally released in 1995, with The Graveyard originally released in 1996. Bonus live bootleg footage will be available for download, for those who purchase either of these two reissues. The bonus footage for download will be these three King Diamond songs: The Spider’s Lullabye, Trick Or Treat and Up From The Grave. Reissue’s are always great, especially when they include new songs and/or videos – downloading the bonus content for these albums is fine with me, especially when King Diamond is looking at giving the fans the highest quality in sound and video. Man, I better start saving up some spare change or my Christmas want list is going to be very long with all of the new Metal CD’s that are coming out next month! Metal rules. King Diamond is a big reason why. King Diamond is delivering a Happy Halloween to his fans and all fans of Metal on October 13, 2009.
I think about Heavy Metal a lot. I listen to Heavy Metal… a lot. I buy Heavy Metal Music… very often. (Alright, that is a down right lie, I buy Heavy Metal Music – constantly). When I refer to Heavy Metal, just to simplify things here, I am incorporating all the Metal Music Genres in one. Heavy Metal… all things Metal Music. As I sit around towards midnight on this, September 17th going on the 18th… many Heavy Metal thoughts have crossed my Metal mind. Heavy Metal favorites have drifted around my head this late evening, uh, early morning, some unusual ones at that… here they are, enjoy:
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