DETOUR: JOE VIA LYNN

I can't stand it anymore, I have to post this song. Lynn Anderson's "Rose Garden", a crossover hit that went from the country charts and hopped over to the pop charts around 1971. It might not be a song that would sound appealing if someone described it. It's got strings all over it, and it's as spit shined as a country song can get. But there are a few things that make it a great song, starting with the strings and the spit shine. For some reason, they work, it's just a really well put together song. Add a rhythm made for a reggae cover, some nice guitar fills and Anderson's restrained country twang, and you're getting up to speed. But the best part is the lyrics. Written by Joe South, I'm not sure that there's a word that could be changed that would make it better. This is one awesome song.

Here's the part that's hard to grasp. Joe South. Remember hearing that name a few days ago? He's the guy playing lead guitar on It's A Monster Surfing Party by the Deadly Ones (after the WTF bent in that post, it was confirmed by a fiend I know). South was one busy guy. He also wrote a couple songs for Gene Vincent, Billy Joe Royal's "Down In the Boondocks" and "Hush", the one that Deep Purple did a cover of. (He also wrote the Osmonds' "Yo-Yo", but don't hold that against him.) About that guitar playing, as a session guitarist South played on Dylan's Blonde On Blonde and Tommy Roe's "Sheila". And that Tony Joe White type swamp sound on Aretha's "Chain of Fools"? South. Holy shit, that alone is adequate epicness.

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Listen: 
Lynn Anderson - Rose Garden mp3 at Radio George
Lynn Anderson - Rose Garden mp3 at AG Hair (in case the link above goes dead)
Lynn Anderson - How Can I Unlove You mp3 at Rocky 52  Also written by South
Joe South - Rose Garden (streaming) at YouTube
Joe South - Hush mp3 at A.Tumblr (?)
Joe South - Walk A Mile In My Shoes mp3 at LZ Center
Joe South - Games People Play mp3 at LZ Center
Aretha Franklin - Chain of Fools mp3 at Friday In Athens
Southern Culture On the Skids - Rose Garden (streaming) at YouTube
Video:
Lynn Anderson Rose Garden at YouTube
Southern Culture On the Skids - Rose Garden (live) at YouTube
Visit:
Joe South at Wikipedia