Mike,

Ya know, that song by Tom Russell about the American in Morocco who goes with the the Blue Men into the desert where they cut out his tongue & parade him around from place to place attached to a tether so he can dance for people and make cash etc. for them---well, that has to be one of the most amazing songs I've ever heard. Fantastic!! (And I say that meaning that it operates on a mind-boggling fantasy level---pure film noir.) "Blue Wing" and "When Haley's Comet Hit The Ground" (about the last days of Bill Haley) are amazing too. He is the writer that pulls me into the song better than any other writin' today. His creations are actually literary song-tales and,like a real fine novels, they have a way of taking you away. Say hello to Tom for me; we did a radio show together at Western Illinois U. several years ago before I knew what a grand writer he was---at least until he did his "Gallo De Cielo" (the one about a fighting cock). So many incandescent songs flow from him.

Tom wrote an article in the issue of Sing Out that had a feature on yours truly by Scott Alarik. As it turns out, that issue (from what I've heard) was the best selling issue ever for them. I'd be proud, but it wasn't 'cause I was in it. It was because NANCI GRIFFITH was on the cover---and the Griffith story was the article Tom wrote.

Art Thieme