If It was Rainin’ Gold I Wouldn’t Stand a Chance, I Wouldn’t Have a Pocket in My Patched-up Pants

Wednesday. I would say to beware the Ides of March today, but in the business world backstabbing is a year-round event. Today I have been focusing on my presentations. I pretty much know what I am going to talk about, but I am trying to get it all together on PowerPoint slides. This is going to be pretty dry, but I'm giving it to a bunch of other financial people, so they should be used to it by now.

Last night I heard a song on the radio (yes, I admit it. I was listening to commercial radio) that sounded a whole lot like Norah Jones, but the DJ said it was a different band. I did some investigation and sure enough Ms. Jones has released a country album as a part of a group named The Little Willies. Apparently this name is a salute to Willie Nelson, but I'm sure the name's double entendre was not lost on the band. Although this release of cover tunes and country-influenced originals has come unheralded, it shouldn't be a surprise to any one who heard the hints of country and western coming through on Ms. Jones' most recent album Feels Like Home.

I'm not a huge country fan. Well, let me take that back. I'm not a big fan of that top-40 pop music sung in a southern accent that currently passes as country music. I respect the old-school stuff of which The Little Willies music more closely resembles. Songs like Gotta Get Drunk and Streets of Baltimore remind me of something you would here in an old time honky tonk. Most of the songs exhibit humorous lyrics, especially the hilarious (at least to me) Lou Reed. I liked this album, but I don't know if others would as well. Is this a tribute or a satire? With these lyrics it is hard to tell. I would say the latter if I didn't already have a copy of Ms. Jones singing a very excellent cover of Waylon Jennings’ Wurlitzer Prize or a duet with Dolly Parton showing that she really does respect the influence of these country and western greats.