Jackson C. Frank - "Blues Run The Game"
In his childhood, Jackson C. Frank was one of the only survivors of a schoolhouse furnace explosion. His face was severely scarred by the fire and he was tormented by depression from that point on. Later in life he was institutionalized off and on for paranoid schizophrenia (misdiagnosed), lost his only child to cystic fibrosis, and was shot point-blank in the face, leaving him blind.
The depth of his sorrow and the extent of his suffering should be kept in mind as you listen to "Blues Run The Game," a song about the imperative importance of hope and perseverance in the face of whatever adversity.
As Frank himself wrote in the liner notes to his one and only album, Jackson C. Frank: "Living is a gamble . . . loving is much the same . . . There's always a chance to break even"
Though his words may leave something to be desired, his song is as clear a statement as there is.
But don't be sad...
Two fun facts about Jackson C. Frank:
1) He dated Sandy Denny for a while.
2) Paul Simon produced his album.
***
In Greek mythology the asphodel is the flower of Hades and death. If this song isn't underworldly, it certainly is otherworldly. I can not positively identify any (any!) of the instruments used in "Asphodel."
I guess this song was recorded sometime during the medieval period, but I can't be any more specific than that. Maybe it's something like what would happen if Boethius, Aquinas, Eno and Tiny Tim got together to write a funeral dirge.