Make It Through This World
Before Make It Through This World Greg Trooper had described his own holy trinity as Otis Redding, Hank Williams and Bob Dylan. Below that is that cascade of demi-gods that any lover of old records can conjure in his own mind's eye. Near the top, for Trooper, would be Dan Penn. And there he was on the other side of the double wall glass, as Trooper spread his feet, swung his guitar under his arm and addressed the vocal mike.
'Uh, Greg you gonna stand and sing?' Trooper imitates the Alabama drawl that came through his headphones. 'and I said, 'yeah.' and he goes, 'Why don't you take a seat? Have a seat in a chair. You're gonna be standing all week. Why don't you sit down and put your lyrics on that music stand and just play your guitar and sing'
'I sang and played my guitar and read my lyrics,' says Trooper with matter-of-fact amazement. 'I think it's the best singing I've done in a recording session. I'm not the one to judge, but I was very pleased.' Penn's suggestion had an unexpected effect, removing him, he said, from himself and from the idea of performance , which is something other and apart from simply singing a song. Penn's simple, respectful admonition helped Trooper get emotionally closer to his own lyrics by getting him physically closer to them. How odd. How simple. How heroic.
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