Tales From Lincoln - A Review

Note: I didn't get the official track names to this CD, which actually made it quite fun trying to guess who all the bands and songs were, so if I am incorrect please let me know. I used a little gadget on my phone that will listen to songs and tell you what they are.


“All I Can Do Is Write About It” – Lynyrd Skynyrd

This song blew me away. This is by far my favorite on this CD. I was puzzled trying to figure out if it was really Lynyrd Skynyrd because I have never heard it before and thought for sure that something this good by them would’ve hit my ears before. To me it really speaks for the tone of this CD and the concept of Red writing about people in Lincoln. So glad I know this beautiful song now as it speaks to my person feelings of living in the sticks and enjoying the beauty of the country.

“Either Way” – Wilco

I had heard of Wilco and saw them on the Tonight Show or something like that. I was interested to hear more of their stuff but didn’t really want to invest anything into it. This song is okay for me. I really like the little guitar solo towards the end that sounds kind of Latin inspired to me.

“The Old Apartment” – Barenaked Ladies

I have a CD by these guys but it doesn’t have any of these songs on it. This sounds like a live CD. I like the imagery of the song reminiscing about the past and distant times. It reminds me a college.

“A Murder One” – Counting Crows

This sounds like most Counting Crows I’ve heard. The drum rhythm really sticks out to me in this song. The song seems slow yet the drums have these quick little eighth notes in the middle of the beat. I find myself focusing on it every time I hear this song because it just fascinates me.

“No Way Back” – The Foo Fighters

This starts a little block of songs that I already had or knew. This is a great song and probably my favorite out of this Foo Fighters’ album. I like how it fits into the dynamic of this CD upon which I will expound later.

“Beverly Hills” – Weezer

Weezer is awesome at everything they do. There is nothing like a little SoCal love song. I had the hardest time tying this into the theme of the CD that I had running through my head.

“Inside Out” – Eve 6

I remember writing a crappy free writing exercise to this song. Actually, it turned more into a rant. I always seem to fight with myself as to the true meaning or message to this song. I think for this CD it fits into the idea of being stuck somewhere and the insanity it brings to the individual. But that is just me.

“Brian Wilson” – Barenaked Ladies

I love this song, second favorite on this CD. I had a hard time figuring out the lyrics at first. I kept thinking he was saying, ‘lying in bed just like Brian Wilson dead.’ This caused a great deal of internal conflict being sure that Brian Wilson was in fact not dead and thus why would the lyric say that. Once I got that straighten out, the song opened up for me, the idea of trying imitate our heroes whether it be writing songs, writing stories, playing sports, anything.

“DOA” – Foo Fighters

I have always liked this song but struggle to find the real, intended meaning. But it fits into this image I am building in my head of Lincoln and the dread of people feeling stuck there to die with no way of getting out alive.

“Perfect Situation” – Weezer

This is a little slower Weezer song that comes out very beautiful in the lyrics. I enjoy the chorus; it usually gives me goose bumps when I hear it. Soft young love turning into heartbreak.

“Open Road Song” – Eve 6

This song always makes me want to jump into a crappy car or an old truck and just drive fast down some country back roads. I like the line, ‘although I have no where to go but home.’ I remember taking many of those drives in our youth.

“Walken” – Wilco

This is 3rd best for me on this CD. I enjoyed this song from the first note I heard. The piano is fantastic and the slide guitar blends into this amazing mix of jazz, blues and country tones. It makes me want to love Wilco. The short jam in the middle is mind numbingly good leaving me wanting so much more that I spend the whole outro hoping it comes back to that jam as they just tease you with the same rhythm setup without committing to the same jam until that last note fades out to the distance.

“No Woman, No Cry” – Bob Marley & The Wailers

I’ve struggled at times to get into Bob Marley. This song is pleasant. It is hard for it to do anymore for me than that. Maybe it is the fact that I always feel like I can’t enjoy Marley. It isn’t meant for me.

“King of the Thing” – O.A.R.

I’ve heard a little bit of O.A.R. but am no where near the fan Red is. Their sound seems a bit fuller than what I seem to remember. The song is good. I don’t know if they are still something I am going to seek out on my own.

“Jesus Nitelite” – Eve 6

This is a nice softer side to Eve 6 than I had gotten to hear before. I really don’t know what to think about this song though. It confuses me to the point that I don’t think I could ever ‘get’ this song, which is strange because it doesn’t seem that complex. Maybe it is just my brain going haywire.

“What Light” – Wilco

This song is a very pretty way to close out this CD. I feel the theme is very similar to the open song giving a good full circle aspect to the project. It makes me feel warm and even though we just went through strife in the previous songs, it will be okay in the end. We are what we are.


In summary, I don’t know if Red was trying to throw a concept at me or not, but that is what I got out of it. Once I read the title of ‘Tales From Lincoln,’ I immediately started thinking of his collection of stories about people from Lincoln and how messed up their lives were. That leads me into trying to tie all the songs together into some tapestry leading off with a song talking about writing and being in love with the country surroundings then shooting off into memory, joy and strife of people found within that town and coming back around to end in a soft song telling me it will be okay in the end. But that is part of the beauty with music, three to four minutes doesn’t give much time for huge description leaving plenty of vagueness for anyone to weave in their own ideas. That is why I love doing this.