Austin, besides being the Texas state capital, is home to much of the best in American roots music. Since the 1970s, ballsy blues players, renegade country pickers, and raw-voiced rockers have mixed & matched their musical styles in Austin’s thriving club scene. And that’s where Kent “Omar” Dykes holds court too. And it’s also where he’s recorded his latest Ruf album, Boogie Man, working with some of his adopted hometown’s most famous songwriters and musicians.
He hails from McComb, Miss., a town with the curious distinction of being home turf for both Bo Diddley and Britney Spears. It’s well established that Omar started playing guitar at seven, took to hanging out in edge-of-town juke joints at 12, joined his first band at 13 – the next youngest player being 50 – and played the sort of music where somebody bustin’ a cap at somebody else was just added percussion.
He was still Kent Dykes in those days, but by the time he hit 20 he had hooked up with a crazy-assed party band, called the Howlers, who specialized in playing frat parties. Looking back, he says, “We had two saxophone players on baritone and tenor who wore Henry Kissinger masks. They were called the Kissinger brothers. Not on every song, mind you. Sometimes it was Dolly Parton playing saxophone. Or Cher. And we had these cardboard cutouts from record stores for skits.” They even did fake ads for Sunshine Collard Greens and Howlers’ Fried Chicken – “for that old-fashioned taste that tastes just like Grandma.”
It was a crazy time, but a helluva lot of fun too, with the rough & tumble Howlers playing R&B, R&R and even the occasional polka and western swing tune. A decade earlier and 250 miles north of McComb, Steve Cropper and Duck Dunn had learned their chops exactly the same way as members of the Memphis party band the Mar-Keys.
But Kent Dykes mostly just wanted to play blues. And by then the other Howlers had taken to calling him “Omar Overtone” because he tended to let his guitar feed back on stage while he dropped to the floor to spin on his back in a spontaneous, Big & Tall Store take on break-dancing. As he says, those performances were “sometimes fueled by, a-hmm, alcohol.”
By 1976, the Howlers decided they were ready to bust a big move and relocate to Austin, where such clubs as the Soap Creek Saloon, the Broken Spoke, the Armadillo World Headquarters and Antone’s had created a haven for renegade music. “We worked out of Austin for about a year,” Omar says, “but a lot of the guys decided they weren’t cut out to play music full-time for the rest of their lives. They headed back to Mississippi and Arkansas, and I decided to keep the name. Nobody objected.” And as Dykes says, Omar & the Howlers works better than Kent & the Howlers. Of such decisions are careers made.
Fronting a new lineup, Dykes honed a band capable of the sort of raw, rowdy, rambunctious blues that made Howlin’ Wolf and Hound Dog Taylor legends and inspired Don Van Vliet to become Captain Beefheart.
By then the Fabulous Thunderbirds were also getting started in Austin and T-Bird member Jimmie Vaughan’s kid brother, Stevie Ray, had formed Triple Threat with Lou Ann Barton, future Double Trouble-r Chris Layton and Jackie Newhouse (LeRoi Brothers). The T-Birds were the first to record, cutting their debut in 1979, but Omar wasn’t far behind with Big Leg Beat in 1980. His second, I Told You So, in 1984 made them the big men on the block – or at least along Austin’s famed Sixth Street – earning them consecutive Austin band-of-the-year awards in 1985-1986.
The following year Omar signed with Columbia Records and cut Hard Times in the Land of Plenty (1987), which sold in excess 500,000 copies, and Wall of Pride (1988). Since then there have been another dozen albums, all of them featuring Omar’s guitar and baritone voice, which reviewers describe as a cross between Howlin’ Wolf in his prime and the warning growl of a large primate. Hyperbole aside, the big man’s talents have earned an international following, prestigious awards and induction into the Texas musicians’ Hall of Fame.
For Boogie Man, his newest release on the Ruf label, Omar has brought in some of the songwriter friends he’s made in the 27 years since he left Mississippi for Texas. Ten of the 11 tracks on the 55-minute disc are collaborations. “Co-writing at this point in my life is a lot of fun. To me it’s like free songs. These are ones that I wouldn’t have had the patience to sit down and write on my own. But when you get with friends and drink coffee, tell jokes and stories, and then write something, it always turns out to be something different than what you might have done on your own.”
Plus it’s not exactly heavy lifting to work with such Texas icons as Ray Wyle Hubbard, Darden Smith, Alejandro Escovedo and Stephen Bruton. “Some of them I hadn’t seen for a while,” Omar says, “because like me they’re in bands and on the road. So when we got together, we end up reminiscing a lot. For instance, I’ve known Ray Wyle off and on for 20 years – acquaintances for a long time but pretty good friends now. In the old days, he was busy drinking and partying on his own, and I had my own party going on too.”
Besides the songwriting collaborators, Omar also brought some friends into the recording studio, including guitarists Chris Duarte and Jon Dee Graham (True Believers), Chris Layton and Tommy Shannon of Stevie Ray Vaughan’s Double Trouble, George Rains (Sir Douglas Quintet and house drummer on scores of Antone’s label releases) and his frequent running-mates Terry Bozzio (Missing Persons, Jeff Beck, Frank Zappa) and Malcolm “Papa Mali” Welbourne.
About the recording process, Omar says, “I played out for seven and a half months, with only a few days off, and I’d spend those cutting in the studio. I would have liked to take the time off to relax, but it was a lot of satisfaction writing and recording with my friends too. This was an album I’ve wanted to do for a long, long time.”
As for future plans, Omar says he’ll be back on the road soon. “I still do 150-160 shows a year, and with travel days that adds up to a lot of time away from home. It always seems like we’re on a plane headed somewhere.” Omar is touring currently with bassist Barry Bihm and drummer Jon Hahn.
Or as he sums things up in “That’s Just My Life”:
It’s a long way from Pittsburgh down to Knoxville, Tenn.,
But I’m in it for the long haul, and that’s all right with me.
Night-time keeps me in the roadhouse, daylight’s burning up the miles,
The blacktop goes forever, I was born a highway child.
Credit http://www.omarandthehowlers.com/home.html and Copyright to the parties where in the weblink-Bermont/follower of the Howlers
See Also: http://www.last.fm/music/+noredirect/Omar+and+The+Howlers
Life Without You
Omar & The Howlers Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
To be of good cheer
It's that time that we
Put up the Christmas tree
Put up all the lights
Make everything look right
But none of it will feel complete
It wouldn't be Christmas without you
The snow wouldn't glisten without you
The fire wouldn't glow
Because the fireplace would know
It wouldn't be Christmas without you
All the shinning lights
All the colors bright
All the cards from friends we know
All of the mistletoe
All the gifts under the tree
Each one wrapped perfectly
But none of it will feel complete
Until you're here with me
These lyrics from the song "Life Without You" by Omar & The Howlers are a nostalgic and melancholic ode to the joys of the holiday season, and how it is not complete without being with the person they love. The song talks about traditional Christmas decorations such as putting up the Christmas tree, lights, and mistletoe, but despite all the festive surroundings, it feels incomplete without their loved one.
The lyrics suggest that the holiday season is about being of good cheer and sharing precious moments with family and loved ones. The snow wouldn't glisten, and the fireplace wouldn't glow if their loved one is not there to make the special moments more memorable.
The song conveys a sense of longing and loneliness, and it's reminiscent of the difficulties of not being with those close to us during the festive season. "Life Without You" is a relatable track for those who may be spending time away from loved ones or who are missing someone who has passed away.
Line by Line Meaning
It that time of year
It is currently the time of the year when Christmas is nearing.
To be of good cheer
It's a time where people should be in high spirits and cheerful.
It's that time that we
It is during this period when people typically do things related to Christmas.
Put up the Christmas tree
One of the common activities during Christmas is to decorate a Christmas tree.
Put up all the lights
Decorate the interior and exterior of one's home with Christmas lights to add to the festive atmosphere.
Make everything look right
Ensure that everything looks perfectly arranged and prepared for the arrival of the holiday season.
But none of it will feel complete
However, despite all of the preparation and effort, there is still something missing.
Until you're here with me
The lack of excitement can only be remedied with the presence of a specific person.
It wouldn't be Christmas without you
The mere thought of receiving no contact from this particular person during the holiday season is unbearable.
The snow wouldn't glisten without you
The holiday period would not hold the same sense of joy or wonder without the inclusion of a certain individual.
The fire wouldn't glow
The traditional fireplace would lose its significance without the person's presence.
Because the fireplace would know
The very fire itself would recognize/acknowledge this person's absence and frustration would fill the air.
It wouldn't be Christmas without you
The importance of this person during Christmas cannot be emphasized enough.
All the shinning lights
All of the vibrant, colorful lights strewn across the neighborhood and homes.
All the colors bright
The vivid and effervescent decorations found in every corner of the town.
All the cards from friends we know
The cards filled with well-wishes, love and adoration from friends and family alike.
All of the mistletoe
The decoration that is hung and is traditionally meant to be kissed under.
All the gifts under the tree
The carefully wrapped presents waiting to be unwrapped and exchanged with loved ones.
Each one wrapped perfectly
The care and attention put into wrapping each present shows the significance of the recipient.
But none of it will feel complete
Despite all the merry holiday cheer, it still does not equate to the fullness of having that special person to share it with.
Until you're here with me
The absence of that special someone can only be remedied by their physical presence.
Lyrics © DistroKid
Written by: Irize International
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind