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
You Ain't Foolin' Nobody
Omar & The Howlers Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
The one you walked out
You made a mistake
You know that now
Will I let you in
You're begging me,"please"
What's in it for me
What's in it for me
I've got to ask
If it's only more tears
Then I'll have to pass
If you'll open up
Then I can see
Deep in your heart
What's in it for me
Well,I have to admit
I'm glad that you're here
But I can't make the past
Just disappear
If you're back for good
I want you to be
Just let me know
What's in it for me
[Chorus]
Am I a fool
To think you've changed
Some people do
Is that so strange
Our love was good
It just got off track
Is it worth the risk
If you come back
[Chorus]
The song "You Ain't Foolin' Nobody" by Omar & The Howlers is a powerful ballad that explores the complexity of relationships and the challenges of forgiveness. The first verse starts with the singer questioning the motives of their estranged lover, who has come back wanting a second chance. Despite the initial reluctance, the singer still asks the burning question of "What's in it for me?" showing that they are willing to consider giving the relationship another try. The chorus echoes this sentiment, emphasizing the importance of reciprocity in their renewed relationship. It's clear that the singer has been hurt before and doesn't want to go down that road again, so they are seeking a mutual understanding of what they both stand to gain this time around.
The second verse acknowledges the complexity of the situation. The singer is glad that their former partner is back, but they understand that they can't just wave away the past. They need to know that their ex is back for good and that they both understand what they will be getting out of this relationship. The chorus then repeats, with the same emphasis on mutual benefit.
The bridge adds some more nuance to the story. The singer questions whether they are a fool for wanting to give the relationship another try. They acknowledge that people can change, and that their love was good before. However, the past can't be ignored, and the risk of getting hurt again is very real. The chorus repeats once again, emphasizing the importance of understanding what they both stand to gain.
Line by Line Meaning
So you're back at my door
You have returned to my doorstep
The one you walked out
The very same one you left through
You made a mistake
You realize you erred
You know that now
You are aware, fully cognizant
Will I let you in
Am I to permit you entry inside
You're begging me, "please"
You plead with me, imploring
What's in it for me
What do I have to gain
[Chorus]
Refrain
I've got to ask
I should enquire
If it's only more tears
In the event it leads to additional sorrow and lamentation
Then I'll have to pass
I must decline
If you'll open up
If you expose the truth
Then I can see
I would be able to comprehend
Deep in your heart
At your innermost core
What's in it for me
What advantages would I experience
Well, I have to admit
I must concede
I'm glad that you're here
I am pleased you are back
But I can't make the past
However, I am powerless to alter what occurred previously
Just disappear
And make it vanish
If you're back for good
If your return is permanent
I want you to be
I desire you to fall into that category
Just let me know
Please just make me aware
What's in it for me
What rewards await me
[Chorus]
Refrain
Am I a fool
Is my intellect lacking
To think you've changed
If I assume you have improved
Some people do
Certain individuals are capable of that
Is that so strange
Is that an unusual occurrence
Our love was good
Our affection was positive
It just got off track
However, it went astray
Is it worth the risk
Is it worth taking a chance
If you come back
In the event of your return
[Chorus]
Refrain
Lyrics © Warner/Chappell Music, Inc., Universal Music Publishing Group, KAREN SCHAUBEN PUBLISHING ADMINISTRATION
Written by: ROBERT S. NEVIL, MATTHEW R.T. GERRARD, BROOKE MAREE MCCLYMONT
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind