It is difficult to pinpoint a particular genre that Snider’s music may fit. That is actually one of his strengths since he is able to cater to so many interests without changing his own approach. His music has the ability to speak to the listener, allowing them to flow easily along either laughing at some of his well known stories, or perhaps even learning a thing or two. He can rock it out with a killer Chuck Berry riff, or slow it down with a very mellow acoustic guitar and gripping vocals.
Snider’s latest project, entitled Peace Queer certainly fits this description. The eight-song CD includes one song done as a spoken word, then with a full band, plus an instrumental piece. The project is a bit more political than some of his past material, which has led Snider to allow his fans a limited time free download that began October 11, prior to his October 14 release date, to give his fans a chance to hear the content before they decide to purchase it.
“I was feeling very delicate about this project,” Snider states. “The free download was not something I had set out to do. Some have told me it is not as opinionated as I may think it is, but I want to make sure. I do not come want to come across like a folk Nazi or something. I am a folk singer, and I love folk music, but I do not want to be viewed as some sort of Nazi. That is part of the reason I wanted it to be available for free. I feel like the songs are decidedly left wing in parts, so I feel much better not charging someone only to hear that. They get a chance for 10 days to listen to the music for free, and decide if it is for them. Then I guess if you are liberal, I think I am even more hippie than that, but if people consider themselves a hippie like me they might want to buy the artwork and everything. But if you are not open minded or a hippie like me, then they may want to steer away from this. I just want to allow them the opportunity to make their own educated choice.”
Included on the CD are two songs containing the amazing harmonies of Patty Griffin. She does an outstanding job on the civil war story “The Ballad of Cape Henry,” and a very moving cover of John Fogerty’s “Fortunate Son.”
“She has been a good friend of mine for a long time. When I was wrapping up the record, I went over to my friend Doug’s house, who plays guitar for her. I knew she was going to be in town. I asked her if she would like to help me out on a couple of songs, and she said sure, which I though was very kind of her. I just thought if I could talk her into it, it would work out exceptionally well. And I thought it did. She has always reminded me of the Staples Singers,” said Snider.
The “The Ballad of Cape Henry” has actually been in Todd’s book for quite a while. “That one is a really old song, for me anyway. I wrote it back in 1996 or 1997 I think. I was out on the road with my band The Nervous Wrecks, and my friend Will and I were playing in Cape Henry. We were sitting there on the beach, and someone had told us the story about this place so we looked it up. It was this futile battle that people watched from the shore, and they said there was fire on the water. Both sides just beat the hell out of each other, and no one really understood what the point was. I remember I had a banjo, and we were just sitting where you would have sat to watch it years ago. We just started playing around, and the story just came out.” Griffin’s accompanying harmonies, along with the acoustic guitar of Snider, tell this compelling historic story very well. “I have a bunch of songs written already. I just wait for them to settle into a good feel. You know, in my mind, this record has only six songs and the song just felt right for it.”
The CCR cover was also something Snider had put much thought into. His slow melodic approach, and the lonesome haunting harmonica performed splendidly here by Snider as well, brings this old song to life once again in his own way. “Well, I had a bunch of these sort of songs sitting around, and that one kind of stood out as one that suited me very well, like something I would have written myself. I actually came up with the arrangement just sitting around playing it sort of like a dirge. I thought you know that sounds pretty good, lets try this.” Adding Griffin once again to this for harmonies make this exceptional. “It is amazing how after all of these years, that song still means something to at least me. It is a bit sad that song still rings true today, but I hope people enjoy it and sing along with it as well,” added Snider.
Snider includes one song twice on this CD. Once as a spoken word solo effort entitled “Is This Thing Working,” and then again closing out the CD with a full band in a version called “Is This Thing On.” The song touches on a serious topic, but approached in a humorous way by Snider. It is about a kid being who is constantly bullied in school, and decides to confront the bully face to face, challenging him. “Well, we kind of threw that last song on there at the last minute. It is kind of a roll credit thing,” Snider laughs. “You know I recorded this song eight times, with eight different versions of the song, and I finally decided I liked the spoken word version without any music best.”
“Stuck On The Corner” is a driving rocker that Snider truly enjoyed recording. “I always try to include at least one Chuck Berry influenced rocker on each record. I love that guy. I seen him at the airport in St. Louis recently, and I got to tell him how much I love him. I just adore his music. He is starting to look like Bill Cosby though you know, except with the Captain and Tennille hat on,” laughs Snider. “I just love picking on guitar like that, or just an old 4-5 blues song.”
Of course, Snider has a keen outlook on life. One look at the cover work for Peace Queer and you know this is a person who enjoys taking life less serious. The black and white cover shows a menacing shirtless fanatic holding a gun, standing beside a blindfolded Snider. The only color on the cover is the flame from the lighter for Snider’s cigarette. “My friend Eric McConnell, and Eric is the shirtless fanatic by the way, is my engineer/producer/steel guitar player. We were supposed to be taking a photograph for Mix magazine, and could you believe they rejected that?” laughs Snider. “I think we just might have been a little on the sauced up side. They said you guys need to take a picture of yourselves together, so we took this knowing they probably were not going to use it anyway. Then we started working on Peace Queer and we thought maybe we could use that picture for the cover. Eric’s brother, Branch McConnell, actually took the picture. I remember when he took it he said when he develops it he would make the flames look like a real elaborate burning flame to make it stand out.”
Snider could not hide the excitement he had for not only Peace Queer, but also his next project, which is almost complete. He has been working with renowned producer Don Was on a record which would be very close to Todd’s passion. “I am thinking about making 10 straight Chuck Berry-like rocking songs for one record,” Snider laughs. “That is what this next record we got called Shit Sandwich is all about. You know, like ‘Johnny B. Goode’ ten or twelve times rolling. I am not sure if there is a point for all of that, but if there is I will probably put it out there. I am thinking right now if I do release it, it could be next spring. I also contributed on a record called ‘The Excitement Plan’ with Don Was, and Jim Keltner on drums, and that comes out this winter.”
When Snider was asked if either of these projects include his infamous song about baseball pitcher Doc Ellis, Snider stated: “Yes, that is on the next record. As much as I stand behind my songs on Peace Queer, and I certainly consider myself a peace queer, but I would prefer there not to be songs that inspire that sort of thing,” clarifying his non-war stance. “The record I am working on with Don Was I have a very close connection to. I would rather there be no war at all, than to have these peace sort of songs in my heart at all. I hope that makes sense. Like I said, I just want to have fun, play my guitar, and hear people sing along.”
Speaking of guitar picking, Snider’s accomplishments here is nothing less than stunning. He continues working hard, refining a talent that he taught himself. “I was about 19 I think, when I first went to see Jerry Jeff [Walker] and John Prine. They were only the first two, and since they play alone it was easier to see and hear exactly what they were doing. I would just sit as close as I could, watch, then go home and make my fingers like that. After that, everyone I saw I would try to get something from. Once you get the hang of it, it starts to roll down hill and it becomes a lot of fun. I have been playing each day for hours because I love to do it.”
It has not been all fun and games for Snider, however. Like many greats of the past, Snider has had some of his own personal demons to deal with as well. Some say his bouts with depression fits closely to that of another great, Townes Van Zandt. “I just recorded a song of Townes’ the other day for a movie. I actually met him once, and hung out with him one night. I would say that I am a fan of his, but I gravitate more toward major chord and seventh chord type of music and don’t do much minor chord music. But, I would not say that I am less depressed than Townes. In fact most people who knew Townes say I remind them of him with my depression. And when I met him myself, he was pretty bummed out.” While it might seem Snider has very little to be depressed about, it is a constant mental strain to maintain oneself and stay sane while out on the road all of the time.
When Snider does finally get to slow down, he would love to hit the books to improve his knowledge. “Lately I have been reading text books. I just finished a high school history book. Now I am reading The History of the United States for Dummies, which is appropriate,” laughs Snider. “I have been steering more toward subjects I can learn something from, you know? Like weather, how does it work and stuff. If I could ever slow down to a point where I only had to play on Saturdays, I would try to go to college and study history. I think it is fascinating. All of the shit, though, like geology, geography, all of it. I would like to go to college when I am old man you know, sitting around on campus. Maybe join a frat after all these years of making fun of them,” laughs Snider.
For now, however, Snider continues his road warrior ways, playing at hippie festivals and such all across the U.S. Some of his songs over time have grown on him as favorites, while others have become somewhat out of touch for him. “With as many songs as I have, it is hard to get them all in. There are songs that over the years have just appealed to me more than others. “Turn It Up,” for example, was inspired by a stranger that told me a story, and over the years the stranger does not mean that much to me anymore. It is like I would be singing the song thinking I don’t care about this guy anymore, but I like this riff. So over time with more songs I like, that song gradually went away. With that said though, there may be some out there that the song appeals to for other reasons and they like it. I have no idea what makes a good or bad song, or what that even means. I appeal now to songs that are more healing than anything, but that changes all of the time.”
As for the songs that he currently enjoys, Snider has several to choose from. “Lets see, from the first record there is ‘Easy Money,’ ‘All Right Guy,’ ‘Spoke As A Child,’ and ‘Talking Seattle Grunge Rock Blues.’ The next ones I really like ‘Horseshoe Lake,’ ‘Late Last Night,’ ‘I Can’t Complain,’ and ‘Doublewide.’ ‘Happy To Be Here’ record has a bunch of songs I enjoy playing. On the current record, I would say ‘Stuck On The Corner’ and ‘Cape Henry.’ The one I am working on now, I really like them all. It is the first time I have ever been satisfied with each song.”
One helpful nugget for Snider while he has been out on the road is a Web site started by a close friend. Eighteenminutes.com is a site dedicated to Todd, and includes not only videos and other information, but also song lists for every live concert he has done. “You know, funny story, I was just on the Web one day looking up sites on myself, and started looking through that site. Then, I saw that he had the set lists from all of my performances, so I use that now almost every night before I play. I find out where I am that night, click in, and it will tell me everything I played there before. So I will not repeat myself too much. My own personal cheat sheet,” laughs Snider.
Speaking of gigs, Snider is also excited about an upcoming gig with an all-star band he has formed just for the occasion. Mary Gauthier is opening at some of those venues. “Oh, I can’t wait for that trip. Mary is great, and I have put together sort of an all star band for that trip. Jeff Austin and Ben Kaufmann of the Yonder Mountain String Band, and Vince Herman of Left Over Salmon. I have been playing all of these hippie festivals all summer, and we kind of formed from there. These guys are all great leaders in their own bands, so I just hope I don’t mess things up myself.”
Peace Queer, while short in content, is loaded with quality. Snider is never one to leave you wanting, he puts everything he has into each effort, and it really shows here. Make sure you catch him if you ever have the opportunity. You are sure to be impressed by his live energy and uplifting wit.
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