6149 Turn-Ons: Paul Pena is one of the THE hidden folks in the lore of music
In 2000 I was living in Boston, MA. I was still listening to terrestrial radio back then. Boston has a long history of pushing boundaries in radio. I grew up listening (from over in good ol’ New Hampshire) to WZLX, WBCN and many, many college radio stations. Between all of those, I felt like I was in prime position to be turned on to any new sounds and any sounds that were older, but new to me. By 2000, radio was changing and Boston radio was no exception. Even though corporate had crept in and changed the experience, discovery was still happening.
I was driving home from work one day on RT.128. I had the dial pegged to 92.9 WBOS. I was cruising along when I heard a song that forced me to pull the car into the breakdown lane and listen. That had never happened to me before while I was driving. Right from the outset this song popped out of the dashboard and grabbed my attention. It was just so damn alive and real that I felt compelled to give it my undivided listening attention.
That song was “Gonna Move” by Paul Pena. Wow. As soon as it was done, I exhaled and then got back on the road and made a bee-line for the record shop. I bought Paul’s album and sped off, racing home to listen. Little did I know, but this guy was a native son, born in 1950 in Massachusetts. Little did I know that this guy had a lot of rock and roll history on him. Little did I know that this album would be one of the coolest finds I had in the first decade of the new century…and it was almost 30 years old even though it was a new release.
I’ll let this 2000 promo vid tell Paul’s story. I hope that after watching it you want to know more about and listen to more of, Paul Pena. His story is fascinating and effects your listening in a warm and rewarding way.
This is the album in question, “New Train“. Here is the excellent allmusic reveiw. In it they said:
New Train sounds fresh, essential, and invigorating, even 27 years after it was recorded, establishing this as one of the most magnificent, previously missing albums of that, or any, era.
Please pause to have a listen…
Here is a 2001 live performance on Conan O’Brien. Paul does his version of “Jet Airliner”. Of course you know the Steve Miller version…now hear the writer tell the tale HIS way…because the story in the song is Paul’s.
Derek Trucks and Susan Tedeschi are big Paul fans having covered him in live shows many times. Here is Derek and crew doing the song that pulled me over, “Gonna Move”:
19 Comments
Post a comment
Early in our relationship, my wife & I found common listening ground on this Paul Pena album. We still consider it special.It is not often we find an album that strikes sparks for both of us. This was one. Music and experience has a lot to do with time and place. Paul Pena came along at the right time in the right place in our new relationship (that is 11 years strong). Neil Young’s “Silver and Gold” was another ‘time & place’ album for us. It was on repeat for hours the day we moved in together. We know it by heart. I can still remember putting this table together in our kitchen listening to that album. Thanks, Neil…
The album has a DEFINITE 70′s feel, but it works. Venutian Lady has Jerry Garcia on it…obviously (upon listen).
Cosmic Mirror has a bit of a slow Jimi jamming feel to it.
The slow-build, emo-burner is New Train. Love that tune…
This guy sounds great. Thanks for hipping me to him.I want to try to track down that film they talk about. I found this on it:http://genghisblues.com/
@Ozzybeef You’ll dig Paul Pena’s music and you will also dig the @DerekandSusan connections. Check your boots & you’ll find covers.
TOTALLY bizarre… an ex-band buddy of mine used to play Pena’s stuff all the time, and I JUST reconnected with him on FB. What are the odds?This means that I must check out the album. I remember once when he called me up to demand that I get into either The Band or Pena. I chose The Band because I knew “The Weight.” Now’s the time to get into Pena. Thanks for putting all the info here… I look forward to hearing it!
@theFrontloader SML: Enjoy Pena…and next time when faced with a R&R choice like that…choose both! (you made a damn fine choice, though…)
Have always loved “Gonna Move”. So cool and summertime groovy. I also love the subtle resemblance to Bob’s “You Ain’t Goin’ Nowhere”. I bet Bob even puts it on when he’s suppin’ some amber nectar down in the easy chair.
@horringbone Nice call, Kip. I had to go do a back-to-back on those tunes, but I hear it now.
Bob’s influence knows no bounds. Direct, subliminal, subconscious, accidental — he’s got ‘em all covered. And as an avid borrower of grooves, I’m sure he’s chuffed every time he hears his own work come back at him. The “Lore of Music” right there in a nutshell.
@horringbone “avid borrower of grooves”…nice one.
I see no mention here yet of his first album, from 1970…..Susan Tedeschi busted out her cover of “Gonna Move” from Next Train in her first show back from having their first child, Charlie. It was the Tedeschi Balloon Festival in Weymouth, MA. August of 2002. Blew me away, Im a huge fan as his first album is on my “10 Albums for a deserted island” list. After the show, we talked and I asked her if she was aware of the previous album, and she had no idea it existed. She had recently sat next to him at some function and discovered him that way. Later that fall, she and Derek were at Mohegan Sun, and after the show I gave Susan a CD that I burned of the first album, with the art work. And as I left, Derek was eyeing it intently. And, eventually, Derek Trucks Band included a song (Something to Make Y.ou Happy) from that first album on their last studio effort, Already Free
@TedHeadOne Thanks for the bit of insight. Do you have the details on the first album? Nice job passing it along the to Truck’s.
TH1′s comment reminded me that Music Maven did an extensive post on Paul Pena in 2007 http://musicmaven.wordpress.com/2007/09/04/music-passion-paul-pena/ There are some bit torrent sources for the first album and this site has a Megaupload link in mp3 format http://therarestuff.blogspot.com/2010/03/blind-francisco-bluesman-paul-pena.html
@TedHeadOne & @toofarnorth2 Thanks for sending me over to Music Maven. Thoroughly enjoyed his thorough Pena post. Cheers…and thanks for stopping by The 6149.
@OzzyBeef we had a few knowledgable Paul Pena fans drop by with links & downloads. You’ll want to dig in…
@TedHeadOne That version of “something to make you happy” on Paul’s first album is outtasight
Just listened to “Woke Up This Morning” from Paul Pena’s first album. At the crescendo: full body chicken skin. Whew…hot damn.