"Classical Gas"

Gary North - December 16, 2017

I clearly recall the day I heard Mason Williams's "Classical Gas." It was 1968. I was driving. I thought: "This will be a smash hit." It was. It won three Grammys in 1969. No one had ever heard anything like it: a solo folk guitar backed up by a symphony orchestra.

He was a joke writer for the Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour. They had been a folk song duo. Now they are comedians. They hired Williams to write jokes. In 1968, he became a folk music star.

I first heard him in 1964: his Them Poems album. I can still recall some of them, such as "Dog Kickers." Then there was this: "Hors d'oeuvres."

How 'bout them hors dervies
Ain't they neat?
Little piece of cheese
And a little piece of meat.

Then he sang his hillbilly song: "You Done Stompt on My Heart."

And of course his song from The Mason Williams Phonograph Record (1968): "Life."

Isn't life beautiful?
Isn't life gay?
Isn't life the perfect thing
To pass the time away?

I saw him perform live in 1965 or 1966 in a small music theater in Hollywood. He shared billing with the Dillards (the "Darlings" from Andy Griffith). That was the best evening of live music I ever heard. I have seen him play twice with the Eugene, Oregon symphony -- great evenings. My parents lived in Eugene. They paid for tickets both times. I flew to visit them and see the concerts.

In 2001, Glen Campbell did a live performance in Sioux Falls, South Dakota. I had been a fan since 1963, when he was known only to aficionados of West Coat studio musicians. I was one. He was part of a folk/bluegrass band called the Folkswingers. He was the 12-string guitarist. Also involved were the Dillards. He was also part of The Wrecking Crew, which re-shaped rock & roll, 1962-1972. In this capacity, he played lead guitar for "Good Vibrations." He did not read music. He won five Grammys in 1967.

As the grand finale, here is a live performance by Tommy Emmanuel, a spectacular finger-picker from Australia. There are numerous Emmanuel versions online. I have seen him perform live twice. He is the most enthusiastic on-stage solo performer I have ever seen. He loves his work. Take a look.