And that brings me to this month’s Under-Appreciated Rock Artist of the Month, Ron Franklin.  He reminds me a lot of Bob Dylan – but of course, I suppose you would have to be someone like me who likes the way Dylan sings (there, I said it).  I have told several people that I have always thought that Dire Straits frontman Mark Knopfler sounds just like Dylan, but no one seems to hear what I hear. 

Anyway, to some extent, I think it is intentional.  Two of the songs (Ron Franklin writes all of his own material) basically quote Bob Dylan:  the death-obsessed “Do Not Wait Till I’m Laid ’Neath the Clay”; this song is reminiscent of early Dylan songs like “Fixin’ to Die” and “In My Time of Dyin’” on his first album, Bob Dylan, and the fantastic “Let Me Die in My Footsteps” that was intended for inclusion on his second, The Freewheelin’ Bob Dylan (the song was finally released officially on The Bootleg Series, Vols. 1-3 (Rare & Unreleased) 1961-1991).  “We Ain’t Got No Home” has a title and some lyrics that are virtually the same as Woody Guthrie’s “I Ain’t Got No Home”.  In the very beginning, Dylan was described as being just one among a host of Guthrie wannabes; but “I Ain’t Got No Home” is one of the very few Guthrie songs that Dylan recorded, even before he did much songwriting – I speak as someone owning dozens of Dylan bootleg albums as well as virtually all of his Columbia and Asylum releases.

Ron Franklin lives in Memphis, and as one might expect from someone living in the home of Basin Street and Graceland, he has drawn from a wide variety of influences.  As Allmusic puts it, Franklin has become a vital presence in the Memphis music scene.  It is hard for me to think of Memphis anymore without seeing it as being just outside Mississippi.  I knew that long ago, but I was reminded of it again last year when the city right on the Tennessee State Line, Southaven (where we had a sizable appraisal job several years ago) became the state’s fourth largest city; and when 60 Minutes did an extended piece on the adjoining city of Olive Branch.

The 2008 album that I have, called simply Ron Franklin and released (where else) on one of the Bomp! labels (Alive), is actually Ron Franklin’s third album, and Allmusic gives it four stars. The recording quality is very clean (this is one of those albums where I own both an LP and a CD – not on purpose, but that is how it worked out).  You won’t go wrong.  He also has a website: http://www.alive-totalenergy.com/x/?page_id=527 . 

(January 2012)

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Items:    Ron Franklin 

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Flashback #1:  The Under-Appreciated Rock Artist of the Month for January 2012 – RON FRANKLIN

I forgot again last month, so I have to double up, again. 

There are several Ron Franklin songs on YouTube; here is a live performance of “The Elocutionist” from the album that I have, Ron Franklin:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-job_-MxAZE .  “Dark Night, Cold Ground” is a little tougher, and this song comes directly from that album:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XSWAXfpXVxM .  “Pontiac”, from that album, is also available, apparently as a live track at:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DHDt66toxAM .  There is an older gentleman also named Ron Franklin who has many more videos on YouTube than the UARA does. 

(February 2014)

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Picture Gallery:  The Under Appreciated Rock Band of the Month for January 2012 – RON FRANKLIN 

Here is the album by Ron Franklin that I have, Ron Franklin:  

This is evidently his debut album, City Lights (Ron Franklin is actually his third album): 

This is a nice portrait of the singer-songwriter: 

And here is one of him in concert:  

(January 2015/2)