Another chilly day has elapsed on the calendar, so here’s to another edition of No Skips, the weekly column where I argue why an album is devoid of any skippable songs. To feel some sort of warmth during this incessant winter season, we’re going back to late 1960s California when folk trendsetter John Stewart released “California Bloodlines.” No, I’m not referring to one of the iterations of Green Lantern. And even though he has gray hair, I’m also not talking about comedian Jon Stewart.
The title track, which also serves as the intro, is fairly solemn with its inclusion of longing female vocals alongside Stewart’s. As avid readers may know, I’m from San Diego, California yet reside in Connecticut, so the themes of this song resonate greatly with me. Although “California Bloodlines” was recorded in Nashville, Tenn., Stewart disregards this for the sake of the song.
The verses play out hypotheticals about if the speaker was born in New York City or Tennessee instead of California, the difference being that Stewart lived in and around San Diego for much of his life, unlike my one-year residence there as a baby. I tend to contemplate the same situation, given I wouldn’t be attending the University of Connecticut or be part of the Daily Campus.
“Razor-Back Woman” revolves around Stewart’s tumultuous relationship with his father, something which connects to why I’m in Connecticut despite having “California bloodlines.” The chorus is more about “the razorback woman who stood by his side” but the lyrical substance of the track includes “I was only 14, and my dad, he was mean when his face shined a river of sweat.” Whether it was these experiences with his father or that he got Stewart hooked on the nicotine, it sounds like he matured far quicker than the “other young boys” who “were enjoying their toys.”
“She Believes In Me” says less than the previous tracks but its references to the titular “she” believing in witches and gold at the end of a rainbow revives a bit of innocence that was lost on “Razor-Back Woman.” I’ll admit that Stewart doesn’t provide the best vocals of all time, yet his emotion is undeniable. Speaking of rainbows, “Omaha Rainbow” is the most upbeat track so far, blending the tendency to look at the past with rose-tinted glasses and optimism about the future. Additional vocals add layers to this track that could rejuvenate someone on a Southern road trip.
The mother at the beginning of “The Pirates of Stone County Road” calling her boy, Henry, for supper definitely dates the song to the ‘60s. So do the choir-like background vocals as well as “And we’d sail pulling for China.” Regardless, I enjoy Stewart’s call and response with the vocalist acting as the mother, culminating in a more memorable track.
“Shackles and Chains” demands comparison to a fellow John, as the song reads quite similar to what Johnny Cash would do with his “American” album series in the ‘90s and 2000s. Considering Stewart and Cash had recorded a song before, and Stewart would write a hit for Cash’s daughter, Rosanne, it’s not too farfetched to mention this. I specifically enjoy Stewart’s falsetto vocals at points in the track along with the general energy of this folk tune.
“Mother Country” is so patriotic that it was one of the few songs played during the Apollo 11 space mission due to Buzz Aldrin’s fondness for it. While that overshadows anything else to say about the track, the pick is surprising based on how it takes a minute-and-a-half to get going, though the Americana-coded lyrics make it sensible that it helped soundtrack one of the greatest American achievements ever.
“Lonesome Picker,” not to be confused as a shortened title for Stewart’s fourth album, is a love letter to creating music, with his acute hope that his songs are cathartic to people out there. He juxtaposes feelings of loneliness with the belief that he’s a musician for a reason, while the use of more feminine vocals — and possibly a violin — elevates the already uplifting track.
“You Can’t Look Back” is the simplest and most straightforward song on the record with masterful acoustic guitar work, a killer chorus and more falsetto crooning from Stewart. This would be my recommendation to any interested listeners, even if it contrasts with the rest of “California Bloodlines.”
The 10th track, “Missouri Bird,” cools down the tempo a bunch, though Stewart continues to call out prominent American cities. This time, St. Louis is in rotation. He also is talking to Susanna, one of roughly a dozen female names with seemingly no connection to the real world that he brings up throughout the record.
This point is underscored in “July, You’re a Woman,” which may lead one to think the song is about a woman named July. Yes, it is, but a “girl named Shannon” is also alluded to. This could be due to the fact he’s “drunk out of [his] mind” but I’m not going into that. The “la-da-da-da-da-da” chorus works well despite my usual criticism of such a trope and the tone progresses in the last-minute making for an epic prelude to the finale.
“Never Goin’ Back” may as well be subtitled “(To Nashville Anymore).” It’s odd considering the recording location of “California Bloodlines,” yet his infatuation with the rest of America understandably proves he wants to move on to other places, even though his final residence was back in San Diego. The sentiment, “But these are only cities, but they’re cities without you,” is ambiguous and contradictory, but I think he means his appreciation for places is based on the people he met and spent time with there. If this is the case, I agree fully, hence my fondness for Connecticut and California alike.
For those who haven’t yet read the other Sunday column, This Week in History, I’ll highlight a few neat facts relating to “California Bloodlines” and John Stewart himself, as there’s a web of history revolving around his name. For much of the ‘60s before going solo, he was one-third of the Kingston Trio, who don’t have a ton of hits these days but were a contemporary smash. He’s also behind the lyrics of the Monkees’ “Daydream Believer,” though he could’ve received more recognition for doing so. Finally, Stewart’s legacy lives on in the form of … Xiu Xiu!?
That’s right: One of the strangest forces in music has a direct “bloodline” to John Stewart, as he was the uncle to Xiu Xiu’s founding member and frontperson Jamie Stewart. The experimental band was formed right before Michael Stewart, John’s brother and Jamie’s father, tragically committed suicide in 2002. Xiu Xiu’s 2024 album, “13” Frank Beltrame Italian Stiletto with Bison Horn Grips,” is indescribably removed from the conventional folk tunes of John Stewart. Nevertheless, John passed away in 2008 and began an impressive lineage of musicians that hopefully continues forward beyond himself and Xiu Xiu.