P.W. Long
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Preston Wright Long III (aka Preston Cleveland) is an American musician, journalist and documentary filmmaker.
He is best known as lead singer and guitar player for the groups Wig, Mule and P.W. Long's Reelfoot; most of his recorded work has been released and/or distributed by Touch and Go Records.[1] Long has released four solo albums; slice-of-life narratives typically delivered as hard rock with country music flourishes. Critic Zac Johnson[2] favorably compares Long's music to Johnny Cash, writing, "both share the same kind of working-class, tough-guy, busted-knuckle, rattlesnake-eyed persona."
Music
P.W. Long, who is particularly discreet with personal details, appears to have been raised in Las Vegas, Nevada; Ypsilanti, Michigan (see Mule's "Obion," and its reference to an "Ypsilanti Man"); and for periods in Virginia. He was stationed in Norfolk while serving in the US Navy's Atlantic Fleet. He eventually wound up in
His earliest work was with the band Wig, and it is his voice that you hear on the Lying Next to You record. Sometime in the early 1990s, Long began a side project with the Laughing Hyenas' rhythm section, Kevin Munro and Jim Kimball. They put together a concoction of field hollers, backwoods legends, hellbilly canon and mixed it with a semi-punk, semi-metallic musical assault that was best described as northern redneck, but intelligent, clamor.
Calling themselves Mule, they released a single in 1991 or 1992 containing the song Tennessee Hustler. Their first self-titled album debuted shortly thereafter on Touch and Go Records sub-label, "Quarterstick", and was recorded by Nirvana recording engineer Steve Albini (though credited in the liner notes to a fictitious Lenard Johns).
While it had the raucousness of the
As Long. himself later admitted, he did not really know how to play guitar when he started with Mule, or at least not all that "slickly" to use his word. Instead, he used a variety of open tunings and such, coupled with a simple feel for what was right, to create his sound. Never bounded by the need for classic guitar solos, Long still put the guitar at the forefront with innovative melody lines and breaks.
The self-titled album continued on with "I'm Hell", the rawking "What Every White Nigger Knows", the eerie "Drown", the trip into Old NorthWest folk music with "Now I Truly Understand", the duet with Munro on "Mama's Reason to Cry", "Lucky" and "Sugarcane Zuzu", with its admonition from P-Bone's grandfather that "You can wish in one hand, and shit in the other, and see which one fills up first."
Mule's first album ended up on Spin's 'Ten Best Albums of 1993 You Didn't Hear' list and prompted endless touring by the band. New songs were always in progress, with Long sometimes simply humming or yodling words during live performances over the new music before lyrics were complete.
Mule followed up their debut album with the
Long left the band in 1996, after their relocation to Philadelphia, and began playing local solo acoustic shows.
Long then formed the band Reelfoot with bassist
In 2002, the band
Writing
Long's writing continued with work for the New York Sports Express, The Buffalo Beast (created by Rolling Stone Contributing Editor Matt Taibbi and now called The Beast), Vice Magazine/London, The Fix on the now-defunct fuzz.com, project-noise.org, and other publications and sites.
Film and video
In 2004, Long pursued a degree in Film/Directing and graduated in 2006. That same year his latest solo album God Bless the Drunkard's Dog was released on vinyl-only imprint Black Diamond, under Long's longtime European label, Southern Records. The album's song "Let 'em Roll" was featured in the Afghanistan War documentary film, At War.
Long began work in independent and industrial documentary filmmaking and in 2007 he again worked with
Discography
Mule:
- 1992 - Tennessee Hustler/Black Bottom - 7-inch
- 1992 - I'm Hell/To Love Somebody - 7-inch
- 1993 - Mule - LP/CD/CS
- 1994 - Wrung - 12-inch EP/CD/CS
- 1994 - If I Don't Six - LP/CD/CS
- 1997 - Soul Sound - a split 7-inch w/ Shellac
P.W. Long with Reelfoot:
- 1997 - We Didn't See You on Sunday - LP/CD
- 1998 - Push Me Again - CD
P.W. Long:
- 2003 - Remembered - CD
- 2006 - God Bless The Drunkard's Dog - LP/CD
Young James Long:
- 2007 You Ain't Know The Man - CD EP
References
- ^ "PW Long | Touch and Go / Quarterstick Records". Tgrec.com.
- ^ "P.W. Long - Remembered Album Reviews, Songs & More". AllMusic. Retrieved 29 April 2023.
External links
Southern Records page
Touch and Go Records page
Video Interview with P.W. Long: 2006
- (Free) Touch and Go Records 25th Anniversary footage of PW Long interview & performance
- (Purchase) Touch and Go Records 25th Anniversary footage of PW Long interview & performance
Video, Film and Writing:
- 2008: Article: 7 Books for a Good Mind F**k
- 2008: Edit: Tom Morello on Obama and a Post-Inauguration World
- 2007: Video: On the Road with John McCain: A Video Report by Matt Taibbi
- 2008: Video: Th’ Legendary Shack Shakers: Agridustrial as all get out
- 2009: Video: George Clinton Interview: The Inauguration, Conspiracy Facts & F*** It