Idaho’s “elder statesman” of Americana-country Pinto Bennett debuts his latest track, “Old Dog,” exclusively with C&I.
The song: “Old Dog.”
The album: The Last Saturday Night is Bennett’s forthcoming and final album. Recorded in Idaho and a year in the making, the album saw the legendary songwriter collaborating with drummer Jason Beek and other friends and special guests. Funded with help from an Indiegogo crowdfunding campaign, it showcases 10 original songs worth keeping in your music rotation.
The artist: Pinto Bennett grew up on a ranch, listening to a lot of Hank Williams and Lefty Frizzell. The Boise Weekly described his origins this way: “The son of an Iowa farm girl and a World War II veteran from Idaho, Bennett was raised on a sheep farm outside Mountain Home [Idaho]. He started playing gigs at age 14 on a guitar his musician father bought him at a pawnshop.” Early on, the Bob Wills fan wanted to be the next Elvis, and he went on to create his own signature hard-rocking honky-tonk sound, marked by witty humor and unique songwriting that have earned him a niche and loyal fan base.
What Willy Braun of Reckless Kelly says about him: “Pinto Bennett, in my humble opinion, is the single most overlooked and underrated songwriter in American history. The honesty in his lyrics is on par with any writer I can think of, including Springsteen, Guthrie, and Hemingway.”
What Bennett says about the track “Old Dog”: “It’s the ‘want to’ in a guy that makes you want to do stuff that you probably couldn’t do anymore anyway. And other stuff that you probably damn sure shouldn’t be doing. Ha ha. You’re better off without it. But basically it’s about thinking off and dreaming. You think of stuff you wish you could do and there’s something inside of you telling you could. That’s the old dog eatin’ at you telling you, ‘C’mon, one more time.’ When you’re young you can probably get away with anything ... as long as it’s legal. And a lot of times when it ain’t.”
Why we like it: The hard-living Bennett has had three heart attacks, a stroke, and lost sight in one eye. He’s been through it all and then some. “Old Dogs” is filled with life experience and memories of the good ol’ days. Packed with advice and insight on aging, it’s got some hard-won wisdom to offer wrapped up in lilting pedal steel.
Pinto Bennett and the Famous Motel Cowboys will be hosting their 16th annual FMC Reunion May 10 – 12, 2019, at the Visual Arts Collective, in Garden City, Idaho. Find out more here.
Sample songs and order The Last Saturday Night on CD Baby.
