Sturgill Simpson adopts a new name, Johnny Blue Skies, for his latest album “Passage du Desir.”
Sturgill Simpson has adopted a new name for his latest album, Passage du Desir (2024). Citing other artists who have adopted a different name for their work, like Eric Clapton’s Derek & the Dominoes or David Bowie’s Ziggy Stardust, Simpson is currently using the name Johnny Blue Skies.
Simpson has long explained that he planned to release only five albums. So following his release of five albums — plus two pandemic era bonus bluegrass albums — fans wondered what he would do next. Simpson has said that in adopting a new name for his albums, it frees up his creativity while also allowing him to keep his birth name for himself.
The new identity comes out of Simpson’s struggles with a vocal cord injury and his travels in Thailand and Paris. Additionally, he lost several people close to him, including one friend to suicide. These experiences gave Simpson new directions in his life, although the name “Johnny Blue Skies” originated from a name he was called by a Kentucky bartender when he was 21. The name has popped up in other work by Simpson, such as in the gatefold of his album Sailors Guide to Earth (“Beware of the dread pirate Johnny Blue Skies”). So, as he has noted there was not a lot of planning in choosing the name, but “the paperwork was already done, I owned the name.”
Of course, all of that biographical drama is mainly an interesting distraction for a listener who wonders what does Passage du Desir sound like? Well, to my ears, it sounds a lot like a Sturgill Simpson album, meaning, great music. It does feature some more orchestration than past albums, somewhat reminding me of Bruce Springsteen’s intentional sound deviation for Western Stars.
Many of the songs have a country sound, but the album also incorporates some R&B, such as on “One for the Road” and “If the Sun Never Rises Again,” perhaps the biggest deviation from most of Simpson’s previous work.
One of my favorite tracks is “One for the Road.” While it features lusher orchestration than we generally expect from Simpson’s past work, it would not be that out of place on A Sailor’s Guide to Earth album.
Similarly, Pitchfork has called Passage du Desir sort of a comeback for Simpson, arguing that while it deviates in some ways from past work, it is a true follow-up to A Sailor’s Guide to Earth following Simpson’s deviation into bluegrass and The Ballad of Dood & Juanita. Giving the album 8.5 out of 10, it states, “This is country music caught between earthiness and spaciness, and it reintroduces him as one of Nashville’s oddest artists, who understands and subverts both the square mainstream and the outlaw fringes of country music.”
Overall, if you love Simpsons’ past work, you’ll probably love Johnny Blue Skies too. Sturgill’s fans have always known we are in for a non-traditional ride with the guy. And that’s true of Johnny Blue Skies too.
Below, Simpson discusses the new album and Johnny Blue Skies further.
In 2014, Sturgill Simpson performed a newly released song that appeared to be about turtles or drugs or God at a college graduation ceremony.
One of the many questions I would have for Sturgill Simpson is: “What was going through your head when you played at the Beloit College graduation?” On May 14, 2014, Simpson appeared at the Wisconsin commencement ceremony to serenade the college graduates and their families. The song he and his band performed was what appeared to be an unusual choice for a graduation, “Turtles All the Way Down.”
The story of how Simpson came to sing at the graduation begins when Simpson was contacted after Beloit College President Scott Bierman heard “Turtles All the Way Down.” The song had been released in April 2014 as the second single from Simpson’s album Metamodern Sounds in Country Music. Bierman became excited to hear a song about turtles because the reptile is the beloved unofficial mascot of Beloit College.
Bierman personally felt a connection with turtles that led him to embrace Simpson’s song. When Bierman first became president of the college and gave his inaugural address, he began with, “I love turtles.” Additionally, Bierman used the “infinite turtle theory,” according to the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, in order “to instill the role each student on campus has in the lives of each other.”
Bierman, who retired at the end of the 2022-2023 academic year, by all accounts provided stellar leadership during his time at Beloit College. But one has to wonder if he thought much about Simpson’s song beyond the turtles reference.
What is it about besides turtles? In a NPR Concert, Simpson explained that most people did not understand the song. “It’s actually all about drugs,” he said, half-jokingly, “And some other stuff; Mostly about drugs.”
At least superficially, the song recounts the singer’s experiences with drugs. But also, beginning with a reference to Jesus, the song questions the validity of organized religion. The singer recounts using drugs to enter a gateway in the mind, “Where reptile aliens made of light / Cut you open and pull out all your pain.”
So on one level, I am amused watching the performance at Beloit College, wondering if anyone besides Simpson and his band has any idea of what is going on. Turtles and aliens? Drugs and God? (YouTube earlier had a longer version of the performance with Bierman enthusiastically introducing the song and its turtle reference. But now only a shorter version seems to be available.)
Turtles All the Way Down?
Simpson’s song, though, is great, not only because it sounds awesome. It also is deeper than a simple anti-religion drug song, despite Simpson’s NPR joking explanation. Robin Hilton, who wrote the NPR story referenced above, called “Turtles All the Way Down” a “seemingly existential meditation.”
The song title itself has a long and sophisticated history. The expression “Turtles All the Way Down” derives from a myth going back to at least the 1500s about the belief that the world rested on the back of an elephant, who stood on top of a turtle. By the 1900s, the tale evolved into the earth resting on an infinite stack of turtles.
The turtles story also comes from a tale recounted by physicist Stephen Hawking in A Brief History of Time (1988), a book that Simpson has read more than once. In the famous story, a famous philosopher was giving a lecture on astronomy and afterwards was approached by an outraged woman. The woman told him he was wrong about the earth floating in the sky. She explained that, instead, the earth rested on the back of a turtle. When the philosopher asked what the turtle stood on, she said another turtle. When the philosopher asked about that turtle, she replied, “It’s no use, it’s turtles all the way down.”
Meaning of the Song
So what does the philosopher story have to do with Simpson’s song referencing drugs, religion, and aliens? First, the singer of “Turtles All the Way Down” is critical of authoritarian attempts to control access to anything, such as LSD, which can help change one’s perspective and provide interior growth. For DMT, which occurs naturally in our brains, he asks how something we all make in our brains can be illegal: “Some say you might go crazy / But then again, it might make you go sane.”
Second, regarding religion, on his life’s journey, the singer encounters Jesus, the devil, and Buddha. Yet, “that old and fabled book”(i.e., the Bible) reminds him of the “pain caused by an old man in the sky.“
But the song is not a pro-drug and anti-religion diatribe. Reading other books influenced Simpson too. Drugs may have opened the mind of the singer, but he found more elsewhere beyond the drugs and books: “Marijuana, LSD, Psilocybin, and DMT / They all changed the way I see. / But love’s the only thing that ever saved my life.”
As for religion, the singer says not to waste one’s time on nursery rhymes and “blood and wine.” But the rejection is not anti-God. It comes from the unsolvable mysteries of the universe that we just cannot understand beyond the infinite stack of turtles. So be careful how you waste your time.
“God” is not rejected but found by the singer in “in the eyes of my best friend.” And the friend teaches him something that sums up a message that is good advice for us all:
It’s all been done; And someday you’re gonna wake up old and gray; So go and try to have some fun; Showing warmth to everyone You meet and greet and cheat along the way.
One may only surmise whether the message of the song conveys Simpson’s own true beliefs or are part of a made-up character singing. But from interviews with Simpson, it does seem that he might have some similar thoughts on these subjects, even as he has explained that his songs are often in the voice of a character.
Performance at Benoit College Graduation
So on a deeper level, the song is about love, life, and the quest for meaning as well as different ways to reach different levels of consciousness and understanding. And on this deeper level, going back to the Beloit graduation, I wonder whether during that Wisconsin spring day in 2014 anyone sitting quietly in their seats waiting for their loved ones to receive their diplomas had any inkling what they were hearing.
Of course, I doubt I would have understood in that context, first hearing the song from an artist I didn’t know. I suppose that is why artists like Simpson keep playing and performing and writing, hoping to make a connection at some point.
But I still can’t help wondering what was going through the mind of Simpson, who went into the Navy not long after his own high school graduation to try to straighten out his life. And in 2014, he stood playing off to the side of the college graduation audience on the constructed platform (not even at the front!), singing about turtles for the Beloit College faithful.
There are many things I love about this video. You can almost feel the air and smell spring in the air as parents and others sit through the graduation festivities. I love that Simpson brought a full band for this performance, which he could have done as easily by himself with an acoustic guitar. I love that when the video cuts out you can’t tell if anyone applauded (although in their defense, Simpson’s “Turtles All the Way Down” does have a somewhat abrupt ending here as well as on the album). I love that Simpson gives a knowing smile as the song goes into a list of drugs as if he senses the absurdity of the situation. And I love that the one audience member who may be enjoying the song the most can be seen behind the band on a giant rock listening to the band.
Of course, one cannot criticize Simpson for the performance or for agreeing to perform for this unusual audience. He had yet to find great success or to appear on network TV (that would come in July on Late Show With David Letterman). His first self-released album had only found modest sales, and this new one had been released one day prior to the graduation. He had no idea that album would significantly increase his audience.
So of course he took the graduation gig.
But maybe he reached some folks that day too.
God bless him and the graduates of Beloit College.
Turtle picture via public domain. Leave your two cents in the comments.
There was a lot of love going around in last night’s tribute to John Prine called Pictire Show: Tribute to John Prine. Singers, performers, and friends appearing with stories and songs included Bonnie Raitt , Todd Snider, Sturgill Simpson, Brandi Carlile, Eric Church, Bill Murray, Kevin Bacon, Rita Wilson, and many others.
Throughout the tribute, Prine’s wife Fiona Prine makes several appearances to introduce artists. It is a loving tribute with great stories and music.
The full tribute is available for a limited time through Sunday, June 14. So, for now, check it out below. [Update: The full show is no longer online.]
Sturgill Simpson provided us with a musical treat during the coronavirus pandemic. To raise money for charity, Simpson and his band gave us some bluegrass performed live at Nashville’s Ryman Auditorium. Due to the pandemic, there was no audience beyond those watching online.
On a Friday the 13th, one of the greatest songwriters of all time, John Prine, took the stage at Radio City Music Hall to launch his first album of new material in thirteen years. With some help of a great band, opener Sturgill Simpson, and special guest Brandi Carlile, the 71-year-old showed that he remains a great entertainer too.
The April 13, 2018 show began with Sturgill Simpson opening for Prine, taking the stage alone with a guitar for about an hour. Few performers can command such a large audience alone, but Simpson is one of them, even as he admitted being nervous before coming out.
Simpson’s set included many of his best songs, with a highlight being his performance of “Turtles All the Way Down” back-to-back with “Just Let Go.” Both of those songs appeared on Metamodern Sounds in Country Music (2014). Other songs included a moving rendition of “Oh Sara.” And he played the opening song from A Sailor’s Guide to Earth (2016), “Welcome to Earth (Pollywog).”
Simpson also played some traditional songs and covers, including When in Rome’s “The Promise,” which he had included in Metamodern Sounds, and the Bee Gees’ “Come on Over.” And he began “Long White Line” with a riff that took a detour into Bruce Springsteen’s “I’m On Fire.”
One has to admire Simpson, who could fill the seats just on his own, having the respect for Prine to be his opener. Simpson is one of the best music artists today, in or outside the country genre, so it was great to see him in this context.
Simpson also announced that while he will be playing a number of festivals until September, after those shows he plans to take a year off from touring. His wife is having another son and he wishes to spend time watching his children grow.
John Prine Takes the Stage
John Prine took the Radio City Music Hall stage for the first time in his career with a sharp band, including new members Ken Blevins on drums and and Fats Kaplan playing fiddle, mandolin, and lap steel guitar. At one point Prine explained how much it meant to be on this stage when he recounted seeing Bette Midler at the venue performing his song “Hello in There.” At the time, he dreamed of one day playing here.
Because the show was the album-release show for The Tree of Forgiveness (2018), many of those new songs made it into the set. But there was plenty of room for old gems.
Early on, Prine played a wonderful rendition of his classic “Bruised Orange (Chain of Sorrow).” And there was a fun performance of “Grandpa Was a Carpenter.” But the audience was just as welcoming of the new songs from The Tree of Forgiveness, sometimes helped by a humorous introduction, as in the case of “Egg & Daughter Nite, Lincoln Nebraska, 1967 (Crazy Bone).” Everyone in the audience will be receiving the new CD in the mail after buying a ticket for this show, but they had not received the album yet.
While there was not much politics in the show, there was a nod to the political climate with “Caravan of Fools.” And Prine introduced his old gem “Your Flag Decal Won’t Get You Into Heaven Anymore” by saying that he normally dusts off the song only for election years. But he said that after the last election, he is keeping it in his set.
While some may have wondered how Prine’s voice would hold up at his age and after two bouts of cancer, he eliminated any doubts by generally being in great shape. His voice got a little hoarser as the show went on and he missed a few of the high notes on “Hello in There.” Yet, any voice cracks gave more emotion to the song, and guest and backup singers helped out in the last part of the show. And with all that, Prine was still going strong at the end.
In the middle of Prine’s show, all of the band members left to take a break. And the 71-year-old entertained us with just his voice and guitar for several songs, including the best version of “Sam Stone” I have ever heard.
Special guest Brandi Carlile helped out with Prine’s new song “Summer’s End,” which she also sings with him on the new album. She also did a great job trading verses with Prine on what may be his most recognized song, “Angel From Montgomery.”
And one of the highlights of the entire show was when Prine and Carlile came to the front of the stage for “In Spite of Ourselves,” a song from Prine’s 1999 duets album of the same name that had featured Iris Dement on the tune. Prine introduced the song by saying that his wife said he could do another song with Carlile if he did not talk too much during the show.
Sturgill Simpson returned to join Prine too. The two men sang “Please Don’t Bury Me” and a touching “Speed of the Sound of Loneliness.” With the band, the whole group gave a rousing performance of “Pretty Good.”
The latter song transcends well in a live setting with multiple electric guitars and the power of Simpson’s voice, while “Speed of the Sound of Loneliness” was a quieter moment befitting the lyrics.
Finally, it was time to say goodbye. Prine closed with with his wonderful epic “Lake Marie,” backed up by the band along with a few guests that included Carlile, Prine’s son, and Prine’s wife Fiona. Then, they finished with another song of spoken words and choruses with “When I Get to Heaven” from Tree of Forgiveness. The final song, referencing lost loved ones and looking with joy toward death, was a touching and humorous finale.
It was my first time seeing Prine perform live, and as in the case anytime I have seen a long-term favorite artist perform, I could count a number of songs I wish he would have played. But with such an amazing catalog, there is no way he can play even a significant portion of his great songs. Yet, during the show, I never spent any time wishing for anything else besides what was going on at the stage. It was a fantastic celebration by one of America’s gems.
Photos by Chimesfreedom. Leave your two cents in the comments.
On a Friday the 13th, one of the greatest songwriters of all time, John Prine, took the stage at Radio City Music Hall to launch his first album of new material in thirteen years. With some help of a great band, opener Sturgill Simpson, and special guest Brandi Carlile, the 71-year-old showed that he remains a great entertainer too.
(2014). Other songs included a moving rendition of “Oh Sara.” And he played the opening song from A Sailor’s Guide to Earth (2016), “Welcome to Earth (Pollywog).”
, sometimes helped by a humorous introduction, as in the case of “Egg & Daughter Nite, Lincoln Nebraska, 1967 (Crazy Bone).” Everyone in the audience will be receiving the new CD in the mail after buying a ticket for this show, but they had not received the album yet.