World in Changes
New Dave Mason biography provides fascinating look at his life and a musical era
World in changes, still going through
I’ve got a lot to learn about you
World in changes, still going through
You’ve got a lot to learn about me, too
“World in Changes,” Dave Mason, 1970
At one point in Dave Mason’s new biography, “Only You Know and I Know,” a friend of Mason’s refers to him as “the best kept secret in rock ’n’ roll.”
In some ways, it’s a strange comment. Mason, a founding member of legendary rock band Traffic (and inducted with other members into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2004), is a guitarist and songwriter highly regarded among musicians for his work with Traffic and for his own solo career, and for his collaborations with Jimi Hendrix, George Harrison, Leon Russell, Delaney and Bonnie, and others. But Mason has never earned the general public recognition of Eric Clapton, the Rolling Stones, or Crosby, Stills & Nash — all musicians with whom he worked closely, and about whom he writes with candor and affection in his fascinating book.
The book deals at length with Mason’s famously contentious relationship with other Traffic members, especially Steve Winwood and Jim Capaldi. Mason left the band right after it released its first album, rejoined for a second album, then was fired (an episode described in the opening chapter), and rejoined the band again for some live performances but never again became a full-fledged member. Mason deals frankly with the personal conflicts among the band, and although it’s apparent he’d love to play again with Winwood — the only other original member still living — that seems unlikely after the publication of this book. Mason seems not to be using the book to settle old scores, but Winwood doesn’t come off well here.
Mason writes with admiration and respect about Traffic and about Hendrix, Harrison, and many other musicians with whom he’s toured and/or recorded. The book contains plenty of anecdotes that practically any admirer of 1970s music will find absorbing, including fond recollections of Gram Parsons, Steve Cropper, Cass Elliot, Paul McCartney, Stevie Wonder, and Michael Jackson. He also has entertaining stories about his encounters with famous people from outside the music world, including Salvador Dali, Mae West, and Patrick Swayze.
But just as Mason had conflicts with his Traffic band members, he’s had other skirmishes along the way, including with Ringo Starr, Christine McVie, Stevie Nicks, and quite a few record company executives, and he discusses those with similar openness.
Mason also is admirably forthcoming about some of his own personal problems, including his drug abuse, his three failed marriages, his estrangement from his daughter, and the drug-related death of his son. He’s also not a good money manager and has been bankrupt twice. But his dedication to his music, and the obvious love he has for writing and performing, are the most consistent themes throughout the book. It helps explain why, at age 78, he’s still making new music and still touring.
One of my favorite parts of the book is Mason’s tales of his mother Nora, who moved from Britain to the United States after Mason did and who went on tour with his band for a while. Another wonderful story details the January 1968 party at which Hendrix and Mason first heard an advance copy of Bob Dylan’s “John Wesley Harding” album, and the two were captivated by Dylan’s song “All Along the Watchtower.” A few days later, Hendrix called Mason into the studio to help him record Hendrix’s version of the song. (Mason later recorded his own versions, both in the studio and live, and it remains a part of part of Mason’s current live setlist.)
One of the few things I wish Mason had written more about is his instruments and equipment, which I think any guitarist would find fascinating. Also, there are so many stories about celebrities from the musical and entertainment worlds that it would have been fun if the book contained an index to keep track of them all.
These are minor shortcomings in a book that gives readers a wonderful and honest look at the life of an underappreciated musical giant. For anyone with an interest in Mason, Traffic, or the music industry of the late 1960s and 1970s, “Only You Know and I Know” is essential reading.