Saturday March 12, 2022 “We Just Disagree” Dave Mason
British guitarist and singer/songwriter Dave Mason made his initial splash as a member of the 60s rock band Traffic, alongside Steve Winwood, drummer Jim Capaldi and flute and saxophone player Chris Wood. Mason would write and sing one of Traffic’s biggest songs, "Feelin' All Right" which later would be a big hit covered by Joe Cocker.
Mason would leave Traffic and move to the US and work with Delaney Bonnie and Friends and would later do some guitar parts on the renowned Derek & the Dominos album Layla & Other Assorted Love Songs.
Mason would record a solo album Alone Together which included the hit song “Only You Know and I Know”. Yet even with that success Mason continued to work with other artists, recording All Things Must Pass with George Harrison and forming a duo with former Mamas and Papas member Cass Elliott.
“We Just Disagree” which is included on Mason’s album Let It Flow was written by Jim Krueger, a guitarist from Manitowoc, Wisconsin who joined Dave Mason's band in 1974. When Kreuger played it for him Mason said, “I thought it was a great song. An unusual chord arrangement behind it. And it stood up…but I frankly thought it was too good a song to be a hit. Sounds strange. And it wasn't a huge hit, it got to #12. But it's been around. It's a great song. It's a timeless song."
This stripped-down song stood out in 1977 amid the disco offeringst when that music style was all over the radio. Mason would also have a hit from this album with “Let It Grow, Let It Flow”.
Mason is a true philanhtropist as a supporter of Little Kids Rock, a non-profit organization that provides free musical instruments and lessons to children in American public schools. He is also a founding board member of Yoga Blue, a non-profit organization devoted to teaching yoga and other holistic practices to those recovering from substance abuse and other self-destructive disorders.
Dave Mason and his longtime friend Ted Knapp have also founded Rock Our Vets, an all-volunteer charity supported by many other musicians, helping veterans and the families of law enforcement and firefighters who lost their lives in the line of duty. The charity has focused on providing food and clothing to homeless veterans, laptop computers for vets aspiring to continue their education, as well as suicide prevention.
Stay safe and well…and as that ends some of the ‘stuff’ on my list we will move on to yet another topic for next week. In the meantime as Mr. Mason’s song suggests, it’s OK to disagree, there doesn’t need to be ‘good guys or bad guys’.