Sheryl Crow – Feels like home

This is one of those records that makes you a little uneasy on first listen. Sheryl Crow (all I wanna do, Run baby run etc) is an artist who has stood the test of time. Her rocking past has given way to a more soft and gentle side of things. 

She now is firmly in the Country club. 

Now as a rule although at times I enjoy a country tune as much as the next man which is in small doses or in the poppy form of the likes of Taylor Swift with her crushingly bubblegum sound. So Sheryl’s CD filled me with a little trepidation, especially as I was not too enamoured by a lot of stuff she had done of the recent past. 

So here is Sheryl rocking away Country style. 

Every song is well crafted with great lyrics.  They range from the totally over the top and wryly sarcastic “waterproof mascara” which tells the tale of single parenthood. The lyrics include the lines:

“And so I wear waterproof mascara
There's things you shouldn't see when you're a kid
Thank God they make waterproof mascara
'Cuz it won't run like his daddy did”

As a single dad I can relate too much of the sentiments but would not have thought about displaying them in this way, but the song is great. Then there is the serious song “We Oughta Be Drinkin’” which has a classic verse in it: 

“I’m glad I hate my job
What’s your excuse?
You got a broken heart or are you just thirsty too?
Could be anything
But whatever the case
I think we’re all planning on getting sh*t-faced.....

“Well it’s one of them nights, feels like we oughta be drinkin'
We gotta get a little rowdy like we’re living in a country song...”

The CD is a joy to listen to when you are in the mood for a sing along.  It is the modern day Alanas Morissettte ode to being well and truly messed up by the people in your life and reflects the paradoxes that modern life has in today’s situations. This is exemplified by the song “Crazy Ain’t original” which is a song about the ludicrousness of the current trend of real life television scu as Big Brother etc. The song states that the things we once considered as stupid are now the norm and that we are not able to judge what is crazy anymore.

In fact almost every track has merits, and like Gretchen Peters “Hello Cruel World” it is a CD that has longevity written all over it.  If you haven’t bought it, go buy it.  It’s a keeper.

10/10

 

Ben Watt - Hendra

On a whim I decided to give Ben Watt’s second album a spin. Some thirty something years since his previous CD with ETBTG giving him enough time to think up a tune or two and as such this is his second CD of the year. For those who don’t remember Ben, he was the other one in the group ‘Everything but the Girl’ along with Tracey Thorn, whose seminal album (on Vinyl) was a regular player in my youth.

For this album Ben has hauled in Bernard Butler who performs some excellent guitar work adding light and shade to the tracks and making a few highlights in the process. Also David Gilmour features on one track.

Ben doesn’t really sing. Well he does, but in a very quiet fashion reminiscent of Al Stewart (‘Year of the cat’ fame). The title of the album Hendra is illusive and possibly refers to the hamlets in Cornwall (UK). What is evident is that each song is well crafted and designed to leave the listener unsure after the first listen. The album has a chilled out feel with some excellent songs which depict stories and tales.  When I was younger we used to have to listen to albums to “get into them”. When Sabbath or Floyd released a record we knew that the first play would only be the spoiler as the real enjoyment would come after many plays when the intricacies of the music would unfold.  Now trying not to sound too hippy, this is what you need to do with Ben’s album. It is mandatory that you give it three listens before you pass judgement.

For me it is a breath of fresh air in a rather stale music scene. An album to be proud of and one that if I were to make an album it would sound like this.

If you want to challenge yourself to explore something great, go pick up a copy. 

*****

Sandi Thom – Flesh and Blood

From Scotland to the deep South of the USA in one record

I have to admit that 2012 was a boring year for music. Although many of my favourite bands released CD most fell well below expectations, which was a great shame. I hope 2013 will be better.  It already seems to be going well with some great CDs from the likes of David Bowie, Steve Ajao Blues Giants (A truly great CD) and Steve Wilson.  So for the first unexpectedly quite good CD.

Sometimes an artist gets the opportunity to collaborate with others. Classic examples of this are Shelby Lynne's 'I am Shelby Lynne', Ian McNabb's 'head like a rock' both of which had great producers and fantastic musicians that elevated a possibly self indulgent record into a classic piece of music. So I was intrigued that Scottish singer Sandi Thom had joined forces with the front man, Rich Robinson, of the Black Crowes, the classic heavy rock band.

Sometimes an artist gets the opportunity to collaborate with others. Classic examples of this are Shelby Lynne's 'I am Shelby Lynne', Ian McNabb's 'head like a rock' both of which had great producers and fantastic musicians that elevated a possibly self indulgent record into a great piece of music. So I was intrigued that Scottish singer Sandi Thom had joined forces with the front man from the Black Crowes, the classic Southern heavy rock band.

OMG!!!

Immediately the listener is greeted with Bonnie Raitt style vocals over a 70's blues funk backing on the opening track 'Help Me'. This basically sets the tone for all 12 tracks, which have light and shade, highs and lows. Lyrically there is humour and honesty as well as the odd line to make you sit up and take notice that Sandi is on the money.

During the record Sandi's vocals keep changing from Bonnie Raitt through Celine Dion to Gretchen Peters. The quality of the songs is also well above average and range from country to rock but the influence of the Black Crowes.

I can see this record will not be for everyone’s tastes but I have little doubt that with the correct backing this will be a US success and might spawn a few hits.

Gretchen Peters--Hello Cruel World

We all listen to music in different ways.  As a guitar player I listen to the melody, the chords and other musical intonations where as others start with the words.  Lyrics have never been a big thing for me, I often laugh at some of the ridiculous lyrics that accompany the best tunes ever.  Every so often, I hear something and instead of the music bowling me over the words get inside me and start their own dance. Gretchen Peters--Hello Cruel World is just such an album and already on the list of best albums of this year (2012).

I have thought long and hard about how to write about this album. I thought about describing the textures that the lyrics provide which juxtapose the excellent melodies. I thought about describing the urgency and nature of the 'from the gut' lyrics. I thought about describing Gretchen Peter's voice that at times seems almost surreal.... I could go on about all manner of things that elevate this record from the banal to the superb but nothing I can think of would do this record justice.

So in sum, LISTEN TO THIS RECORD!  Ideally through good headphones, without children nearby, in a quiet room, with a glass of wine in one hand... You will not regret it.
12/10!

Update in 2014 two years on an this is still on the iPod and it is an album you do not tire of.

The Reasoning – Live in the USA: The Bottle of Gettysburg - living it up.

The Reasoning – Live in the USA: The Bottle of Gettysburg (Nova) (2011) ****1/2

The reasoning are a Cardiff-based five-piece rock band, formed in 2005. The band features the song-writing talents of Matthew Cohen (bass) and Rachel Cohen (lead vocals): the latter having been voted Best Female Vocalist by the UK’s Classic Rock Society for an unprecedented number of years. Guitarist Owain Roberts, Tony Turrell (keyboards/vocals) and Jake Bradford-Sharp (drums) complete this outstanding group of experienced musicians.

Live in the USA: The Bottle of Gettysburg is their fifth CD release and something I have long been looking forward to. At this point I have to confess that for nigh on five years the Reasoning have been on my radar and on my personal play lists. In fact the first CD I put on my iPod was Dark Angel which is still a classic record.

Their last CD was interesting as it was a stripped down acoustic set of some of their better songs given a new lease of life. Whereas other groups that might have tried and failed at this, the Reasoning managed to bring a complete new sense to every song making it a totally new experience to for the listener. I should also confess every CD of the Reasoning is on my iPod always, as soon as they are out they are on the iPod. So I am a little biased in my opinion of this superb band.

So for quite a while there has been a considerable hype about this new live CD. It is especially poignant that the group had the departure of Dylan Thompson who was the lead guitarist and vocalist/writer, so I for one was wondering how the band would survive post-Dylan departure.

The CD is resounding success as the band appear tighter than I have ever heard them (and as someone who has never seen them live, much to my on disappointment!! ) they are bursting with energy and each member of the band is given the opportunity shine and show off what they do best. From the off, Matt, the bassist, shines with the licks he produces playing his bass guitar as a lead guitarist would, a total joy to the ear. Rachel and Owain are next up for excellent performances but Tony and Jake are brilliant and giving welly!

The track list is as follows:

Intro
Diamonds & Leather***
Fallen Angels*
Sharp Sea**
The Nobody Effect***
Shadows of the Mind*
The Thirteenth Hour***
How Far To Fall?**
Chasing Rainbows*
14***
Dark Angel**
Aching Hunger*
* originally appearing on The Awakening
** originally appearing on Dark Angel
*** originally appearing on Adverse Camber

The CD is a testament to great musicianship and each track is superb with Rachel’s vocals in great form. At times you have to ask yourself is it live or the original CD track as the quality of the performance and the recording are so good.

I will add one thing that does drive me crazy though. As a person brought up listening to live CDs as there was an era when these were very popular and seen as an important record of a band playing live, this CD has a small flaw. I suspect the record is testament to a whole show, from start to finish, and therefore when you listen to it you get a lot of audience rapport from Rachel, remarking on what some song are about (from a psychoanalytical perspective using words such as “the Cartesian mind body split” etc) which might be fine on stage but not for a CD, because it wares very quickly on the listener. If there is any doubt what a song is about and a group needs to explain then by all means release a track by track CD discussion of the significance of the songs but do not include these on the CD. “You must remember radio gaga ... I’m going to do it anyway”?!? Similarly, there are repeated references by Rachel to the fact that CDs are available for purchase upstairs for $10 (good value I might add) but Although this adds to authenticity it is very tiresome to listen to again, and again, and again... (are you getting the message?). These could easily be edited out of the mix and I would consider releasing an alternative version of the CD with these elements mixed out so the listener gets the music and only minimalistic relevant chat from the group. It does detract.

That said, is the CD good? No!

It is brilliant and a worthy addition to my iPod and clearly demonstrates the musicianship of this fine band who rightly deserve a place in my ear. I just hope one day they will play somewhere close by to where I live so I can go see them.

If you have a few pennies and want ideal present for a person with musical taste you cannot go wrong with this. A bottle of joy!

Two super new combinations to try?

Superheavy – Superheavy **1/2

Beth Hart and Joe Bonamassa – Don’t Explain *****

This month has seen the release of two new cd one by the “super group” Superheavy who release their debut cd called Superheavy and the other the rather surprising pairing of Beth Hart with Joe Bonamassa who release a cd entitled “Don’t explain”. Now, on the whole, I frown on the formation of makeshift pairings at the best of times but do admit that there are the occasional time when they can be brilliant especially when they mix elements from a range of musical sources to make something completely new and exciting for the ears. Superheavy’s just such a potential, with the combination of Dave Stewart (ex Eurythmics) Mick Jagger (Rolling Stones) Damian Marley (Welcome to Jamrock – Bob’s Son), A. R. Rahman (Slumdog Millionaire) and Joss Stone (the soul ‘Diva’). Therefore, there is the fusion of Asian rhythms, reggae over and undertones, Pop, rock and soul so the potential for something is here just waiting to burst out I thought.

The first thing to note is that Mick Jagger is attributed with the first writer on all bar one song. So, putting the cd on and what jumps out is a brilliant mixture of rhythms and noise and energy similar to Yosssou N’Dour’s Imigres cd when I first heard it on Vinyl a few decades ago. The first track inventively called ‘Superheavy’ is great track with a driving rhythm which leads into ‘Unbelievable’ a mediocre track and then the single ‘Miracle Worker’ which is a blistering ball of fun and games with sarcasm and jollity throughout. This leads the listener to ‘energy’ which does what it says on the packet. Each track has a number of different themes and rhythms as well different shared vocals.

So, by the end of track six the listener is wondering what new and exciting things are left in store, perhaps some serious Indian Bollywood fest or some dub reggae with Joss Stone wailing about the drug store being closed so she has to turn to tricks to feed the habit, but no, we get Mick Jagger for the remainder of the whole cd. It feels like the rest of the group went down the pub and said “finish it yourself” to him. The sad thing is that none of the rest of the tracks have anything to offer. In fact, all the tracks are over long with little audible development, so the riff you hear at the beginning is the one you hear at the end and pretty much throughout. The person who does stand out throughout is Joss Stone who is clearly having a ball and sounds really happy. Damian Marley also deserves a mention for adding humour and some really good elements to what is a really pretty average to poor CD.

With the raga of Superheavy still bouncing in my head I was a little afraid to turn to the new cd by Beth Hart and Joe Bonamassa. Beth, and LA singer is best known for her powerful voice and loud CDs which are full of passion and unmistakeable. Joe Bonamassa is the youngster on the Blues/rock scene with 14 CDs behind him including two with his new super group Black Country Communion. This record with Beth Hart makes his third full CD release this year. I have long followed Joe and have noted that as a guitarist some of his later work has suffered from sameness just as Gary Moore’s last few records prior to his most untimely death. By this I mean that you could tell immediately that it was Joe playing and what he would do next on the guitar so nothing was surprising to the listener. His solo CD this year entitle ‘Dust Bowl’ was good but not by any stretch of the imagination great and had the feel of a contractual obligation about it. I therefore was not particularly looking for my hopes to be dashed further by this casual aside with Beth Hart. I suspected a sort of Black Country Communion meets Alanis Morissette to be the outcome.

The cd opens with ‘Sinner’s Prayer’ and immediately the listener knows something is different as Beth is singing gently and with a passion that is unbelievable and Joe is plucking away quietly in the background. In fact, there is nothing in your face about this cd. From start to finish it is a class act in which Beth sings brilliantly but quietly, only occasionally opening up for emphasis and Joe does the same. So when the first guitar break came along I was expecting Joe to come out with a typical fuzzy Gibson distorted solo, but instead found him playing slide guitar gently in the background.

The record is made up of old and classic standards hence the title ‘Don’t Explain’ and includes a stupendous rendition of ‘I’d rather go blind’ which will move the hardiest of souls. Every track on this record is a gem, so far it has been on the MP3 and played some 20 times (in one day) and I never get bored of the songs or their arrangements.

I remember when it was first mentioned that Robert Plant and Alison Krauss would team up and do a record and at that time I had a very bad feeling that was wrong here too my initial dread was replaced by total pleasure. It is a shame that the same cannot be said for Mick Jagger’s effort but one out of two ain’t bad.

Two super new combinations to try?

The Five Ghosts

Okay so I have finally decided to do a blog on my favourite music or at least the stuff I listen to. I named the blog the Five Ghosts as this is an excellent new CD from a group called STARS. Stars are a boy/girl vocal group who play a retro-pop melange which harkens back to the days of propaganda and synth pop of the 1980's. This is fun music you cannot listen to this CD and not smile, as with all Star's music it is bright, catchy and just makes the face smile and you, as a listener feel happy all over. I can see this retro-pop might not be to everyone's taste, at times it is simplistic to say the least but there is a consistency with each track adding a new soundscape.

If you haven't listened to Stars before, try this as a simple introduction and then work your way back through their catalogue, you cannot be disappointed.

9/10 Give it a listen.