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Savant journalist PHIL STRONGMAN guides us through the melodies, rhythms & noises of the season of goodwill...
CHIPS TAYLOR Yonkers NY (Train Wreck Records CD)
Gravelled voice Chip Taylor – country artist and the writer of classic hits like 'Wild Thing' and 'Angel of The Morning' – here gives us the story of himself and his extraordinary family (which includes actor Jon Voight and volcanologist Barry Taylor). It's easy to see why his numbers have been well covered - by Dusty Springfield, Frank Sinatra, The Hollies, Peggy Lee, Aretha Franklin and Johnny Cash amongst others - as this is a winning mixture of tunes and live spoken word, a song-cycle about the wonder years, wonderfully delivered.
8/10
DAVID LUTES Big Top (Blueroot dble CD)
A soulful acoustic singer-songwriter, Lutes was recently in the UK – he hails from North America – giving a live version of this set. His soaring, yearning voice is complemented on this set by a great backing band and some intelligent lyrics. The catchy, atmospheric 'Be Reasonable' - 'my drug of choice was Hank Williams Two' – and the melodic 'Love In The Hard Times' are my own personal faves but all 15 cuts here cut pretty deep. They come complete with a lush, fold-out sleeve and a 20 page lyric booklet. Quality stuff. 8/10
MARIA MULDAUR & HER GARDEN OF JOY Maria Muldaur & Her Garden of Joy (Stony Plain CD)
MM will always be remembered for her 70s hits 'Midnight At The Oasis' and 'I'm A Woman' but she's always been a roots fan and this disc sees her having more jams in the land of the jug band – the banjo-picking hard times genre that started way back when. This is more whimsical fun that anything else – with numbers like the sweet'n'sour 'Shake Hands & Tell Me Goodbye' being typical – but it's more than capable of bringing a smile to all but the most jaded lips. Old style good times. 7/10
HOMESICK JAMES Sweet Home Tennessee / Live In Europe (Superbird dble CD)
The last of the first great Chicago bluesmen James was way over seventy when these two albums were cut in the 1990s, one in the studio, the other in various German, Swiss and Austrian venues. Despite his age, HJ still had 'it' in spades – on dry vocals, slide and/or lead guitar - and these tracks drive along irresistibly, effortlessly conjuring up the midnight trains and long lost bars of another time and place. Blues lovers will not be disappointed. 7/10
ART TERRY Anutha Kinda Brotha (Frizz CD)
This has been out for quite a few months now but still deserves a mention for its civilized blend of early Velvet Underground melodies and Arthur 'Love' Lee sensibilities – the latter component perhaps not too surprising as Art T has a family connection with the late Sixties star. Most of it is delivered with vocals and tinkling piano well to the fore in a style that could be called 'lounge unusual' (a musical version, perhaps, of the absurdist film school that people like Alan Rudolph pioneered in the 80s, an influence on Scorsese's 'After Hours'). Some of it works well, some not so well but, either way, this is undoubtedly a work of imagination by a man of no small talent. 7/10
NELSON BROTHERS Places In The Heart (nbmp CD)
Simon and Steve Nelson are a couple of English songwriters who've been making a living for years – sometimes precariously – in the US, usually supplying material for country and pop performers. Here they give us twelve of their own, well-written, compositions with the smooth-talking Steve doing most of the singing – ably supported on a couple of takes by Lizzie Deane. These dozen ditties segue skilfully between blues, country, late night lounge, French jazz and pop with harmonicas, trumpets and saxes drifting in and out at just the right moment (think of a jaded Deaf School somewhere in Euroland). An example of the artistic craftsmanship that will undoubtedly become rarer in today's download age. An elegantly strong, at times magical, album. 7/10 |
