Month: December 2007

It’s rare to see simultaneous releases by one artist in two different genres, but singer/songwriter/guitarist Jim Lauderdale ably juggles the trick, proving along the way that this is one of the simplest in his bag of tricks.

Lauderdale has smithed songs for chart-toppers such as George Strait, Mark Chesnutt, Patty Loveless, and the Dixie Chicks. And in 2002 he released a bluegrass disc with Ralph Stanley. Yet, even with these on his resume, Lauderdale isn’t a household name. Thus, the album title is a tongue-in-cheek poke at his own efforts to top the charts.

It’s also a darn fine album – pure honky tonk, from the solid roadhouse groove to his tear-in-the-beer lyrics. There’s kitsch and country corn, but throughout, it’s good stuff.

Bluegrass rides a line between traditional and more country-pop-tinged bluegrass. Alongside Bryan Sutton’s lead guitar and Jason Stewart’s banjo, the album’s packed with tasty dobro from Randy Kohrs. Oh, and the kickoff track, “Mighty Lonesome,” is a tour de force.

On this new album, Johnny Irion unleashes an amazing blend of folk and country with lush pop/rock sounds that mix Neil Young with the Beatles and a million sounds in-between. The lyrics are wonderful, each song has a quirkiness that makes it stick in your craw, and the changes are inspired.

The crying steel guitar and Beatle-esque vocals of the opening cut, “Take Care,” define the approach, but don’t do it justice. Like most songs here, it’s atmospheric and wonderful. It’s like “Short Leash,” which follows; how do you describe a song that mixes country, folk, and soul music? Offbeat changes and a fine backing vocal from Sarah Lee are bonuses.

Every cut has something. The dreamy “Always Lookin’ Out” is driven by keyboard and has a feel that makes you wish everyone could do it like this. The very poppish “Good Cry” has an amazing set of lyrics that could be interpreted in several ways, but ultimately is about chopping onions! But, it goes a lot deeper.

Irion plays a lot of acoustic and solos on electric on the rocking “Madrid” and “Fragile Humans” and, as on every track, his playing is excellent and full of surprises. And his high, soft voice alternates between pop heaven and a country singer who had one too many drinks.

Todd Snider is one of the finest songwriters to come down the pike in the past 15 years, and this set offers a chance to look at the writer as his songs develop. The first four tracks are all Snider, as he covers all vocal parts, accompanying himself on acoustic, and even supplying percussion (by banging on the guitar).

Much of the record consists of demos. “Nashville” is a fun song about the good side of Nashville. Also fun is hearing Todd add the background vocals while singing lead. “Feel Like I’m Falling in Love” sounds like a hit. Even done solo, its hook runs you right off the road. “Missing You” is a lovely tale of longing, misery, and (oddly enough) hope. “Barbie Doll” is an off-kilter tune served up solo, but could very well be a hit on country radio. It’s hokey, but could be a hit. “Combover Blues” has an oddball lyric that’ll leave you laughing. “Stoney” is a philosophical tale of an old acquaintance, and “Cheatham Street Warehouse” is the only real rocker, with Tommy Womack adding a blistering solo.

Snider’s very likeable stoner voice is in full bloom here. He immediately sounds fun and subversive, the attitude is enhanced by the demo-like quality of the tunes, and the songs hold together better than some of his “official release” records.

Robert Plant and his band, The Strange Sensation, play 11 songs; covers, old Zep songs, and newer Plant tunes. The band is the perfect complement, anchored by guitarists Liam “Skin” Tyson and the versatile Justin Adams, who handle everything from a smoking “Whole Lotta Love” to the funky, and political “Freedom Fries.” In between, there’s fabulous takes on old stuff. “Black Dog” has never sounded this funky or this good. The riff is there, but it gets a bit of a makeover. “Gallows Pole” stays close to the original until Tyson’s guitar comes in. It’s a nice update. The atmospheric “The Enchanter” is pushed along by fine slide playing, “Four Sides” pays tribute to John Bonham.

The disc comes with two bonus tracks; one a fascinating take on a song that is so associated with a certain sound it almost seems sacrilege to change – “Hey Joe.” But it works incredibly well. There’s also a folky take on Dylan’s “Girl From the North Country.”

The band is splendid, and it’s no surprise that Plant is, too. He sings well and knows how to work the crowd. While age may show in his face, it hasn’t diminished his ability to sing, his taste, or his songwriting. Any fan would have to have this for both the good old days and the new days.

Tribute records are well-intended and fun to conceive, but with so many out there at this point, it’s almost as though you’re slighted if one hasn’t been dedicated to you. Tone Center’s previous guitar tributes to John Coltrane, Miles Davis, the Mahavishnu Orchestra, and Steely Dan summoned so many of the same guitarists, you’ve got to wonder if Robben Ford, Steve Lukather, Mike Stern, Frank Gambale, and Eric Johnson are thinking, “Where’s my tribute?”

Those CDs and this one, paying homage to Carlos Santana, were the brainchild of producer Jeff Richman, who also contributes his own track on each. As a quick glance reveals, he tends to dip into the fusion pool a lot; in fact, the label has become somewhat of a haven for the “F” word. That reason alone makes the inclusion of Albert Lee here most welcome – and his fresh take on “Samba Pa Ti” proves it was a wise move. He nudges the ballad into a slightly faster tempo, and completely eschews Carlos’s fat tone and mega-sustain, with a Strat-like twang (no doubt his signature model Ernie Ball/Music Man), and stays true to his own identity while tipping his hat to Mr. Santana.

Other guitarists, like Coco Montoya on “Jungle Strut” and Richman himself on “Europa,” feel more obliged to snare Santana’s tone – or at least attempt to. Ironically, even with the heavyweights that serve as a backing band on all tracks (drummer Dave Weckl, bassist Abe Laboriel, keyboardist Peter Wolf, and percussion Luis Conte), the producer’s offering sounds a bit home-studioey.

Vinnie Moore dials in a bit more distortion and adds a tasteful metal attitude to “Se A Cabo,” and Ford injects some nice Albert Collins string popping to “Blues For El Salvador.” But, like Lee, the most successful tracks are those that come from a completely different direction, like jazz great Pat Martino’s warm-toned, understated reading of “Moonflower.”

There’s talk of a Jeff Beck tribute coming down the pike next, and one can’t help but assume it’ll lean towards the “Freeway Jam” years more than “Train Kept A-Rollin’” or “Jeff’s Boogie.” But let’s wait and see.

This article originally appeared in VG’s Aug. ’07 issue. All copyrights are by the author and Vintage Guitar magazine. Unauthorized replication or use is strictly prohibited.

Down South, it seems, songwriters like Grayson Capps just fall from the trees. Born in Alabama, he spent the last 20 years in New Orleans before Hurricane Katrina kicked him out, and with Wail and Ride, Capps has created a collection of vibrant lyrical and aural images.

The music sets the stage for everything on this album; the title cut is a country blues set to a fast marching beat that features fine acoustic guitar from Capps and electric from Guthrie Trapp. The lyric is full of the imagery southern writers always come up with. And Capps’ voice is a true marvel – he can growl, sing pretty, do anything in between, and convey whatever feeling the lyric relates. “New Orleans Waltz” is a tribute to the town he had to leave – a personal statement that gets political but not too heavy-handed. The light blues of “Broomy” is driven by fine acoustic slide from Grayson. The lyric is about a homeless fellow sweeping the streets of New Orleans, and the song dovetails nicely into “Junkman,” which starts as the tale of a guy looking for trash, but quickly goes deeper. “Ed Lee” is a wonderfully funky story song about a fence made from whiskey bottles! Capps’ vocal is full of character, and the quirky tune features wild, nasty, electric guitars by Capps and Tommy MacLuckie. “Poison” has that New Orleans-shuffle feel, lyrics about voodoo, and great vocals and slide guitar by Capps.

Capps is the latest in a line of guys from the South who combine every kind of American music. And he’s a master of it all, not just a chameleon who darts in and out of styles. There’s not a bad cut among the 12 here, and in this day and age that’s very tough to say about any record.

This article originally appeared in VG’s Jan. ’07 issue. All copyrights are by the author and Vintage Guitar magazine. Unauthorized replication or use is strictly prohibited.