Rave On

Or maybe I'll rant on. Or... maybe not. We'll see...

Just listened thru to the whole of the latest Buddy Holly tribute, Rave On. As I expect on tribute albums, I find some things to like, some things to hate, and occasionally, if the oven has been preheated just right, something to love. That's about what I found on this collection. Here's a track-by-track assessment, with no pretense of objectivity. And for Whirly, yes, I do have some that I really like.

Just not many.

By the way, while it's still up, you can listen in its entirety over at the NPR First Listen site.

'Dearest' performed by The Black Keys

Just dull. Not bad, just not... much. It's a little known song, so it has lots of license available for someone to interpret, but...

'Everyday' performed by Fiona Apple and Jon Brion

Another way-too-sleepy take. Very popular style over the last decade, but I'm not sure why. I think a lot of people misinterpret not trying with natural integrity or something.

'It's So Easy' performed by Paul McCartney

Sorry, but this is just dreadful! I speak as a life-long Macca fan, but that doesn't mean I have to enjoy everything he does. This is similar to some of the worst late/midlife/I-can-still-rock moments on Run Devil Run, but this may have topped (or bottomed) them. If you make it thru to the spoken bits, I'm sorry. I should have warned you.

'Not Fade Away' performed by Florence and The Machine

If I heard this on it's own I probably wouldn't care for it, but coming after the Mac song, it sounds like an OK retooling of the song. Not that interesting, but the song is there and I don't know that there's much left to do with this song that hasn't already been done better and worse by others.

'(You're So Square) Baby, I Don't Care' performed by Cee Lo Green

This is the first cut that really makes me sit up a little bit. Cee Lo is one of the more interesting soul singers around, and I really, really like the take on this. It does what is pretty hard to do, especially with a classic - keep the basic song intact (so fans won't fuss too much) but change it up enough so that it's worth taking the trouble to cover it. I think this succeeds marvelously!

'Crying, Waiting, Hoping' performed by Karen Elson

I also quite like this one. It's not the most adventurous take, but I quite like the violin parts. I made a note to go and look up Karen's other work, so that's a plus in my opinion!

'Rave On' performed by Julian Casablancas

Ridiculous. That's all.

'I'm Gonna Love You Too' performed by Jenny O.

Annoying babygirl voice. One of the 2 acceptable female styles - either sleepy/hungover/don't-give-a-sh*t attitude delivery, or baby/infantile/aren't-I-cute. I don't know which is worse. But after this song I'm leaning in the latter direction.

'Maybe Baby' performed by Justin Townes Earle

Not bad, straight rendering. Doesn't have his dad's power to his singing, but it doesn't make me spit.

'Oh Boy!' performed by She & Him

I like this one. Zooey borders on the "sleepy" sound, but doesn't seem to do it for attitude. Personal bias, but that's what "likes" are all about!

'Changing All Those Changes' performed by Nick Lowe

Love this one of course! Nick sings just so easily, and it keeps so much of the original, even down to the guitar solo. Wait, didn't I say that wasn't necessarily good? Well, in this case I was wrong. And I know I'm right about that.

'Words Of Love' performed by Patti Smith

OK down-tempo version. Not too interesting, but it wasn't one of Buddy's best either. My kingdom for a bridge or a chorus!

'True Love Ways' performed by My Morning Jacket

Nice straight rendering, but this is one of those songs that could be easily destroyed by much messing about, and Morning Jacket handles it nicely.

'That'll Be The Day' performed by Modest Mouse

Didnt like this when it started, but I warmed to it. Some nice textures. Don't know if it's really connected to the original song anymore, except lyrically. The chords, melody and all the rest are gone, but I like the overall song. I always find myself wondering, when someone changes something this much, why not just write a new song? But of course, then, it wouldn't have gotten onto a high-profile compilation, so I guess I just answered my own question.

'Well All Right' performed by Kid Rock

Not as bad as it could be, given the source. It helps that I don't have to watch him sing it.

'Heartbeat' performed by The Detroit Cobras

Nice job on this one! It keeps the energy, melody and idea of the original, but puts their own spin on it. This is what covers should be about!

'Peggy Sue' performed by Lou Reed

I've never been a Lou fan. Yeah, that's me. Never saw or heard what I was supposed to like about him. This hasn't changed my mind. I'm sure Lou fans will enjoy it, and they're welcome to my turn on this one.

'Peggy Sue Got Married' performed by John Doe

I like John Doe, in general, though over the last few decades he's "sounded" himself into a very 2D corner. Most songs all sound way too similar to hold my attention. Not a sound I dislike, just that I've heard it enough. He does keep the melody and structure of the song, but it's totally lifeless in this rendition. I suspect it's lyrically not a song that John could really get into at all, so maybe another choice (or another tribute!) would have been a better choice for him.

'Raining In My Heart' performed by Graham Nash

Nice quiet doing on this one. Graham handles a melodic song as well as anyone around.

Sounds very much like what Nick Lowe might have done on this one, and it's a nice song to finish out the album.

So there. I liked about 1/3 of it, and really liked several of the cuts. On the plus side, the CD sells for just $10 on Amazon, or $8 for an MP3 download, so I bought it. Not at all bad for nearly 20 songs, and I certainly liked enough of them to warrant the download. Do yourself a favor, though, and listen thru it on the NPR site, so you know what's what.

I like the idea of cover songs and tributes in general, and I'm not really bothered to find a lot of cuts I don't care for. One of the pitfalls of covering classics - there's a lot of residual competition in the gray matter!

Ivan Applerouth - Blues music that elevates the genre

Longtime sideman Ivan Applerouth has issued a wonderfully listenable disc of instrumental blues, Blue and Sentimental Instrumental.  The band sounds great --> Hammond, stand-up bass, sax and trumpet!! The recording has a great natural live sound.  Nothing against Stevie Ray or his disciples, but Ivan's guitar playing is clean and clever and there is no overplaying.  A breath of fresh air!!

You can find out more at Ellersoul Records!

What is "Genericana"?

Just kinda like it sounds - most any of the music that's marketed as "americana" and ends up being indistinguishable from one band to the next. No names (at least at this point ;) but it's just one of the many consequences of the genrification of music over the last few decades. Begun as a marketing tool so that bands and labels could answer the question, "what type of music do you play?", it ends up being a loosely-defined set of criteria not so much for describing music but for PRO-scribing it.

For example, in "americana", it has to have some roots in American country music, but shouldn't be too well-produced (or "slick" as it's often derisively described - Hank Williams or Merle Haggard are viable influences; Chet Atkins or Jim Reeves are not); should be guitar-based, often adding other 'country' instruments like mandolins or fiddles, and usually played by bands that try as hard as they can to look like they are tired, unbathed, or just annoyed!

It's kind of a country version of the worst bits of post-punk indie rock where the name of the game is attitude, not music at all. Music is just the lingua franca of much of our culture presently.

The worst part of it - and it's not limited at all to Genericana - is that it gives bands with limited talent, abilities or ideas a template to work within and, as long as they stick to the tropes that are sanctioned by the gatekeepers (No Depression comes to mind), they are considered 'real' or 'vital' or even worse, 'authentic'! So grab some flannel shirts, throw some songs together than have 3 rhythm guitars rambling between E minor and G chords with no real tune, add lots of attitude and maybe a fiddle 'lead', and viola! You've got a new americana song! If you're lucky, you'll get described as "road weary" or be lauded for your "whickey-soaked" stylings, and you're on your way to Genericana fame and fortune. Good for a least a month or two!

OK, I lied. The worst part is not what fits in the genre, it's what's left out because it doesn't embrace the aesthetic; maybe the band adds strings (God help them!) or a keyboard (how in-authentic!) to the mix, or plays with chords that are outside the 4-chord model used in most of the genre. In general, these bands will either be blasted by the gatekeepers, or usually just ignored because "We only review americana".

This same genrification has poisoned a lot of the club scene as well as recorded music; clubs often only book bands within one tiny genre - americana, celtic-rock, zydeco... whatever! It's been a self-feeding virus for several decades now and as a result, the listeners don't even know what they are missing.

Can't help but think that some of the classics of real americana - The Everly Brothers, Elvis, Buddy Holly, Jerry Lee Lewis, etc - would never even be noticed today if they had to compete in a genrefied market. One thing that made music, especially American music, so game-changing during the country and r&r early years was a desire to change the sounds, come up with new elements, reach larger audiences by mixing genres. The last thing they wanted was to be more like all the others who were out there! Sure, a lot of labels were all for template-music, always trying to cash in on a trend, but the real artists behind the music were often more interested in trying new things. Not all of the experiments succeeded, but that's never the issue.

More on this later, but this was just by way of introduction and because it's a Sunday night and that means work tomorrow and that never puts me in the most benevolent of moods ;)

A National Treasure: Bill Kirchen on Mountain Stage

Amazing guitar player, singer, songwriter, interpreter and entertaining as my second cousin and your great uncle combined!  Check him out live on the Mountain Stage show!!

Having heard him cover a few Dylan tunes, we would LOVE to sponsor a Bill Kirchen record of Dylan covers!!

Spottiswoode & His Enemies: Wild Goosechase Expedition

This is pretty much the best band from New York City fronted by an Englishman that you're going to see and hear. The bastard child of Randy Newman, Elvis Costello and Tom Waits - he may not scale the heights of those giants but his work is better than what those guys are doing today in the 21st century.

While their previous disc "Salvation" is an inspiring collection, "Wild Goosechase Expedition" abandons any conceit of a concept and lets writer/singer Jonathan Spottiswoode put forth his moving/witty/tuneful songs aided and abetted by his adept His Enemies...as he has been for over a decade.