Random Review #109 Lyle Lovett -Smile Songs From The Movies

C11S6CD11 Lets get the trivia out the way straight away, Lyle Lovett was married to Julia Roberts a long time ago and only for about 18 months. The fact that he has released 13 albums, contributed tracks to over 15 different films and acted in a couple of Robert Altman films seem to pale into insignificance compared to the Julia Roberts fact, even in main stream music publications!

I was lucky enough to see Lyle Lovett live this year at the third time of asking (he had cancelled his previous 2 visits to the North East) it was a really cool gig Lovett seemed at total easy with his self, confident in his own abilities and just delighted to be able to make music for a living. This album reflects all of those traits, it’s a compilation of tracks Lovett has recorded specifically for movies, they are all covers versions and showcase Lovett singing Gospel, Jazz as well as his usual country style.

What struck me the most when I bought this album (after all the different styles) is the diversity of films Lovett has contributed to, we have children’s favourites, Toy Story (You’re Got A Friend In Me) and Stuart Little (Walking Tall) romantic comedy, Hope Floats (Smile) and high end drama Quiz Show (Moritat, Mack The Knife). It seems that Lovett can turn his style to be appropriate for anytime of film, and as I write this I note he also has an original tune of the soundtrack of Dead Man Walking. The Sean Penn film chronicling a prisoners last days on death row.

Although not all the tracks work on this album (nobody can cover What’d I Say by Ray Charles) but this ranks as one of my favourite Lyle Lovett albums, his re- interpretations of Irvin Berlins Blue Skies and Smile which I am stunned to find out was co-written by Charlie Chaplin are brilliant. My Favourite is his rework of Moritat better known as Mack The Knife, I guess you could go like for like with Frank Sinatra on this tune, so Lovett slows it down and genuinely brings something different to the track.

This album isn’t a true reflection of Lyle Lovett work, but if a reflection of what he can do when given licence to steer away from his traditional country roots, and that might suit some people. Lyle Lovett is a real talent who deserves to be heard.

Mark 7/10

Random Review #108 Love And Money - Littledeath

C3S11CD13 The late Eighties early Nineties saw a number of Scottish bands emerge and obtain chart success, some was fleeting, Hipsway, Goodbye Mr McKenzie (soon to become Garbage) The Blue Nile and some would bring bands to our attention that would stay in the public eye for many years (Texas and Deacon Blue). Love and Money fall into the first category. Love and Money’s chance came between 1989 and 1991 when their single Strange Kind Of Love hit 45 and their album Dogs In The Traffic made it to number 41, after this dalliance of sorts with the charts Love and Money retreated back to Scotland and although they continued to produce music as Love and Money or solo (main man James Grant) they were never to threaten the mainstream ago.

This album was their fourth and last as a band I believe, and I’m trying to work out where I got my copy as it is stamped as a promotional copy. James Grant who fronts the band and writes all the songs is a song writer that deserves to be heard, he has honey smooth vocals and a knack for writing a grown up tune with pop sensibilities. The album opens and closes with Littledeath the opening track being a reprise of the final track and it’s a wonderful instrumental of sorts (minor backing vocals) which reminds me of the Godfather films, it’s atmospheric and feels very Italian for some reason. We are firmly back in Scotland with track 2 with The Last Ship On The River, although the track is lamenting the end of shipbuilding on the Clyde it’s very upbeat in tempo. The pace is mixed on the album the quality never dips other than Bitched Breach which comes over as The The outtake, but I’ll forgive them for that track. Highlights for be other that the tracks mentioned are Don’t Be Afraid of The Dark, and the Gospel tinged Keep Looking For The Light.

I’m not sure if this is my favourite Love and Money album but it does contain some of my tracks by the band and if you can get your hands on it (currently £35 on Amazon) it’s worth a punt, but if you’re new to the band Cheap Pearls and Whisky Dreams a low budget Best of Collection would be a great starting point.

I notice that Love and Money are back together and placing a one off gig in Edinburgh, I’m not sure but I hope this is the shape of things to come.

Mark 7/10

In the absence of any official video and also any decent live footage I have posted Love & Moneys nearly hit

Songs I Love #28 Pete Yorn - For Nancy ( Cos It Already Is)

Really underrated American artist and this is of my favourite songs.

And when you said I could not stay with you
That's not the way you would have wanted to be
Convince yourself that everything is alright
'Cos it already is

Don't sell your heart and break just anyone
I want to run with you through moorland fields
Convince yourself that everything is alright
'Cos it already is
'Cos it already is

So take your lessons hard and stay with him
When your car crash comes, don't be misled
Convince yourself that everything is alright
'Cos it already is
'Cos it already is

So take your lessons hard and stay with him
And when your car crash comes, don't be misled
Convince yourself that everything is alright
'Cos it already is
Yeah it already is

So take him home
So take him home
So take him home

Take him, Take him home
Take him, Take him home

Songs I Love #27 The Church - Under The Milky Way

This is the only song I have ever heard by The Church and I suspect it will stay that way, it's just a beautiful song which has suck with me for over 20 years. It feels like an old friend if that is possible.

Sometimes when this place gets kind of empty
Sound of their breath fades with the light
I think about the loveless fascination
Under the Milky Way tonight

Lower the curtain down on Memphis
Lower the curtain down all right
I got no time for private consultation
Under the Milky Way tonight

CHORUS:
Wish I knew what you were looking for
Might have known what you would find
Wish I knew what you were looking for
Might have known what you would find

And it's something quite peculiar
Something shimmering and white
Leads you here despite your destination
Under the Milky Way tonight

CHORUS

Under the Milky way tonight..
Under the Milky Way tonight...

Random Review #107 Bruce Springsteen - Human Touch

C5S12CD2 Not many artists release 2 separate albums on the same day, as not many artists have the power to go to their record company and demand that this happens. I can remember Guns and Roses doing it with Use Your Illusion I & II and Springsteen did it with this album (Human Touch) and Lucky Town. In retrospect both pairings had a good album in them but not necessarily 2 good albums!

My first listen to this album had me really struggling for anything positive to say, the production seems very dated, it has that early Nineties style, the snare drum is far too high in the mix, the keyboards very light and all in all it sounds very like the style used so well be the likes of Robert Palmer and say Huey Lewis. The band although good musicians (step up Randy Jackson now famous as an American Idol Judge) are no E Street Band, there are times on this album when you expect Clarence Clemons to hit us with a huge saxophone solo and it doesn’t appear. So all in all I was ready to give this album a bit of a hammering, but as I mentioned at the very beginning of this project I listen to the albums being reviewed at least twice and on my second listen I started to enjoy it more. Strip away all that I have said and really some of the songs on this album are true Springsteen classics, Human Touch, 57 Channels (And Nothing On), Roll of the Dice, and Man’s Job could sit on better Springsteen albums. At 14 tracks and a hour in length this album is also a little too long.

In 1995 Bruce Springsteen released his first Greatest Hits package 18 tracks and only one from this album Human Touch, I think that tells us everything we need to know about how he felt about Human Touch.

A Springsteen album more for the Springsteen completist rather than the casual listen, if you new to ‘The Boss’ then there are better albums to start with. If I could give this album a back handed compliment I would say it’s not as bad as I first thought, but not as good as it could have been!

Mark 6/10

Random Review #106 Pop Staples - Peace To The Neighbourhood

C10S2CD3 Roebuck Staples or Pop as he was more commonly know first came to our attention when with his 3 daughters Mavis, Yvonne and Cleotha who made up The Staple Singers who in the earlier part of the  70’s had a number soul tinged gospel hits on the famous Stax label with the likes of I’ll Take You There, Respect Yourself, and If You’re Ready (Come Go With Me). Pops shared vocals and played guitar in the band who continued to make music until the 1981 when Mavis left to pursue a solo career.

This album released in 1992 was Pop Staples second foray into recording solo but his first was released back in 1969. This album was Grammy nominated and was followed by Father Father released in 1994 which won Pop Staples a Grammy. This album has a star studded cast, Jackson Browne, Bonnie Raitt, and Ry Cooder all lend a hand playing, writing and producing on self penned tracks, whilst Mavis sings lead vocals on Pray On My Child whilst Yvonne and Cleotha sing backing vocals on a number of tracks. Significantly the legend that is Willie Mitchell, Hi recording artist and soul producer turns up to co-produce 4 tracks.

I had fond memories of this album so it’s with heavy heart that I say listening to it again has been a bit of a struggle. I remember at the time loving this album and maybe my tastes have changed over the last decade but I found myself wishing this CD would finish and that is never a good thing. The pace of all the songs is very similar and I have to remember that Pop was 78 when this album was released so we shouldn’t expect a load of fast paced Blues tunes but it just sounds a bit samey to me.

Stand out tracks are the Mavis Led Pray On My Child as this reminds you of the Staple Singers of old and maybe the opening World In Motion written and featuring Bonnie Raitt and Jackson Browne. The album closes with a reworking of We Shall Not Be Moved, rewritten and sung as I Shall Not Be Moved which I guess is a fitting statement made by Pop to close the album.

Pop Staples passed away in 2000 at the age of 86 and was a true legend in the world of Gospel, Soul and Blues, but I would rather listen to the Staple Singers rather than this album. I have Father Father and I’m going to give it a whirl to see if it’s an improvement.

I was lucky enough to see Mavis Staples live last year and she spoke at length about how hard it was for her to make music after the death of father but I suspect that Pop would be proud to see that she is now producing some of her best work.

Mark 5/10

Random Review #105 Mew - "And The Glass Handed Kites"

C4S8CD5 When a band labels their music as ‘pretentious art rock’ and gives songs titles like ‘Circuitry of the Wolf’, ‘Saviours of Jazz Ballet (Fear Me, December)’ and ‘An Envoy to the Open Fields’ it should send alarm bells ringing and most should the CD firmly on the rack, but for some reason I bought this CD and I have to say I’m pleased I did.

Mew are from Denmark and although this was their 4^th album it was only the 2^nd to be released worldwide. I think when they labelled their music ‘pretentious’ they were joking our maybe not? I would class the music as modern progressive and usually the mention of progressive music leads quickly to the mention of pretentious and self indulgent. I’m not saying this album is that neither am I saying this album is progressive as in progressing music but it is left of centre of mainstream music. Lyrics that on the whole are indefinable, rhythms are off kilter and change when you are least expecting, but you also get hooks that make you sing along to lyrics you can’t understand, snappy tunes that aren’t too long, and a band that sit with The Mars Volta as doing something different from the most.

This album at times reminds me of Mansun which in my opinion is a great thing and is worth a listen if anybody fancies something a little bit different.

Mark 7/10