Still catching up. Here’s four more releases that captured my attention in 2006.
Elvis Costello & Allen Toussaint: The River in Reverse
If you have the time, click here for a marvelous read. It’s a list of Elvis Costello’s top 500 recommended albums — an extremely diverse list, which illustrates his willingness to embrace virtually any musical style. Enter Allen Toussaint.
The River in Reverse is another brilliant installment in Costello’s mutual admiration series — collaborations with his heroes and friends that began (not coincidentally) after he learned to read and write music in 1992. His pairing with Burt Bacharach is, for my money, untouchable, but the Costello/Toussaint partnership is awfully good, too.
This is a meeting of two immense talents which offers something to please fans of both artists: selections from Toussaint’s vaunted catalog; Costello’s sharp lyrics; the Crescent City Horns; the great Steve Nieve; and a very satisfying mix of old and new R&B/soul songs. The sweet, soulful numbers really sold me on the record. Toussaint’s “Freedom for the Stallion” and “Nearer to You” are affirmed classics, but Costello’s own pen provides the highlight: “The Sharpest Thorn” — a song that sounds curiously like an earlier Costello track, “Deep Dark Truthful Mirror,” on which Toussaint played piano in 1989.
Johnny Cash: American V: A Hundred Highways
The palpable decline in Johnny Cash’s voice became painfully obvious on American IV: The Man Comes Around. It would seem another entry in the Rick Rubin “American” series was ill-advised. Wrong. I wasn’t prepared to like American V when I plunked down $15 on it, but it is surprisingly GOOD.
Sure, Cash’s debilitations are noticeable; at times, it sounds like his proverbial last gasp. As he strains to release the words, he comes as close as any artist to suffering for his art. But, unlike its predecessor, American V succeeds because its prophetic subject matter is actually deepened by his vulnerabilities; he’s living the pain and the joy of his songs, so when he sings it, you believe it.
With a vague tremble, Cash humbles himself to truth in “Help Me” and “I Came to Believe”; he acknowledges the approaching end with a dignified voice in Bruce Springsteen’s “Further on up the Road” and Hank Williams’ “On the Evening Train”; and he resolves to be joyful despite his trials in “Love’s Been Good to Me” and “Rose of My Heart.” But the highlight is the closer, “I’m Free from the Chain Gang Now” — a fitting farewell to his career…and his life.
“…for power is made perfect in weakness.” I will rather boast most gladly of my weaknesses, in order that the power of Christ may dwell with me.” You won’t find many better illustrations of 2 Corinthians than this album. The legend looms larger than ever.
Neil Young would be proud. The latest release from the BoRox has all the distortion and plodding guitar of a Crazy Horse record, and even a tad of the social commentary of Young, himself. It’s also very melodic, and for the most part, very enjoyable. The Rockets have been stuck in reverse the last few years, but this is a good “re-entry.” The sobering “I quit” and the politically-charged “Align Yourself” deserve a listen.
T-Bone Burnett: The True False Identity
O T-Bone, where art thou?
Probably best known for producing the popular O Brother Where Art Thou soundtrack, T-Bone Burnett recently released an album of his own songs, his first since 1992. He’s back, and he’s not happy.
Known for delivering high-handed messages on occasion, T-Bone puts his preaching into overdrive here. In several stream-of-consciousness rants, he decries the evil in the world, over a mostly dissonant soundtrack. Only traces of his former, melodic self can be found, in songs like “I’m Going on a Long Journey Never to Return” and “Baby, Don’t Say You Love Me”. The rest is mostly rough edges that should alienate fans of O Brother.
This album will divide listeners down the middle. I don’t mind the new direction…but I wouldn’t play it on a first date.
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