The great Joe Strummer once said, “rock and roll ain’t about playing all the right notes.” It was a comment on the passion and showmanship that made his, and others, success in the 80’s and 90’s. I’d argue that while the passion is still essential, the showmanship that was once necessary has evolved to become a blue-collar work ethic. You put your head down and do what you have to do. Case in point is LA band The Far West. When they secured a residency at a nearby American Legion hall, they recorded a live album there as their debut. When they were ready for a follow-on, they recorded it at the hot rod shop where producer, Colin McClean, had a day job. For their third release, they went into a real studio. Well, by “went in”, I mean snuck in at night to an audio engineering school where one of the guys taught. It’s called Everything We Thought We Wanted, which undoubtedly refers to a life lesson one or all of the members have had.
Those life lessons pop up throughout the record. Opener See For Yourself is a roots rock number with some nice twangy guitar. Too many of us suffer that fate of not learning from others. Joshua Tree is a softer, country rock tune about going out to the desert to clear your head, only to realize “I had brought my troubles along.” In Your Own Time is more upbeat, with drums driving the point home that you’ll become who you were meant to be. One lesson perhaps not learned surfaces in These Lies. There’s a bit of pop and twang accompanying the illusion that “she’ll come back, just wait and see.”
Band songwriters Lee Briante (guitar) and Robert Black (bass) have commented they like to “make horribly painful songs you can dance to.” That combination certainly makes several appearances. Hope I Don’t Bleed is a swampy, rhythmic roots rock cut featuring Dave Alvin’s searing guitar work. Meet Me Where We Parted Last has a horn section in a perhaps-too-optimistic tale of picking up a previous relationship again. Better Days has a Cajun sound replete with piano and accordion. It’s a fervent hope to live in happier times, but with enough realism to know it may just be that “many years from now maybe things will look better.”
Overall, this record was nearly 10 years in the making. Honestly, I don’t think I’ve ever heard of one that was easy to get out. But in addition to the pandemic, this story includes missing masters and rescue of a hard drive just hours before the Eaton Fire consumed everything in its path. Throughout it all The Far West persevered, and the axiom about it being more than just the notes shines through on Everything We Thought We Wanted.
About the author: I've actually driven from Tehatchapee to Tonopah. And I've seen Dallas from a DC-9 at night.