© Copyright Clive Young

Sample Reviews From American Songwriter.

Album: Th' Legendary Shack*Shakers--Swampblood
November / December, 2007 issue
Marking the final installment of the band's Tentshow Trilogy, leader Colonel J.D. Wilkes unleashes a bizarre Blues- and Bluegrass-fueled hallucination of the South with Swampblood, an off-kilter portrait of a rotting, morbid world where no one trusts the guy with an education, murder's around the dead tree-lined corner, and God and the Devil may be one and same. Diving so deep into a warped vision of ethnic subculture, the disc occasionally feels like--go out on a limb with me here--a southern-fried answer to Oingo Boingo's 1983 Good For Your Soul album (particularly on tracks like "Down And Out"), finding both sets obsessed with death and dying, moral quandaries and the decay of the soul.

While the performances are occasionally overtaken by the production--lots of vocal treatments and atmospheric delays--it all serves the dark mood, alternately creepy and inviting, created by the lyrics. Luckily, just when things get overbearing, along comes "Preachin' At Traffic," with smart, telling, funny lines like, "Who needs cable when you got cicadas? / I dream in sepia, mono and Beta." That pretty much sums up the entire cast of characters in Swampblood, and while you might not want to visit them that often, there's no denying they inhabit one of the strangest and thoroughly drawn concept albums of recent times.

DVD: U2; The DVD Collectors Box
July / August, 2007 issue
This weak DVD set simply repackages two "unauthorized" documentary DVDs: U2: An Unforgettable Journey and Bono: God's Favourite Son, originally released in 2003 and 2004 respectively (not that you get the names on the outside of the box; if you owned them already, you'd have to purchase and open it to find out you'd been had--what a scam).

On the discs are adequate if unremarkable one-hour documentaries comprised of old file footage and photographs, all soundtracked by U2-esque stock music, rather than the real (i.e. expensive) thing. Throughout, old TV interviews with the band, wide-eyed fans, journalists you've never heard of and various acquaintances across the years unleash stunning revelations, such as the fact that the bandmembers weren't very good when they started as kids; that they really care, man; and that no one tells them what to do. Wow, stop the presses. All of this is supplemented by narration that achieves the depth of a kiddie pool. The Bono DVD spends more time following the singer's charitable efforts, but ultimately both it and Unforgettable Journey are quite forgettable indeed.

Album: The Mooney Suzuki--Have Mercy
March / April, 2007 issue
The Mooney Suzuki came to moderate prominence in 2002 thanks to its explosive garage rock, but after its major label debut, Alive & Amplified, bombed, things started going downhill fast. Soon the band and label split, the drummer was history, and guitarist Graham Tyler had to quit as his dad slowly died of cancer. Singer Sammy James Jr., unsure of the future, realized all he had left was his songwriting, so he wrote...and wrote. The surprisingly upbeat result, with Tyler back in tow, is Have Mercy.

Residing somewhere between Get Happy-era Costello and The Ramones, it's a tight album with strong lyrics and understated performances that serve the songs, as highlighted by "First Comes Love," a perfect tale of hipster love gone bad. Can the Mooneys make a comeback? Beats me, but this is a fabulous first step.

Book: Exile on Main St.: A Season in Hell with the Rolling Stones
Jan. / Feb. 2007 issue
If, as many suggest, Exile on Main Street was the Stones' musical peak, the 1972 album also found them plumbing the depths of human experience. According to author Robert Greenfield, recording through a long, hot summer in the basement of Keith Richards' French villa (a former Nazi torture center, no less), drove half the Stones coterie of bandmembers and hangers-on to spend their time alternately doing nothing, heroin, or the heroine: Richards' girlfriend, Anita Pallenberg.

The point, however, is that they were recording--yet the band doesn't play a note until page 99 of a 199-page account (which ends, tackily enough, with a plug for Greenfield's other Stones book, covering their ensuing U.S. tour). Clearly, music is an afterthought, as Greenfield would rather focus on bashing other authors--and then endlessly quote them. At least when he's "borrowing," he gets the facts right; left to his own devices, he asserts on page 3 that Woodstock took place in 1968, and its all downhill from there. By the time he cattily tells one author to call him "next time you want to check a fact about the Stones," only to write one page later that "Jumping Jack Flash" appears on Sticky Fingers, the book may be only a third done, but it's definitely over.

Book: The Rough Guide to the Rolling Stones
Nov. / Dec., 2006 issue
As a snappy introduction to the band behind the legend, Sean Egan's The Rough Guide to the Rolling Stones is one smooth read. The tiny tome weighs in around 300 pages, half of which are taken up by an anecdote-laden biography largely concerned with who got busted where. The rest is a creative mash of hanger-on biographies; lists like "10 Stones Myths," each of the Richards-had-his-blood-replaced variety; a completely reviewed discography; and so on. Amazingly, Egan never holds back his strong opinions, yet manages to find something positive to say about each album, even the complete dogs. Those looking for insight into the Jagger/Richards songwriting axis will come away empty-handed, but otherwise, this speedy yet densely detailed text covers virtually everything else.

Book: The Complete Lyrics of Irving Berlin
March / April, 2006 issue
Robert Kimball notes in his introduction that Irving Berlin wanted the public to forget his less-popular songs, preferring to emphasize the hits. How he would feel, then, about his life's work collected in one book is anyone's guess, but the end result is curiously over- and underwhelming at the same time. Standards like "White Christmas," "God Bless America," "There's No Business Like Show Business" and "Puttin' On The Ritz" are here, as are lesser known efforts which are arguably just as good, but many become slight poetry without the benefit of music to fully appreciate them. Sadly, no music survives for the later entries--largely efforts about growing old, the last written less than two years before his death at 101--but with over 1,250 songs to his credit, Berlin left more than a large enough legacy for anyone, whether a fan or songwriter, to explore.

DVD: A Great Day In Harlem
Jan. / Feb., 2006 issue
In August, 1958, amateur photographer Art Kane gathered 57 of the biggest names in Jazz to take a group shot for Esquire magazine; capturing legends like Count Basie, Sonny Rollins, Gerry Mulligan, Thelonious Monk, Gene Krupa, Dizzy Gillespie, Art Blakey and others in one instant, the photo became equally renowned. Over 30 years later, director Jean Bach began interviewing the surviving musicians about that illustrious moment, and the result is a film that serves up charming recollections, supplemental photos, and miraculously, home movies shot that day by Milt and Mona Hinton. This new DVD supplements the 1995 Oscar-nominated film with solid featurettes and an second disc devoted to profiles of all 57 musicians. A decade after its debut, A Great Day In Harlem remains a must-see for jazz aficionados, and this stellar re-release only improves on its sizable reputation.

Book: Souled American: How Black Music Transformed White Culture
Nov. / Dec., 2005 issue
For all that political correctness has accomplished (and for better or worse, it's done a lot), race remains an explosive topic that the culture is still attempting, and often failing, to come to grips with--just witness the popularity of films like Crash. With that in mind, it might seem ill-advised for a white, Texas DJ to document how white America has taken cultural cues from African-Americans since they were brought here as slaves, but that's what Kevin Phinney has attempted, and he's done a fine job of it.

This comprehensive overview covers expected topics like hip-hop, jazz, Elvis and rock's makeover of R&B, but the steady stream of new facts and stories helps keep the material fresh. Thoughtful analysis and introspective artist interviews provide great insight, turning what could have been a 368-page apology into a vibrant, enticing history. While thick and sometimes overwhelming in its onslaught of information, Souled American is a considered addition to our ongoing national discourse on race and culture.

Album: Antigone Rising--From The Ground Up
Sept. / Oct., 2005 issue
Antigone Rising's debut is a live, acoustic affair aimed at folks who buy safe singer/songwriter albums on a whim at places like Starbucks. That's not an insult but an observation; the disc currently sells exclusively at that very corporate coffee chain. The pairing is canny, too, as the polite tunes make perfectly adequate background music for grousing about lousy boyfriends over java. The five-woman band is reportedly a full-on rock outfit that toned down for the disc, and indeed, there are moments here begging for a rainstorm of distortion pedals. Singer Cassidy (one name, thank you) shines on songs like the upbeat elegy "Michael," but can't carry the album alone. Robbed of the ability to rock, From The Ground Up paints an oddly neutered portrait of a band unable to show what it can really do.

Book: All Yesterday's Parties: The Velvet Underground in Print 1966-1970
July / August, 2005 issue
The Velvet Underground was always ahead of its time, and even today, its music remains a cool, acquired taste. But while its legend has only grown since the group split, Clinton Heylin here collects contemporary writing on the band, drawing from hip magazines, clueless press releases and more. Throughout, some critics get it and others refer to the band's concerts as "a short-lived torture of cacophony," but it's clear the Velvets provoked emotional responses right from the start. AYP also inadvertently chronicles the baby steps of rock journalism, growing from stiff reporting to expletive-filled insider rants to something akin to smart writing. Giants like Lester Bangs and Lenny Kaye are represented, as are brilliantly awful portraits of the period, as exemplified by the hysterically bad "A Rock Band Can Be A Form Of Yoga" by Lita Eliscu. The result is a must for Velvet fans and budding music scribes alike.

Book: The Future Of Music: Manifesto for the Digital Music Revolution
July / August, 2005 issue
Are your songs "product," mere accessories to luxury items like iPods? Well, The Future of Music sees them as a utility, and its authors believe new technologies will free music from physical media (i.e. CDs), allowing songs to be accessed anywhere, any time, like water or electricity. Some of their best ideas explain how performers, songwriters and publishers will get paid--and how record companies won't, unless they let go of the past. In this vision, however, promotion appears to be more critical than ever, yet it's barely touched upon. Likewise, if performers made a living from just hundreds of fans scattered across the world, forget touring--there wouldn't be enough fans in any one place to fill a club, much less an arena. Despite its flaws, however, The Future of Music posits some great ideas, challenging readers (and huge multi-national corporations) to rethink what music means and where it's going.

Album: The Bravery--The Bravery
May / June, 2005 issue
On its bloodless debut, The Bravery invokes production clichˇs from numerous Eighties hits, yet fails to rip off far more important characteristics--namely their strong melodies. The single "An Honest Mistake" shamelessly apes "Planet Earth"-era Duran Duran, but the difference is that if you scrape away the dated sound, the latter song still has a memorable hook. The Bravery spends most of its debut album missing that point entirely.
So, an honest mistake? Perhaps, but it's one made time and again, whether they're artlessly copping Depeche Mode ("Tyrant"), The Cars ("Fearless"), Human League ("Public Service Announcement") or New Order ("Unconditional"). Guitarist Michael Zakarin occasionally shows flashes of inspiration, but any headway is easily trumped by Sam Endicott's Strokes-like caterwauling.
Perhaps they are being ironic; perhaps they're sincere. It's hard to tell, and even harder to care. Naturally, the album will be huge, but that doesn't mean it's any good.

Book: Sing My Way Home: Voices of the New American Roots Rock
March / April, 2005 issue
Gram Parsons called it "Cosmic American Music," while others call it "country rock" and performers like Lucinda Williams and Ryan Adams probably just call it "home." The genre then, like its various sobriquets, may be nebulous, but brothers Keith and Kent Zimmerman provide a comprehensive topographical map of its artists and their relevance in both historical and musical terms.

Informative and exhaustively reported, the book is not afraid to take controversial stances--the first chapter alone takes Parsons down a few pegs, wagging a finger at those who call the ill-fated singer a legend. Along with Williams and Adams, other artists profiled and analyzed include Rodney Crowell, Steve Earle, Don McLean, Neko Case and even Bernie Taupin, with each chapter benefiting from interviews, anecdotes and insights provided by the artists themselves or the collaborators around them. Rounding out each profile is a "Download This" list of essential listening, and a rundown of the 100 most influential albums tops off the tome. Entertaining for both newcomers and longtime fans of the genre, Sing My Way Home is an addictive, vibrant read.

Book: Wired: Musicians' Home Studios - Tools & Techniques of the Musical Mavericks
March / April, 2005 issue
If you've ever watched MTV Cribs just so you could drool over rock stars' home studios, this is the book for you. Focusing almost entirely on Southern California alt-rock and techno, Megan Perry delves into the personal recording spaces of acts like Korn, BT, No Doubt, Snoop Dogg and Sonic Youth. In addition to exploring the rooms with the stars and their engineers, every chapter features sidebars with instrument and recording gear lists, mini-glossaries of terms being discussed, and "Tech Talk" tips on how to develop recording spaces, gear collections and so on.

To be fair, the definition of "home studio" gets stretched at times--311 and Sonic Youth show off the professional recording spaces they purchased, while System of a Down's Daron Malakian chills in a jam room where the only recording gear is a circa 1985 boom box. Nonetheless, although Wired would benefit from better organization (a single glossary, for instance) and less-murky photos, it provides an intriguing behind-the-scenes look into the spaces where today's artists wrestle with their creative muses.

Book: Sonic Alchemy: Visionary Music Producers and their Maverick Recordings
Nov. / Dec. 2004 issue
Friend, foe, lover, mother, father, God--the producers in Sonic Alchemy probably played all these roles at some point. Coaxing greatness out of songs and artists is no easy task, making the truly renowned producers few and far between. David Howard ambitiously tries to cram them all in, however, from George Martin, Dr. Dre, Brian Wilson and Phil Spector to lesser-known but highly influential producers like Shel Talmy and Arthur Baker.

Cannily researched, Sonic Alchemy provides a solid overview for the uninitiated, but typically recounts what happened as opposed to why it happened. A producer's role is to foster creativity, provide focus and make decisions, but the book provides little insight on these scores, and that's a critical omission. Part of this is due to the glaring dearth of interviews with the producers or artists written about; virtually all the information here is gleaned from other, more authoritative sources. As a result, despite the heavy research and peppy writing, Sonic Alchemy rarely comes to life.

Book: The Lennon Companion
Sept. / Oct., 2004 issue
John Lennon wore numerous public faces, but nearly a quarter-century after his death, the man remains an enigma. As a result, any attempt to capture the Beatle in words is a dicey proposition, but the 59 articles and essays in The Lennon Companion nonetheless attempt the feat. Reprinted from its original 1987 edition, the book, compiled by Elizabeth Thompson and David Gutman, has not been updated, save for a lengthy afterword--an exceptionally verbose annotated bibliography of Beatle-related books and music from the last 17 years.

Lennon and his work are presented chronologically, from his early days as a passed-around child through his cultural canonization in the years following his death. Throughout, dry, intellectual discussions rule the day, unfortunately. The excitement of entries like Gloria Steinem's "Beatle With A Future," a behind-the-scenes look at an early Ed Sullivan Show appearance, stand out all the more as a result. Too often, the disections, aiming to discover what made the creative genius tick, tend to miss the heart of why Lennon interests us at all: because he made great music.

Even discussions on that topic seem to lose the plot; Joshua Rifkin's "On the Music of the Beatles," offers a stuffy take on "Strawberry Fields Forever" and "Lucy In The Sky With Diamonds," remarking that in the songs,"...the constant interchange of modes leads to a strong tonicisation of more than one key, creating virtual dual tone centres of a kind often found in 17th Century Music." That may be the case, but one wonders if Lennon himself would have had the stamina to wade through pages and pages of such commentary. Like much of the solo work by the man it portrays, The Lennon Companion is adequate and occasionally fascinating, but, ultimately, a missed opportunity.

Album: Aerosmith--Honkin' On Bobo
Sept. / Oct., 2004 issue
In recent times, rock mainstay Aerosmith has stayed current using a mix of trendy production and name songwriters. While the results have been enjoyable, they've also been safe and usually forgettable. Perhaps with that in mind, the band has eschewed all of its usual safety nets on the new blues-oriented Honkin' On Bobo.

While the results don't always work ("Jesus Is On The Main Line" should have been deleted from their Pro Tools rig), the group is clearly excited to lay claim to the material. A game take on "I Never Loved A Woman (The Way I Loved You)" gives Aretha Franklin's original a great charge, while "I'm Ready" and the album highlight "You Got To Move" each find guitarist Joe Perry and singer Steven Tyler barnstorming through the swampy grooves with lightning performances. Even "The Grind," fits right in; only Tyler's loquacious lyrics give away that it's the one Aerosmith original here.

Throughout, producer Jack Douglas, who helmed most of their Seventies classics, has stripped off the high sheen of Aerosmith's recent sound, leaving the raw wood of their performances bare--and if there's a few splinters in places, all the better. While it's unlikely that Honkin' On Bobo will match the group's recent chart successes, it's still their most enjoyable--and human--work since 1989's Pump.