Dave Rawlings Machine – “Bells of Harlem”
Posted on | November 2, 2009 | 3 Comments
1. David Rawlings and Gillian Welch make what is generally considered throwback music. From Gillian’s first record Revival, the duo have been making music that doesn’t depend on trends or the passage of time — an Appalachian folk mixture that draws strength from the songs themselves, not from elaborate production or experimental sounds. It has now been six years since their last sighting, and the new record A Friend Of a Friend could not be more welcome. Resurfacing as the Dave Rawlings Machine, Welch and her partner haven’t changed much except lead vocal duties. The music still points back to older forms of music, though on “Bells of Harlem” Rawlings adjusts his lens to harness a string-laden, mid-60’s sound that perfectly complements his and Welch’s high-register harmonies.
2. “Bells of Harlem” opens with lyrics about waking up, and not being able to “sleep for dreaming.” The words match the music’s dreamy waltz, lilting with the grace of “Just Like a Woman” as Rawlings expresses the relief of feeling at home. When Welch joins him with to drawl out “This is the dawn/ the break of day”, the two capture the youthful excitement of a long-anticipated day. Rawlings’ plucky Epiphone Olympic guitar stands out over the strings, as the song is in no rush to move forward. His narrator tells of moving down the street, the “crowd breathing faster” after walking what must have been “a hundred blocks”. He sums up the short memory of a child, realizing that “tears of the past” are no more, caught up in the palpable excitement as he hears the long-awaited bells. The impact of the sound is explained by quoting “Ain’t No More Cane” and declaring that “they couldn’t stop the freedom train”, drawing a historical framework around the events and adding gravity to what was a simple child’s dream.
3. Sonically, this song could easily be a Louis Armstrong tune — the vibraphone and stirring string section give it a lift even as the song fades away into nothing. Rawlings said in press for this record that while Gillian’s voice is more powerful without a lot of instrumentation, he had to find new musical settings when taking over lead vocals. His experimentation is wildly successful, as he reinterprets his own sound into a beautiful, nostalgic blend of country soul. The warm, analog sound of this song is the result of an organic process — no corners were cut in this recording. The unmistakable sound of real strings and voices on two-inch tape wrap this song like a blanket. Rawlings and Welch’s commitment to taking time with their music might make their fans restless in the interim, but “Bells of Harlem” allows listeners to share in the harvest.
Dave Rawlings Machine – Bells of Harlem (live)
Rosanne Cash – “Sea of Heartbreak”
Posted on | October 13, 2009 | 2 Comments
1. By now, Rosanne Cash’s new record The List has been pored over by critics, previewed by NPR, and released a week ago. Her renditions of songs from her father’s list of 100 essential songs provide new insight into classic American standards, with warm production by her husband, John Leventhal. One of these songs, Don Gibson’s “Sea of Heartbreak”, was also covered by her father on his second American Recordings release Unchained. The two versions of Gibson’s terribly lonely classic are very different, but both seem to serve the song equally well. Rosanne brings in Bruce Springsteen to assist on background vocals, while her father had Tom Petty (and the Heartbreakers) backing him on much of that entire record. As for whose version is better? That is up to you to decide.
2. Johnny Cash’s work with Rick Rubin stands as a testament to both artist and producer, with Cash’s strong baritone hovering over Rubin’s crisp, acoustic based arrangements. Petty’s drawled count-off leads into a jangly rendition with all the American Recordings’ hallmarks – triangle, layered acoustic guitars, and booming piano fills. Petty has always been underrated as a background singer, a role he displayed on Bob Dylan’s 1986 True Confessions tour, where he and his band opened for the legend, then served as his backing band. His thin tenor lilts over Cash’s recitation, while Benmont Tench’s organ provides a perfect warmth to the track. Rubin, who also produced Petty’s Wildflowers, provides a similar sound here, with the bright accompaniment a worthy foil to Cash’s unmistakable voice.
3. Leventhal and Rosanne take a different approach, with an airy keyboard and a twangy, reverb-heavy guitar providing the only accompaniment before Rosanne’s distinctive alto breaks the ethereal mood. Bruce’s voice is in full croon mode that he showed on Magic’s “Girls in Their Summer Clothes”, more deep-vibrato Roy Orbison than the gritty howl that Springsteen fans are used to. A change of chords on the chorus creates a descending, tension-building pattern that echo the narrator’s desperation. Springsteen’s solo turn on the bridge over a lightly strummed guitar makes it a true duet, rather than just a background cameo.
4. It is hard to pick a favorite of these two tunes. Rosanne’s version is more adult contemporary, similar to a rendition that Sting might turn out if he were prone to covering American classics. Her father’s version is more of an update of his traditional country sound mixed with the Traveling Wilburys (of which Petty was an integral part). Maybe both can be enjoyed without picking a favorite, but in case you haven’t heard either, listen to them below and let me know which version you favor in the comments.
Johnny Cash (with Tom Petty) – Sea of Heartbreak
Rosanne Cash (with Bruce Springsteen) – Sea of Heartbreak
Throwback Thursday – Doug Sahm – Doug Sahm and Band
Posted on | September 17, 2009 | No Comments
1. Rarely has one artist assimilated so many influences into a single sound. Managing to meld the 60’s British Invasion sound he heard on the radio with the country, Tejano, and R&B he heard in Texas, Doug Sahm turned in a masterpiece of a record with Doug Sahm and Band. Revered by the great Jerry Wexler and Bob Dylan (who contributes “Wallflower” to this record), Sahm cut this record in New York with an incredible band: Dr. John on piano, Flaco Jimenez on accordian, David Bromberg on several stringed instruments, and the unmistakable organ of Augie Meyers.
2. The record kicks off with one of Meyers’ most recognizeable organ parts — the intro to “Is Anybody Going to San Antone?”. Recounting the wandering that had typified his career thus far, Sahm’s doubled vocals show the strain of earnestness that makes his music indelible. On Dylan’s “Wallflower”, the man himself shows up to sing along to the waltz, accompanied by Bromberg’s droning dobro and fiddle, while “It’s Gonna Be Easy” imagines a Texas-born Beatles, with its easy harmonies and loping beat.
3. The truly remarkable thing about this record how every single song sounds like a Doug Sahm song, despite the fact that he only wrote three of them. Even when taking on Willie Nelson’s autobiographical “Me and Paul”, a less-informed listener might think that the “me” refers to Sahm himself. “Loose” could be used liberally to describe the feel of this record, and perhaps that was how Doug recorded best – live, without many rules or boundaries. Sahm died of natural causes (amazingly) in 1999, but cast a long shadow on a generation of genre-blending artists.