With a set of music that T-Bone Burnett calls “the best batch of songs he’s ever brought to me”, Jakob Dylan takes a more intimate turn from the roots rock of the Wallflowers into a sound that evokes the mystery and mythology of the most rural parts of America. One of three songs from the Women and Country EP, which previews the full length of the same name, “Everybody’s Hurting” takes a common feeling of America and sets it in the musical context of its past.
Opening with an ominous rumble, followed by Dennis Crouch’s upright bass and rolling drums, a woozy fiddle introduces Dylan’s familiar rasp. He admits to worriedly pacing, asking God where he has gone, or “have we just left you bored?”. He continues the biblical imagery, referencing the “milk and honey” that he and his companions lack. Neko Case and Kelly Hogan join him for the chorus, which give a sonic lift to counter the lyrics of despair.
Dylan’s America is similar to the country that his father and The Band mined on The Basement Tapes, as well as the people that inhabited O Brother, Where Art Thou, another T-Bone Burnett vehicle — a land unforgiving (“the evenings are cold enough to pluck your feathers out”) and barren (“we’ve hunted these hills dry/we’ve long outlasted the winter and our last wood pile”). This image of “country” isn’t the commonly heard caricature of rural people, but a realistic portrayal of the hard times that Stephen Foster famously recalled. The parallel to our current recession culture is apparent, as Dylan remarks that “we’d sell this valley if we could”. His outlook isn’t without hope, as he understands that faith asks him to believe what he cannot see, but the reality of his surroundings makes that difficult.
Musically, Burnett envelops Dylan’s voice with his now-trademark sound, using his same band from both the Crazy Heart soundtrack and Robert Plant and Alison Krauss’ Raising Sand. The layers of acoustic, organic sound and perfectly placed harmonies make the song as musically compelling as the subject matter.
Jakob Dylan deserves to be judged on his own merit, ignoring the large shoes he has been expected to fill since birth. With “Everybody’s Hurting” (and the rest of this fantastic EP), he furthers his already-proven ability to make compelling music that stands on its own.
Jakob Dylan – Everybody’s Hurting
Posted: March 31st, 2010 | 1 Comment »
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)
Posted: November 2nd, 2009 | 3 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
Posted: October 13th, 2009 | 2 Comments »
