Comin' round the corner in a battered old pick up truck (OK VW Camper
that has apparently given up the ghost) are this bunch of boys from
Ohio. Going by last release 'Twisted' ( also on Blue Rose) the kind of
thing getting played on the tape player would have been Early to
Mid-period Stones, The Band, Neil Young, Canned Heat, J.Geils Band ,The
Byrds and Creedence. Don't know about alt-country –better tag would be
country-rock straight even if there are little dashes of something else
in there. When the post-Uncle Tupelo alt-c scene seems to have got to
the third generation of bands and a lot of derivative sounding discs
along come this bunch with a few pointers forwards ( i.e. back). First
advantage they have over the crowd is Bob Burns' voice which has just
the right timbre to evoke memories of Van the Man, John Fogerty and even
Jagger occasionally. It's a great rock voice, as in great, not just ok ,
great! It's full of shades of the real soul-men that the aforementioned
Brits. studied in the first place. He's not bad at re-writing in the
classic style either. The band are rock solid in a way that many an
unrehearsed Brit. combo can only dream of. First track '.Neil's on the
Radio' (yup that Neil..who else) is anthemic...a road-song boogie that
sounds like The Replacements country cousins but without Whiskeytown's
archness. 'I just want to keep on drivin..ain't got no place to go...I'm
not lookin' for Nirvana..I don't need no place to go! All this over a
storming harmonica that Mr. Geils would have loved. 'Don't be mad' is
modern day Creedence. Next track 'Rewind' is an acoustic, mandolin and
violin stroll over some lovely guitar.'Miss you' floored me with that 'vocoder'
( if that's its name?) effect that brought back bad memories of Peter
Frampton but hell I've learned to love it anyway. 'Two Lane Highway'
written by ex Pure Praire Leaguer and friend of the band L.Goshorn flys
along like a drink-drivin chevy. By now you should have guessed that I'm
putting my (check) shirt on this band. Next two tracks 'Anna Lee' and
'Georgia' did it. The guitar chops through Anna Lee in perfect
time...it's not what you say with this kind of good time music but the
way you say and they say it well. File next to Blue Mountain, early
Whiskeytown, U.Tupelo before the art started leaking outta the engine
and spoiling the show. It's called rock and roll. Song and dance men is
what it's about as Mr. Dylan once said. 'Southbound Train' from
'Twisted' and 'Georgia' here are classic as in timeless great American
Music. That voice flowers on 'Hide Away' whilst 'Summerfall' jangles in
early REM/Lemonheads territory before 'Old Dan Tucker' and 'Not Gone
Yet' rock and boogie again....J.D. and cigarette music. ..speaking of
which that's where things end up in next track 'Two Day Drunk'. Coda 'Cinammon
Girl' neatly bookends the disc with one of their heroes. A lot of bands
feign a 'goodtime' image...these boys probably just give it. 'Book 'em
Danno' preferably on a double bill with Alabama's Mr.Wilson...now that'd
be some gig.
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My previous brush with Mr. Johnston was the 1992 'Can you fly' which was
an immediate favourite containing classics like 'Tearing down the
place'. He sold his family farm to pay for the record's manufacture and
it looks like the investment paid off handsomely. Latest offering comes
highly praised already stateside where he's been ranked alongside
Costello and Sexsmith. Such comparisons are entirely justified and the
quality of this release suggests there is much more to come from his
pen. The theme of the disc is nocturnal and lonely perhaps based on the
diary of a break-up. In interviews he has talked of Sinatra a great deal
and the mood rather than the orchestral sweep infects this disc. Another
comparison that comes to mind is the more reflective songs of Eitzel in
American Music Club. Produced 'almost' live by T-Bone Burnett with a
feeling close to his work with Case and Neurwirth. the writing is of a
very high quality taking everyday situations and building melancholy
vignettes which really do tear at the heart in an unsentimental way. Of
the ten songs that form a kind of suite it is hard to pick stand out
tracks –it really should be listened to as a whole. My particular
faves are 'Changed your mind' which has such a perfectly timed chorus,
'Caught while you look away' and ''Depending on the night' where
Keltner's drumming tip-toes and glides behind the soul-drenched voice.
Indeed the musicianship is fantastic throughout. It may well be a career
best for Johnston. If you have any interest at all in 'classic'
songwriting then this is essential. I'm off to pick up the rest of his
discs. Who knows maybe one day he'll get to buy back that farm.
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Recorded live at Bernie's Black River, Chester, NJ August 2 & 3 1999
this disc gives fans of the dynamic Glitterhouse duo a reminder of their
great two-header tour of these islands last year and adds the always
impressive John Ginty on keyboards. He immediately lays a gorgeous
Hammond sound behind Roby and Casal on 'Chopping Block'. For fans of
these guys as songwriters the disc offers five Roby originals ( all new?
possibly old Six String Drag songs) and three of Casal's including
renditions of 'Basement Deams' highlight 'Outskirts' and 'Maybe
California' from first disc 'Fade Away Diamond Time'. Casal hasn't been
short of releases lately but this mail-order disc from more than repays
a little extra investment. Roby sounds even better than on debut
'Mercury's Blues' with Ginty's organ swirling behind in best 'Wild
Mercury Sound' tradition. I look forward to Roby's second disc proper
– sounds like it could be a classic. His voice, whilst reminiscent of
Elvis Costello at times still, has matured into a formidable emotive
instrument whilst he and Casal have read the book of classic
songwriters. The covers here are testament to that depth and read like a
who's who...'Prine & Spector', Tom T. Hall, Ira and Charlie Louvin
and last but not last Townes Van Zandt. If you're a fan of any or all of
these then this disc is a must have. When the history of songwriters is
amended to include the post-Austin troubadours two of the main entries
will have to be these guys. Anybody who wants to see the true spirit of
Townes and Gram should seek them out in these millenium days. Their duet
on 'Snow don't fall' makes you cry it's as simple as that really.
Perfect. Top marks to Reinhard at Glitterhouse for supporting America's
prodigal artistic sons but next time no crickets please.
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