Great Lakes Twang - Review Page
NOTE: Review that have appeared on this page but are older than six months can now be found on the Great Lakes Twang Review Archives Page.
IMPORTANT NOTE: GLT has received numerous CD submissions for review, but do not meet the criteria of the web site. To guarantee a review on the GLT Review Page, CDs should meet the following two criteria:
1. Bands or performers should be from the Great Lakes area (Minnesota, Wisconsin, Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Ohio, West Pennsylvania, West New York, Southern Ontario).
2. Music must be of the Americana/Roots-Rock/Alt-Country genre.
No other CDs will be reviewed. Also, GLT cannot afford to send back CDs that do not meet this criteria. After October 1 2000, there will be no return of CDs that do not meet the criteria. Thank you in advance.
Records/CDs
Marianne Murphy No Longer Blue (Two Good Reasons Records, PO Box 48, Highland, MI 48357, TGR-77001, 2003)
It's hard for me to define this folk-pop recording. I'm not big on folk, but then again, there's not a lot here that I would consider folk (my definition is more Woody Guthrie, Dave Van Ronk, Pete Seeger, Joan Baez, and some modern people like Dan Bern and Lucy Kaplansky). I would define this more as acoustic pop and was not knocked out by this disc, although perhaps I'm missing something and it could be a hit with someone else.
The opening title cut was way too sugary/greeting card-like. "I'm crazy, crazy for you baby/ I'm crazy, crazy for you/ You're crazy, crazy for me baby/We're crazy, crazy makes two." C'mon, this actually is thought of as "quality" by someone? Perhaps as a nursery rhyme. Personally, this is not something that I would want to use as an opening cut, something that gets the first reaction from the listener. This seems to be something that I find in most of the cuts here. A lot of cliche wording, but no good stories. The next cut, "Irish Whiskey On the Side," has a similar weakness. The chorus is repeated so many times, and it's not that strong lyrically, that it becomes boring (plus the ending of the song, with the chorus again, sounds as if no one knew how to end the song). "You Said You Loved Me" is an attempt to be funny with some back-and-forth snide comments between the singer and a male counterpart, but the humor is pretty lame, and the comments are not timed well with the music (especially form the male voice).
Let's talk production. Some decent ideas here, but it sounds like it was a situation of, "I have all of these neat processing toys, let's use them!" The mix is way too reverb-heavy, and that makes it hard to distinguish some instruments. Since there's not a lot going on here, not much more than simple accompaniment of a guitar and occasional fiddle or mandolin, the use of a more "natural" room sound would have made this mix more live-sounding, as if performing in a living room. Also, there are certain times when some instruments come in to the mix too abrupt, such as the harmonica in "Irish Whiskey." It acts as a competitor to the vocals instead of complementary. Finally, there are a lot of instances where the acoustic guitar was "plugged in" directly to the mixingboard rather than mic'ed, and it makes the instrument sound tinny.
There are a few good things about this disc. One song, "Evelyn," is a well-written gem. There's a story here, something to draw the listener in. There needs to be more of these songs on the disc. Marianne's voice is really strong, pleasant but not gritty, and it fits most of the material perfectly. She does a lot of overdubbing and harmonizing with herself, which can be bittersweet. With a strong, distinctive voice, some harmonizing can sound fake. It might have been better to have a second female voice harmonize in the mix.
Again, there's a lot needed on this disc to make it marketable nationally. Perhaps there is an audience for this album, but in my opinion, Lucinda Williams and Gillian Welch have nothing here to lose sleep over. For more information, go to the Two Good Reasons Website. (Frank Holly, February 2004)
Robert Richmond Fortune Teller (Two Good Reasons Records, PO Box 48, Highland, MI 48357, TGR-77002, 2003)
Woah, this is pretty cool. Imagine Tom Waits singing Vince Gill songs, and you get the picture. Richmond's voice is as gravelly as a bad rural road, and makes you stop to listen.
There's only four songs on this disc, and according to the press release, it seems to be an acoustic sampler of things to come. If this sampler is any indication, it will be worht a little wait. The lyrics are very personal, having that country-folk-rock leaning. Some great mind pictures here. The swagger in Richmond's voice puts some stress on certain lines that might otherwise go unnoticed. The opening cut, "Another Bad Deal Gone Down," is a roots-rock groover. The next two cuts, "Angel In Chains" and "God Only Knows," are more ballad-like, but again, the voice is what makes the sound. The final song "Fortune Teller" has a great Native American/political theme going through it.
The weakness to this disc is. like another Two Good Reasons CD I reviewed, too much special effects on the mix. This one is also too reverb-heavy, and it makes the instruments wash around the mix like I am listening to it in a bathroom. The drums sound like a bunch of old cardboard boxes. If more stress was put on Richmond's voice and less on processing gear, this disc would be phenomenal. There is also a need for the songs to be less "demo-ish," by that I mean the instrument mix is very weak, and could have used some good interplay with a lead instrument during the vocal breaks.
Despite the weaknesses, there is some potential here. I am sure the full disc will have some people talking. For more information, go to the Two Good Reasons Records Website. (Frank Holly, February 2004)
Lower Lights Burning First Last Chance (2811 Indianola Ave., Columbus, OH 43202, 2003)
This is a six-song EP that has some great grooves to it. Each song is a total barroom brawl put to guitar chords. For the roots-rock enthusiast, this will be a good addition to the collection. If there was one other band that LLB sounds like, it would be Slobberbone.
That may be a bittersweet comparison. Slobberbone is one of the best rock-n-roll bands touring the world today. They should make the Rolling Stones feel ashamed of themselves. However, the 'Bones have yet to achieve any great success due to the fact that the industry doesn't feel that this music is innovative enough. It's good, but there seems to be a band like this in every city with a population of more than 10,000.
LLB has some great guitar tones going for it. The swagger vocals are a true roots-rock gem. The opening cut "Written in Stone" is what rock-n-roll is all about: overdriven chords, angst attitude, and a heavy tight beat. It is a great little disc here, and surely the band puts on one heck of a live show. But even in the Americana music format, this is a sound that is taken for granted because it is so common. Fore information on the band, go to the Lower Lights Burning Website. (Matt Merta, September 2003)
Erik Douglas Tasa Take Your Clay Eyes to the Well (418 Jefferson Ave. S., Edina, MN 55343, 2003)
Another great songwriter here. Totally in the vein of Jay Farrar and Ryan Adams (in fact, this disc almost too closely parallels Adam's Heartbreaker). The acoustic setting of the production helps to highlight the stories and philosophies brought forth in the breathy vocals.
The opening cut, "Tell Me Where the Rocks Are," could have easily fit in on a pre-breakup Whiskeytown release. The electric guitar fills are a nice touch to "echo" the vocals. However, the remaining tracks seem to all hav ethe same introductions, which will leave the listener to see if the CD player is skipping. Moreover, the lack of variety in song structure leaves the feeling of this disc being more of a demo and less of a marketable product (not sure if that was the intention).
There is some great material here, and Erik's voice fits the bill (although again, it sounds almost too much like Adams). The result does let everyone know that there is another great singer-songwriter residing in the Twin Cities area. For more information, e-mail etasa@aol.com. (Matt Merta, September 2003)
Books
The Birth of the Detroit Sound: 1940-1964 by Marilyn Bond and S.R. Boland (Arcadia Publishing, 3047 N. Lincoln Ave., Suite 410, Chicago, IL 60657, ISBN 0-7385-2033-0, 2002, 128 pp., $19.99)
Music history books tend to forget to mention Detroit prior to the Motown years. True, this was probably one of the most influential times in the chronology of rock-n-roll, but the Motor City had a thriving and influential scene prior to Berry Gordy's formation of the Motown/Tamla labels in the early 1960s. Fortunately, this photographic essay is available to make the "pre-history" more obvious.
This book is part of the publishing company's "Images of America" series. Authors Bond and Boland have gathered hundreds of photos of artists, DJs, promoters, and venues that were active in the Detroit music community during the 1940s and 50s. It is interesting to note that while the city is known for its R&B sound, blues, country and jazz was also highly popular in the community. Artists such as blues legend Johnny Lee Hooker, jazz guitarist Kenny Burrell, R7B great Jackie Wilson, and rockabilly crooner Johnny Powers (the only artist to be signed to both Sun and Motown Records) were prominent figures who resided at one time in town.
Glancing through the pages will bring memories to anyone who remembers what the city was like during the aformentioned decades. Disc jockeys such as Casey Kasem, Mickey Shorr, and Ed McKenzie spinned the hits, and venues such as The Flame, The Falcon, and teen club The Top Hat were the places to go. It is great to see photos of some of these venues and learn about the history of buildings that are still standing (The Apex Bar, where Johnny Lee Hooker often performed, is still standing, only blocks from this writer's residence). Also interesting is the amount of photographic information regarding the people who were influential in the local music scene during this time, yet are now all but forgotten.
There are a few things missing from the book that should have seen more coverage. For example, disc jockey Alan Freed is mentioned being from Detroit in the preface, yet there is no phot representation of him in the book. Also, there is no reference to United Sound Systems studio, where Hooker, Wislon, and Aretha Franklin recorded numerous times. However, these flaws are minor compared to the wealth of information provided for anyone interested in the Detroit music scene prior to the rise of Motown Records. The Birth of the Detroit Sound is a must-read for anyone interested in learning about the community's roots in the music industry. For more information, go to the Arcadia Publishing Website. (Matt Merta, April 2003)
Videos
Bluegrass Jamming: A Guide for Newcomers and Closet Pickers (Homespun Video, Box 340, Woodstock, NY 12498, ISBN 0-634-02011-0, 2000, 105 minutes)
This video is fantastic to say the least. For any bluegrass picker who wnts to practice his chops before getting together with some "real" musicians, this is the video to get.
Hosted by former Hot Rize banjoist and International Bluegrass Music Association president Pete Wernick, he is joined by a number of well-respected musicians in the bluegrass field, each performing on one of the common bluegrass instruments, including guitar, bass, banjo, mandolin, dobro, and fiddle. The ensemble performs 16 bluegrass standards in a "jam session" setting, with most of the performers taking a solo on a few of the songs. All of the songs also have parts that allow the viewer to solo while the band backs him/her up. Wernick also takes the time to explain jam session etiquette, informing the viewer what is expected as far as tuning, solos and backing up, basic vocal harmonies, and the Number System.
If possible, secure the DVD version of this video, as there are a number of benefits. Varying the ANGLE function on the DVD player allows for two different views of the performances: the first being the ensemble performing, and the second being a close-up of the guitarist's fretting hand for easy visibility of the chord of the song that is currently being played. The menu of the DVD also allows for easier jumping around to the practice tunes and the instructions from Wernick.
A booklet is included that has the chord progressions and lyrics to all of the songs. Bluegrass jams are great ways for musicians to polish up on their skills, but a band is not always available at any given time. For the next best thing to having an actual band to practice with, this video comes highly recommended. For more information, go to the Homespun Video Website. (Matt Merta, April 2003)
For reviews of material on Great Lakes Twang, send alt-country-related books and videos and Great Lakes-area bands' CDs to:
Matt Merta
Great Lakes Twang
PO Box 2353
Dearborn, MI 48123
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Contact us at gltwang@hotmail.com for questions and information regarding CD, book, and video reviews.
Last updated February 9, 2004
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