UNDER THE RADAR REVIEWS
presented by cdreviewsonline.com
JUNE 2006
Featured CD----Spook Handy's Breakfast at Bills
Substantiated Sighting Review---Spook Handy -----Breakfast at Bills
"A CD full of memorable characters you will never forget" Rob Lincoln, cdreviewsonline.com
Having had the priviledge of booking many fine acts from the Philadelphia/South Jersey/Central Jersey region, I can substantiate that Spook Handy is one of the finest singer songwriters in these parts. While clearly a "folky," his music transcends the genre in a number of ways, most notably in the underlying philosophical themes he subtly introduces while telling the stories of real people and dealing with political and social issues like good folkies do. There are a lot of ideas both lyrical and musical perculating under the surface of his songs. This guy is a subliminal songwriter, but you won't know it. All this is done through an outstanding sense of melody and a sense of humor with some of the most memorable characters you'll ever hear portrayed in song. His second CD, Breakfast at Bill's, has already received many glowing reviews. Before he releases his highly anticipated third CD, I want to review this one because it is simply one of my favorite CDs---ever, (and I own well over a thousand.) Here our my favorite cuts:
1) Vote- Rightfully becoming a well known tune in the folk community and a song that Pete Seeger himself has promoted and sung, it should become the anthem of the get out the vote movement. Funny, reflective and absolutely inspiring, it is a song that I anticipate will grow in stature with time. To get an idea of how good this guy's lyrics are, just listen to the opening line of this tune and you'll be sold.
2) Breakfast At Bills- I am surprised I have not heard this track all over folk radio. The scene Spook creates in this Wisconsin diner is unforgettable and it's backed up with some of the finest melodic upbeat folk instrumental interludes you will ever hear. I play this song whenever I want to smile.
3) Missoula- In this apparently simple happy story about writing a song for a huckleberry pie festival in Montana, this catchy tune becomes something much greater, a beautifully poignant love song for everyone who has ever dreamed of leaving it all behind and starting over. It is a gentle reminder that when dreams bump up against reality, dreams can still sometimes win...or can they really? I play this song whenever I want to cry.
4) The Senior Blues- The college kids are back in town and an older couple are discussing the situation, which brings back memories. The narrator reflects, "Change is hard when it wears a face that you detest/It's so much harder when it's pissing on your lawn." And the melody has a nice Grateful Dead kind of feel.
5) Loaded- Very pretty reflective tune that touches on many things including alcoholism and the plight of the songwriter who is always more popular when playing far away from their hometown "as if he's gained some kind of wisdom driving beat up rigs and sleeping on the ground."
6) Santa's Night Off- Super swing tune about a department store Santa who isn't bad Santa at all, but likes his women "naughty AND nice." One of six superb songs among 12 excellent tracks.
The musical performances on every cut on this CD are exceptional. As a violinist I have a very fussy ear when I hear that instrument played and I can say that the two violinists who play on most of the tracks (Dave Rimelis and Travis Wetzel) are two of the best I have heard. (And Heather Hardy's multiple violin tracks on Time Has Come To Go are lovely as well). The playing is highly melodic and the tone is perfection. The mandolin on the title track played by Mike Madan is particularly memorable. The other musicians are also outstanding. This means of course credit is due to the producers- most notably Executive Producer Bob Harris of Ampersand Records (produced David Grissman, Vassar Clemens, Peter Rowan etc) who along with John Kurgan and Spook Handy produced this CD.
Finally, Spook himself is an accomplished guitarist. His picking is showcased on a number of his tunes, most notably the instrumental, Finger Picker #44. And then there is his voice...Spook actually has nothing more than a pleasant voice--but for anyone who believes one of the most important qualities in a vocalist is their ability to enunciate clearly... Spook is the Sinatra of folk. You do not miss one word on the entire CD. His singing captures every emotion in his songs, not through the emotional range of his voice, but the power of his lyrics.
Spook can be a poet, but he is mostly a storyteller who paints as vivid a scene as you will ever see in a song. That's why I keep going back to these songs- because I want to be in Missoula again at the huckleberry pie festival watching the college kids strolling by, or listen to new age farmer Josh sitting on the fence talking about why we exist and how that relates to needing to vote, and most of all I want to hang at Bill's diner when Bill Morrisey comes in. This is a great CD full of unforgettable songs. As Spook sings in the title track "It's a guaranteed good time."
I guess you can say I highly recommend this CD.
For more information on this artist, go to spookhandy.com
Cold Call Review---Ethan Daniel Davidson- Don Quixote De Suburbia
"Political songs that don't bend to commercial convention"--Rob Lincoln, cdreviewsonline.com
I grabbed this CD along with 6 others out of the cut out bin. I chose it because it had really unusual artwork. When I played it I learned that the songwriter is really unusual as well. I must admit, I did not like some of the songs on this CD. But some of the songs I did like were extraordinary. Unlike a lot of the generic stuff I picked up in the same batch, this guy is distinctive, yet he is also quite eclectic. There are songs with just acoustic guitar, vocals and harmonica and there are songs that use drum loops and samples and loud distorted guitars. Throughout it all he is a very political songwriter whose best songs are when he is taking care to craft his lyrical images and rhymes. He sometimes seems quite a bit more interested in the message than the art. But when he is singing a personal song (see Kaldonia below) or talking politics at a very personal level (see Ghosts of the Mississippi below) his stuff is quite powerful. My favorite songs are:
1) Kaldonia- This is a darkly gorgeous song full of mystery and a sound that is different than the rest of the CD. Here Davidson's voice is tender and mellow. The piano (Jimmy Bones) is stunning. And some of the finest cymbal playing you'll ever hear is evident as well (Bob Ebeling). The song sounds like one that Warren Zevon should have written for a Grammy. The entire song is haunting and lines such as "In wounded envy of the sun" are almost Poe like. Best of all, the lyrics are quite accessible upon further listening (it's about the end of a relationship) yet remain profound and compelling.
2) Ghosts of the Mississippi - Such a simple concept, yet so creative and effective. Using electronic hip hop beats and a spooky sample of RL Burnside, Danielson simply starts talking. He tells a true story from his recent experiences about deciding to gig in the deep South despite his decidedly left wing lyrics. He ends up at the birthplace of the founder of the Ku Klux Klan and all sorts of ironies and myths are exposed. This song is also an outstanding vehicle to get to know more about the songwriter without having to read about him. Clever and unique.
3) Only One World Blues- A kicking drum machine and/or groove box propel this political song with lots of great social commentary like "I don't even feel alive anymore unless I'm being marketed to/I can't decide whether I'd rather be the Buddha, Martin Luther King or Pamela Anderson"
4) Joys of the Koyukuk- Talk about a change of pace! This is an instrumental with a Native American feel, written by Davidson. It's a real folky piece of music and quite lovely, penny whistle and all.
5) Kill All Pop Songs- How could I not site this song? It has what may be the most smart assed opening line of any song I have ever heard by anyone anywhere- "I saw the best minds of my generation starting off songs with stolen quotations."
The strongest cuts are unique and each unlike the other. Much of the rest of the material is heavily Dylan influenced (early, middle and late period by the way-depending on the song) but not quite melodic enough for my tastes. Plus, Davidson seems to enjoy squeezing lots of unrhymed words into his songs that make some of them less than memorable. Despite this I am very curious about this songwriter and some of his other CDs. After looking up his website I have I learned that he is quite an interesting character. He lives in Alaska but tours all over the world. He has released five CDs in just the past few years. He is kind of a heroic Don Quixote in that he is living a life most of us songwriters only dream of. He pays no attention to commercial sensibilities- folk, pop, rock or otherwise. He is a rebel. However, he has still managed to make some great commercial contacts. His backing band on this CD consists of members from the Black Crowes and Uncle Cracker to name just two. They help take his best material to a higher level. I look foward to hearing more of his material in the days to come.