Computer Age

M. Ward
Transistor radio
Merge 2005

In Spain it is still unknown. Slightly appointing him here and maybe not much in the USA. One of the great American authors of recent years, deeply rooted in musical traditions of his country, his most important contribution is to be a perfect example of music creation level beyond any kind of innovation besides creating timeless songs. The art of the song itself, as has been worked for decades. Initially sponsored by Howe Gelb, signed to Merge from his last album. You can take any of their 3 albums, excellent. Country-folk style, sometimes tinged with blues, pop in a broad sense. Versionea equally Beach Boys, Bowie and Bach being M. Ward always the result. With attachment to the sound of old records and the warmth of the music on the radio, you create an acoustic space itself. Work songs through evocative soundscapes and warm, using it sometimes effects and studio fixtures that subtly get the effect of greatly prepare the ear for songs. Open an instrumental, You still believe in me (Pet Sounds), quietly preparing what will follow. One Life Away is a delightful song of departure and another time, spoiling the most of the ear of the listener through a successful round vintage sound and a melody that conveys a sense of balance and statism, of this all. Picking up momentum, Sweet hearts on parade introduces the rhythm and the presence of the band playing just what a guitar sounds on the horizon, brushes, key sound and echo effects in the voice that still retain the feeling of being in a field soft and ethereal. Fuel for fire is another great song, perfectly developed, introducing half a short piano that draws very few notes, loose, almost like a wink or a sampler, distant vocals and strings made lightly, as coming from a radio not tuned quite right. Less is more. The vocal melody is a true wonder. Everything changes with Four hours in Washigton, with the largest group, increasing pace of train and tearing in her voice. Achieved successful string arrangements and accompaniment baterístico for a tense song that has continuity in the next instrumental, Regeneration 1, point at which the maximum intensity of the disc is achieved by the combo, in great latinos.Triste courts and cadenzas with rage. Big boat is the gayest song, rhythmic pattern on a classic r'n'r exerted a playful piano bridge, providing a dynamic air and grounds. Returns to normal with Paul's song, which never abandoned. Another of the best compositions, with a traditional slide that provides the warmth needed. The rest lies in this field. All good, sealed with a version of the Well-Tempered Clavier, which appears to him.
As for Ward's vocal style, is a singer with a slightly broken voice, wide register and is normally in the grave. It sounds masculine and mature, without hesitating to extend to the acute or falsetto, no frills or any imposture. Authentic and pure. Warm as few. Usually double the voice and sometimes employ very country female vocals. Your voice is your best attribute, quite unmistakable. Noise predominates, the brushes and dishes with tail, slide, piano, always discreet. An instrumental consistency actually achieved. Dominates the overall calm and melancholy is a natural state, without affectation. May be a shorter drive to achieve perfection, being without doubt one of the best albums of last year, oblivious to the lists, on the other. Very promising. Probably one of the great for the future, although this has already been said a lot. Highly recommended for those related to this page.

Loose Fur
Born Again In The USA
Drag City 2006

Loose Fur consists of Jeff Tweedy and Glenn Kotche of Wilco and has been a member of Sonic Youth and important creative element in both formations, Jim O'Rourke, multi-instrumentalist, singer, composer, producer of technical and avant-garde. Awaiting the release of Wilco's new material, on which is projected so much anticipation, we received the new album from the trio, second in three years. A Wilco fans will love, with Tweedy's compositions at their best, some of which may be in the records from his band. No material is of secondary value are all excellent songs. What defines the content is the collaboration between O'Rourke and Wilco, the latter reduced to the essentials: vocals accompanied by guitars and percussion, folk-rock style with a modest dose of self-experimentation especially O'Rourke, with the reference of its Insignificance (2001) very present. They play with the advantage of no need for projection of the product, which brings a welcome dose of freshness and relaxation.

Starting with the last record, we find such an excellent song in a wave The Kinks signed by Tweedy which is exactly the atmosphere of the recording, tune to be a simple classic, perfect construction, with a whistled chorus, The running class. The opening song, Hey chicken, could be on a disk of Wilco, with a rhythmic approach to the wave of the last two group's work. In that direction lies Apostilic, dominated the instrumental, containing breaks and developments that are likely responsible Kotche. In other songs we recognize the total mix of part with part O'Rourke Wilco, as Wreckroom, straddling both style, with a very clear imprint of the battery, moving into the quiet of Tweedy singing and guitar explosion, with a comprehensive development in which the coda is a final environmental walks to the blackout.

The disc closes it again a topic of Tweedy, with that touch Beatle he sometimes wears. Regarding the numbers sung by O'Rourke, highlights Answers to your questions, intimate, simple and warm; Stupid as the sun, the polar opposite: cutting, electric and again with a great job by Kotche which concludes the issue. Between them, Thou shalt wilt, with a classic pop style supported by the piano. A theme that sums up all the resources used: An ecumenical matter, at times reminiscent of the instrumental style of Captain Beefheart, with the presence of plates, bell and alternative role of the guitar and piano, built on the alternation of different parts .

Moreover, the first disc, of shorter duration, also contains great compositions, and from the first, Laminated Cat, with a first part and a development Wilco style instrumental combo characteristic on a country-folk style electric, percussive and smooth . Elegant transaction, O'Rourke's classic song, with great choruses and instrumental parts Tweedy, rhythmic and relaxed, very beautiful, also with a broad light instrumental development, which is the root of the disc: brief and long sets. The same applies to the next, So long, melancholy, full of sounds and noises of guitars and percussion, but a wonderful, catchy chorus, again sung by O'Rourke. You Were Wrong, beautiful, with the seal of Tweedy, the best of the disc. Such a Chinese apple is also theirs, entirely Wilco. Acoustics, restrained, intimate and sober. Noteworthy is the good balance between the acoustic and electric Davanee experimental environments, approaching at times to own soundtrack, simple, minimalist, thus being parallel to the work of Tweedy and Kotche on the soundtrack Chelsea Walls (2002).

In summary, two discs delicious and will appeal much to those who know the work of the personalities that comprise them, going unnoticed by the public. The covers finish the job.

Loose Fur - Born Again In The USA on our forum

Junior Wells
Hoodoo man blues
Delmark 1965

Junior Wells was born near Memphis in 1934 and died in 1998. Sale in Blues Brothers 2000. Along with Little Walter, Junior Parker and others, is one of the masters of modern blues harmonica and one of the best voices in blues recording, with a strong and unique style. Dry, manly, grave, wide and deep. It represents the modern blues of Chicago to perfection: Hoodoo Man Blues is the ABC of style for anyone who wants to know what was the matter. His first feature as a soloist. He learned from Junior Parker and began in earnest with the Myers brothers in the mythical Aces, when the combo was completed with Fred Below, drums converted jazz to blues, master of the drums present on hundreds of recordings. He entered the Muddy Waters band when Little Walter, following his first hit, Juke, left the formation in 1952 to lead the Aces, a quartet with two guitars, no bass. Waters had what is considered paradigmatic of the blues band from Chicago, future school figures, similar to the formations of Miles Davis. It was forged to reach Wells release their music. Prior to this album, recorded, among others, the cousin of John Lee Hooker, Earl Hooker, pioneer of wah wah guitar and experimentation. With it recorded one of its most popular songs, Messin 'With The Kid. Hoodoo Man Blues is considered one of the best blues albums of all time. Derails addition to numerous topics and not overwhelming in any moment with real magic, of which they were very capable, provide a set of songs in which notes sound, excellent and faithful to live. It presents the attitude of the style in its proper point, neither more nor less. Most characteristic is restrained interpretation: it never gets to exploit completely, but there is a genuine and total control over the flow of sound. Every element sounds at the time and not prolonged beyond. Reaches the crest and back to the flow, multiplying his strength and expressive power. 100% attitude. Vinyl Open Snatch it back and hold it and leaves no doubt that with continued cuts to support voice and harmonic rhythm, leading to the set. Wells belongs to another generation different from Waters and Walter, and funk primal rhythm'n'blues were already there, so the disk is wide variety of clubs, but in a primitive and concise format, no frills or sobrearreglos. The quartet, completed by Buddy Guy, Jack Myers and Billy Warren plays exactly what always just around the voice. The topics include, besides Wells and Guy, of Leiber & Stoller (Hound Dog impressive expedited minor mode), Sonny Boy II (possibly the most hot school Good morning etching) and others like Kenny Burrell (Chitlins con carne, instrumental rhythm ' Latino N'BLUE together We're ready to show the versatility and filling of the band). The disc is completed with some minor slow blues in offsetting the fury of the rest. In the wee smalls hours of the morning is a semiinstrumental where it extends the emotional melancholy of the work. You do not love me baby in this record is one of the best versions also and Hey Lawdy Mama, where the guitar and harmonica are complemented perfectly with phrases response percussive bass Guy on Myers, who in most of the album plays more notes in the usual style, without tiring, a little legacy of the Aces: Leaving canon to redefine it as seldom occurs. Exquisite work of Guy on guitar, playing virtually pure rhythm, according to the tone of the disc, which does not project any of the four above the rest, working short sentences, repetition of simple motifs, riffs and joint attack on the strong parts. Rhythmic accents determine the nature of the issues. Wells' harmonica is pure gold, dominating the serious and the phrases, sharp, with a flow of sound almost tangible. Blues, pure and simple.

Van Morrison
Palacio de Congresos. Madrid.
Sunday, 15 January 2006.

Van Morrison has returned to act in the city bringing a repertoire centered on its excellent record last year with a preview of what will be your new material soon to be published. Despite the unpleasant cost of tickets, the concert the singer recorded an almost full. The public came to be a mix of ages with a tendency to a range between 30 and 50 years, which is natural, given the age of the singer, which nevertheless fell on the quantity and level of production studio and live staging. Like other classical artists have also released good albums in 2005, Neil Young, Paul Mcartey or John Cale, bring a set of songs more than worthy and desirable to be heard live, without having to fall back for want of success past, as well turned out, being in short, a concert focusing on Magic time and well balanced in terms of the inclusion of items of previous albums.
The opening concert was as an instrumental introduction by the band, formed by a core of guitar (musical director), bass, piano and drums, in addition to the winds and a vibrant and eclectic percussionist. The start and gave a key to the concert in terms of internal functioning of the training as being adequate, since the choice of instrumental opening was successful (a Rythm'n 'blues very classic in which the soloist is different give short speeches pass soloists seeking warm the air), failed precisely in this, in what hesitant or fearful of leaving, it really did not seem to be loose enough to achieve the desired effect. It certainly sensed the high level of musicians, but was greatly noticed the lack of strength and resolve to address an issue of this kind, and even at times could seem a kind of advanced students of music school offering a recital for parents and friends. Lacked the necessary warmth and character. It is a kind of introduction in such classic artists, not as bold as can a James Brown even to this day, but with the same function, which should be left to see what was going to offer below , while the musicians must show its expressive resources and why the figure carry them, which was not easy to imagine the timidity with which it began. A simple exercise that was quickly forgotten after the advent of the singer.
The concert began, as usual on this tour, with Keep mediocrity at bay, the last album, a Chicago-style blues, in which Morrison's harmonica and acts as an excellent entry. A true exercise in style with pace and punch, making it clear where is a good part of his roots. The style of the music played is completely focused on the sound of the last productions of the singer, who is putting almost like a real haven and stronghold of the rhythm'n 'blues classic, played as jazz musicians do. Although it stops playing the odd classic like Moondance (especially cheered), the concert happily discoursed by the interpretation of most songs from their latest album, which sounded really neat and emotional throughout the session. The basic structure of the subjects was nearly identical: presentation of the theme sung solo round as a jazz band back to full and final. The soloists made clear their worth, with particular emphasis on the saxophone, which was the most rattled the audience with their speeches, hinting that leads bitumen in veins, driving both the tenor and the baritone and be responsible for creating more hot instrumental moments night, and the trumpeter, who also played flute on Celtic New Year. The pianist showed his training and tastes in a discourse that soul jazz. In turn, the likes of Morrison and instruments is more than clear when he made his saxophone section joining the winds, especially in interpreting the songs Louis Jordan-style jump. The developer discussed above on what the introduction was confirmed during the bolus. Surely there must be some kind of intimidation among the musicians who hires Van Morrison, as almost never ended up starting tonight and play at will, except perhaps on sax. It seems that the singer's personality completely dominates the band, which is logical, but appears to be excessive in practice. Everything was being too studied and little loose, highly consistent with the expectations that a compound such as Congress can awaken. It is black music, but sometimes in excess of the Shrew. All very proper, too often. It should make a difference between the album's songs and live performance. This was done, but laying hold of a structure based on the same rounds that left no holes closed to the unexpected. But hey, this is the outcome of the will of the chief, whose performance was undoubtedly exquisite and moving at all times. Open your mouth and no more to say. That if, without ever addressing the audience: no hello or thank you or to another (90 minutes by the clock), which does not matter much either, but certainly not conducive to relaxation and enjoyment of the respectable couple. There was a calculated where Morrison played Sonny Boy (Help me) and has been doing for over 30 years and it sounded excellent. Punto y final.
The audience enjoyed the concert as he could. He noted the typical lack of familiarity with the new code and excessive desire to justify the payment of the entrance, applauding aimlessly at every opportunity, after each one and especially when it sounded a vintage classic. There was much noise about the new pieces, no doubt already part of his best legacy. This is higher than normal.
Despite all this, a very good concert of someone who probably could not go on stage if they would be unlikely, at least, offered that night.