What of Ryan Adams? This album is lengthy! In old money it's definitely a double. 17 tracks clocking up a total of 75 minutes. Is it a great double album, or filler? It's hard to tell. And that's part of the problem. It's almost too much to take in. I think perhaps two albums would have been better. It's like he's tried to cram everything in all in one go, from mournful ballads to full on rockers. Having said that some of this stuff is great (from the rockers like Tina Toledo's Street Walkin' Blues, to the epics like Nobody's Girl, via the ballads like Sylvia Plath) and if, just if, it had been released in 1971 we might be talking about another Exile on Main Street. But in 2001, that year forever now associated with the terrible events of 9/11, is it just more american country rock fodder? By the way, is there still anyone left who confuses Ryan with Bryan, or isn't aware yet that they are two different people?
1. Ryan Adams - Gold
2. St Germain - Tourist
3. Wilco - Yankee Hotel Foxtrot
4. Jethro Tull - Songs from The Wood
5. Josh T Pearson - Last of the Country Gentlemen
6. Neil Young - On the Beach
St Germain sound like computer jazz. Are they real musicians? Probably. The music's fun and good but the fact I can't tell if this is a DJ production or a band leaves something to be desired in the authenticity and soul stakes.
The first track on the Wilco makes you want to slit your wrists. This literally effortless vocal delivery makes me want to shout: "For god's sake just cheer up man!" To be fair to singer and leader Jeff Tweedy things do pick up a bit after the opener but it's fairly pedestrian strumming over gentle brushed back beats for quite a while before you hear the first electric guitar riff.
The Songs from the Wood sounds quite dated and a bit twee now. Jethro Tull were obviously great musicians and wrote some clever stuff but found themselves adrift in a wilderness of their own making between rock and prog. Great cover though. This and Heavy Horses makes me think of all the good things about being a country gent (or urban hipster) - tweeds, waistcoats, caps, tractors, woods, heavy horses and English countryside... oh and beards of course, of the 70s variety. I wonder how contrived it was. Actually with Ian Anderson I think it was genuine - I know he liked to retreat to his salmon farm in Scotland from time to time.
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| Jethro Tull's country gent period |
Talking of The Last of the Country Gentlemen what the hell is this Josh T. Pearson? I can't decide if it's genius or terrible. It sounds like he can barely play guitar - is it even tuned? But not to worry, Josh seems to have such style and charm that he somehow manages to pull it off despite this apparent shortcoming. It's certainly unusual and strangely addictive. Let's face it, no one needs another "normal" acoustic strumming busker. I saw him live somewhere at a festival and have to say he was mesmerising standing stationery centre stage under one overhead light with his messiah like look (and act?). It was a memorable appearance and I was telling everyone about it for weeks afterwards. Must be a genius then after all. Nice bloke too, stayed behind for hours signing autographs and spending time with each fan.
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| Josh T Pearson |
On The Beach is just a classic. Superb. Brilliant. One of Young's best. End of.
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| The middle one from Young's so called "Ditch" Trilogy |