If you’re a fan of singer-songwriter Todd Snider, go ahead and stop reading now. Why? You already know what kind of fun you’re in for with this alt-country wiseacre. Anything from the guy who convincingly croons “Alright Guy,” “My Generation (Part II),” “Talking Seattle Grunge Rock Blues” and the cheeky-but-sobering “Conservative Christian, Right Wing Republican, Straight, White, American Male” is bound to be a hoot, both daft and deft.
So it goes on his latest offing, Peace, Love and Anarchy: Rarities, B-Sides and Demos, Vol. 1. Most of the stripped-back cuts were gleaned from sessions for his 2006 effort, East Nashville Skyline and are just a little too informal for an official album. Laughing and campy shout-outs on cuts like “Nashville” are the rule, not the exception; the one-take vibe on songs like “East Nashville Skyline” still allows that pedal steel ‘n harmonica busker sound to shine right through. These Snider communiqués make for tender, earnest moments.
Highlights include the cuts “Old Friend” (recorded with greats Jack Ingram and Peter Holsapple), the carousing “Barbie Doll” and “Stoney” — the latter which recalls at least one of the characters on his classic, burnout party anthem, “Beer Run.” There’s even a bit of hammy Haiku to be had (“Dinner Plans”). But most of Snider's cutting room floor scraps are like a warm breeze on a summer’s day: homegrown, down-home comfy, fun and indispensably catchy.
But the best of the crop on Peace, Love and Anarchy is “Combover Blues.” One gets a sense that Snider — or perhaps the character he is singing on behalf of -- is clearly feeling the effects of getting older. “What’s wrong with these kids today? The crap they play’s just too loud and rude… you know it’s true,” he sings. Snider swoons as he croons, thinking of his character’s old recreational drug days... and how partying like that now just makes him feel like he’s “having a heart attack.” Hilarious!
In all, it’s another feather in the cap for Snider, who released this new collection on singer-songwriter John Prine’s Oh Boy Records. These obscurities make up a must-have assortment for hardcore fans. Beginners, however, may wish to consult Songs for the Daily Planet, Viva Satellite, his grand live release Near Truths and Hotel Rooms and East Nashville Skyline first. There's little doubt that even beginners who get Snider will hunger for Peace, Love and Anarchy eventually.
Article comments
1 - Connie Phillips
Congrats! This article has been forwarded to the Advance.net websites and Boston.com.