Wow. I'm getting to this a day later than I wanted to and I'm having a tough time making the case this was somehow worth the wait. I can think of a lot of exciting records we're going to see issued at the end of an ass-biting cold winter 2009, but they aren't being released this week. What is being released this week? It's not all bleak. There are a couple things worth noting.
For example, we've got new music from indie singer/songwriter Matthew Ryan. Dear Lover is getting some great writeups in USA Today, American Songwriter, Blurt, and The Tennessean.
Okay, now we're to the bleak part. There's a Legacy Edition of Santana's Supernatural album. I love Carlos Santana's guitar work and the man has a legacy... I just like to pretend Supernatural wasn't part of it. Look, that tune with Rob Thomas was a decent FM tune the first four times I heard it. Listens 5-10,000 revealed it to be an agent of torture and thus subject to arrest and trial before a U.N. tribunal. "My Spanish Harlem Mona Lisa" embarrassed me the first time I heard it and I still wince just thinking about it. Rob Thomas will run laps for that line until the end of time. Yeah, Rob, we get it. Santana has Hispanic heritage. You, sir, are a moron.
Supernatural sold a metric buttload of copies. It's the type of release that has the commercial bona fides to get re-released in expanded format. The problem is many of the buyers aren't hardcore Santana fans. The people who bought that record liked the Rob Thomas tune, maybe a couple of the other guest spots. Those people aren't coming back for a second helping, no matter what you put on that second CD.
Okay, I feel better. We're a day late but getting to mock Rob Thomas makes an otherwise bleak week all worthwhile. We'll reconvene next week and hope for the best...
Nick Curran & the Lowlifes
Reform School Girl
Article comments
1 - Tom Johnson
Field Music's Measure is the week's saving grace. I wasn't all that interested because I didn't get much out of their earlier stuff, but for whatever reason I decided to give some sound clips a listen and it's fantastic.