Despite the rhythm section for James Carter's Layin' In The Cut trying their damdest to entice Bailey to groove, Derek listens but gives no ground. Tacuma even uncorks a Sly Stone bass riff at around the three minute mark that any other guitarist would follow like the Pied Piper, but Bailey hardly moves away from his own private storm. And somehow, it works together beautifully.
Musicians who rub up against each other with styles that seem incompatible sometimes create sparks. Bailey, Tacuma and Weston together causes a five alarm fire.
Mat Brewster "Ingrid Bergman" from Mermaid Avenue by Billy Bragg
Billy Bragg and Wilco's brilliant interpretation of Woody Guthrie lyrics has been this week's CD-that-plays-in-my-car-for-the-drive-to-work. I love just about every stinking note on that record, but the stand out song this week has been Bragg singing “Ingrid Bergman.”
When I think about Woody Guthrie I think of songs like “This Land Is Your Land” and about his staunch communism, and his politically charged lyrics for the working man. I think about Oklahoma and the hot, dusty road to California. What I don’t think about is sex. Yet here’s Billy Bragg, another very political songwriter, singing words by Woody Guthrie that are so sexually charged and full of innuendo it makes me blush.
With words like “You'd make any mountain quiver/You'd make fire fly from the crater” and “This old mountain it's been waiting/All its life for you to work it/For your hand to touch its hard rock” how can you not giggle with glee?
Michael Jones "Alcohaulin' Ass" from HellYeah by HellYeah.
More often than not HellYeah, a new "super group" built from pieces of Pantera, Mudvayne, and Nothing Face throttle the songs on their debut album at a constant "Spinal Tap on Eleven" decibel level — but there are rare moments, such as this song, where they allow the rock engine they've built to just sit and growl menacingly. I like that about bands that know they can rock your asses off, really.
That's why I've been hitting repeat on this album, and this song in particular, as it is nothing more or less than a bunch of guys celebrating the joy of playing a superbly well-written rock song about drinking and living life to the fullest. "Alcohaulin' Ass," you see, is just flat-out fun to listen to.
Article comments
1 - Josh
C'mon, Sir Brewster, the man's name is Woody. How could you have missed it? ;-)
2 - Connie Phillips
Congrats! We are sharing this article with all our friends at Myspace.
3 - Connie Phillips
Shoot! I missed the deadline again. I actually picked up two new CDs last week, one being the Amy Winehouse everyone here as been raving about. Thank you to all who gave it a great review, I've been enjoying it very much. Now if I can just fine the time to write about it.
4 - Mat Brewster
I know, you wouldn't have thought with all that communism talk I would have been more keen on the sex.
5 - Josh
Why let a little sex interrupt some good commiepinko stuff. ;-)
6 - Mat Brewster
Wow, my sentence totally doesn't make sense. Glad you got the joke though. Must stop drinking at lunch.