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Been There For You For Decades (Alison Krauss, Windy City review)

Posted on February 27, 2017 by Tim Kuefler

I’m not sure why this myself, is but it’s been proven time and again that familiar music is much more likely to incite positive feelings than anything else.

So if you want to induce a good mood for yourself, listen to something you already love. Whether you’re on the road, cleaning house, at work or in the middle of the creative act. Music we’ve personally identifed as good just breeds positive feelings.

Emotional and slowly simmering over decades, this week’s album review features classic tracks, by a familiar voice.

Alison Krauss – Windy City
released February 17, 2017
******* 7/10

Alison Krauss is an American bluegrass-country singer and musician. Having been active in the music industry since ten years old, and now forty five years of age, Krauss has released fourteen studio length albums since 1987, including songs on soundtracks such as Cold Mountain.

When it comes to accolades, Krauss has won a total of twenty seven Grammy Awards, no small feat given that she is one of the top recording artists in the history of the awards; now second only to Hungarian-British conductor Sir Georg Solti, who has thirty one awards.

But truthfully I can say it best when I say nothing at all, and let the music speak for itself.

As you all know, I kind of had to grow up listening to country music, so I’m well versed with Krauss’ ability to break hearts and take names over a three minute interval. And this album is no different. Windy City is the fifth solo album by Alison Krauss and features covers of ten classic country songs originally from Brenda Lee, The Osborne Brothers, Willie Nelson, Roger Miller, Vern Gosdin, Glen Campbell, Bill Monroe and Eddy Arnold.

The question remains the same – is Windy City a fitting tribute or a cold wasteland. Well, I would argue it fits well, but is a bit of a biter.

Krauss is three decades into her career now, and she has an established voice, but unlike so many other artists before her, she has never explored a cover song album previously, and she’s not known for taking the unbeaten path. For instance, I’ve already eluded to her 1995 hit which was a cover of Keith Whitley’s When You Say Nothing At All. She’s always been a staple of the industry, with a touch of refinement, so Windy City doesn’t really bring anything new to the table, though it does sounds amazingly touching throughout. After all, Krauss was particular to record only on days that she felt at her optimal performance levels.

It’s a gentle reminder that there is a reason this lady has twenty seven Grammys; she has talent and intelligence to back it up. Now, I’m not going to spend time digging into each track to justify the existence of each one within the scope of Windy City, but I will write this – Dream of Me, I Never Cared for You, and You Don’t Know Me all made me rather emotional, heck, that last one got me all teary eyed. But that’s probably because ballads are Alison’s bread and butter.

Another point to note, the fire and passion throughout this record are very welcome additions, and something a fan of bluegrass at any age will appreciate. If you’re a fan of classic country, which apparently I am now (thanks for force-feeding me from a young age Dad), Windy City will feel like a well-worn pair of driving gloves, warm, comforting and protective. Also it serves as a bit of an education on what preceded her in the genre.

Krauss’ legacy is well intact and reinforced with Windy City.

There’s no way for Alison Krauss to compete with her early successes, people already have decades of time spent with those first few singles, but playing homage to other well worn tracks is a smart move, and one which plays to her strengths. Windy City might not be the most original offering of the year, but it’s a familiar one, and fun to boot.

Tim!

Oh You Do, Do You? (Eric Clapton, I Still Do review)

Posted on May 30, 2016 by Tim Kuefler

Randy Newman is an American treasure. But I’m not American so that never meant anything to me. But dammit if Newman couldn’t pull on a boy’s heartstrings just as Disney was toying with Pixar and making us all believe in friendship again.

Soft rock and roots rock, with a hint of blues. That’s what Randy Newman did for children’s movies. Helped introduce the young world of the time to melancholy. An artist in a particular vein of blues.

Today’s album review is about another accomplished musician known for the sad stuff.

Eric Clapton – I Still Do
released May 20, 2016
****** 6/10

Eric Clapton, is an English rock and blues guitarist, singer and songwriter. He has recorded 23 full-length studio albums, on top of his various collaborations with The Yardbirds, John Mayall & the Bluesbreakers, Cream, Blind Faith, and Derek and the Dominos. Which is pretty damn impressive for a 71 year old man.

He has made it into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame on three separate occasions (solo, Yardbirds, and Cream) and is considered to be one of the greatest guitarists of all times.

And he still knows how to make a solid blues album.

But the question comes down to this, does he know how to make a blues album that reaches forward and can mean something to anyone? Or is he best suited to the generation of babyboomers and other couch enthusiasts?

Well it does have some great backup vocals and smooth guitar sections, and it’s bluesy as all hell. Alabama Woman Blues is a great example of this right out the gate, and a great cover to boot. Can’t Let You Do it builds upon this idea too and rather nicely. I think my favourite though is his take on Stones In My Passway, which manages to make kidney stones something to be celebrated and soulful. It felt just as weird for me to write that as it does for you to read it.

I also really enjoyed the Billy Holiday cover, I’ll Be Seeing You. It is both tragic and romantic, a splash of blues on top of a sweet smoking ballad.

Clapton’s strength comes from swallowing sadness and spitting out an easy chair, so it’s not really a surprise that the energy never elevates too high to make you feel any sort of anthem. But that’s exactly the problem with the record, it’s solid. Definitely not a newsworthy piece of melodica.

If I Still Do is Clapton’s way of playing some fun covers and throwing in a taste of some original content, then he has definitely accomplished the goal and the record can find a place on the shelf, probably next to Slowhand. But let’s be brutally honest, because Eric Clapton has been around for a while; he’s not interested in breaking new ground. And while I can listen to this album all the way through, nothing on here is particularly memorable.

It’s good for a Sunday drive and a cigar but it’s missing the aviators and leather.

Don’t misconstrue my words dear readers, there is room enough for all in the world of blues. But that doesn’t mean it should be all blues all the time. You’ve got to feel it in your bones for it to mean anything, and while I believe Clapton feels it, I’m not sure he wanted to deliver an intense album. So I’ll have to stick with Newman and my toys. But that’s just my theory.

Tim!

Licensed To Steal (Artist As Collector)

Posted on December 6, 2015 by Tim Kuefler

I’ve been thinking about what I should write for today pretty much all of my waking hours this past week.

Sometimes I chew on a theory for months (anticipating the date to share it with you), other times the theory appears in a flash of light. And sometimes theories just work themselves out naturally in the moment and I kind of surprise myself with the results.

It’s a similar experience that many artists have when they create work. Nothing happens perfectly, but relying on moments of inspiration is incredibly draining and risky in terms of output. That is why it is so incredibly important to set up a routine and a space that works for the individual, so that bursts of creativity can happen naturally and “seemingly” spontaneously and the disciplined efforts can cover of those moments of creative silence.

It really is amazing that our unconscious minds are working in our favour though when you stop to think about it.

We organize information, experience, and our interests to produce something special, and if we do it correctly, we create a work of art which looks and feels unique, whatever the source of inspiration.

The reason why I’ve been thinking about this process today is because I have this theory that all good artists steal ideas (not an original idea either), but the best ones steal from everyone and everything in their lives. They do this because of an honest appreciation for life and an attachment for what already exists in the world.

To put it simply, every artist is a collector. On the surface it could appear that they store objects, but the reality is that they have enduring love for the object(s) which house much more than the literal contents we observe in passing.

This TED Talk by Austin Kleon details the point quite well.

Nothing is original. All art, from the bad to the great, references what came before it.

So why do critics sometimes comment as if we should operate in a vacuum? I’m not entirely sure. I think it is likely that nuanced truths are harder to swallow than obvious ones, if I am being perfectly honest. Which can be a full blown topic for another Stimulating Sunday.

But that is not what today is about.

Today is about the theory of artist as collector. And the inspiration for today’s post is from a very talented artist who I am sure you have heard of at one point or another, whether you like their work or not.

Here is a sample of my favourite song from the record.

Walking through a crowd
The village is aglow
Kaleidoscope of loud heartbeats
Under coats
Everybody here wanted something more
Searching for a sound we hadn’t heard before
And it said

Welcome to New York
It’s been waiting for you
Welcome to New York
Welcome to New York
Welcome to New York
It’s been waiting for you
Welcome to New York
Welcome to New York

It’s a new soundtrack I could dance to this beat, beat
Forevermore
The lights are so bright
But they never blind me, me
Welcome to New York
It’s been waiting for you
Welcome to New York
Welcome to New York

I’ve highlighted particular lines because I think they are especially relevant for the topic at hand.

This song is from the album 1989 by Taylor Swift. Yes, that’s right.

But that’s not what I was listening to on the drive home to Edmonton from my girlfriend’s parents home in Lacombe today. I was listening to Ryan Adam’s cover album, also titled 1989, with the exact same number of tracks, with almost identical lyrics, in the same song order.

Let’s break this thing down for a minute.

Taylor Swift, who is incredibly talented, let Ryan Adams, who is also incredibly talented, “steal” her work and create his own version of it.

In fact, she gave her instant approval, when he asked. She is a genius.

If you think about it for a second, there have been reviews claiming he did a better version of her work, and that he made it more meaningful.

I call bullshit on that. But not for the reasons that lots of people are.

He was a vehicle that proved how powerful her lyrics really are to everyone, whether people choose to see it or not, is a completely different matter.

This is especially important to note for those who don’t listen to her music and pass if off for cookie cutter pop. Taylor Swift is an incredibly talented songwriter. Period.

And, she gracefully pointed that out with her title track, without being a jerk about it. Let me illustrate – while we might all be “searching for a sound we hadn’t heard before,” 99% of the time, the sound already exists. It’s because someone loved it, and made art about it, that we can appreciate it the new art. 1989 by Ryan Adams is a great album, but it wouldn’t exist without 1989 by Taylor Swift, and Taylor’s is definitely the better album because she made something “original” without making it obvious what she “stole” from to get inspiration.

And she understands that sharing is caring.

My girlfriend, who is a super fan of Taylor Swift, realized this brilliance of TSwift years ago, I’m finally starting to see it myself. I hope that other creative types make that leap sooner than later, and I also hope that everything I just stole from makes this post worthwhile. And that’s all of the theories I’ve got for tonight.

What do you think? Leave comments!

Tim!

Hurts So Good (Alessia Cara, Know-It-All review)

Posted on November 23, 2015 by Tim Kuefler

I blame Alicia Keys for my unfounded belief that I can play the piano, whenever I see one. She started it with the song Fallin’. Let’s be honest, the lady makes it look incredibly easy to do because she uses emotions and well constructed hooks to sing about issues that we all experience. Falling in love for example.

But you know what they say? We often hurt the ones we love the most?

I love R&B music, and it’s really difficult to not get hurt by or to attempt to hurt it with words, so keep that in mind for this week’s Melodic Monday.

Alessia Cara – Know-It-All
released November 13, 2015
********** 8/10

Alessia Caracciolo, who also goes by the stage name Alessia Cara, is a Canadian singer and songwriter.

I don’t know Cara, but I like her. And I think that even though she is 11 years my junior, we could probably be good friends if we hung out in real life.I suspect it might be the music convincing me of this idea, but a guy can pretend every once in a while right?

No, I’m kidding. It’s also her social media presence that makes me believe.

Cara made a record that I instantly liked. I know this because I’ve heard this kind of music so many times before, but what was different this time was that I recognize her potential to become so much more than the label production that Know-It-All is born of.

Don’t get me wrong, that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t listen to this album.

You absolutely should. It is Canadian music, by a talented female musician who happens to be getting recognition for her career choice right now, and it makes perfect sense.

I think it’s super cool that as a child of the internet she began playing at 10 years old, got a YouTube channel 3 years later, and slowly built up an audience of 20,000 subscribers. The best ranked of these videos is a cover song of The Neighborhood’s Sweater Weather. What is even more exciting about this story is that the video eventually made it’s way to a music executive at EP Entertainment (affiliated with Universal) because his daughter liked it enough to tweet the content. And all of a sudden a spotlight was cast on Alessia Cara.

And that’s not the only cover that Cara has done.

This past summer she published a video of her singing Taylor Swift’s Bad Blood for BBC Radio 1. And Taylor loved it. She even tweeted about it herself. And let’s be frank, that’s some pretty good press for a 19 year old who has talent but only a small reputation.

But what about the album? That’s what you really want to know, right dear readers?

Well Alessia has the conflicts of teenage life covered quite well with Seventeen, the opener track. Outlaws does a good job of this as well. But where she really shines in the concept is with Here. What an anthem track! It’s so damn well done, that they had to put in another version of it as a bonus track. A smart choice for the first single to be sure.

She isn’t the first teenager to realize she doesn’t know it all, but I like her take on the challenges she is working through. She tweeted this after she decided what to call her album.

Wild Things is the second single of the album, and it is great throwback to the children’s story by Maurice Sendak. Whether intentional or not. Another anthem, but this time specifically for those people who hang on the fringes, pioneers and outsiders. A place to play a drum and hold a rumpus.

There are of course, typical songs about heartbreak (Overdose) and songs about being true to yourself (Scars to the Beautiful) which don’t realize her identity at all, but because of the voice behind them, and the hints of personality and potential found elsewhere, I think it makes you appreciate them a little bit more than you should. And heck, just because it’s formulaic, it doesn’t make the music unenjoyable.

Cara hasn’t convinced me I can play piano, but she has reminded me that R&B music is alive and well, and I really hope she keeps making it look easy.

Tim!