Round the Dial
Wednesday 25 September @ 10:20:16 |
 by Tom Hallett
QUOTE OF THE WEEK: “I’d like to manufacture a thing called the Interested Party—I’m taking steps in that direction now—which would be a third party that lives up to its name.”
-—Frank Zappa, 1967
SONG OF THE WEEK: “King Harvest (Has Surely Come)”
-—The Band
I know, I know, summer is barely over and you could swear you already saw some psychotic, driven-by-hell-itself neighbor stringing red, green and purple blinking Christmas bulbs around the roof of his too-expensive uber-rambler. Scary, ain’t it? Well, I ain’t here to haggle with ya over the price of a box of those yarnball decorations yer gramma Fanny had on her tree in ought six, but I would like to mention a few worthy albums before the whole “End of the Year,” “Oh, %@!#$&, do you hvae your list ready?” type o’ %@!#$& starts goin’ down. So, in that spirit, Round The Dial presents four recent or fairly recent releases, one local, the other three from across the vast, still, desolate plains, hum-buckled highways, and roads less traveled. Let’s dive right in!
Charley Dush
Charley Dush
2001
Dush-Tone Records
Singer / songwriter / guitarist Charley Dush was that nice, all-American boy next door who, when you were kids, always had food in the fridge, a cool place to play, and the toy six-guns and plastic army men you’d been coveting for years. Not rich, not even really upper middle class, but raised in a sensible, almost smothering routine. Maybe that’s why he has a photographic memory (when it comes to songwriting), and maybe that’s why, on his self-titled debut, he keeps comin’ back to those places and spaces that hit him the hardest as a young ‘un.
Taking his cues from The Beatles (Revolver and Rubber Soul-era), Byrds, early Floyd, and, especially, vintage Kinks, Dush builds simple pop melodies from the ground up, adding and shaping until the whole kit and kaboodle somehow comes together organically; naturally. Right out of the gate, he hits ya hard with the urgent, ringing riffage, vintage sixties soul handclappin’, and totally tasty harmonies/backing vocals of “How I Feel.” The tune is as much a question as a statement, and you get the feeling that Charley might not even really want to know the answer: “Time is just a mission/Weighin’ on your mind/Tryin’ to convince you/To give up some of mine...”
“Wellington Lane” positively leaps outta yer speakers with a wry, country-Kinks-ian groove and memories of one of Dush’s childhood hangouts. “All the houses on Wellington Lane/Went up together, so they look the same—row after row, there’s no room to grow/It seems like a shame, Wellington Lane...” Delectable pop, baby—Dush should be the first cat former Badfinger guitarist Joey Molland pulls off the street and locks up in a studio. Word. Special guests Dan (Danny Viper) Vorderbruggen, (lap steel, backing vocals), Brian McGuire (backing vocals), Ed Yost, (drums) and Sean Sauder (rim shot & cymbal on song 5) provide awe-inspiring assistance where necessary, but it’s really Charlie and his unabashed love for his own quirky yet accessible brand of psychedelic-laced power-pop.
“Long Way To Go” simply rings out proud and true, like a bittersweet, back-to-school pop anthem—“...said goodbye to summer/before I even said hello....when I’m restless, I get my kicks with Kerouac/On the road/Two up front an’ four in back...but I know, I know, I still got a way to go...” “On The Bus” features Dylan-esque harp blowin’, and paints a perfect aural picture of life in the carpool lane, and how it can be mind-blowingly tedious and full of strange, wonderful surprises at the same time. “Gotta Get Back” is Dush’s own version of the Kinks’ “Rock And Roll Fantasy,” replete with lines like, “Gotta get back/We’ve gotta get back/It’s so easy to fall into routine/Days go by and you’re in for the weekend...” then drives it home with, “...well, I still believe in chasin’ those crazy dreams/Those singers will sing to me/Their music made me feel free...” Like a lot of Charlie’s material, this song finds him basically arguing with himself about which path to choose—music or “normalcy.” If this album is any indication, he’s wasting his time worrying about it—he’s already picked rock ’n’ roll: “When I bought my first 45 and a pair of corduroy pants/Lyin’ on the floor with my feet on the couch/I had my headphones on/When I heard Twist And Shout/Well, I still believe in chasin’ those crazy dreams...” Right on, Charlie.
Album closer “Wilson Avenue” finds Dush recalling his childhood home (actually on Wilson Avenue) and all the characters who populated that bygone, halcyon world: “I used to play video games/I was always runnin’ short on change/My sister was a waitress/I found out where she hid her tips.” Dush not only calls up the spirit of The Kinks (especially Ray Davies’ deep explorations, à la Muswell Hillbillies and others) outstanding, lifelong connection to their homes, their families and the music and art that inspired them in the beginning, but actually brings out the ol’ goosebumps with precision, lyrical chokeholds on the ears and the heartstrings. Charlie Dush has a lot of that fire, drive, and on-the-money delivery Davies and Co. had, and I’ve got a feeling this album is just the tip of the ol’ iceberg. Can’t wait to hear more! Next time: We review Will Kimbrough’s latest, Home Away. Until then—make yer own damn news.
If you have local music news/gigs/events that you’d like to see listed in this column, or you’d just like to send Ray Davies an online Insta-Kiss, send replies to: TMygunn777@aol.com.
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