Round the Dial
Wednesday 09 October @ 11:02:38 |
 by Tom Hallett
QUOTE OF THE WEEK: “I never work on anything. Dedication is such a weird word after all, after Albert Schweitzer and people like that. That’s dedication, when you give your whole life. No one dedicates themselves to anything now.”
-—Ringo Starr
SONG OF THE WEEK: “Antiworld”
-—Nina Hagen
Ya gotta love the cooler temps and fresh Northern breezes this time of year; it’s great to throw on yer rock n’ roll clothes and not be soaking in gallons of sweat before the first band takes the stage, but it also seems that Fall sometimes brings the weirdest world situations, (another pointless, bloody war in the Middle East, anyone?) local dramas, (if I hear one more head freakin’ out about that supposed DEA billboard along the freeway...grrr!) and personal jams (I’d be happier than spit to never gaze upon another used car, but considering my profession of choice I guess I’d better get used to it). Just some great conversational fodder for your upcoming, dysfunctional family holiday gatherings, eh? To help ease your frazzled nerve endings, here’s a recent release ya might want to consider adding to your collection:
Will Kimbrough
Home Away
2002
Waxysilver Records
Nashville native Will Kimbrough has a long history of lending his considerable talents to projects conceived of and written by other, equally-talented musicians—he guested on recent Turf Club fave Tommy Womack’s Bis-Quits album a few years back, runs the artist-friendly Waxysilver, and most recently has been working with and inspiring his old pal Matthew Ryan (who’s also on Waxy). Several of those folks return the favor on Kimbrough’s solo debut—Kim Richey donates some stellar vocals and Womack steps up with some sublime harp playin’, but frankly, Will didn’t need anybody’s help for this excellent effort—he plays organ, synthesizer, banjo, bass, dobro, guitar, piano, accordian, Casio, toy bells, and a whole slew of other instruments that don’t really exist outside of this album.
The record runs the gamut from bouncy, uptempo pop-rock (“Piece Of Work,” with lines like, “I’m all dumbfounded/Stubborn as an ass/Sharp as an arrow in a pile of glass/I’m a sweetheart genius, reckless jerk/Lord have mercy, I’m a piece of work...”), country-fried blooz-rock (“This Modern World”), sorrowful ballads (“Champion Of The World”), and spacey dreampop (“Crackup”). I’ve always been a big fan of his heartbreak pal, Matthew Ryan, but there’s no doubt that Will Kimbrough is every bit as talented and has a sharp ear for a nifty pop melody. Home Away is a great Fall album, perfect for road-trippin’, bottle-tippin’, or just plain ole speaker whippin’. Highly recommended.
Tune in next week for more reviews! Until next time—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 RSVP for this year’s annual Thanksgiving Day Jukejoint Ramble a little early, send replies to: href=TMygunn777@aol.com>TMygunn777@aol.com.
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