New Music - To Me

If you've been following this blog you'll know that one of my passions is music.  Recently I did something luxurious and a bit unusual.  I walked into HMV and browsed for some new CD's.  Now you can check out my archives here and find me giving HMV a pretty hard time.  I've been frustrated in the past with not being able to find titles I'm looking for, or not getting good service, but this time it was different.  And although I'm still not convinced that music retailing is experiencing a new renaissance, I will admit I had a pretty good time this time, and I may be back.  Good assistance; opportunity to hear stuff before I bought it; and for once it seemed they had some stuff I was interested in.  HMV at the Mall in Medicine Hat - thank you.

Now to the new titles:

Recently my brother in Christ, Kevin, has been trying to educate me in the spectacular virtuosity of one Joe Satriani.  OK - so I'm really late to the dance here, but I am impressed.  I just picked up "The Essential Satriani" two disc compilation and al I can say is "WOW"!  For those of you out there "in the know" I accept your derisive sniggering.  I deserve it.  If you can appreciate guitar virtuosity, musical genius, hard rock stylings and instrumental as opposed to lyric-based music then dive on in.  The music is fine.  Try track 9 on disc 2 - "If I Could Fly" and just go from there.

Levon Helm passed away recently - April 19.  His seminal work with Robbie Robertson, Garth Hudson, Richard Manuel and Rick Danko - otherwise known as "The Band" should be well known by most.  If you don't know what I'm talking about stop here, go get a copy of "Songs From Big Pink" and listen.  It's OK - I'll wait.  Levon continued making music after the Band completed "The Last Waltz", but he also pursued acting and other artistic pursuits.  Recently, Levon experienced a welcome comeback on the strength of his Grammy Award winning 2007 CD "Dirt Farmer".  I already have a copy of his follow-up Grammy Award winning 2009 CD "Electric Dirt".  I'm sorry it took me till now to rediscover his music, but I'm glad that people record stuff and make CDs.  "Dirt Farmer" is rootsier, folkier, more acoustic and bluesy than "Electric Dirt".  Think "O Brother Where Art Thou".  Still it is very well produced and hypnotic at times.  I recommend both.

Bonnie Raitt walked away with 3 Grammies in 1989 with her album "Nick of Time", and she's won more accolades since.  I admit I haven't bought one of her CDs since, but when I saw her new CD "Slipstream" in the HMV and that she had covered Gerry Rafferty's "Right Down the Line" I had to give it a try.  Her reggae influenced cover of Rafferty's tune is excellent, but what struck me overall were two things - her voice hasn't lost an iota of it's sweet and gruff presence 23 years after "Nick of Time" - and her guitar playing is even better than ever.  Maybe it's just that her producers are highlighting her guitar even more, but I found myself repeatedly being amazed by the tasty licks on this new recording.  Bluesy, playful, gritty, edgy, slick, artful, confident and fresh are just some of the ways I'd describe her playing.  The rest of the band contributes without overbearing.  Check it out - "Slipstream" is Bonnie as good as she ever gets, maybe even better!

When the Cranberries released "Everybody's Doing it So Why Can't We..." in 1993 I was 33 years old, working for Sony of Canada and fully engaged in pop culture.  I always felt I had an internal filter that helped me separate the "great" from the "everything else".  I was around music all day and I hope I was able to pick out good stuff.  "Everybody's Doing It..." was and still is great.  I can't stop pulling it out almost every time I have an extended listening session.  I know I missed 3 other really good albums from them in the 90's so I'll be doing some back catalogue buying eventually, but their new CD "Roses" is currently making me smile.

In fact, it was because the clerks at HMV let me listen to "Roses" before I bought it that I have it now.  As I said in the shop, "They made me smile by the 4th song."  It wasn't that the first 3 weren't good, it was just that on the 4th track I went "Ahhhh!"  Dolores O'Riordan's voice is as magical as ever and the band was doing that thing that only they seem to be able to do - one part Roxy Music; one part Depeche Mode; one part New Order; a hint of Steeleye Span and of course a whole lot of whatever is the Cranberries.  "Roses" is a Cranberries album in every sense of what that means that is good.  The accompanying live CD recorded in Madrid in 2010 is less compelling, mostly for sonic reasons.  It is however, a testimony to the continuing power of the Cranberries to reach their fans.  Repeatedly the concert becomes a sing-along conducted by O'Riordan and the band, but that's OK.  Still, if the Cranberries ever made you smile - they will again when you listen to "Roses".

I've been a fairly constant fan of Carlos Santana since the early 70's when I started buying my own albums.  I've worn out at least three copies of "Abraxas".  I drifted away when Carlos and John McLaughlin got a bit self-indulgent, although I do own a copy of "Welcome" which has the song "Love, Devotion and Surrender".  I came back to Santana when he covered one of my favorite Canadian songwriters - Ian Thomas - recording Thomas' "Hold On" on the 1982 album "Shango".  Since then I have let Santana wander in and out of my musical collection.  I picked up "Supernatural" (1999), "Shaman" (2002) and "All That I Am" (2005).  Now I have a copy of his 2012 release "Shape Shifter".  I have to admit that I listened to "Shape Shifter" right after having given myself a crash course in Satriani and my initial response was "Oh dear!"  But on another listen I have recovered somewhat.

"Shape Shifter" sounds more like an early Santana album than many have in recent years.  In the early years the music was melodically shaped by Carlos' guitar and by Greg Rolie's keyboards layered over,under and woven through by the rhythm section.  The 80's, 90's and 2000's saw Santana albums focused more on lyrical songs and more guitar focused instrumentation.  "Shape Shifter" has long guitar solos and equally long keyboard responses.  I hear more of the experimentation and interplay I heard in the early years.  I saw Carlos, Tom Coster (who replaced Rolie) and most of the lineup who recorded "Welcome" live in 1974 in Edmonton. The band played for over two hours without ever stopping making sound.  Each song flowed into the next. "Shape Shifter" took me back there.  And it was worth the trip.

As always, I find reason to thank God for music.  While it can be argued that a lot of music doesn't glorify God, I really believe that when musicians play with skill, creativity, genius and heart it is impossible to deny that a loving and benevolent God created all things and gave us music as a gift.  I believe that true artists who pursue truth inevitably address God because He is Truth.  I hear Truth in these new albums.  Fingerprints of God everywhere.  He is so good, and I have much to thank Him for.  Now I think I'll spin some discs and give thanks.

Shalom