Forgotten Music Thursday: Brian Vander Ark - Resurrection (2004)

It was once said of Billy Joel that his mass appeal is due to his ability to write songs which can be so personal and individual for so many different people. Each of his songs can conceivably mean something different to every listener. Where Billy Joel has left off, others have risen to the challenge of writing songs that have that similar mass appeal. Brian Vander Ark is such a singer and his album, Resurrection shows some of the best material of one of the best singer/songwriters of his generation, picking up the torch left by the likes of Elton John, Billy Joel, and Bruce Springsteen, but with a style all his own.

Despite the success of their 1997 hit The Freshman few people (outside of Michigan at least) are familiar with The Verve Pipe in general and the songwriting talents of their lead singer, Brian Vander Ark in particular.

While the Verve Pipe didn't grab me at first, there's no denying that Vander Ark's songwriting has only improved with each successive album. His solo album, Resurrection, follows in the natural progression of the Verve Pipe's 2000 release, Underneath. The two albums make excellent companions to one another.

The opening track, 1229 Sheffield has some of Vander Ark's more clever turns of phrase:

Returning our bottles for ten cent deposits
I'll drink us two dollars more...

The pet names you once gave me, we soon gave to the pets
I still come when you call them, just to be sure

There's a naked honesty to Vander Ark's songwriting that some may describe as "angsty" but to pigeonhole it would do it a great disservice. Another highlight to the album, And Then You Went Away probably best captures Vander Ark's "heart-on-the-sleeve" angst:

You hung your favorite picture so you could see it everyday
Then you went away, then you want away
It's by the window garden you said you'd water everyday
Then you went away, then you went away...

Slipped on the velvet curtains you had custom made
Then you went away, then you went away
And there's my new best friend, the one you took in as a stray
Then you went away, then you went away

Much like many of his Verve Pipe songs, there's a common theme of the evolution of relationships-- people growing together, growing apart, and the circumstances we face in relationships and the effect those events have on the relationship-- sometimes making it stronger, other times tearing it apart. This theme, tackled initially on the opening track, 1229 Sheffield is revisited on Mileage:

Pass by the high school
A memory rerun
When I was seventeen couldn't wait for twenty-one
I pass by the church
Where I married you
When you were twenty-one and I was twenty-two...

So I speed past the building
I always wanted to
Since I was twenty-one, almost twenty two
If I'd had the nerve
I'd have quit there before
You turned twenty-three and couldn't take me there any more...

The album as a whole is Vander Ark at his very best. His voice is soothing and consistently interesting. The songs never falter, there's not a "weak" or "skippable" song on the CD-- if anything most songs fall victim to the repeat button and with each new listen provide the listener with the gift of a new perspective. This is an album that only improves with each listen. So listen and enjoy!

Ian Moss - Six Strings (2005)

As the guitarist for the definitive Australian pub rock band, Cold Chisel, Ian Moss is an Australian icon. He’s also one of their better kept secrets. During Cold Chisel’s long hiatus (1983-1998) Moss recorded and released a small handful of solo albums.


Six Strings is probably the closest Moss has come to a greatest hits package. This live acoustic set shows Moss performing acoustic arrangements of some of his better known songs both as a solo artist and as a member of Cold Chisel.

In the early volatile years of Cold Chisel that saw Jimmy Barnes frequently quitting and rejoining the band Moss was frequently called upon to step up and sing lead for Cold Chisel. This gave Moss some good practice as a vocalist. While not in the same league as Barnes, his smoother vocals gave Cold Chisel a different weapon in their musical arsenal. Even after Barnes would return to the band, Moss would sometimes continue contributing lead vocals. With some of those songs like Saturday Night and Bow River that were included in this collection the acoustic arrangements while enjoyable lack the swagger of the Cold Chisel versions. It’s the lack of Barnes raspy growl on the background vocals that takes some of the steam out of the acoustic versions. However the acoustic arrangements of The Party’s Over, Never Before and My Baby give the songs a new life. The Cold Chisel versions sound considerably dated compared to Moss’s acoustic updates.

The acoustic arrangements of Moss’s solo back catalog are thoroughly enjoyable. Tucker’s Daughter, Two Seconds Too Long, and Angel Eyes are all excellent arrangements. Moss provides brief introductions to many songs indicating who wrote them. Many were long time Cold Chisel bass player, Phil Smalls, compositions as Moss has recorded many of Smalls works both as a member of Cold Chisel and as a solo artist.

The applause throughout is light. It gives the performance a very relaxed and intimate small coffee house feel. As far as live albums go, this one is a gem to be listened to on a pair of high end headphones with the lights turned low.

Related Links
Tucker's Daughter (live)

Bow River (live)

Saturday Night (live)

Ian Moss (official site)
Ian Moss (wikipedia)
 

Mark Seymour - The Closest Living Thing (2008)

From 1981 to 1998 Mark Seymour was the front man and vocalist for Aussie pub-rock band, Hunters & Collectors. Since Hunters & Collectors called it quits in '98, Seymour has taken his solo career in a more acoustic direction.

In 2008, Seymour released The Closest Living Thing a collection of acoustic versions of H&C songs for all of those nostalgic for the music of that era of Seymour's career.

The song selection is exceptional. While all of the fan favorites are included, Seymour also included some more obscure and deeper H&C album cuts like Titanic and True Believers from Juggernaut and What's a Few Men from Fate.

While the "horns of contempt" are conspicuously absent the more bare-boned acoustic arrangements of the classic "Hunnas" repertoire allow the listener to focus more on Seymour's vocal and songwriting talents. The acoustic arrangements give the songs a new freshness giving the listener not only a reminder of what he or she enjoyed about the original versions but also an opportunity to hear all of these songs for the first time all over again.

Some of the highlights include Talking to a Stranger which features exceptional vocal harmonies, Titanic which Seymour gives a unique spoken-word delivery to the verses and sings the choruses, Everything's On Fire which features some beautiful acoustic guitar playing, and What's a Few Men stripped to the bare essentials making the lyrics a bit more emotionally charged than they were in the original version playing an exceptional tribute to the fallen ANZAC soldiers of the Battle of Galipoli.

All in all, with this collection Seymour blows the dust off the better material of Hunters & Collectors 17 years and gives it new life. Whether your new to Hunters & Collectors and/or Seymour's music or a long time fan this album is a welcome addition to any music collection.


Related Links
Hunters & Collectors (wikipedia)
Mark Seymour (wikipedia)
Mark Seymour (personal website)
Human Frailty (Hunters & Collectors Official Website)
Other Hunters & Collectors Reviews
Interview with Nick & Mark Seymour from the H&C website (Mark's brother, Nick, is a member of Crowded House)

James Reyne - Ghost Ships (2007)

Following up on the success of his previous acoustic endeavour, ... and the horse you rode in on from 2005, James Reyne released his 2nd acoustic album, Ghost Ships in 2007.

Ghost Ships finishes the job Reyne started in 2005. With acoustic versions of both his hits with Crawl and his own solo material Reyne fills in the gaps-- the material he didn't get to on ... and the horse you rode in on.

Given how dated some of Reyne's early solo material from the mid-late eighties sounds today, these new acoustic arrangements offer a breath of fresh air to songs like Motors Too Fast and Fall of Rome. Reyne rounds out the collection with a new cover of the Dingoes Way Out West that he had initially covered with country vocalist James Blundell in 1992, a song that to this day remains his biggest solo hit. The new version, minus Blundell is more uptempo and lively that the original cover. Reyne also covers Australian Crawl hits Beautiful People and Boys Light Up to great effect. The new arrangement of Boys Light Up features an almost calypso rhythm and Reyne's superlative songwriting skills are laid bare when the song is presented without the bombast and bluster of his former band.

With the exception of Bug (a solo track of Reyne's I've never been keen on), there's not a weak track on the album. These fresh new acoustic arrangements of past hits and favorites give them new life and energy and remind the listener of Reyne's talents both as a singer and songwriter.

Ideally this album should be enjoyed with ... and the horse you rode in on as the two albums bookend each other very nicely, although both albums also stand on their own quite well too.

Related Links
Australian Crawl Boys Light Up (1980)
James Reyne ... and the horse you rode in on (2005)
James Reyne (wikipedia entry)
Australian Crawl (wikipedia entry)
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James Reyne - "... and the horse you rode in on." (2005)

After the demise of his band, Australian Crawl, James Reyne, has for several years continued to enjoy success as a solo artist. From his pop-friendly early material to his more laidback and eclectic recent releases Reyne has continued to show himself to be an excellent singer/songwriter.

His 2005 predominantly acoustic endeavor is an aural treat. Featuring a mix of acoustic versions of some of his Crawl classics like Errol, Reckless, Downhearted, and Oh No, Not You Again along with acoustic versions of material from his own solo career. The album is rounded out with covers of songs by Townes Van Zandt, Dan Hicks, John Hiatt and fellow Aussie singer/songwriter Paul Kelly not to mention a cover of the English folk classic Mr. Frog Went a Courtin'.

The acoustic versions of his material differs considerably from the original versions. The already melancholy Australian Crawl classics, Reckless and Downhearted take on an even more somber vibe when stripped down to merely Reyne's vocals and guitar.

Perhaps the greatest treat of this collection is how Reyne's voice has matured and improved with age. The minimalist approach of these recordings allow his voice to really shine. While his vocals with Australian Crawl were quite enjoyable, this album shows that his voice, like a fine wine, has grown considerably better with age.

Whether you're already familiar with Reyne or have never heard of him and are merely on the lookout for something new-- if you're a fan of acoustic music, chances are you'll find yourself enjoying this exceptional collection.

Related Links and Media
James Reyne - Downhearted (acoustic)


James Reyne - Reckless (acoustic)


Interview with James Reyne


The Official James Reyne Website
James Reyne Wikipedia entry
James Reyne - "... and the horse you rode in on" (Order the album on Amazon.com)
James Reyne Myspace.com site
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Jimmy Barnes - Flesh & Wood (1994)

After his Soul Deep collection of covers of the soul songs which had inspired his career as a singer, Jimmy Barnes decided to take his music in yet another direction with 1994's Flesh and Wood. Comprised of a mixture of covers and original materials this album perhaps allows Barnes to show his vocal capabilities better than any of his previous albums ever had.

Not having to compete with amplified instruments it's much easier to hear and appreciate Barnes gritty soulful vocals. Whether it's Barnes own It Will Be Alright or his emotive cover of The Band's classic The Weight. These stripped down acoustic arrangements show the best of what Barnes was and is capable of.

When you toss in a duet with Joe Cocker (Guilty) and some guest spots with Aussie rock luminaries like Diesel, Tommy Emmanuel, and Archie Roach. The mix ends up being an even more well-rounded and a delightful treat.

This is the kind of CD you play when you're drinking alone with friends like Johnny Walker, Jim Beam, Jack Daniels, Jose Cuervo, or Captain Morgan. Dim the lights, take a sip of your poison of choice and savor the cocktail of music and alcohol on its slow burn through your insides.

From start to finish its got that hot humid rainy night, chirping cricket, bottle of single malt Scotch feel to it.

The performances are relaxed but not restrained and completely unpretentious and the vocals are some of Barnes' strongest. The only truly weak moment is his cover of Elvis Presley's Love Me Tender which neither adds nor takes away anything from the original performance making it an unoffensive, if not bland, cover.

Highlights include Barnes cover of the Cold Chisel classic Flame Trees, Ride the Night Away, and his stirring duet with Deborah Conway-- Let It Go.

Roch Voisine - Christmas Is Calling (2000)

Not widely known outside his native Canada, Quebecois vocalist and guitarist, Roch Voisine remains one of Canada’s better kept secrets. Voisine pays equal mind to both his French and English speaking audiences releasing albums in both languages.

On his Christmas is Calling album he remains true to form. His voice is soft and relaxing, like an old friend you haven’t seen or heard from in awhile which makes it ideal for a Christmas album.

On many tracks he finds himself backed up by a gospel choir giving them a little extra pep. In particular, Joy to the World and Silent Night both benefit from the addition of the choir.

While his arrangements don’t stray too far from the originals, he does still manage to put his own stamp on many of the Christmas season classics we’ve come to grow familiar with over the years.

The only real “surprise” on the CD is Voisine’s somber performance of John Lennon’s Happy Xmas (War Is Over). Roch’s delivery and arrangement is relaxed and pleasant, and once again he finds himself backed up by a choir to augment the already enjoyable performance.

While there are no “clunkers” on the album, some songs certainly do stand out more than others. Many songs fall prey to the “repeat” button. I’ll Be Home For Christmas and The Christmas Song hearken back to simpler times when those songs were sung by the likes of Bing, Burl, Nat, Perry and others originally put there stamp on them. But perhaps the best tracks on the CD are O Holy Night—One of the best versions I’ve ever heard of my personal favorite Christmas song and What Child Is This—while not the best version I’ve ever heard of the song, it’s certainly one of the better.

From start to finish this is a CD that conjures cold snowy December days sipping cocoa, curled up by the fireplace. It doesn’t just sound like Christmas, it feels like Christmas.

John Wetton - Akustika: Live in Amerika (1996)

Wetton may not be the best singer in the world but he is certainly one of the most passionate. Unfortunately, Wetton seems to tone down his performances on this CD, while they're still passionate they seem to lack that level of intense deep to the core of the soul passion that I know he's capable of after hearing some of his other live performances. I've heard live versions of Hold Me Now that have just about moved me to tears. Unfortunately this CD lacks that level of emotion.

The CD is still well worth getting if for no other reason than to hear Christina and Wetton's acoustic version of Don't Cry which is exceptional on this CD. Those 2 songs alone make this CD WELL worth getting, the rest of the material, while very good, isn't up to the standards I normally expect of Mr. Wetton however.