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Travel Notes: Recent Releases from Old Faithfuls

I'm currently on the road, working, with not much time for focused writing. Catching up withnew releases from some of the old (not always) faithfuls and pondering fuller reviews...

I've already made some sceptical comments about Bob Dylan's Tempest, but I haven't yet given it the concentrated attention it deserves. The problem is that, unlike the curate's egg, it is genuinely good in parts. But the bad bits - instances of plonking rhymes, clumsy lyrics, unengaged vocals which ignore meaning, limited and repetitive melodies, some actively unpleasant sentiments: overall, the screaming need for a dispassionate editor... - keep getting in the way when I try to experience the album as a whole and appreciate the good bits. And there certainly are good bits, with some striking lines, delivered on occasion with both power and guile, where he makes the most of what remains of his voice. The band are strong, tight and utterly dependable.

Van Morrison's Born To Sing: No Plan B is a different sort of mixture. The music is jazz-based, there's fire in the singer's belly and grit in his vocals. The persona Van presents is not very attractive - grumpy, bordering on misanthropic - but that will hardly surprise long term fans. It is both interesting and impressive and deserves closer attention. I'm not being sucked in immediately, though: there is, again, some off-putting clumsiness in the lyrics (such as the repeated line about 'Going down to Monte Carlo, about 25k from Nice' - which one critic has nicely compared to a satnav message - and which is far too obviously there only to set up an easier set of rhymes with 'Nice' than 'Monte Carlo' would offer). And Van's lyric swipe at 'pseudo jazz' feels a little bit risky in this context: the backing is echt jazz, I would say, but very much at the smooth end of the genre, without much honk or harmonic edge.

John Cale marches briskly into his eighth decade with Shifty Adventures In Nookie Wood, finding new ways of being distinctly him, with angular arrangements and squelching electronics, weird songs and animated vocals. A fascinating, edgy mixture which will take time properly to absorb.

But where's the time going to come from? It's taking a bit of doing at the moment to keep Neil Young & Crazy Horse's Psychedelic Pill out of my earphones - and there's nearly 90 minutes of that record to get my ears round. It's not going to win any new converts - and people who know what Neil and the Horse sound like will know immediately whether they're interested in a 27 minute opening thrash which ranges through rants about the quality of MP3s (and an accompanying plug for his memoirs) and the commercial exploitation of Picasso, through to the possibility of the singer acquiring a 'hip hop haircut'. You won't be surprised to hear that I think it is glorious: irresistible musical momentum, squalling guitars - and an intriguing set of conversational gambits from a weird old friend. Somehow, he can get away with clumsy lines more easily than Bob and Van (and the one about Picasso is a real clunker) - partly because the overall persona here is warmer and more attractive, partly because he can still take time to craft and develop a real story-telling lyric when he wants to. 'Ramada Inn' immediately grabbed my attention: a beautifully empathic, 3D portrait of a loving old couple coping with alcoholism. Who else is writing so well about that sort of thing? (Maybe some personal insights in play, given Neil's own widely reported farewell to weed... But, whatever: deftly done.)

Can we have some more listening hours in the day please?

(from Eden On The Line)

Comment by denton fabrics on November 5, 2012 at 6:30am: I spent a lot of time this weekend with Dylan, Morrison, and Young and I agreee with much of what you say about them. Dylan seems a little crankier than usual, while Young tends to ramble and meander (but in a good way) and I think Mr Morrison might need to adjust his medications. But these seem to be typical behaviors that many of us guys exhibit, once we reach a certain age.

But overriding all of that stuff, I like how the old guys have come up with 3 of the best albums of 2012, IMHO.

Comment by Peter Wrench on November 5, 2012 at 11:14am: Thanks. Agreed - and 4 of the best albums, I'd say: at least two thirds of Neils's Americana is great stuff too.

Comment by Hal Bogerd on November 5, 2012 at 1:26pm: "Can we have some more listening hours in the day please?"

Perfect. Couldn't agree more!!

Comment by L A Johnson on November 6, 2012 at 3:21am: I've listened to Neil's Pill 8 times that's 12 hours and for me it's huge disappointment. It should have contained the 3 long songs cut down to 15 minutes = 45 minutes - and drop the rest.The title track is one of Neil's worst title tracks - with Love of Man they're a couple of stinkers. Once you get over that's it's a new record with Crazy Horse the novelty wears off. The guitar solos sound the same - and the drumming is on auto-pilot. Neil may hate the way that music is delivered (mp3) but when it's mixed this poorly it doesn't matter. The lyrics are some Neil's weakest this sits with Landing On The Water & Life. Rust perhaps does sleep.

Comment by victor pearson on November 6, 2012 at 4:38am: Listening for second time to "Tempest"....first time seemed like it would never end..might be a grower , lotta words in there to process (or ignore )..right now it's serving as muzak as I type . Sometimes it's better not to listen too hard to old favourites' new offerings as they are inevitably compared to their last..let it sink in while you do the dishes and don't think too hard . Trout Mask Replica , anyone?

Comment by Jack on November 18, 2012 at 6:10pm: Just picked up Van Morrison's new one and have only been able to listen to bits and pieces in the car, not the ideal way to get a feel for the record, so I don't know what to make of it yet. But one thing I know for sure, If In The Money We Trust is one really, really cool song. My nine year old son was playing his iPod Touch while the song was on in the car and turned it off to listen to that song.

Comment by victor pearson on November 20, 2012 at 3:01am: It's growing on me ..suddenly flashed that Bob's reverted to writing long long songs on a basic groove..think of the olde folkie epics with a million verses , the Viking sagas , medieval troubadors embellishing history with fantasy , hitting you over the head until you surrender to it . Listen to it while doing the dishes and don't think too hard..it's only music..ROLL ON BOB !

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