Carla Bozulich – Red Headed Stranger
Red Headed Stranger marks the solo debut of Carla Bozulich, the art-rock iconoclast best known as the husky-voiced leader of art-twang group the Geraldine Fibbers. And yes, it’s THAT Red Headed Stranger — a remake of Willie Nelson’s concept-album classic from 1975.
Bozulich has long been a fan of the epic album (her former band recorded a version “Hands On The Wheel” in 1996). That she chose this vehicle for her return to the record racks after several years of self-imposed seclusion is a conundrum for another day, but it serves her well. Bozulich has always been attracted to music that’s cinematic and cosmic, so why not revisit Nelson’s stark and stony tale of a murderous cowboy on the run?
With help from longtime collaborator Nels Cline, Bozulich’s interpretation comes off as somehow simultaneously reverent and irreverent. Her deep affinity for the work is clear, but no less obvious is her fearlessness in putting her own avant-garde stamp on the blueprint. Thus, the new Red Headed Stranger includes not only frisky country twang but an intriguing mix of improvisational jazz, sprawling indie-rock ambience, and, perhaps most boldly, raga. Then there’s Bozulich’s voice, a wonderfully idiosyncratic instrument that might make a trucker squirm.
Off-putting? Perhaps, if you approach Nelson as a fairly mainstream artist. But if you’re open to Bozulich’s mind-stretching ways — as Nelson seems to be, given that he guests on three songs here — then this new Red Headed Stranger just might be your friend.