‘The Prodigal Son’ Is An Album To Which Cooder’s Fans Will Want To Return Time And Again

Courtesy: Fantasy Records

Ry Cooder is scheduled to release his brand new solo album The Prodigal Son this Friday.  The 11-song record is a nice *ahem* return for the veteran musician.  It is a 50-minute collection of songs that will easily appeal not only to Cooder’s fans and those of Buena Vista Social Club, but to blues aficionados, folk music fans and music lovers in general.  In other words, no doubt it will appeal to music lovers across the board.  That is thanks to musical arrangements and lyrical content throughout that is more than certain to keep listeners of all ages engaged and entertained.  That is clear right from the album’s outset in the album’s opener ‘Straight Street.’  It will be discussed shortly.  The album’s title track, which is essentially its midway point, also serves to support the noted statements of its appeal.  It will be discussed later.  Cooder and company’s cover of Blind Roosevelt Graves’ gospel standard ‘I’ll Be Rested When The Roll Is Called’ is one more example of what makes this record such widely appealing offering.  When it is considered along with the album’s other works, the end result is a record that is powerful both musically and lyrically and deserves without doubt to be added to any critic’s list of the year’s top new blues albums if not even the year’s top new albums overall.

Ry Cooder’s new full-length studio recording The Prodigal Son is a powerful new offering that will easily appeal to listeners of all ages and tastes.  That is thanks to the pair of its musical and lyrical content alike as is evidenced right from the album’s outset in ‘Straight Street.’  The gospel standard – originally composed and recorded by Blind Roosevelt Graves – gains a powerful new life in its presentation here thanks to its arrangement.  The arrangement’s foundation is formed through a gentle combination of mandolin, fiddle and percussion that is more folksy and country-esque than the simple piano and vocal arrangement used by The Pilgrim Travelers in their original 1955 take on the song.  At the same time though, Cooder and company’s take on the arrangement is still entertaining with its sort of 1960s r&b sort of vibe.  When that updated, gentle flowing take on the song is coupled with the song’s lyrical content, which centers on a person making some important positive changes in life, it makes the song in whole even more emotional than The Pilgrim Travelers’ original.  It honestly comes across as a song that could be included in some seasonal drama’s soundtrack as Cooder sings, “Well I used to live on Broadway/Right next to a liar’s house/Well what a fool I was/My number was self righteousness/Oh don’t you know/Had very little guide amount/(I better move) so I moved/And I’m living on straight street now.”  Straight Street here could be interpreted as a physical street, though odds are it is in reality a metaphor for living the straight and narrow.  Keeping that in mind, that positive message of making positive changes in life, coupled with the updated, deeply emotional take on the song’s arrangement makes the song a clear example of what makes The Prodigal Son a welcome return for Cooder (after six years with no new music) and a work that boasts wide appeal.  It is just one of the songs that shows what makes the album so surprisingly enjoyable.  The album’s title track is another example of what makes The Prodigal Son a solid new effort from Cooder.

The Prodigal Son’s title track stands out musically because while it is another very bluesy work, it doesn’t attempt to rehash the sound created in the four songs that come ahead of itself.  The percussion line and guitar that collectively make up the song’s first 30 seconds are nice touches as they do a lot to set the stage for the song.  The song that follows is just as certain to keep listeners engaged with its easy comparison to songs from The Blind Boys of Alabama (and to a lesser extent, Johnny Cash).  It’s a nice change of pace that in itself is more than enough reason to hear this song.  When it is coupled with the song’s lyrical content, the two items clearly show why the song in whole is another key addition to Prodigal Son.  The song’s lyrical content literally tells the biblical story of the Prodigal son, just with a little bit of an added kick.  In other words, it’s not preachy, but still tells the story in a way that is certain to appeal to any listener.  On the same level, it works directly in concert with the rest of the album’s theme of personal and spiritual revival of sorts.  It’s another reminder that one can turn one’s life around and get things on track that will also entertain listeners at the same time.  Keeping this thought in mind, it’s clear why this original addition to Prodigal Son is so critical to the album overall.  Even with this in mind, it still is not the last of the album’s most standout entries.  Cooder’s cover of Blind Roosevelt Graves’ standard ‘I’ll Be Rested When The Roll is Called’ is another key addition to the record.

Originally composed with his brother Uaroy, this composition is a simple song about that life eternal that comes after death.  While Cooder and company’s arrangement builds on the original composition’s instrumentation, it also stays very close to its source material.  Instead of a guitar and tambourine, which were used in Graves’ original work, Cooder and his fellow musicians here opted for a banjo, tambourine and drums.  Of course there are also additional harmonies added thanks to the fact that there are more performers here; harmonies that add so much to the song.  Either way, its arrangement still pays a wonderful tribute to its source material that even today’s more hardcore purist will certainly appreciate.  The song’s lyrical content will impress listeners just as much because it, too sticks to its source.  Cooder sings here to Graves’ original lines, “I’ll be rested when the roll is called/I’ll be rested in the kingdom of heaven/No more shoutin’ when the roll is called/I’ll be rested in the kingdom of heaven/No more sorrows when the roll is called/Meet my mother when the roll is called/Meet my elders when the roll is called.”  There are plenty of refrains within each line, of course.  So these lines are the core of the song.  Keeping this in mind, there is so much positive here.  When the positive vibes from these lines (and musical content) joins with the positive vibes in the previously discussed songs — and even those songs not noted here – the overall positive presentation in this album makes it a record that, in whole, to which any listener will want to return time and again.

When it hits store shelves and online outlets this Friday, Ry Cooder’s new album the Prodigal Son will be the veteran musician/producer’s first new album in six years.  Considering that much time has passed between this forthcoming record and his last – 2012’s Election Special – this record proves it was worth the wait.  That is thanks to a mix of original compositions and covers that will most certainly appeal to blues aficionados and gospel purists alike.  The lyrical theme of revival and personal betterment that runs throughout the record makes it even more engaging.  The pairing of those elements together throughout the album makes it a presentation in whole that is easily one of the year’s top new blues albums without a doubt, and an album to which listeners will want to return time and again.  It will be available this Friday, May 11 in stores and online via Fantasy Records (the same label responsible for Prophets of Rage’s debut album).  More information on The Prodigal Son is available online now along with all of Ry Cooder’s latest news and more at:

 

 

 

Website: http://www.rycooder.com

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/rycooderofficial

Twitter: http://twitter.com/rycooder

 

 

 

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Yates’ New Record Could Put Her On “The Other Side” Of Country Music Stardom

Courtesy: Awaken Love Music/Press Junkie PR

Country musician Crystal Yates released her latest recording this past May.  The record, The Other Side, is an offering that any country music fan should hear at least once.  This is the case even with the record boasting a grand total of five songs.  Those five songs will move listeners deeply in so many ways over the course of the record’s twenty-one minute run time.  That is thanks to the combination of the record’s musical arrangements and its lyrical content.  From one song to the next this record offers plenty for country music fans to appreciate.  By the time the record ends it leaves listeners with quite the impression.  It is an impression that will leave listeners agreeing that Yates’ could be one of the next big names in the country community.

Crystal Yates’ new record The Other Side is a record that any country music fan should hear at least once.  That is because through the combination of its musical arrangements and lyrical content, it shows her to potentially be one of country music’s next big names.  One of the songs that best exemplifies this is ‘Already Yours.’  This song stands out on Yates’ new record in part due to its musical arrangement.  The song starts out very tentative and slow.  Over the course of its four-plus minute run time it gradually picks up a little more; not so much in its tempo but in its confidence.  Yates’ own soulful vocals echo the power in the song’s musical arrangement, too adding even more power to the arrangement.  The song’s gentle opening and its gradual growth is a direct mirror so to speak to its lyrical content.  That is noted as Yates sings in the song’s opening verse, “If you’re feeling down/And you’re all alone/Then I’ve got a hand you can hold/Put your hand in mine/Let me walk you through/There ain’t nothing that/I wouldn’t do/Don’t you even think/Just call/You ain’t gotta ask at all/If you want my love/It’s already yours.”  McKenzie Smith keeps a solid tempo on the drums, showing that truly talented drummers don’t always have to have machine gun speed beats.  Sometimes it is the ones who play slower and with control who show true skill and talent.  Yates’ gentle approach continues in the song’s second verse.  Though, it is clear as the verse progresses that so does the power in both her Bonnie Raitt meets Susan Tedeschi style vocals and the song’s general musical arrangement.  Ultimately it culminates with that gentle reminder from Yates, “If you want my love/It’s already there.”  All things considered here, this song proves to be one of this record’s best compositions if not its outright best.  It is just one of the songs that proves why Yates could potentially be one of the next big names in country music.  ‘Made To Last’ follows ‘Already Yours.’  It is another of the record’s most standout compositions.

‘Already Yours’ is one of the key compositions included in Crystal Yates’ new record.  That is thanks to the obvious attention paid to detail both in regards to its musical content and its lyrical content, and how the two elements work together.  The end result is a song that is possibly one of the record’s best moments if not its best.  Keeping that in mind, it is not the record’s only key composition.  ‘Made To Last’ follows ‘Already Yours.’  It is another of the record’s key compositions.  Unlike ‘Already Yours,’ this song is a full-on country song.  Its musical arrangement harkens back to the likes of Reba McEntire and Martina Mcbride (the latter of whom Yates has shared the stage).  That is clear not only in its upbeat arrangement but also in Yates’ own vocal delivery.  It presents such a positive vibe from beginning to end.  That alone is more than enough to make this song another hit for her.  The song’s lyrical content is just as certain to make it a hit.  It directly echoes the upbeat energy of the song’s musical arrangement.  This is made clear as Yates sings playfully in the song’s lead verse, “That cat has started getting’ on your nerves/I can’t stand your Nickelback T-shirt/But that’s how it goes/And don’t you know/Falling is the easy part/But when times get hard is when the real thing starts/Real love is not a chance we take/It’s a choice we make/Each and every day/But then what happened happens/I want a love that’s made to last.”  The playful yet straightforward commentary about real love here is certain to put a smile on any listener’s face.  And that line about hating a guy’s Nickelback T-shirt will undoubtedly get more than a few laughs, too.  This is just the start of the positive vibes in the song’s lyrical content.  She goes on to sing, “When people get as close as you and I/You can bet that we butt heads sometimes/But makin’ up/Can sure be fun/You might never clean the dishes up/I’m gonna be have a few bad days each month/But letting go/is how we’ll grow/Falling  is the easy part/But when times get hard/It’s when the real thing starts/Love is not a chance we take/It’s a choice we make/Each and every day/But then what happens, happens fast/I want a love that’s made to last.”  Yates’ reality check goes on from here dispelling the myth about the long white dress, the house and picket fence, etc.  She notes again that what is most important about a good life together is a love that (again) lasts.  It is a statement that rings loud and clear from beginning to end.  When coupled with the song’s upbeat musical arrangement, the song in whole proves to be another great addition to Yates’ new record.  Together with ‘Already Yours’ it is yet more proof of why Yates could potentially be one of country’s next big names.

‘Already Yours’ and ‘Made To Last’ are both key additions to Crystal Yates’ new record.  Both songs stand solidly on their own merits.  This includes both their musical arrangements and lyrical content.  While both songs stand out in their own right they are not the record’s only standout songs.  The record’s closer, also its title track, is one more of its most notable compositions.  This song stands out from the record’s other tracks just as much as they do from one another.  In regards to its musical content, it is a solid, blues-based gospel tune that once again echoes those hints of Bonnie Raitt and Susan Tedeschi.  Yates’ vocals are just as powerful as the song’s musical arrangement.  She sings here about getting to “the other side.”  It is clear here that she is singing about going to Heaven here.  That is especially clear as she sings, “I know we’re gonna pass…to the other shore/Oh, we’re gonna see the lord/I said oh, we’re gonna see the lord.”  She goes on to sing, “Ain’t gonna let nothin’ stop us/From the other side.”  It’s a classic gospel style song at least in terms of its lyrics.  In regards to its musical arrangement, that is not an entirely original approach.  But it is one that is rarely taken by any artist.  The only name that this critic in particular can come up with when thinking of blues-based gospel, is the Blind Boys of Alabama.  To that end, this song is yet another standout composition for Yates’ new record.  It shows just as much as ‘Already Yours’ and ‘Made To Last’ why this young singer-songwriter could very well be one of country music’s next big names.  That is not to ignore the record’s other two songs, ‘Leave Me Alone To Die’ (which is actually about a kidnapping that she personally experienced at one point in her life) and ‘Hell On My Soul.’  Those two songs offer up their own interest to this record, too.  All things considered, this new record may only boast five songs and run twenty-one minutes but it is still a record that any country music purist should hear at least once if not more.  That is because it could be the next step in making her one of country music’s next big names.

Crystal Yates could very well be one of the next big names in the country music community.  She has already made quite the impact with two previous recordings.  Now with her latest record The Other Side she is that much closer to actually making that become true.  That is because over the course of this record’s five songs and twenty-one minutes, she offers audiences so much to appreciate.  Each song stands out from the others both musically and lyrically.  And each one is just as entertaining as the others, too as has already been noted.  From a powerhouse blues-based gospel closer in its title track, to a fun, upbeat song about the realities of marriage, to an equally moving piece about a person’s (likely a woman’s) love for another, and beyond, there is plenty to appreciate about this record.  All things considered, The Other Side could very well be the record that takes Crystal Yates to the “other side” of music stardom.  It is available now and can be ordered direct via Yates’ official website at http://www.crystalyatesmusic.com/merch/.  More information on The Other Side is available online now along with all of her latest news and more at:

 

 

Website: http://www.crystalyatesmusic.com

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/crystalyatesmusic

Twitter: http://twitter.com/crystal_yates

 

 

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The Spirit Of Satch Is Anything But Another Covers Album

Courtesy: Concord Records

Covers albums, like greatest hits albums, are among the most overly used records in the music industry.  Regardless of genre, there are almost as many covers and hits albums in stores and online every year as there are albums of new music from artists across the genres.  The problem with these albums is that it’s obvious that they are nothing more than fillers used for the purpose of contractual obligations.  One listen through their track listings proves this. For all of the forgettable covers and hits albums that pollute store shelves and online outlets each year, there are thankfully those diamonds in the rough that actually stand out among the masses.  Those hidden gems show that for all of the space fillers that are out there, there are those artists that take covers albums, hits albums and tribute records with at least a certain amount of seriousness.  One of those hidden gems that has been revealed in 2014 comes from veteran performer Dr. John in the form of his Louis Armstrong covers/tribute album Ske-Dat-De-Dat: The Spirit of Satch.  This thirteen-track record is more than just a collection of covers from one of the greatest names in the industry.  The covers included on this record exhibit not only the spirit of Satchmo, but also the very creative spirit of music itself.  While the songs on this record are largely full-blown re-imaginings of Armstrong’s original works, the creativity used in each song will lead this record to grow on even the most hardline of Louis Armstrong fans.  And it all starts right off the top with Dr. John’s re-imagining of Armstrong’s greatest hit, ‘What A Wonderful World.’  Dr. John’s jazzy cover of ‘I’ve Got The World on a String’ will most certainly impress audiences as it’s one of the few songs on this record that stays close to the original work.  The addition of blues great Bonnie Raitt doesn’t hurt the song, either.  And his collaboration with the famed Dirty Dozen Brass Band on ‘When You’re Smiling (The Whole World Smiles With You’ is the perfect closer for this record.  As impressive as these songs prove to be in the long run, they’re only part of what makes Ske-Dat-De-Dat: The Spirit of Satch such a rare release.  The album’s other ten tracks are worth their own listen, too.  And in hearing all thirteen tracks on this disc, any listener will agree that this record definitely stands out as one of this year’s truly rare covers/tribute albums worth hearing.

Dr. John’s new Louis Armstrong covers/tribute album Ske-Dat-De-Dat: The Spirit of Satch is one of 2014’s rare covers/tribute albums that is actually worth audiences’ attention.  And it isn’t just because it is from one of the most respected names in the music industry today.  That is proven right off the top with his cover of Armstrong’s most beloved of songs, ‘What A Wonderful World.’  Dr. John collaborated on this cover with gospel greats The Blind Boys of Alabama and fellow New Orleans native Nicholas Paton.  At first listen, the song will most certainly leave some audiences scratching their heads.  That is because it is a completely re-imagined take on the classic tune.  Rather than taking the safe route here, Dr. John and company give the song a decidedly upbeat almost gospel-style turn, making it into more of a celebratory song than the more reserved piece which audiences have come to know.  Of course that is thanks to the inclusion of The Blind Boys of Alabama on this take.  It may not grab some audiences at first.   But that’s not necessarily a bad thing.  That’s because it will grow on said audiences that give the song more than one chance.  Those audiences will realize that the more celebratory tone, as different as it may be, actually works when one takes into consideration the song’s lyrics.  Armstrong once sang on this song of all of the things that make the world so, well, wonderful.   Audiences that take that into consideration will in turn appreciate this rendition for the surprisingly positive re-working that it proves to be in the long run.  And in doing so, it will lead audiences to give this album’s other songs just as much of a chance, too.

If the re-imagining of ‘What A Wonderful World’ doesn’t win over listeners, then perhaps his duet with fellow blues legend Bonnie Raitt on ‘I’ve Got The World on a String’ will.  This hybrid jazzy/bluesy cover comes as close to the original as possible without actual mirroring said song.  Raitt and John both pay proper tribute to Armstrong in this take.  Audiences that are familiar with both artists’ style will be pleasantly surprised by their ability to balance the song’s jazz roots with their own bluesy addition to the composition.  Audiences that have heard Tony Bennett and k.d. Lang’s Armstrong covers album won’t be able to ignore the comparison to their covers here.  That’s because both Raitt and John exhibit a true reverence for Armstrong’s work here more than anywhere else on the album.  That reverence will most certainly have purist Armstrong fans dancing arm in arm and *ahem* cheek to cheek (bad pun fully intended here).

Dr. John’s duet with Bonnie Raitt on his cover of ‘I’ve Got The World on a String’ is without a doubt this record’s peak moment.  Coming in a close second is the cover of ‘When You’re Smiling (The Whole World Smiles With You).’  The song, which features Dr. John’s fellow New Orleans musicians in The Dirty Dozen Brass Band, closes out the album.  And such a song proves to be the perfect way to close out such an imaginative collection of covers.  The song’s run time comes in at just under three minutes.  To be exact, it clocks in at two minutes and forty-two seconds.  Dr. John takes a back seat throughout most of the song, letting the members of the Dirty Dozen Brass Band have the spotlight instead.  For those audiences that are less familiar with the work of the band, this song is a wonderful first impression from its members.  Those that are more familiar with the band’s body of work will be just as impressed with the ability of the band members to mix its trademark Dixieland sound with a more Latin-tinged sound.  The end result is one more truly creative and original cover of one more of Armstrong’s most beloved works.

The collaboration with the Dirty Dozen Brass Band as the final number for Ske-Dat-De-Dat: The Spirit of Satch proves to be the perfect way to close this record.  That is because it once more exhibits Dr. John’s respect for Louis Armstrong’s legacy and Armstrong himself.  Just as with all of the songs that come before it, it pays homage to Armstrong’s legacy by balancing the song’s original sound with something of a more original arrangement.  In this case, it doesn’t stray too far from the original tune.  Because it doesn’t, it is sure to leave listeners with that warm, happy feeling of nostalgia.  And what better way to go out after such an intriguing musical ride than with that warm, happy feeling?  By the song’s end, audiences will agree that having heard it and the album’s other songs, Ske-Dat-De-Dat is anything but another run-of-the-mill covers album.  It is one of the most creative covers/tribute albums released by any artist to date.

Ske-Dat-De-Dat­: The Spirit of Satch is available now online and in stores everywhere.  Fans can order it online now direct from Dr. John’s official Facebook page and website at http://www.facebook.com/DrJohn and http://www.nitetripper.com.  Audiences can also purchase Dr. John’s new album at any of his upcoming live performances.  Fans can check out Dr. John’s tour itinerary now on both sites as well.  They can also keep up with all of the latest news and updates from the man himself on both sites.  To keep up with the latest sports and entertainment reviews and news, go online to http://www.facebook.com/philspicks and “Like” it.  Fans can always keep up with the latest sports and entertainment reviews and news in the Phil’s Picks blog at https://philspicks.wordpress.com.