It’s odd that I’ve never really taken to Stewart’s raspy voice, while I really liked Janis Joplin who is roughly (no pun intended) the female equivalent. Maybe it’s because Joplin tended towards more bluesy, soul numbers that suit that kind of voice better, or she had some more force behind it when required, I don’t know.
Listening with a critical ear to these tracks, Stewart tends towards a kind of Mid-Atlantic Roots style; it’s not just country-rock, neither is it folk-rock, but a blend of the two. Take the track Mandolin Wind, for example. US country steel guitars from Ronnie Wood meet Planxty-style mandolin by … probably Ray Jackson, but apparently there’s some confusion over the identity of the performer. Considering how much Stewart likes to use the mandolin, notably on the hit track Maggie May on this album, you’d think he’d remember the name of the guy that played it.
Mandolin Wind, and the final ballad (Find A) Reason To Believe do the best from this blending of styles; some of the tracks near the beginning of the album are okay, but less memorable. Apparently, Reason To Believe was also covered by The Carpenters on Close To You, but I don’t remember their version at all, may be I should compare and contrast.
For me, the stand-out track on the album is a cover of a Temptations track, (I Know) I’m Losing You. Not only does the soul jam stand in stark contrast to the rest of the album, there’s a great break-down section where everything falls away apart from the drums (apparently an uncredited Kenney Jones rather than regular drummer Mick Waller), before Stewart’s vocals and then the other instruments add back in bit by bit.
I realise I didn't have any closing thoughts on this album. It's okay, but as I said at the top, not exactly to my taste.
Comments
Post a Comment