11.02.06

We can agree on foreign policy, religion and money, but not on this

Posted in some albums we done liked others we ain't, willie - November 2nd, 2006 at 1:31 pm by Mimi

Willie Nelson–Songbird and Teatro

Cric sent me Songbird with the one sentence remark: “You are morally obligated to review this album.” Due to the truth of this remark, I will. I really do not want to say the things I have to say about it, but, Christ on a cracker, okay, I’m doing it.

My one sentence summation of Songbird is this: It hurt my soul.

On the surface, this record was expressly made for me, and, as is the nature of such god-sends, the pudding is singularly lacking. The album is a collaboration between one Mr. Ryan Adams, and the demi-god of country music, Willie. Since Willie has had a very good run of collaborative records (see: Teatro), one would have expected Songbird to be another seminal album from a legend.

Instead, my soul is a little deader due to Ryan Adams’ chimpanzee-on-crack production. The entire album is discordant, the vocals and instrumentation on the tracks are out of any sort of sane sync. [Shockingly I love this album. I think it's Mimi who's on crack. I'm digging the song choices and the orchestration and the production. Who knew Ryan Adams could make something I'd finally like and Meems hates it? Huh.--Cricket]

Given this disappointment, I will review Teatro instead.

If you don’t already own this album, let me convince you of the error of your ways. This is the career “re-envisioning” project for Willie produced by Daniel Lanois. Daniel, as I’m sure you (being a right-thinking person) are aware, is one of the most influential producers of the last couple decades. He was a budding Quebecois producer in Ontario in the ’80s when he was taken into tutelage by Brian Eno (of U2 fame; and speaking of which, Lanois co-produced The Unforgettable Fire, The Joshua Tree, and Achtung Baby, if you’re into that little-known band) and from there went on to spread his singular aesthetic hither and yon. [He's done a bunch of really good soundtrack work too.--Cricket]

Lanois has a signature sound that really transforms anything he’s given a free hand on. In the case of Teatro, that comes through not just the production (which is clean, crisp and naked) but in his vibrant guitar work. If you watch the documentary of these recording sessions, made by Wim Wenders, you will see how organic his approach to music making is.

Sadly, a lot of Willie’s music was made in the ’70s and ’80s…need I elaborate? This is mainly a collection of old Willie standards re-cut with Lanois’ gorgeous production, and Emmylou’s backing vocals completely revitalizing them. One of exceptions is Lanois’ own “The Maker”–a song vaguely about Lanois’ native heritage that Willie totally owns in every way. One can say the words “haunting” and “evocative” but by their very nature these words are just vague place-holders for something that is deeply visceral. I can describe the song making me think of a wide lake at twilight, water rippling softly, something ineffable and unfathomable radiating tension over an otherwise placid scene, but the song does what I cannot–makes you feel it.

[This song feels like watching something utterly visually spectacular, like the long shots of the mountains in Brokeback Mountain. It gives you that little shiver in your soul like something has just irrevocably changed inside you but you'd be hard pressed to say exactly what.--Cricket]

Words often point the way, but music brings the mountain to you, Mohammad. For me, it’s also amusing to hear Willie–the quintessential Texan (if they minted their own money, he would be on a five dollar bill)–singing a song so fundamentally Canadian. When you listen to this track (and if I have to hold you down, you will do so), the elaborate, elongated intro is one of Lanois’ calling cards.

“I Just Can’t Let You Say Goodbye” might be the distillation of the entire album. Willie’s vocals on this track are at once the familiar off-kilter Texan burr and also much more honest than he’s been in many a year (echoing, in a way, Dylan–who Lanois also brought back into relevancy–not just in the vocals but also the theme: death). The slightly ominous Latin guitar work overlaid with Willie’s picking and soft percussion fold together with Emmylou’s backing vocals make a perfect Jacob’s ladder of a song. (Lanois, by the way, also made Emmylou’s career-altering Wrecking Ball.)

This album is an absolute masterpiece. See how those words really mean so little in the face of the power that music has? Want to go on a mini-mental vacation from a canteen in Old Mexico to the Big Bend ending in the primordial forest of Northern Ontario? Buy this album and let’s pretend Songbird was just an alcohol-fuelled nightmare.

[I'm gonna go out on a limb and say, make sure you have both, then you can compare for yourself. In fact, for your edification, here's my mini review of Songbird: "Rainy Day Blues" is utter perfection, the bluesy-ness works perfectly with Willie's vocal style. "Songbird" is rich and smooth, this song seems to demand a sunny window seat to sit in while listening. "Blue Hotel"--Willie owns this, but it's the guitar and Hammond organ that really fit it together for me. "Back To Earth" sounds like classic Willie to me. "Hallelujah" completely blew me away. It's a wholly different take on this song, with a swoony Hawaiian guitar and Willie… oh, Willie sings it so perfectly. "$1000 Wedding"--I might actually like this version better than the original. For real. "Amazing Grace"--while I'm not a huge fan of this song, I mean really, how many times can you hear a song, but Willie does it justice I find it listenable, which is saying a lotfor me and this song. So there you go. I dig the Cardinals backing Willie and I think wacko-Ryan did a fine, fine job of making something incredibly enjoyable.--Cricket]

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