Time is usually a healer and in the interim between Medulla and todays commute album, Mermaid Avenue Volume 1 by Billy Bragg and Wilco. I may have realised that my words regarding Bjorks a cappella album may have been harsh. If anything they were too complimentary. Its still a dreadful brain scarring album.
Mermaid Avanue then. Many months ago when I reviewed the second volume of songs I touched upon my feeling that I didn’t think Bragg offered the authenticity that I was hoping for. It still exists, but as I think Billy’s contribution to this album isn’t as prominent as the second volume, it is a surprisingly good effort.
The album came about as Woody Guthrie’s daughter wanted someone to interpret the lyrics that her father had left, but instead of the peggy-o ramblings of some earnest young folkie, arran sweater and beard, she wanted a contemporary take that Billy Bragg and Wilco would afford the songs.
Assisted on this album we have the beautiful Natalie Merchant formally of 10,000 Maniacs perform lead vocals on the hauntingly beautiful Birds and Ships. A song that could be her own and this was perhaps the catalyst in her interest in folk music at the start of the millennium.
Tweedy again produces the authenticity and and again you believe what he has to say, but surprisingly you also get a sense that Billy Bragg may have wandered through the dust bowl and he may have lived the life of a hobo in the mid west.
All in all as I return to work, an enjoyable album to ease me into the blunt end of the week. 8 out of 10.
California Stars by Wilco
Showing posts with label Wilco. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Wilco. Show all posts
Friday, 11 September 2009
Monday, 27 April 2009
Mermaid Avenue II
The weekend over and so back to my in car listening. Today it is the second volume of Billy Bragg and Wilco putting music to the songs of Woody Guthrie, Mermaid Avenue II.
This was the last CD I ever bought by Billy Bragg, I was where he was concerned a completist and do have his albums over multiple formats, this particular album is the promo version.
As a result of the documentary that accompanied the release of the first Mermaid Avenue album, I had a dislike towards Wilco that really hasn’t changed all that much, but that isn’t the reason for this album being the last Billy Bragg album I bought.
Lets suppose this album is two EP’s, one Billy Bragg and the other Wilco and the other off tracks, lets forget about those for now.
Billy Bragg, OK, the thing with Billy Bragg and THE thing that makes him famous are his lyrics, the barking bard of Barking, he is reliant on his turn of phrase and his ability to lyricise (if that isn’t a word, it is now), so I always found listening to his songs on Mermaid Avenue, both volumes, difficult and found it difficult to believe him, an Essex boy singing about cotton fields, it just wasn’t authentic and it was at times painful listening to it. No doubt Billys heart was in the right place but it didn’t seem for real as we know that Billy didn’t live that life. At least when Billy did World turned upside down, he was giving a commentary, you didn’t think he lived in the 17th century, but he made Leon Rosselsons words his own, but I think a whole generation and a different continent was a step too far for him and this put me off his work so much. Coming back to his work on this album, my opinion really hasn’t changed, musically and lyrically the songs sung by Billy are very very good, but I don’t believe him, I don’t even come close to believing him and that’s a pity. 5 out of 10.
Wilcos songs are a different story altogether, and I wonder if that’s why they are on Mermaid Avanue II, to add that authenticity, as the songs they perform are the more heartfelt, but also stronger and no you aren’t transported back to the dustbowl, but you are taken some where and although Jeff Tweedy isn’t Woody, he is more believable than Billy. Their work on this album made me want to investigate Wilco further and their songs along with Natalie Merchant and Corey Harris’s contributions are by far the best on the album, and therefore 9 out of 10, extremely enjoyable and the average being 7 out of 10 for Mermaid Avenue II
Blood of The Lamb by Billy Bragg & Wilco
This was the last CD I ever bought by Billy Bragg, I was where he was concerned a completist and do have his albums over multiple formats, this particular album is the promo version.
As a result of the documentary that accompanied the release of the first Mermaid Avenue album, I had a dislike towards Wilco that really hasn’t changed all that much, but that isn’t the reason for this album being the last Billy Bragg album I bought.
Lets suppose this album is two EP’s, one Billy Bragg and the other Wilco and the other off tracks, lets forget about those for now.
Billy Bragg, OK, the thing with Billy Bragg and THE thing that makes him famous are his lyrics, the barking bard of Barking, he is reliant on his turn of phrase and his ability to lyricise (if that isn’t a word, it is now), so I always found listening to his songs on Mermaid Avenue, both volumes, difficult and found it difficult to believe him, an Essex boy singing about cotton fields, it just wasn’t authentic and it was at times painful listening to it. No doubt Billys heart was in the right place but it didn’t seem for real as we know that Billy didn’t live that life. At least when Billy did World turned upside down, he was giving a commentary, you didn’t think he lived in the 17th century, but he made Leon Rosselsons words his own, but I think a whole generation and a different continent was a step too far for him and this put me off his work so much. Coming back to his work on this album, my opinion really hasn’t changed, musically and lyrically the songs sung by Billy are very very good, but I don’t believe him, I don’t even come close to believing him and that’s a pity. 5 out of 10.
Wilcos songs are a different story altogether, and I wonder if that’s why they are on Mermaid Avanue II, to add that authenticity, as the songs they perform are the more heartfelt, but also stronger and no you aren’t transported back to the dustbowl, but you are taken some where and although Jeff Tweedy isn’t Woody, he is more believable than Billy. Their work on this album made me want to investigate Wilco further and their songs along with Natalie Merchant and Corey Harris’s contributions are by far the best on the album, and therefore 9 out of 10, extremely enjoyable and the average being 7 out of 10 for Mermaid Avenue II
Blood of The Lamb by Billy Bragg & Wilco
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