Villiers and The Villains. Songs Of Love and Fate.

Posted on by

a4180087236_16

 

Tony Villiers from Armagh, N. Ireland seems to be a bit of a Dylan fan calling his first album Thin Wild Mercury, a reference to a famous Dylan quote when he was asked to describe his mid sixties music. Songs Of Love and Fate, his second album, could similarly be a nod to L. Cohen’s 1971 album, Songs of Love and Hate however anyone expecting an album of dyed in the wool existentialist angst will be somewhat let down. Now surrounded by his Villains (Paul Meehan – Guitar, mandolin, banjo, Kevin Mahoney – Bass guitar, Aidan McGillion – Percussion , Paul Gurney – Piano, organ, guitar, accordion , Danny Sheerin – Backing vocals and Tony Fitzgibbon – Violin) Villiers still has a bit of a Dylan habit, witness his Big Old Dancin’ Bear Blues. It opens with Villiers coming across like the early Dylan; scuffling for basket money in Greenwich Village with his talking blues songs before the band come in after a few bars, the focus switching to Dylan and his Canadian buddies holed up in Big Pink having fun as they recalled that old weird Americana. Of course Villiers et al aren’t up there with Bob and The Band but he does grab the essential sense of fun that was conjured up in Woodstock and lyrically the song is a tremendous grab bag of Villiers’ heroes referencing Johnny Cash, Ray Charles and of course Dylan himself while also throwing in Pretty Boy Floyd for good measure.

The heady mix of country and blues that composes The Basement Tapes is recalled on several of the songs here. Lucky Rabbit Foot is a fine loose-limbed ramble with a fine joke in the opening lines as Howlin’ Wolf comes “a ‘knocking at the door” while Dear Mama is a steady rolling song with some fine bar room piano barrelling throughout. Villiers and band deliver this type of folky blues with some aplomb, able to go old time on Rabid Dog Blues and get down and dirty on the lascivious Last Night although here they’re leaning more towards an urban electric blues groove.Rocksalt meanwhile leans more towards the UK sixties acoustic folk scene, almost easy listening but with a slight nod to that old refrain of having cocaine in my vein.

Dylan is again recalled as Villiers opens his song Ramblin’ Man with the words, “Woody Guthrie was a ramblin’ man” but here the band hit a different stride as they hit a groove that, despite the Dylanish harmonica, recalls the strut and swagger of Lou Reed or Willy DeVille. Whether this was written after Villiers and the band were more comfortable together is not known but it serves notice that they’re capable of much more than their very efficient delivery of country blues songs. This is compounded by the excellent opening song, Devil And The Deep Blue Sea which again has the Lou Reed street suss and arrogance delivered with a grand sweep that, as the fiddle becomes more prominent, moves into Waterboys territory. More so, Swinging Into The Sunshine mainlines Lou Reed like lyrics and vocal warbles, the band humming in the background on what is a minor gem of a song.

website

Lou Reed. 1942-2013

Posted on by

Blabber’n’Smoke hasn’t posted an obituary since its inception but tonight we make an exception to mark the passing of Lou Reed. There should be no need to recount his career here and some folk might wonder why an “Americana” themed blog would mention him (although he did write a song called Lonesome Cowboy Bill). Suffice to say that Reed and his comrades in the Velvet Underground have cast such a huge shadow over the most interesting music produced over the past four decades either musically or in attitude. Way back in the seventies when Zeppelin, The Who and the Stones were the top triumvirate in schoolboy rock cred some brave folk carried around VU albums and fortunately I eventually saw the light. Reed’s initial solo career however passed me by as I (in a snobbish way) associated him with glam and I was off pursuing the likes of Neil Young, Poco and catching up on the adventures of The Grateful Dead. Late seventies and into the eighties I gradually discovered his work (and enjoyed Lester Bang’s on off love affair with his music). The persistence of a friend ensured that I considered Reed’s music as each album came out and to this day his Blue Mask and New York albums get regular plays. As tribute here’s a song from Coney Island Baby which that friend hopefully will understand why Blabber’n’Smoke has chosen it to commemorate one of the most influential musicians of the past 50 years.

Matt Keating. Between Customers.

Posted on by

Matt Keating is new to me but this CD hit the carpet along with news that Mr. Keating is playing two local gigs in May (Laurie’s Bar and Kilbarchan if you ask). So what else to do but give it a spin and see what happens.
Keating certainly comes highly recommended when you check his bio. Essentially he’s a singer songwriter who gets mentioned in the same breath as Elliot Smith and Ron Sexsmith, praise indeed. Normally one reads these blurbs with a sense of detached amusement as according to the majority of them you are about to hear the aural equivalent of the great American novel. I don’t think Keating is in the same league as Smith but he certainly gives Sexsmith a run for his money.
This is his eighth album and is generally a very nice, very laid back affair. Warm and comfortable, late night listening with Keating’s vocals sounding so easy, at times reminiscent of Willie Nelson, at others, Lou Reed. This is indeed mentioned in his press and surprisingly enough it’s true. At times this makes for an odd listening experience but the end result is a heart-warmingly vulnerable voice, no more so than on “The Place” which is a beautiful song, like looking at snow through a window. Elswhere Keating’s songs remind me of Hobotalk. There is an aching at the heart of them which is bolstered by the inclusion of strings giving a song like “Better than That” a timeless quality, it could easily be from an early Neil Young album.
On the strength of this a night at one of the gigs looks like an interesting proposition.

Tour dates and music samples here