MICHAEL PENN - MARCH

I discovered Michael Penn through my research into Wendy & Lisa.  I was going through a period where I tried to find everything they'd ever done.  I read about them working on this disc and so I scoured used record shops in Las Vegas until I found a copy.  I didn't know much about him.  It didn't even occur to me he might be related to the famous Penn brothers, Sean and Chris.  Or that he was at one point, the brother-in-law of Madonna.  I just wanted to hear more Wendy & Lisa.

Oddly enough, after I bought the disc, I had a friend who saw it in my apartment and started singing the first song, 'No Myth'.  That's when I realized he'd had an impact.  Quite honestly, I didn't listen to the album until that point.  I'd listened to the one track Lisa and Wendy performed on, but I skipped the rest.  That was a huge mistake.

'No Myth' is one of the album's singles and aptly so.  It starts off with a strong beat and a catchy tune that doesn't stop from the second it starts.  When I look at pictures of Penn and view the artwork, I think about the dust bowl.  Recession period USA.  But that quickly fades with the irresistible rhythms that jump out at you.  Granted, there's an element of the past in just about everything he writes, but it's infectious and exciting.  'No Myth' is a wonderful song.  It's fun, energetic and compelling.  You can't listen to this one and not want to boogie down.  'Half Harvest' is the second number and it's significantly slower than 'No Myth'.  The beat picks up a bit during the chorus.  The lyrics to this one are a little confusing.  I'm not exactly sure what the song's about, but I feel like it's a social commentary piece and deals with something specific to Southern California.  But I have no idea what that might be.

'This & That' practically jumps out of the speakers at you and the punctuated guitar jabs are impulsive and exciting...  They blend well with the melodic chorus.  This song is a piece of brilliance.  I absolutely love it!  There's an element of the track that sounds like the Paisley Underground movement from the 80's.  Just marvelous.  'Brave New World' is another rocking number.  This one has a rockabilly sensibility to it and reminds me of a Stray Cats swing beat.  Enjoyable tune!  'Innocent One' is the first ballad on the disc.  It's a folksy tune with a tender vocal delivery.  It feels personal in many ways.

Next up is the reason I bought the album.  Although it's listed as one song, track 6 is actually two songs.  The first is an instrumental intro written by Patrick Warren called, 'Disney's A Snow Cone'.  It's followed by the cut featuring Lisa and Wendy, 'Bedlam Boys'.  'Bedlam Boys' has that deep groove Wendy & Lisa are so great at producing.  The song is phenomenal!  I can't praise it enough.  I feel like these two have an amazing talent to bring out the best in the people they work with and in this case, they help an extremely gifted musician create absolute magic.

'Invisible' is another song built around a strong beat.  Penn has a great sense of timing and avoids a common trap encountered by first time musicians...  He doesn't pigeonhole himself into a set tempo.  He's all over the place!  It's quite thrilling to listen to someone take a mid-tempo song and create urgency and speed through the vocals and melodies rather than the drums and bass.  'Cupid's Got A Brand New Gun' is the second ballad on the disc and highlights Penn's interesting vocal arrangements.  His complicated structures are showcased here.  This track has highly intense lyrics.  It's a profound description of love.  You could easily find your personal state of mind in this track.  He so aptly describes the surrender each person experiences during love.

'Big House' floats in with a country twang then settles into a rock number with some transitions happening on a third count.  I think this is a great track and I could see a number of different bands covering it successfully.  It's fantastic!  'Battle Room' is a different number once again highlighting his versatility.  It's a slower tune, but it doesn't settle into a ballad.  I find the lyrics on this one interesting as well...  Hiding highly charged emotional scenes away from public view.  This is a complicated songwriter with a wide vision.  He's able to draw from a variety of situations for his subject matter.  I find that quality in a songwriter compelling and interesting.  

The final number is 'Evenfall' and although from the title and it's position on the disc, you might expect a quiet outro of sorts, the track is lively and features some unusual instruments.  It features a horn arrangement I'd associate with older rockabilly bands from the 50's and 60's.  It's a blast at the end of a dynamic bit of music.

After finally listening to the record, I'm surprised Penn didn't do much better than he did.  His insightful lyrics, unusual composition style and daring musical approach makes him someone to pay attention to and follow.  I've sense bought other albums and I've enjoyed them as well.  My final words:  MARCH YOURSELF TO THE NEAREST WEBSITE AND BUY THIS GEM.  IF YOU ALREADY OWN IT, PULL IT OUT AND LISTEN AGAIN.

MICHAEL PENN - MARCH

01. No Myth

02. Half Harvest

03. This & That

04. Brave New World

05. Innocent One

06. Disney's A Snow Cone/Bedlam Boys

07. Invisible

08. Cupid's Got A Brand New Gun

09. Big House

10. Battle Room

11. Evenfall

VICTORIA WILLIAMS - MUSINGS OF A CREEK DIPPER

There used to be a Tower Records on Maryland Parkway right off of Flamingo in Las Vegas. That's where I paid full price for this CD. I picked it up because Wendy & Lisa worked on it and I had no idea what I was in for. At the time, I was buying anything they worked on. If their name was attached at some point I was gonna buy it. And this disc was no exception.

I put the disc in and started listening and thought there must be some mistake. To that point, I'd heard some interesting work they'd done with other artists like Joni Mitchell and Michael Penn, but I was convinced their strengths lie in working with pop artists like Seal or Prince. 'Periwinkle Sky' began and I thought, "WTF?" Williams has a broken small voice that she half sings/half speaks her vocals. Normally, I'm drawn to interesting and unique sounds but in the case of Williams, I find the combination of her strange child-like songs and bizarre voice an unappealing marriage. It's like watching an adult paint like a child. There's that car crash curiosity that keeps you looking, but inside you're somewhat appalled.

Wendy & Lisa appear on two tracks on this odd record. 'Train Song (Demise Of The Caboose)' and 'Let It Be So'. The two songs are easily the highlights of the record. 'Train Song (Demise Of The Caboose)' is actually pretty amazing. The music is wonderful and huffs puffs along like an actual steam engine train. The Wurlitzer gives it the chugging quality and the stuttering, skip of the drum track is singularly beautiful. You can't help but enjoy the number. Even through Victoria's strange lyrics. At one point, she stops and says,
"I'd like to take this time to complain about the train".
My mind boggles at this. I find it ridiculous. Still, I have to say, once again, Wendy & Lisa take an artist and bring out their best qualities. As annoying as I find Williams, I do appreciate her performance on these two tracks. Musically, 'Let It Be So' doesn't have the cool physical motion of 'Train Song'. Probably because Lisa & Wendy didn't work on the music. They contribute Backing vocals only. Still, their very presence give strength to Victoria's sound. It's like taking a banner heading and making it bold. Thankfully, the music on this song is fairly well done.

There are a couple other tracks that always stand out on this disc. But that's mostly because they're so weird. 'Kashmir's Corn' is a completely bizarre fairy tale Williams tells of waking up one night and adventuring out of her room. 'Grandpa In The Cornpatch' is another number I find oddly disproportionate. It's like milk when it starts to go bad. There's just something off. But that's not always a bad thing.

Ultimately, the fact is without the Wendy & Lisa input, I'd never have bought this record. Victoria Williams isn't an artist I find compelling or interesting. Her fans are drawn to the poetry of her lyrics and the honesty of her voice. I'm not. I find her lyrics rambling and unappealing. Musically, I'd put her somewhere between traditional folk and plucking banjos on some backwoods porch. My final words: HUGE PASS.

VICTORIA WILLIAMS - MUSINGS OF A CREEK DIPPER
01. Periwinkle Sky
02. Rainmaker
03. Kashmir's Corn
04. Train Song (Demise Of The Caboose)
05. Last Word
06. Nature Boy
07. Tree Song (Eucalyptus Lullabye)
08. Let It Be So
09. Allergic Boy
10. Humming Bird
11. Grandpa In The Cornpatch
12. Blackbirds Rise