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"A Minor Spell" is an EP released by Vandaveer in 2010. I've reviewed some of Vandaveer's other albums here and I'm excited to discuss this little disc because it's just as wonderful and gorgeous as their full length albums.
For those of you not in the know, Vandaveer are a quasi-folk/rock band. I'd say they were alt country but they're so much more. Nothing they do sounds like one particular genre. It's more like the bards of ancient days. Mark Heidinger is the poet bard wandering the streets of America sharing his unique point of view in magnificent songs. His sound is authentic, soulful and deeply moving.
Somehow, the beautiful entwined voices of Heidinger and Rose Guerin sweep around the room and fill you up with all sorts of unexpected emotions. These songs conjure such personal memories because even though he sings about specific moments in time he's experienced, the listener is able to relate them to their own life and find relevance. For instance, 'Everything Is Spinning' is a tune about losing a love and without knowing his story or getting too wrapped up in certain lyrics, anyone who's felt the pain of breaking up with someone can find those feelings rushing back to crush your heart once again.
Heidinger is more like the folk singers of the past like Woody Guthrie, Leonard Cohen and James Taylor without sounding dated and out of touch. He's the sparkling new version of a lost art form and he's made it his own. You won't be disappointed if you take the time to explore the music of this gifted artist and band. My final words: ANOTHER ASTONISHING DISC FROM THE COMPLICATED MINDS OF VANDAVEER! MUST OWN!
VANDAVEER - A MINOR SPELL
01. The Waking Hour (A Minor Spell)
02. Everything Is Spinning
03. Good Morning
04. All Together For The Taking
05. Ways & Means
Hindu Love Gods are a band made up of Warren Zevon and members of REM. The disc is essentially a collection of covers Zevon recorded with the band during sessions for one of his albums. The music is blues influenced rock. And it draws heavily from American blues standards.
The biggest hit from the record and the reason I bought the thing in the first place is the cover of 'Raspberry Beret' by Prince And The Revolution. But I'll discuss that in greater detail in a bit. First off, this isn't an album I've paid a lot of attention to after I listened to it the first time.
The first two tracks are both covers of songs Robert Johnson made famous back in the 1930's. They're followed by the cover of Prince's 'Raspberry Beret' which is an ok version, but doesn't come anywhere near as exciting and fulfilling as the original. Zevon's vocals are strained and he doesn't seem to have the timing the lyrics require to sound convincing. Still, it's interesting to hear Prince covered by rock and blues musicians. And it's nice to hear this song get attention for being more than just a standard pop song.
The next song, 'Crosscut Saw' is an old Delta-blues standard from the 1940's. The next track, 'Junko Pardner' is an American Blues number from the 1950's. 'Mannish Boy' is also a 1950's Blues standard and was made famous by Muddy Waters. 'Wang Dang Doodle' is from 1960.
'Battleship Chains' is another more modern song. Recorded in 1986 by The Georgia Satellites, it was barely cold before the Hindu Love Gods covered it and brought it back to the light of day.
'I'm A One Woman Man' is actually a country hit from the 1960's. 'Vigilante Man' is the product of Folk hero, Woody Guthrie.
So basically, you have a collection put together of songs that at one time or another were the standards for the genre of music they represented. Although the arrangements don't really stand out much on this recording, the tracks were probably very exciting live. Especially if you were familiar with the originals.
I'm not sure what to make of this disc. I listened to it again probably for the second time since I actually bought it back in the 90's to prepare for this review and frankly, there's nothing here to bring me back to the disc anytime soon. It's a cool cover of 'Raspberry Beret' but it's by no means the best cover of a Prince song and it's not enough to make me want to listen to the album over and over. In the end, this will go back on the shelf and be part of a Prince cover collection I'll never really bother finishing.
There's a part of me that thinks it's cool this disc exists. But unless you're a huge Warren Zevon fan or a huge REM fan, there's very little to get excited about here. My final words: SKIP IT, DOWNLOAD THE TRACKS YOU ACTUALLY WANT, BUT SKIP IT.
HINDU LOVE GODS - HINDU LOVE GODS
01. Walkin' Blues
02. Travelin' Riverside Blues
03. Raspberry Beret
04. Crosscut Saw
05. Junko Pardner
06. Mannish Boy
07. Wang Dang Doodle
08. Battleship Chains
09. I'm A One Woman Man
10. Vigilante Man
Alison Krauss is one of those few artists I'm drawn to as a vocalist. She has an angelic quality to her voice I find extremely appealing. Her older material lacks the hushed, softer tone of her more recent stuff. You can tell she found her own style as a singer. She sings with a soft and easy lilt. That peaceful vibrato is endearing. You can't help but be embraced by her vocals. Her band is wonderful when it comes to arranging music. They have a backwoods sound that works well with contemporary standards.
On this album, she's in full force with her established vocal stylings. The opening track is lovely and makes me think of my own life before moving back to Utah. It's about a wandering soul who is out to experience the world. The lyric tells us he/she will only settle down when they stop building roads and all God needs is 'Gravity' to hold them down. 'Restless', the second track, is also pretty, but doesn't have the same hook as the first number.
The third cut is another story altogether. There's a lot to be said for Krauss in that she tries to make her records a group effort. She loves her band and I think she finds them interesting as artists. To this end, she often fills her cds with cuts highlighting one of her band member as lead vocalist or they do instrumental cuts giving the band time to showcase their skills as musicians. The instrumental and non-Alison vocal tracks are usually more standard bluegrass fare. It has a twangy country sound. Although that's fine for what it is, I often feel like it distracts from what I'm actually wanting to hear. I usually skip through those tracks. 'Rain Please Go Away' is one of those numbers. It features one of her band members, Dan Tyminski, on vocals. I don't like his voice at all. In fact, I find the song in general quite irritating. Dan takes over singing lead on 'Pastures Of Plenty' and 'This Sad Song'. 'Pastures Of Plenty' was written by folk legend, Woody Guthrie and 'This Sad Song' is actually an Alison Krauss composition. It's the first song I've seen her take a writing credit on. Later in the disc, another band member, Ron Block takes over lead vocals for his song, 'I Don't Have To Live This Way'.
You get a hoedown with 'Unionhouse Branch'. An instrumental roughhouse with her band members written by Jerry Douglas. The rest of the tunes, even the normally lackluster numbers, become transformed by the sweet sound of Alison's lovely voice. 'My Poor Old Heart' is an exceptional song.
"I don't know that I will ever trust again.
It's a price that I must pay for all my sins.
Time has changed me and left me full of doubt.
And my heart may be lost, never to be found."
It speaks so clearly to anyone who's ever suffered from heartbreak. 'Doesn't Have To Be This Way' is another beautiful song. I love the opening line. It's about loving an inspired soul who is constantly searching; never satisfied. 'If I Didn't Know Any Better' is another amazing track made even more spectacular by her voice.
She has the ability to sing sad songs and express the pain so realistically. You can actually feel the emotional struggle. For song writers who hope to find some expression in their work, Alison is a vocalist who can deliver that drama. She devotes herself to lyrical tragedy more fully than anyone I've ever heard.
This is a great effort. It's dragged down by the band numbers lacking her vocals and the instrumental bluegrass. Alison should really stick to doing what has made her famous... Singing adult contemporary music in her unique laid back style. Regardless of it's origin - country, pop or even R&B - Krauss and company transform every song they though into their distinctive sound and give it royal treatment. My final words: SO CLOSE TO HEAVEN.
ALISON KRAUSS AND UNION STATION - LONELY RUNS BOTH WAYS
01. Gravity
02. Restless
03. Rain Please Go Away
04. Goodbye Is All We Have
05. Unionhouse Branch
06. Wouldn't Be So Bad
07. Pastures Of Plenty
08. Crazy As Me
09. Borderline
10. My Poor Old Heart
11. This Sad Song
12. Doesn't Have To Be This Way
13. I Don't Have To Live This Way
14. If I Didn't Know Any Better
15. A Living Prayer
