To: Scott and Brian
From: Monty
Scott’s thoughts regarding the Lucero disk provide me with a segue of sorts into my review of Dave Rawlings Machine’s Friend Of A Friend. Perhaps ironically so, ‘cuz I’m kind of expecting Scott won’t exactly love it, but anyway....
I’m thinking specifically about Scott’s comments regarding the comparisons we were making between Lucero and, for example, Springsteen. Extending that line of thought further, where do you draw the line between traditional and derivative? Is there a line?
This interests me because I’m a huge fan of bluegrass, folk, and old-time country music. These genres come with built-in strictures, structures, and traditions, and conform very deliberately and necessarily to them. Reviewing this debut disk from Dave Rawlings on the heels of the Lucero disk makes me realize that for whatever reason, I’m completely accepting of Rawlings taking his cues from Ralph and Carter Stanley, but I’m mildly perturbed that Lucero sounds so much like Bruce.
Having not much more than a passing knowledge that Brian has some level of interest in what’s called ‘Americana’ music these days, and not knowing anything at all about Scott’s take on it, I’m eager to learn what kind of thoughts you guys might have about this record. For me it’s about an 8 out of 10, if we weren’t too cool to be rating on a numbered scale.
I discovered Rawlings, as did most people, in his role as Gillian Welch’s musical partner. It didn’t take me long to figure out that no matter how much I love her songwriting (which is pretty much), it was really Rawlings that put their music on a different level from their peers. Like most of his fans, I’ve been waiting for a solo effort for a very long time, and for the most part it delivers.
It feels like a bunch of people got together and had a great time playing music. It’s kind of sloppy; a little rough around the edges. I could do without “The Monkey and the Engineer,” but otherwise I think the songs are strong. And it would be hard for me to think of a sound I like more than just Dave and Gillian singing and playing alone together as they do on “Method Acting / Cortez The Killer.”
And there’s my complaint. There’s not nearly enough of that on this record. In a lot of ways, Dave Rawlings is my favorite contemporary guitar player. He’s not the fanciest, the fastest, or the flashiest, but for my money he’s absolutely the best at playing the right thing at the right time. Every note serves the song, and he’s easily the most tasteful player I can think of today. On a debut solo record, I want to hear more of that than he offers up here. I like this record a lot, but I don’t love it like I wanted to.
--Monty
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