The Raconteurs-Consolers Of The Lonely (Third Man/Warner)
If I’m to believe in the notes, this album was recorded last month
and mixed a couple weekends ago and in the case, these guys decided to
release the album a week after broadcasting that they got it done.
Funny person that Jack White, he works quickly. And I love the idea of
holding it away from the spinsters at Spin Magazine which would have
given it two and half stars and keeping it away from the net. Hell,
everything nowadays gets to the net before the store anymore. But
perhaps these guys didn’t like the reviews of their last album Broken
Toy Soldiers, which got better with each listen. Consolers is much
better and bit more put together despite the quick recording. I think
Brendan, Jack and the guys actually worked on these songs prior to last
month. I also think it mirrors, Icky Thump in a way, but (of course)
with better drumming. Sure there’s still that Led Zeppelin via Billy
Squier vocal of Mr White, Brendan adds a bit more pop to his songs
although the Terry Reid cover of Rich Kids Blues shows that Benson
shouldn’t attempt to hit the high notes. There’s also a bit of 16
Horsepower influence in These Stones Must Shout and final track of
Carolina Drama which also sounds a bit Nick Caveish. But in Hold Up,
there’s also a bit of garage rock as well. And the usual Zep and White
Stripes sounds elsewhere. There’s also a bit of fat on this album,
whereas the last album barely pushes thirty five minites, this goes up
to fifty five minites. But The Raconteurs are getting better, a bit more
focused and mostly have gotten over the growing pains of a alt rock
super group of last album.
Grade B plus
The Songs Of The Week.
1. Take A Train-Blackfoot (1975) When Rick Medlocke was in the
first years of Lynyrd Skynyrd, his songs were the most mellow and
prissy. In Blackfoot, he outrocked the other band although on their
first album Jackson Spires wrote most of the material. My favorite of
all Blackfoot songs and heard this for the first time at Big Apple
Records back around 1980 when the album was out of print. Reissued a
year later. Availble as a very expensive CD import.
2. Trip Through Your Wires-U2 (1986) Yikes! In a record collection
that was given to me, The Joshua Tree was hidden somewhere on vinyl.
Always thought that record was overrated but it’s perhaps the fact that
the most overplayed songs were on side one. Side two has some nice
numbers that might justify the fact that this was one of the best albums
of the 80s (debateable) and I still think Bono oversings on One Tree
Hill, but if he keeps his emotions in check, I might listen to side two
once again before too long.
3. Love’s Made A Fool Out Of You-The Crickets (1959) Won this 45 at
EBAY and damn near freaked out when the dumbass who packed this didn’t
secure the single and the forty five was out of it’s jacket. If I pay
15 bucks for a single it damn well better be packed right. Still, this
song was released after Buddy’s passing with a B side Someone, Someone
which is a snoozer. Wasn’t recorded by Buddy I don’t think, but
anyway, despite the USPS adventure, the forty five remains in like new
shape. Buddy’s ghost was probaly watching out on it. Later version by
Bobby Fuller is just about dead on.
4. I’ve Got A Picture-Radney Foster (1998) Foster attempted to
crossover to adult comtempory after making some off and on country
albums in the early 90s. This song sounds so much like One Headlight by
the Wallflowers. Rami Jaffee plays keyboards on this song, no wonder it
sounds like The Wallflowers. DUH.
5. Riff Raff-AC/DC (1978) Does anybody believe that this came out
thirty years ago? Am I really that old?!? I discovered Bon and the
boys around late 1978 while dishwashing at Applegate’s and seen this
album at K Mart on break and bought it there. And no, KRNA wasn’t
playing AC DC in 1978. Nobody was. Anyway, the vinyl album and the CD
sounds like there’s no bass player on this song. I still have the
Atlantic CD, the Epic remaster is a digipak. If you can’t tell the
difference, why pay the difference?
6. Innocent Eyes-Graham Nash (1986) Diggy came through and found me
a copy of this song. The album is too techno and too dated sounding
but I do enjoy this song alot. Just like.....
7. Girls Like Me-Bonnie Hayes (1982) Geez I love this song so much
that I included it for the second time this month. I know I should
include another number off this album but did I mention that I love this
song.
8. Going To Panic-Handsome (1998) I can’t for the life of me figure
out why these guys never broke big. I mean Peter Mengede played in
Helmet with Page Hamilton and when he left to form Handsome, Helmet
would never be as noisy and tuneful ever again. Noisy yes, but never
tuneful. Anyway, I like Handsome’s only album better than I did
Aftertaste, the 1998 Helmet bomb. And Limp Bizkit became the band of 98
instead. Pffffft.
9. Don’t Leave Me This Way-Harold Melvin And The Blue Notes (1976)
Yup, this song was later covered by Themla Houston but this version by
Teddy Pendergrass and company is definly a bit more danceable. Not all
disco was that bad. Some was more funky dance music.....Such as....
10. Love Rollercoaster-Ohio Players (1976) The long version not that
three minite hatchetjob that you hear most of the time. Don’t short
out the funk kiddies.
and finally bonus track (since I repeated Girls Like Me)
The Hatfield Side-Cheri Knight (1998) Ex Blood Orange bass player
makes a credible album under the watchful eye of Steve Earle and uses
some old Blood Orange band mates in the process and Will Rigby as well.
Dedicated to Bruce at the pawnshop. Cheers bro!
