Pawnshops For Olivia-The Townedgers (Radio Maierburg Records)
Rodney Smith remains a mystery in Iowa rock and roll. For twenty
five years, his projects which varied from the long lost Route 66 (who
had to change their name in 1995 due to another band using it in state)
to the more recent Townedgers. Whereas, while other musicians rather
bask in the limelight in state (nobody moreso than Billy Lee Janey) or
others who work behind the scenes (Bo Ramsey), Smith remains hidden from
view. Even The Townedgers' My Space site rarely gets much hits (in
the five months of adding songs, only 418 plays have been recorded) from
the masses. While it may been true that Smith could have been a
dominant drummer (in the 80s with Paraphernalia/Tyrus, he was voted in
the top five of up and coming musicians) and could have made a living
playing in bars, he gave it up once he found that making 1983's Town
Edge Rock proved he could write decent albums. He remains a rare cult
artist. But even with his cult following, Smith is always throwing
curves at his fan base.
For twenty five years, he's been inspired by the happenings of his
life and writing them to music. Most often than not, it's about love
gone wrong or the lure of a open highway, grooving to tunes while going
to destinations unknown. Most of the time, he writes and performs on
his own and crediting it to The TEs. Such is the case of the brand new
Pawnshops For Olivia, a wry, somewhat dark and depressionary trip down
the road of loneliness. A mostly acoustic but sometimes rocking effort,
Pawnshops is a very rough listen even for the dedicated. And some of
the subject matter does deal with love and loss. But also a album of
forgiving and redemption at the end of the album.
On the album Smith plays most of the songs himself with the exception
of I Wonder and Uptown Chevy Girl to which Geoff Redding and Martin
Daniels help out. The former a bit of Crazy Horse sounding but with a
vocal that suggest Ian Curtis leading CH. And the latter sounding more
like the Townedgers that the world knows. And then after that, they go
unplugged all the way to the end with the exception of Topsy (Part 3) to
which Smith finally puts together a drum solo for the first time since
1989. A rare change of pace for the head Townedger.
For the first time since 1989, outside songwriters help out to try to
put a more posititive spin. And it works with the countryish Downer's
Grove (co written with Diggy Kat of Atomic Squirrels fame) to the
folklike of Time And Place (another co write with another fan Nicole
Passmore) which counterpoints the sadness that is So Alone and album
closer Beyond The Sun to which the one that got away did just that but
with Time And Place, Smith sings out "Good friends are like a bottle of
wine, they help you through the hard times). And even dusting off Ever
So Much which did appeared on Town Edge Rock, the new version is better
put together, that Smith finally makes the song the country rocker it
was intended to be (complete with a nice Geoff Redding backing vocal).
To which Smith sings out "stay by my side and you'll never lose/a
perfect love that you have read in your dirty book". Even in a dour
song such as Beyond The Sun, Smith sings about the house is empty
without you here/ although the bed is more roomy at night, thus throwing
in a bit of humor even in the moment of loneliness, then concludes that
"it's so lonely without you here/so tell me why is this all for the
best?
This is Rodney Smith at his best. The ability of twenty five years
to write about love and loneliness. Or rant and rave in a two minite
song about The Summer Of Your Discontent. "write a letter in twenty
words or less/and tell me how you really do...feel/The answer isn't what
you expect/Welcome to the summer of your discontent. He also writes
about a old barn, like life itself, once stood proud and mighty only to
be fell by the winds of change in new single Somewhere Down The Line
another remake of a song, whereas the original version goes on five plus
minites, the new version is stripped down to a single guitar and drums
and a counterpoint vocal on the chorus. And even wonders about his role
in life in There Are Times. But he also addresses of a song about
being the odd man out in love in Dear Lisa (you were the best that I
ever had/for a day and a half) and the consqences (So Alone) but knows
of his limitations of being in love (Can't Be Who You Want Me To Be),
and falling out of love, even telling the one in question to "put on
your red dress tonite/And let's go out and have a good time/maybe then
we can set things right/and remind us when it was love at first sight".
And then perhaps throwing in the towel and saying that I Don't Fall In
Love/Falling In Love Is Wrong, and the reason given is "you don't get
enough, and stay around too long".
Perhaps the key song remains Summer Of Your Discontent to which Smith
growls out 'You can pledge forever and don't mean it/May as well start
looking for the Fountain Of Youth' and he may be singing it to either A)
the one that got away or B) the band that never got past the point of
being a closet cult band. At age 47, Smith is past his prime on rock
radio but still remains more committed to his folk garage than in
previous albums. Pawnshops For Olivia is a album that is not going to
convert the masses over to a twenty five year overnight sensation and it
still won't get him to even the Iowa Rock and Roll Hall Of Fame. The
Townedgers and Rodney Smith are way too eccentric for that.
Again Rodney Smith has thrown a curve ball once again. But the fact
of the matter is that Pawnshops For Olivia is a classic album of the
fact that it comes deep down into a soul of a tormented rocker, past his
prime but still proving to those who listen, that he continues to amaze
while dealing on the subjects that he know so well. Even with Beyond
The Sun, he remains hopeful. And hope will always triumph over despair
in the end. Pawnshops For Olivia is certainly the best album that The
Townedgers have come up since 1991's Diamonds In The Skies or 1993's
Modern Problems.
Even in darkness Smith sings about good fortune will come to us,
somewhere down the line, but not singing only for himself but for those
who still care and believe. And that's all one could ask for.
Grade A
