Platters That Matter by James Cassara

He's back! My buddy James Cassara has written CD reviews for the Rapid City Review in Asheville, NC, for a good while. Now after a brief hiatus, the publication is back, and so is he... Thanks for sharing these, James!

Platters That Matter by James Cassara

We’re starting off 2008 with a batch of discs but artists both local and world renowned. As always be it given two stars or five if it’s mentioned here rest assured it is worth hearing. Remember that these and many other wonderful listens are available at your locally owned independent music store. Without them where would we be?

Graham Parker and the Figgs
103 in June: Live In Chicago
Bloodshot Records

On this disc, the latest installment of limited edition/signed live releases courtesy of the former “angry young man,” Parker and his touring unit tear through a sampling of his vast catalog with muscular delight. Culling songs from all phases of his career this tightly wound unit score points for their respectful renderings of familiar material. For his part GP leads merrily along, willing to revisit his past (with an eye ever towards the future) in ways few long standing musicians are. Such jewels as “Hold Back The Night” and “Stick To Me” have rarely sounded more vital; somewhat less successful are the newer songs, largely because they were originally cut with The Figgs and as such tend to sound a bit too close to the source material. Still this ongoing series-which other long established artists would do well to emulate-offers a fascinating glimpse into the current manifestation of one of rocks most enduring figures and, as such, is well worth seeking out. ***1/2

The Cheeksters
Movers and Shakers

If at first listen Movers and Shakers seems little more than an extension of their previous efforts, repeated spins should reveal just how far the band has come. Unlike their last two discs-recorded since the duo of Mark and Shannon Casson moved to Asheville-this is much more a collective effort. The benefit of having now played numerous live gigs is evident; Casson’s songwriting is both tighter and more nuanced while the role of premiere sideman Brent Little is more properly defined. In short they sound like a band. The usual Brit pop (most notably on “What The Pretty Girl Said” and “Tumble Down Hair”) influences abound-that is, after all, what the band does best-but the traces of Memphis soul and Bakersfield country are just as welcome and essential. With “Sideways” Shannon contributes the year’s most seductive vocal while Little’s playfully layered guitars hearken directly back to the production values of Mickie Most and Paul Samwell-Smith. Ah, those were the days! That having been said Movers and Shakers is no mere exercise in nostalgia. Its heart may lie in the mystic sixties but, much like the best of that era, it sounds as bright and fresh as a Beach Boys sunflower. ***

Walter Hyatt
Some Unfinished Business Volume One

It might been said that the all too short life of Walter Hyatt-which began in Spartanburg, SC, and ended with the 1996 crash of Value Jet 592 in the Everglades swamp-was bracketed by two of the loneliest places on earth. Certainly there is an air of isolation to this troubadour’s music- separation from others, your surroundings, and ones own heart-but there is also a balance of optimism and perseverance that somehow makes his death even more tragic. An adopted son of the fabled Austin, Texas, scene Hyatt, whose many devotees include Jimmie Dale Gilmore and Lyle Lovett, was known as a thoughtful songwriter, studied musician, and good friend. That kinship has resulted in this collection, the first in a new series of discs collecting the more than three dozen songs he recorded just prior to his death. Material later completed by friends who knew and loved him. And what an assemblage of friends it is: Jerry Douglas, Carrie Rodriquez, David Ball, Dan Dugmore, and The Jordanaires are but a few of those lending a hand.

Given that these tracks weren’t intended for specific projects their cohesion and focus is all the more impressive. Kudos go to producer Michael Killeen and engineer Nick Sparks-both of whom worked closely with Hyatt’s widow Heidi-for their loving and careful resurrection of what were essentially orphan tunes.

The lush arrangements and sparkling production are reminiscent of the killer string of albums made by Johnny Rivers from 1966 through 1974 while some of the individual songs, particularly “Reach for Me” and “Motor City Man” are among the best Hyatt ever wrote. The latter may just be the catchiest song I’ve heard in years.

Hyatt’s death, along with that of the other unfortunates who perished that sad day, was certainly a loss. If one seeks light among the darkness there is no greater solace than the assurance that this music, with more to follow, will leave a legacy that will long outlast us all. ****

Paul Kelly
Stolen Apples
Capital Records

Wisely following the blueprint set forth by his previous studio effort Australian guitar strumming raconteur Kelly again delivers a solid set of tunes showcasing his literate and conversational approach to pop: Touches of country and folk intertwined with ballsy rock. Stolen Apples is a bit more upbeat than we’re used to-one senses the singer has put his well chronicled divorce behind him-but the lingering sense of mortality and impediments of the everyday are still at the forefront. “God Told Me To” is a harrowing tale of fundamentalism gone perverse while the title cut is equal parts temptation and remorse. “You’re 39; You’re Beautiful and You’re Mine” might teeter perilously close to mawkishness but Kelly more than amends with such crafty rockers as the lustful “Sweetest Thing” and the desolately beautiful “The Foggy Fields of France.” At a mere eleven tracks Stolen Apples is by Kelly standards a bit lightweight, but what is lacks in capacity it more than compensates in depth. ***1/2

Brianna Lane
Let You In
Pay My Rent Music

Lane’s music is the perfect compliment for a cup of coffee on a rainy Sunday morning. Her songs, as comfortable as an oversized sweat shirt, fit somewhere between home spun folk and campfire sing along. There’s also a nice bit of fluidity to her vocal delivery; not quite jazz but certainly in the jazz/pop realm of Rickie Lee Jones with a bit of Joan Armatrading wandering somewhere along the edges. Let You In is a decidedly low key affair but that’s much of its charm: When Lane sings about the minor triumphs and setbacks of everyday life they resonate with a sincerity that wouldn’t withstand undue verbosity. “One Night Gone” is a tearful story of immediate longing while “Up Close” and “Learn to Fly” continues the singer’s knack for self reflection through observation via clever wordplay. Not much on this disc reaches out and grabs you but, given a few plays and careful listening, the understated strengths of Lane’s music become evident. Like that old sweatshirt the more it’s worn the better it feels. ***

Commander Cody and his Lost Planet Airmen
The Early Years (1967-1970)
SPV Records

There’s little doubt this sprawling double-disc collection of unreleased early material by the pride of Ann Arbor is for the hardcore fan and for those who are freaks for musical history. Which is hardly a bad thing: In truth, this is one of the more revelatory documents to be issued in the CD era. While many anthologies tend to shy away from the rough and tumble nascent years of a band’s history this 35 song set dives right in. Assembled by Billy C. Farlow-the group’s lead vocalist and chief songwriter-these rowdy, garage band demos give more than a clue as to how the unique roots sound of The Airmen came together and transformed the landscape of American roots music. By weaving together early rock and roll, honky tonk and Western swing and blues into a heady, intoxicated brew the group landed a top ten hit ("Hot Rod Lincoln") and became, for a few short years, one of the nation's premier touring bands. Their ever shifting personnel may have kept them from establishing a consistent sound but it sure makes for a fascinating read. As for the music itself, tracks such as a reworked version of "Midnight Shift," and Hank Williams' "I Ain't Got Nothin' But Time" sound rough, largely due to the primitive recording gear, but the performance is loose yet assertive. The first disc focuses on the San Francisco years-wherein the boys co-mingled with members of The Dead and Jefferson Airplane-while disc two collects various live and studio cuts left over from the period when they were barn storming across the states at a 300 shows a year clip. It’s a brilliant document, course as sandpaper but better for its no hold barred nature. The ragged glory of the earliest performances portends the band’s stunning transformation into the wild and wooly but tight as all get out unit that was to follow. This is magical stuff, a glimpse into one of music’s most intriguing periods. ***1/2