Dan Wilson - Free Life
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Music CD Cover Artist: Dan Wilson Edition: Music CD CD Release Date: 2007-10-16 Music Label: American Soundtracks:
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Free Music Notes for Free Life Album
Free Music Review: A simple masterpiece
Hit: 5 Stars
The new album by Minneapolis singer/songwriter Dan Wilson called Free Life is a must hear. The former Semisonic frontman has published a solo debut album that should inspire his fans in addition to those who might say "who is Dan Wilson?"
For about eight years I've been a fan of Semisonic. I became aware of them right around the time that they were nearing the end of their proverbial 15 minutes of fame. The first Semisonic album I actually bought was All About Chemistry, which ultimately proved to be their last. That album, released in 2000 or 2001 I think, is NOT the album that has the well known song (the one you might mention when someone says "who's Semisonic?") Closing Time. Anyway, I loved it immediatley and over the years I've purchased all of their albums and a few singles that wound up on various soundtracks.
As time went by, it became clear that another Semisonic album wouldn't be forthcoming. I was a little dissapointed but great art need not be produced in multiple volumes to be appreciated.
Then I started reading some buzz about Dan Wilson making a solo record. Since he was (I assume) the primary creative element of the band I was excited to see what he might produce. It has been several years in the making but finally, Free Life has arrived.
I had heard about a quarter of the tracks on this album via Dan Wilson's myspace page, many months before it was released (Cry, Baby Doll, and Breathless). Based on the quality of those songs and the recognition Wilson recieved when he won a grammy for co-writting several tracks on the Dixie Chicks album "Not Ready to Make Nice", I was sure that when it finally was released, Free Life would not dissappoint.
I had no idea. I may be a biased fan but this album is fantastic.
Many songs on Free Life can be classified as ballads or love songs. The love in question is both love disired and love lost. "Breathless" seems to be about a lover that the singer knows is too hard to hold but that realization doesn't diminish his desire or his emptyness when his lover isn't around.
"Baby Doll" begins with a simple guitar and whimsical piano bells and moves into a strong bass line. The singer sings to the object of his affection that he only wants to love his baby doll. Wilson's near falsetto manage to make the use of that lover's cliche seem legitimate rather than silly.
The careful choice of words and mixture of music on this album accomplish wonderful poetry without being too obvious. "Come Home Angel" would seem to be a song about the biblical legend, The Rapture, but the song never sounds preachy. "Cry" begins with a funereal tolling bell in minor keys but what comes through is a plea for love and a commitment to always be there no matter what.
The final track is "Easy Silence" , which is a song Dixie Chicks fans will instantly recognise from their last album Not Ready to Make Nice. Wilson co-wrote this song and decided to re-work it. In a way, he covered his own song. The song is filled with sounds that are usually associated with country music: Church organs, mournfull guitar chords, and a seemingly lone violin, er, fiddle. But in making it his own, as it should be, he removes the cloud of political statement that surrounds the Chicks and the purity of the words comes through.
An album review shouldn't be a description of the album's contents so I'll stop with my favorite, "Sugar." I love it. Listening to it you can imagine the singer in a small, intimate music venue chatting and laughing with the audience. The song is simple and sweet (pardon the pun). Sugar is a song about someone in love with someone who doesn't seem to be interested. Undaunted Wilson's pleading voice simply asks "please let me know when you're gonna be mine."
This album was produced by Rick Rubin, who's hallmark in the last decade-and-a-half would seem to be less is more. He seems to be adept at knowing when to fiddle and when to just let the musician play and the singer sing. Part of what makes Free Life so good is that it doesn't seem over polished or overblown. It isn't bare bones by any means but it is simple enough to allow the emotion come through in Wilson's voice. The abscence of gratuitous instrumentation also allows the listener to truely hear each individual chord being played in near perfect clarity.
The result of Rubin's wisdom and Wilson's talent as a writer, singer, and musician have combined to produce a beautiful, haunting, and inspiring work of art. Whether it will get the recognition it deserves I can't say but if you listen to it you will no doubt enjoy all that Free Life has to offer.