Derek Trucks - Songlines
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Free Music Notes for Songlines
Free Music Review: Great CD - Worth Buying for sure...
Hit: 5 Stars
Derek Trucks has such talent - enjoy this one for sure.Free Music Review: Call it the Mattison/Trucks/Joyce Band
Hit: 4 Stars
Depending on your point of view, this album certainly has the potential to disappoint. The DTB has gone from a sparse 4-piece band (with only occasional vocals) that sounded different on every song to a defacto 6-piece band (sometimes plus four voices), with now with much less variety to the songs. And if there was not already enough going on, Trucks is laying down multiple guitar tracks (something I don't believe he's done before). Throw in occasional whistling plus some quasi-whispered vocals mixed underneath during some of the instrumental passages and you've got a really BIG sound. If that doesn't sound like what you know of the DTB, then you just may be disappointed with Songlines. On the other hand, if you like a really "fat" sound, you may like the "Mattison/Trucks/Joyce Band."
Considering that this is the same band that recorded the excellent Live At Georgia Theatre, the blame probably lies with producer Jay Joyce, the only variable since LAGT. Joyce not only produces, but he enters the mix as a songwriter and as a keyboard player-even though the band already has an excellent keyboardist in Kofi Burbridge. Simply put, the album sounds overproduced. There is a difficulty distinguishing what instruments are playing, with just about everybody playing much of the time. The songs are excellent, but the production just keeps getting in the way.
Mattison is a fine vocalist, but here his addition seems to have transformed the band from one of the few intrumentally oriented bands to just another singer band with some excellent musicians providing back up. That's an overstatement, I'm sure, but when you compare how Mattison is a contributor to the overall scheme on LAGT to this album, where he essentially becomes the front man, you'll see the basis for this point. Once again, I suspect the responsibility lies with producer Joyce.
The highlight on the album is Trucks' addition of the dobro. This primitive instrument tends to sound somewhat the same no matter who plays it. Without electric effects, just how much can a musician do to create a unique sound? Trucks' playing on the dobro answers that question: In the hands of a genious like Trucks, plenty. But don't go looking for something raw and essential even on the songs with dobro. Once again, the production is big and fat. The short song Mahjoun is the only exception.
So why such a negative review when I've given the album 4 stars? The 5-star system is terribly limited. So many albums are given 5 stars by so many reviewers you would think that excellence where an ordinary event. In this glut of 5 stars, I would give most of the DTB albums a 5.5 or 6. This is a good album, and is particularly sure to most please the listener who thinks it gets boring when the intrumentalists go on and on and on. What can I say? Musicians from Beethoven to Coltrane saw little need for vocals (and in both cases when they did, the results were stunning), so I'm certainly not one to say music is more limited when it created without pervasive vocals. As one who saw the previous DTB albums as a pleasurable and rare exception to popular music's addiction to the vocalist, I am disappointed with Songlines.
BTW, if you haven't ever seen Live At Georgia Theatre anywhere, try d*e+r-e*k+t-r*u+c-k*s+.-c*o+m (and skip all the *+- stuff). It's the only way it's ever been available.
Free Music Review: He doesn't make the same CD twice
Hit: 4 Stars
Derek Trucks keeps growing and evolving in his musical style and his material. This CD does contain some songs he's been doing on the road for the past few years.
The biggest difference between this one and previous studio work is the presence of new lead singer Mike Mattison. He is a soulful singer who even does some falsettos and fans of Derk's earlier work may or may not like the new lead singer. The other difference is less guitar solos and more concise solos (BOO). You will get less guitar work here than when you see Derek live with his band or with Allman Brothers.
That said, this is still a fine CD with a nice mix of styles and a couple nice instrumentals. Maybe not his best but still very good.
Free Music Review: best album yet!
Hit: 4 Stars
This is a great album. It's more song driven than the previous discs with fewer extended, instrumental only jazz/blues jams. And the addition of Mike Mattison as lead singer is a terrific change. "I'd rather be blind, crippled & crazy" is a great song in the spirit of the subdudes. "I wish I knew (How It Would Feel To Be Free)" is also a raucous gospel infused party song that feels like Robert Randolf and the blind boys of alabama meet John Cleary. "Crow Jane" is great acoustic soul blues. "Chevrolet " and "Revolution" are rockin' songs that remind me of Mark Broussard. And of course it all sounds a little (or alot) like the Allman Bros, and that's a good thing.Free Music Review: Great, but not a "blues" album
Hit: 4 Stars
First things first: Derek Trucks is the man. I saw him a couple weeks ago live, and I left the place in awe of how he touches a guitar. I immediately ordered this album and played it LOUD today. I was definitely impressed, but not completely. Why? Well, I figure Derek Trucks should be playing blues. That is what he does best. This album is basically second generation Santana with a bluesy element, and unless that is what you are looking for you will be disappointed. So it all comes down to your expectations. In either case, however, this record is further proof that Derek Trucks can play. He plays Santana better than Santana does.