Paul Pena - New Train
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Free Music Notes for New Train
Free Music Review: Paul Pena just passed away - give this forgotten masterpiece a listen
Hit: 5 Stars
As I was checking the music news today, I was shocked to learn that Paul Pena had died last week. Like many others, I only knew about Mr. Pena because he had written Jet Airliner, the much-loved Steve Miller Band classic.
Then in 2000 I happened to stumble upon his New Train album. I bought it out of instinct, without previously listening to any of the tracks, and five years later it sits proudly among my ten all time favorite recordings by anyone... yes it is that good.
We live in an unfair world and the record industry undoubtedly is a heartless monster - it is now and so it was more than thirty years ago, when this beautiful work was originally recorded, just to be immediately shelved due to business/management issues.
New Train contains highly inspired soul, blues, gospel and country. Pena was a tremendously gifted performer and composer - just listen to the gorgeous, uplifting Gonna Move!! Also the gospel tinged, pedal steel driven New Train and the CSN-esque Venutian Lady (both with Jerry Garcia guesting on guitar) showcase Mr. Pena's genius.
And the original bluesy Jet Airliner renders Steve Miller's version obsolete - and this comes from a SMB fan. The whole CD is a pleasure to listen, crammed with soulful, heartfelt immaculately performed tunes.
The fact that Paul Pena's life was burdened by blindness, disease and managerial mishandling makes the listening even more compelling.
May he rest in peace.
Free Music Review: Classic
Hit: 5 Stars
You gotta hand it to Steve Miller. The cat was smart. Find some song by some unkown, oh, say "Jet Airliner," record it, and BOOM--you have a couple places in the Hamptons, Carmel, Paris, anywhere you want. And who can blame Steve--listen to his work now and it holds up better than most mainstreem 70s rock.
But, just between me and you, I'll trade you ten copies of Fly Like An Eagle for one bad CDR of New Train. Paui Pena was that songwriter who put Miller over the top, and don't worry, New Train has Paul's recording of "Jet Ariliner" right here for ya'
Here, "Jet Airliner" is slower, grittier, more earthy than Miller's version. Miller recorded the piece so uptempo, it became surefire rock single, and an excellent one. But you lost the sense of the down home, salt of the earth blues this song really is.
New Train is essentially a profane blues gospal disc. Pena used female singers and a top notch session crew featuring the great bassist Harvey Brooks. This music is immaculate but not slick. Think of Delaney and Bonnie or some of the Alman's more condenced work. Everything is perfect but not serile. It is just that you have master musicians set loose on country blues. That is what makes this music good.
Get this. Yesterday.
Free Music Review: GET ON THE NEW TRAIN AND RIDE!
Hit: 5 Stars
I have had the pleasure of owning a tape of this unreleased record for the last ten years and have played it often, each time pausing almost breathless at the pure spirit that is Paul Pena as expressed in his music. For me, the Blues is basically dead. Only Honeyboy Edwards, John Lee Hooker, and some of those wildmen from Mississippi play it right. Paul Pena is one of the only true acoustic blues players left standing in this world and FINALLY you can get a hold of his own recordings (though the Genghis Blues soundtrack is obtainable on line and is worth the effort as well.) New Train is more than just blues however, and features A Capella players, Reggae players, strings, saxophones and the smooth Soul of Merle Saunders keyboards and the inscrutable presence of Jerry Garcia with some somewhat rare pedal steel guitar. Unclassifiable, this is music of deep human achievement. Paul is nearly three decades down the line from these tracks, though, and you should endeavor to hear him play, see the movie Genghis Blues (avail. Dec 5, 2000) and go to paulpena.com and genghisblues.com and find out all you can about this unique American genius who jammed with T-Bone Walker, Muddy Waters, and penned Jet Airliner, which you simply have to hear in its original version. Take it from me, you deserve NEW TRAIN.Free Music Review: A musical miracle
Hit: 5 Stars
The history of music is strewn with the stories of artists that have been cast aside and forgotten, bands and performers who produced one or two albums and then disappeared. Paul Pena could have easily been one of them, completely forgotten with no record of his talents.
Fortunately for us someone was paying attention, and the album he recorded in 1973 finally saw the light of day after more then two decades.
Stylisticly it sounds like the late 60's full of soul and blues with a touch of country and a bit of a Grateful Dead vibe. Pena's voice is the star here, moving and soulful, backed with a band that grooves mightily.
If you're like me and discovered Pena through the documentary Genghis Blues, I should note there is no throatsinging on this album, it was recorded before he took up that particular vocation.
Shortly after I bought this album, I looked up Pena to see what he was up to and was saddened to learn he had passed away several years ago. His death was a tragedy and an immense loss for music lovers, and although I wish he had left a long list of albums to remember him by, I am deeply grateful we have at least this one great work to keep his memory alive.
Thank you Paul where ever you are. Perhaps there are earthquakes in heaven.
Free Music Review: Where has this record been all my life?
Hit: 5 Stars
This may sound funny, but I've been a fan of Paul Pena for 28 years. My father was a synthesizer player in 1972, and he toured Venezuela in a show that included Paul Pena. When Paul's debut album came out in 1973, my dad gave me his copy, and I listened to it every day for about 2 years. (I was 7 years old at the time). I wrecked the cover playing drums to it. It's a great soul-filled, bluesy folk-rock album. I have grown up with its sounds haunting me, and they still do, every day. I still have the first album, even found a second copy in a used bin in the 1980's, and I am in the middle of converting it to a CD so I can play it everywhere again (now that tape decks and turntables are getting rare). I never even knew about the existence of this unreleased second album. In fact when I ordered this, I didn't bother reading the description, and I thought it was a return to the blues for him. I knew about Jet Airliner being a hit for Steve Miller but I thought this was a long-overdue version. I am beside myself, I'm so happy there's another album from the early 70's, with guests like Jerry Garcia, Merl Saunders and the Persuasions. "Gonna Move" will rock your socks off. BUY this album, do not deny yourself Paul Pena for another day.