January 2011 Articles

Sharing the world with any one of the tracks on Kim Richey’s latest release, ‘Wreck Your Wheels’, gives the impression of walking through a dream. The combination of her delivery, part reverie, part whispered secrets and Neilson Hubbard’s comforting production, the album moves along like a weekend river rafting trip. As the bordering banks glide by, Kim watches chronicling the life that lies along the shores. The mood is summer up as an album track describes the movement, “quiet now, softly now, careful how you go” (“Careful How You Go”). The music and voice come together to wrap around you, entering your ears, warming you inside and out.

Some things change, some don't and some things get better. Elvis Costello deserves to own all three choices and he executes his options perfectly on 'National Ransom'. Breaking it down....so, what has stayed the same? The opening sound, and title track, kicks off like an out-take from 80's vengeance arrangements, onslaughts of sound assaulting the rhythm, bending into a driving forward motion. Elvis' voice has always had the spit to carry off this model and the ability to be heard on each word, enabling the listener to hear as well as feel the track.

First albums are real important on many levels. If they work, they can break you big time. The music can be independent and suddenly commercial in a major way. Could hit a bunch of target markets, could touch only one but stick like glue. If done right, you could have a career that lasts for a ling time. All those pieces are mainly in the hands of the end user, however. In order to achieve any of those goals, the music needs to sell; the band needs to be able to tour. What makes success varies, what makes for good music, well, that is up to the band.
From the band’s perspective, the first album is what they, and ideally, their art, have to say. It is the results of putting musicians together, practicing, and bringing in new songs, finding out about what each other are listening to, practicing, playing out a little, rehearsing and finding an audience. A lot of those songs on the first album are able to be fine tuned, polished, worked in front of a crowd....keeping what works, getting rid of what does not. Hitting your mark can put you in line for a sophomore slump, but that is about the second album. This is about a band’s first effort, ‘Outskirts’ from Blue Rodeo.
Blue Rodeo formed in Canada in 1984. Jim Cuddy and Greg Kellor became friends in high school. The Canadian natives formed a few bands after college making a decision to leave Toronto and head down to NYC. The guitarists met Bob Wiseman and moved back to Toronto in 1984. The name Blue Rodeo was in place before the two remaining original members, drummer Cleave Anderson and bassist Bazil Donovan joined up.

These two gentlemen, Albert King and Stevie Ray Vaughan, influenced every subsequent blues or rock guitarist in one way or another. Albert King was idolized by Stevie and his influences on Vaughan are unmistakable. They are both among the legends of the electric guitar both as innovators of tone and technique and players of near mystical skill. Those who are aware of the vast catalogue of Albert King and the much smaller but no less impressive catalogue of Stevie Ray Vaughan have long ago discovered the magic of ‘In Session.’ For those new to the names or the memorable meeting of these two giants it is a historical document of a meeting long planned and almost never realized. The set was recorded for the music television program ‘In Session’ for station CHCH in Ontario.