Search - Nanci Griffith :: The Loving Kind

CLASSIC NANCI--I'm still a true believer, ya'll

Lara Chetkovich | Houston, TX United States | 06/11/2009

(4 out of 5 stars)

"Being an old fan of Nanci, it's been about a decade since I've really enjoyed an album of hers, so I was floored--to tears, really--to hear her old sound in the title track, "The Loving Kind," and digest what the song was about: Mildred and Richard Loving--their God-given names--who fought the Supreme Court to be legally wed. In the liner notes, Peter Cooper suggests that Nanci may have been "robbed of her inspiration" for songwriting by the direction America had taken in the last decade, and politics show up in several songs on the cd. Nanci has always been an advocate of civil rights, and I can't think of a songwriter who has given us more songs about love--and hate. What would my life have been like without "Love at the Five and Dime" and "Gulf Coast Highway?"



This cd was totally panned in Rolling Stone; the reviewer actually quoted the first verses of the title track as an example of political cheesiness. I admit that there is some cheesiness here, as in the song, "Across America," which is an anthem about the hope the election of Obama brought to so many folks. But what is cheesiness, exactly? Earnestness? Simple lyrics? Nanci Griffith is sometimes cheesy in the same way that John Denver was a little cheesy. Her lyrics have always been simple and regional. She posed on many of her album covers holding novels by Southern writers like Truman Capote and Carson McCullers before those writers were in the sights of English departments. She never "posed" with a book by freakin Jacques Derrida.



So I think the poison pen of Rolling Stone reflects their magazine rather than the quality of this cd and what Nanci's fans expect. It's no mystery why she has devoted fans in Ireland and Scotland; her writing reflects their musical traditions of folk sensibility and simplicity.



What you will hear in this cd has the same sound as her best work, more country than folk: good Texas regional writing (songs about Townes Van Zandt, LBJ, Dubya, cotton and drinking tequila), a slight overdose of politics, a sweet cocktail of twanged-up honky tonk songs, and stunning harmony vocals from a newcomer, Elizabeth Cook (who sounds a lot like Iris DeMent or Casey Chambers), Todd Snider, John Prine and others, and backed by the Blue Moon Orchestra--sans James Hooker on piano--and with the magic of Fats Kaplin on pedal steel. I do miss the elegant picking of some of Nanci's quieter songs, and her voice is in a "tween" stage between youthful soprano and golden gravel. Still, all the songs here have great melodies and the end result is seamless and classic.



1. "The Loving Kind." GREAT start. Heart melted at first twang of pedal steel and realization that Nanci has found her feet again in returning to a country sound, and this is a catchy ditty that tells the story of the Lovings. One-of-a-kind capture for a songwriter.



2. "Money Changes Everything." Pretty good song, written by Gale Trippsmith, kind of uptempo and poppy, sounds a lot like the songs from "Flyer," a bongo drum beat--great vocals on the chorus with Nanci flying into the upper registers.



3. "One of These Days." I LOVE this song. Just sounds like old Nanci--Todd Snider singing harmony vocal--upbeat country song about being a homesick Texan in New York. Nanci has a bunch of "homesick for Texas songs" and this another good one. The vocals are a little pitchy in spots like Todd and Nanci are trying to stay together, but still a great song.



4. "Up Against the Rain." A ballad for Townes Van Zandt. Everybody's missing him these days. It's a pretty song, but if the liner notes hadn't told me, I never would have guessed it was about Townes. I don't think anyone wrote better about his own road to hell than the Townes himself; the first song he wrote was "Waiting Around to Die."



5. "Cotton." BEST SONG. It has an Irish chord progression, an accordion, mandolin, fiddle and cryptic lyrics. Everybody always wonders why Nanci wears an LBJ pin: this song is about cotton, big agriculture, peak oil, victory gardens and LBJ--totally uncanny--maybe Nanci is reading postmoderns after all. And you still won't know why she wears that LBJ pin.



6. "Not Innocent Enough." A song about Phillip Workman, who was executed for a botched robbery--joining singers like Steve Earle and Mary Gauthier in speaking out against the death penalty. GREAT LYRICS, twangy pedal steel, and a grand chorus harmony vocal, with John Prine coming in as the voice of God (weird, actually--every time I hear John Prine I expect him to say something funny and goofy). I love the lyrics, but I think the song would have been better with a simpler arrangement--no angel band choir and John Prine trying to be serious.



7. "Across America." A song about things getting a little better now (wishful thinking?) that the administration has changed. A little cheesy, yes, but someone's gotta write about how people in New Orleans felt when Obama got elected.



8. "Party Girl." BEST SONG. Penned by Dee Moeller. Get your two-stepping boots out--killer twang going on here.



9. "Sing." Love this one. It's a low-key folksy song with a great melody, good picking by Nanci on her Taylor acoustic, nice piano by Barry Walsh.



10. "Things I Don't Need." Not my favorite song, but the melody--like all the songs on the cd--is fantastic--the music and vocals are great. It's a low-key "moving on" song. Nanci must have missed George Carlin's monologue about having too much stuff, because that's all I can think about when I hear this song.



11. "Still Life." Another "moving on" song. A little slow, but it's growing on me. Good melody lines, and Nanci does some good vocal bends, nice twang.



12. "Tequila After Midnight." BEST SONG. This is another Dee Moeller song, pure two-stepping twang. Elizabeth Cook is outstanding on high harmony vocal, Shad Cobb on fiddle.



13. "Pour Me a Drink." More tequila. The cd closes on this slooow honky-tonk-styled standard. I think there might be just a little-bitty bit too much drinking going on here. In fact, Nanci dedicates this cd to the memory of Odetta: "All God's children needs Vodka." If there were a song #14, it would be a cover of "Rehab!" Cheers!"

Why does everyone complain ?

Roderick Keech | Australia | 06/16/2009

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Every reviewer so far has criticised this disc as having too many political songs. Why ? When you consider how politics, especially US Internal & Foreign policy has effected the whole world and all our lives,(not to mention the Global Economic Crisis) I think it entirely appropriate for some commentary. Anyway, it is not as if the lyrics are so blatant that you feel bludgeoned over the head by them. I am sure, that without the liner notes, most listeners would be entirely unaware of the political commentary attributed to a lot of these songs.



As Peter Cooper, in the liner notes states, ""Still Life" is about George W. Bush (and, I'm afraid, more about the rest of us than we'll care to admit)". This comment seems to be right on the mark, given other reviewer's comments about too much politics. Everyone seems to want to pretend nothing has happened and bury their collective heads in the sand. The song never mentions Mr Bush, so if you were not in possession of the booklet, you would be none the wiser. Therefore the criticism seems silly, as the lyric could just as easily relate to anyone.



Thankfully Griffith's vocals are ageing like fine wine and I applaud her for standing for 'causes'. "The Loving Kind" is a tragic reminder of the controversy of a mixed marriage in 1958. What kind of people were we then and are we any better now ? Causes and issues are important, and if they can be conveyed via song, all the better.



Once again, Griffith's liner notes are more eloquent than I could ever be:



"Finally....to the memory of Mildred & Richard Loving. They changed the heart of my nation with their love. May they stand for change in laws of love (there should never be laws of love) for the future. Long live the Loving Kind. Government.....Out of who we Love and Out of our bedrooms!"



Thank you for getting back on the writing track Nanci. The world needs a spokesperson for LOVE."

Griffith Offers a Loving Look at Poliltics or Relationships

T. Yap | Sydney, NSW, Australia | 06/12/2009

(4 out of 5 stars)

"Prime Cuts: Sing, Up Against the Rain, Things I Don't Need



Sometimes the most surging and persuasive rhetoricians are those who hardly have to raise their voices. With her girlish soprano (though a little deeper and tainted with signs of aging) suggesting naivety and innocence, Griffith is still one of the sharpest critics. Unlike Toby Keith who fledges his jingoism in loud blatancy, Griffith expresses her views on politics, race issues, love, and the economic morass through subtle yet poignant story songs. At the end of the day, regardless of what one thinks of her criticisms, Griffith gets her points across in ways more memorably than Keith. This is the genius of Griffith's craftsmanship. For the first time since 2005's "Hearts in Mind," Griffith offers 8 new compositions with a reprise of an older album track "One of These Days" (from her CD "Last of the True Believers.") This is also the first time in a long while where the backings are simpler and more country sounding--never for a moment drowning Griffith's delicate vocals. Such dexterity is to the credit of producers Thomm Jutz and Pat McInerney.



Just like Griffith's previous CDs, message songs abound. The gentle thumbing of the drums and some delightful fiddles usher in Griffith at her folk-country best with the title track "The Loving Kind." Here Griffith re-tells the historic story of Richard and Milfred Loving who were initially barred from marriage in the state of Virginia because they were of different skin color. "Loving Kind" is not the only song where Griffith utilizes the newspaper headlines. On "Not Innocent Enough" Griffith protests against capital punishment via the death row case of Philip Workman who was convicted of killing a Memphis police back in 1981. And to show that Griffith is not alone in her protest, she's backed by John Prine, Todd Snider and Elizabeth Cook in a chorus like demonstration. Don't let the innocuous title "Still Life" fool you: despite being a languid ballad, it actually is reeked with political satire with Griffith lambasting George W. Bush. While the nostalgic "Cotton's All We Got" brings us back to the days of President Lyndon B. Johnson.



However, the inspiration of this new disc is not just found in the history textbooks and newspapers. Griffith does address issues dealing with relationships. Best of which is "Sing," an autobiographical entry where Griffith re-calls the lonely times in her children where she would listen to the radio and later discover her love for music. There's a thick ethereal feel of loneliness surrounding this rack that makes the listening experience particularly bittersweet. Also, Griffith does a great tribute to Townes Van Zandt with the hopeful "Up Against the Rain," a track that will connect with anyone who has had just suffered loss. The opening line of "One of These Days" is enough to spark romantic imaginations aflame when Griffith sings: "We walk along the Hudson when it snows in Manhattan." This is poetry at its best with a gorgeous melody to marry. While the pop-tinted James Taylor-esque "Things I Don't Need" deals with our prevalent sin of materialism.



On the whole, Griffith would have benefited more if there are less politically driven songs. Not that they are overwhelmingly bludgeon, rather Griffith's sensitive vocals are better suited for heartbreaking melancholic ballads. In fact, the sadder they are; the better they sound. Nevertheless, this CD like all of her music is a work of art; one that Griffith has put together with thought, heart, skill of the loving kind.

"