Rajeev P's Reviews

This is one of the best albums to come out of the 1980s, and I hold the opinion that this is one of the greatest albums of all time. Unfortunately it is also the only album to come out of the collaboration of David Baerwald and David Ricketts. The songs all have catchy, accessible hooks, but hide pain, anguish, despair, longing underneath that veneer in a way that, nearly 35 years later their relevance has not diminished.
David & David could be singing about the couple my wife and I noticed the other day sitting across from each other at dinner, but completely engaged on their mobile devices with "Being Alone Together". "Welcome to the Boomtown" highlights how easy it is to go astray, especially with easily accessible big-city addictions. "Swallowed by the Cracks" talks about how big dreams can fall by the wayside....and be swallowed by the cracks. "Ain't So Easy" is about relationship struggles with lyrics that really capture that sinking feeling. I could go on and on. While maybe not as remarkable as Prince playing all the instruments on his initial albums, it should be noted that the Davids basically played all the instruments here. This probably let them harmonize the lyrical emotion and content with the music in ways few artists can - and the result is, I maintain, one of the greatest and most criminally underrated albums of all time.


Review Date: 9/25/2022

I can still recall being introduced to C.W. McCall as a grade schooler in Montana. The guy was musically talented and teamed up with Chip Davis (of Mannheim Steamroller fame) for the music, while C.W. provided the lyrics and the deep, guttural midwest-twangy truck driver singing of songs that were little stories.....

Before hitting it big with the song "Convoy" that spawned a movie, a movement (the CB radio) and a song sequel "Round the World with the Rubber Duck" (also on this album), a bread commercial of all things provided the story of a smitten truck driver with "Old Home Filler-up an' Keep on a-Truckin' Caf���©". Adventures in 4 wheelin' ("Four Wheel Drive", "Wolf Creek Pass") loom large for this Coloradoan (William Dale Fries or C.W. was mayor of Ouray later in life), as do buying a used vehicle ("Classified") and fighting hippies that invade town ("Crispy Critters"). "Roses for Mama" is corny but heartfelt, and in my opinion the greatest C.W. McCall song is "There Won't Be No Country Music (There Won't Be No Rock 'N' Roll)" - an environmental anthem ahead of it's time:

Well, it's only gonna take about a minute or so
'Til the junkyards fell the prairies, boy
And them smokin' yellow grass fires start to burn
And the warnings on them beer cans
Gonna be buried in them landfills
No deposit, no sad songs, and no returns

Yeah, it's only gonna take about a minute or so
'Til the factories blot the sun out
You gonna have to turn your lights on just to see
And them lights are gonna be neon, sayin'
"Fly Our Jets To Paradise"
And the whole damn world is gonna be made of styrene

So listen well, my brothers
When you hear the night wind sigh
And you see the wild goose flying
Through the gray, polluted sky
There won't be no country music
There won't be no rock 'n' roll
'Cause when they take away our country
They'll take away our soul

C.W. McCall passed in 2022, and though the 6th of June is celebrated as C.W. McCall or International Convoy day (listen to Convoy to understand why), his music is suitable for every day. Intelligent story songs delivered with the backing of talented musicians will take you back to when substance mattered more than style.
Highly recommended.

Review Date: 4/16/2023

If you like complex orchestral numbers that lean on Indian instruments and (more traditional) influences, you might enjoy this album. If you like music that intrigues but doesn't require you to fixate on, this might be an album you will enjoy. Fans of Anoushka Shankar, Ali Akbar Khan, Jai Uttal, Krishna Das etc might also enjoy this....If this electronica/orchestral project of composers Garry Hughes and Andrew T. Mackay catches your fancy, they have other albums to try as well.
Recommended.




Review Date: 5/25/2022

Among the ~2000 albums in my collection, this album by Will T. Massey is among the treasured, and I consider among the best. The musicians include Roy Bittan from the E Street Band and Mike Campbell of the Heartbreakers.
But what sets this album apart from most any others in my collection are the deep lyrics, ones that stay with you over time. To wit, from "Bravery to Weep":

Everyone's asking where you going and when
so your laughing and passing
the pain of where you've been
yeah you packed up your past
put your memories on a train
but they ride a circular track, now darling
they'll be back again

Many of the songs are of loss: of self ("I Ain't Here"), of relationships ("You Take the Town"), and of life ("Summertime Graveyard"), but the songs are also wonderful, lyrical musings on what is important in life, and isn't that what music is all about?
If you dig into the life story of Will T. Massey, you will also realize that you likely won't be hearing from him much again, making this album even more valuable.
Highly, highly recommended.

Review Date: 6/7/2022

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