Tommy Keene – Isolation Party

 

Tommy Keene – Isolation Party

By

Jesse E. Mullen

 

Tommy Keene knew his way around a song. The late singer-songwriter’s approach was not entirely unique. But he knew what worked and what didn’t. What made a sharp melody, and what dragged an album down.

A contemporary of Mathew Sweet, he had been crafting power pop gems since the mid-80s. He had a college rock hit in 1986 with “Places That Are Gone.” And then, one thanksgiving, he was gone. Dead of a heart attack in his sleep. He was 59. 

In the middle of his story came Isolation Party. The 1998 album carried the jangly sound of earlier records forward, but with a harder edge to the guitars. Opener “Long Time Missing” perfectly exemplifies this transition. 

The guitars have a staccato crunch to them, with a slight gain. The tempo lurches forward and the song seems to jump out of the speakers before pulling back. When the drums crash in and Keene’s nasal tenor belts the opening line, you can hear the influence that touring with Paul Westerberg had on him.

The Replacements’ singer/guitarist tapped Keene to play lead guitar with him on tour in 1996. The shows were roaring, and showed a consummate professionalism not previously seen in Westerberg. But more importantly, they showed that Keene could rock on guitar.

“Long Time Missing” is a success not just because it faithfully captures a live sound on record, but because it also shows an artist breaking free from past expectations. He’s still a master craftsman, but he’s also a capital “R” Rocker.

Elsewhere, we hear Keene in familiar territory with the sweet, soft pop of “Never Really Been Gone.” Jeff Tweedy of Wilco provides beautiful harmony vocals, and the way their voices blend gives the track an ethereal quality.

Tweedy also shows up on “The World Outside,” which manages to combine the sound of The Raspberries with R.E.M. But it’s Tweedy’s partner in Wilco, the late Jay Bennett who brings the album to an even higher level of quality.

Like Keene, Bennett was a master craftsman with an untimely end. He could play nearly any instrument and transformed Wilco from roots rockers in pop perfectionists on Summerteeth. His contributions are all over Isolation Party, but they really stand out on “Happy When You’re Sad.”

A resigned melancholy hangs over the track both in the lyrics and Keene’s delivery. The lyrics describe a rainy autumn day using it as a metaphor for the dying days of a relationship. But Bennett’s bass and rhythm guitar parts paint in the extra details. His gentle stop-start strumming locking in with the jazz drum beat and Keene’s reverberated lead guitar.

The defeated, sepia toned sound is somewhat reminiscent of what The Jesus and Mary Chain did on Stoned and Dethroned. But Keene gives it his own spin, singing in a higher register than the Reid brothers.

Tommy Keene released his biggest hit in 1986 with “Places That Are Gone,” but there is much more to his story. Despite having made several great songs and records before, Tommy Keene shone the brightest on Isolation Party.

Matador/1998

Jim Cuddy – All In Time

 

Jim Cuddy – All In Time

By

Jesse E. Mullen

 

Say the name Blue Rodeo around Toronto, and you are bound to get nostalgic reactions. The Alt. Country band have been going strong for 37 years and counting. They have built up a massive cult following throughout Canada.

Heck, co-frontman Jim Cuddy was even granted an Order of Canada for his contributions to Canadian music and culture. But what happens when Cuddy decides he wants to do a side project? Could it possibly measure up to his band work? And how will it affect the band?

Cuddy’s 1998 release All In Time answers all of this and more. Turns out it had little effect on Blue Rodeo, as they are still going strong 23 years later. Musically however things are much more interesting.

“Second Son” kicks off the proceedings with a gently picked acoustic guitar part, reminiscent of Son Volt’s “Windfall.” We are then joined by a full backing band including a fiddle. But once Cuddy’s skilled tenor comes in the song takes on another level.

The importance of Cuddy’s voice simply cannot be overstated. His music is firmly rooted in the alt. country genre, yet Cuddy adds elements of power pop to his performances. It’s easy to picture him singing with Alex Chilton of Big Star. 

When the chorus hits, it lyrically recalls The Rolling Stones’ “Brown Sugar.” By reprising the “just around midnight” hook, Cuddy is knowingly digging up a controversial piece of rock history. However, he is describing an innocent party scene rather than any nefarious acts.

The clever inversions of rock history continue on track two with “Whistler.” Musically, the song resembles American Beauty-era Grateful Dead. But whereas that album contained songs about travelling from American landmark-to-landmark, “Whistler” explicitly references British Columbia. 

Cuddy is lost in the woods near Whistler while camping. In a humorous twist, he has locked his clothes in his car with his keys – whilst naked. It’s the ways these details are shared that make Cuddy such a skilled songwriter. In the hands of a lesser songwriter, they could be distracting. 

But Cuddy expertly weaves details like these into the narrative. The listener wouldn’t be able to empathize with the situation as well without them. How else would we feel like we are lost in the woods?

“New Year’s Eve” is something else entirely. Ambient guitars, violins and keyboards open the first two minutes. It sounds more like solo Brian Eno or even neo-classical than a typical alt. country song. But then the band comes in slowly with gentle reverberated electric guitars and Cuddy’s sweet voice.

This time, Cuddy opts for a deeper sonorous tone as opposed to his typical high tenor. It’s extremely effective in conveying the story about lost love and Cuddy lying to himself that the relationship can be saved.

An arpeggiated electric guitar part by Colin Cripps, a Hammond organ solo, and harmonies by Michelle McAdorey send the track into an even more gorgeous place.

Elsewhere, we have another power pop gem in the title track. Cuddy’s voice is back in higher territory and the guitars are in full rock mode. When the chorus hits, they take on a stop-start rhythm which adds some grit and contrasts nicely with Cuddy’s sweet tone.

Jim Cuddy will forever be known as one half of the Blue Rodeo songwriting partnership. But that is only half the story. With All In Time, he has shown that he is just as comfortable going it alone.

WEA/1998

 

XTC – Apple Venus Volume 1

 

XTC – Apple Venus Volume 1

By

Jesse E. Mullen

 

You lead a successful band for 15 years. You’ve transcended genre, going from glam to post-punk to college rock and finally your own blend of sophisti-pop. Then you enter litigation with your record label and are forced to take an eight-year break from recording.

So was the story of XTC. The Swindon-based band – really a duo of Andy Partridge and Colin Moulding – had formed in 1972 and released a handful of classic albums. But problems with their record label Virgin led to a forced sabbatical in 1992.

That all changed in 1998 when XTC were finally freed from their contract. And in 1999, a brand-new album was released on TVT Records entitled Apple Venus Volume 1. Certainly, the years apart would have an effect on the music. But would it be as enticing as their previous work?

Things get off to a shaky start with the repetitive, art-pop groove of “River of Orchids.” Partridge seems fascinated by the way that words of English language sound when inverted – specifically “circus” and “circle.” And it is fascinating from a linguistics perspective. Just not for five minutes and fifty-three seconds. 

However, the track does set the stage for the stronger moments, utilizing syncopated strings. They transform the track from a clunker into an interesting – albeit skippable – introduction to the “new” XTC sound. Track 2 is where the real fun begins.

“I’d Like That” boasts a chugging palm muted acoustic guitar, clever wordplay, and gorgeous harmonies. Partridge seems to be having fun making comparisons between his partner and himself with doomed lovers of famous lore. But it’s not the only song of doomed love.

“I Can’t Own Her” speaks of Partridge’s unrequited love towards an unnamed woman, and the resigned sadness it brought him. Chilling strings and a fingerpicked acoustic guitar announce the track in grand fashion. But Partridge’s harmonious vocals bring it to another level. 

However, the most bitter tune on the album – as well as one of the best – is “Your Dictionary.” A sharpened barb to Partridge’s doomed marriage, it is extremely effective at displaying the singer’s contempt. 

“Your Dictionary” is relatively simple musically, but the lyrics are some of the most unique heard in pop. By spelling out a word and describing the antonym, it is an apt metaphor for the mind games and emotional abuse which can end a relationship.

Elsewhere, we hear Partridge combining psychedelic pop with Spectorian wall-of-sound production on “Greenman,” and harking back to childhood memories on “Harvest Festival.” The strings are out in full force on the former, and it’s a joy to hear through headphones. On “Harvest Festival,” we hear a sound not too distant from early Beach Boys. 

But it’s his sidekick – bassist Colin Moulding – who delivers perhaps the most satisfying track on the album in “Frivolous Tonight.” The song begins with a piano theme combined with horns, sounding not unlike Burt Bacharach. And the lyrics take it to another level.

Moulding tells a tale of people only want to talk about “trivial things.” And it’s all delivered in dry British humor (or humour, as they say.) When some poor soul wants to talk shop, he is ejected from the party in dramatic fashion.

Once the chorus hits, the listener is greeted by absolutely gorgeous harmonies by Partridge and guitarist Dave Gregory. It’s a defining moment on the album, and quite possibly of XTC’s discography as a whole. 

Sadly, this would be one of the last tracks to feature Gregory, as he left the band shortly before the record’s completion. A member of XTC since 1979, Gregory’s departure had a profound impact on the chemistry of the band – both personally and musically. XTC would release only one more album before disbanding in 2006.

Most bands – particularly a band that had been around for several decades – couldn’t take an eight-year hiatus and stay motivated. But XTC were not an ordinary band. Picking a favorite XTC record is often an exercise in futility, but Apple Venus Volume 1 makes a strong case as the pinnacle of the Moulding/Partridge partnership.

TVT/1999