The Blues Revival...

JACKSON C. FRANK. 

It's probably not the kind of music you should start your year listening to but most of you know I have a strong appreciation for musical storytelling, especially when there is a sad story to tell. The story of Mr Frank is quite an extraordinary one.... 

His life was as tragic as any bluesman, his songs laced with melancholy and simplistic honesty. Whilst researching him I found that there had been many dark turns of fate which brought to life his lyrical genius.  Through his misfortune his talent was born, he learnt how to play the guitar after being badly burned in a school fire. Following a substantial compensation settlement he left America in 1965, for less sunnier climes here in the UK. 

He arrived in the midst of the British folk revival where he influenced, and was influenced by an impressive list of musicians including Paul Simon (who produced Mr Frank's first and only album.) Upon trying to record his second album he developed writer's block, with money running low he returned to the USA. Along this journey he married a former fashion model and lost his son to cystic fibrosis. 

What followed was a rapid downwards spiral - childhood scars burned, disappointment and mourning wept, a shot to the eye left him blind, homelessness on the cold streets of New York ensued and all roads led to mental illness.

In the early 90's - Jim Abbott- an admirer of Frank's work tried to help him record a new album but the songs they cut were not the glorious return to form either of them had expected. His life experiences had wore thin the voice that made him special. Jackson C. Frank died in March 1999 from pneumonia and a heart attack.  

A special album including the 'newer' material he recorded is what I am now in possession of. My favourite 'newer' Frank song would have to be "Halloween Is Black as Night." It has a brilliant despondency and sounds remarkably like a Leonard Cohen song, only much darker and more desperate than Cohen has ever been.   

My favourite songs with a 3 word review: 

1. MARLENE - blissful folk lovesong
2. HERE COME THE BLUES - traditional raw blues
3. PRIMA DONNA OF SWANS - beautiful lyrical imagery

NEW AGE FOLK BY FRAZEY FORD

If you are looking for something to listen to while you work/cook/do something that makes for some nice background music... let me introduce you to Frazey Ford!

I thought I would  review a few songs from her debut album 'Obadiah' which has a mixture of amazing Americana-sounding folk songs and here are my thoughts on my top 3 songs, in the order of preference: 

Blue Streak Mamma: - The song is introduced by a nice steady drum beat which carries it from beginning to end accompanied by the repetition of a beautiful riff that is locked on repeat. The structure and sound of Blue Streak Mamma resembles that of the down tempo soul and blues of the mid 60's.  The vocals start up pretty quickly and you are stuck by an extraordinary voice that is very similar to Adele but with a less commercial feel. This song is based on a lot of repetition- that locks you in and draws you closer. I honestly believe that a song you can sing along to whilst hearing it for the first time is one that is destined for great things - and Blue Streak Mamma has to be one of those songs! This song is sure to feature on some US drama and then become a big hit!

If You Gonna Go: - This song highlights what beautiful vocals Frazey Ford has. It is the kind of song that you could melt on your sofa to, whilst eating strawberry cheescake flavoured ice-cream and feeling sorry for yourself (not that I am speaking from experience -honest.) I could imagine Norah Jones doing an amazing cover of this for her next album. If you are a fan of Norah Jones' - Come Away With Me then I honestly think that this is the song you should be listening to from Frazey Ford's debut album. 

One More Cup Of Coffee: - This song has a lot of memories attached to it and it will always be one of my favourite songs. It is my favourite Bob Dylan track by far and Ford does a good job of covering it. I think covers of classic songs are a risk especially when they are sang with as much as passion and integrity as was the case of the original but Fazey Ford's cover is beautiful. I love the vulnerability in the verse but I find the chorus a tad soul-less - it lacks the authenticity that Dylan succeeded in putting across in the original. To some degree Ford's cover feels like it is heading to a great crescendo but it fails to deliver. 

 

  Bob Dylan - One more cup of coffee

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