Review: Meat Loaf - Hell in a Handbasket

In 1967 Marvin Lee Aday formed his first band, “Meat Loaf Soul” and after 45 years of performing in everything from bands to acting in over 35 movies, over 25 television shows(most recently “Celebrity Apprentice”), and doing over 20 concert tours,  the man who now goes by “Meat Loaf” is releasing his 12^th studio album.

If familiar with the work of Meat Loaf you know that he does everything big, crazy and unexpectedly. Most of all Meat puts his whole heart and soul into everything he does.

It’s hard to do something unexpected when everyone is expecting it, but there were a few surprises on Hell in a Handbasket.

The first song, “All of Me” sets the tone for the album which Meat Loaf says is the first album he has made that really expresses the way he feels personally. It’s the kind of power ballad you would expect from a Meat Loaf album. “The Giving Tree” is a lesson in dynamics for any aspiring musician. Starting with a single tambourine, it swells from almost spoken lyrics to a feverish anthem with church choir like backup vocals. Then everything drops out and you have hand claps and church choir vocals until it ends with a single tambourine.

Pushing into the realm of the unexpected we have, “Live or Die”. On the surface with its acoustic guitar, fiddle and organ it sounds like a country song.  Peel all that away and you actually have a pretty heavy rock song. The acoustic guitar solo in the middle works amazingly well too.

Meat crosses deep into the unexpected with the medley “Blue Sky/Mad Mad World/The Good God Is A Woman And She Don’t Like Ugly,”   which includes rapping by Chuck D. Then he follows that up with another cover, “Calfornia Dreamin’”. No surprise that it’s a duet with Patti Russo. He makes it his own, but I have listened to it half a dozen times and I am still not sure if I like it or not. 

Still unexpected is the song “Party of One”. I would say it crosses into the realm of early punk or psychobilly. It’s a song about the upside of being alone.

Finally the most unexpected oddity on Hell in a Handbasket is “Stand in the Storm”. Where else can you hear Meat singing with Trace Adkins, Mark McGrath and Lil Jon?  Only someone like Meat Loaf could get such a diverse group of musicians together on an album. Let alone one song.

Meat Loaf made the mistake of writing Bat out of Hell at the beginning of his career. How do you possibly ever top your swan song? Hell in a Handbasket isn’t going to stand up to Bat out of Hell, but it is a good album. It is full of emotion, big vocals and great arrangements. Meat Loaf continues to have no qualms with cross contaminating genres. No matter what ingredients he mixes together it all ends up tasting like Meat Loaf. I am sure Guy Fieri would say,  “Mmm, that’s money!”

4/5 Stars

Key Tracks: The Giving Tree, Live or Die, Party of One

Kirk Bullough

Tracks: 1. All Of Me   2. The Giving Tree 3. Live Or Die 4. Blue Sky / Mad Mad World / The Good God Is A Woman And She Don't Like Ugly 5. California Dreamin' 6. Party Of One 7. Another Day 8. 40 Days 9. Our Love And Our Souls 10. Stand In The Storm 11. Blue Sky 12. Fall From Grace

  

Artist:  Meat Loaf
Title:  Hell In A Handbasket
Genre:  Rock
Release Date: March 13, 2012
Label:  Sony Legacy
Website:  http://www.meatloaf.net

Review: Bob Ardern - Wires Rosewood & Roots

Bob Ardern moved from England to Canada when he was 13, but it was on a visit back to England for the holidays that Bob discovered the guitar. Santa brought him a guitar for Christmas and then came the practicing. Living in the country without a television made for minimal distractions.

Bob took a break from guitar when life came knocking at his door. He finished his Computer Science degree, started a career, got married and bought a home. Life changed again after about twenty years and Bob found himself alone with no television and plenty of time to practice. 

 

He began to play a local coffee shop and eventually ended up in Nova Scotia where he met producer David Findlay and joined with him to produce Wires, Rosewood & Roots.

 

This album is a collection of Bob’s instrumental pieces some on acoustic guitar and some with backing instruments. If I had to choose a genre to describe this album I would call it Nova Scotian New Age Blues.

 

The night I started to listen to Wires, Rosewood & Roots I was starting my 40 mile commute home in a blizzard. It became the perfect soundtrack to my snowy trek home. The first track “Dusty’s Train” was just what I expected to hear based from the picture on the cover of the cd. Open strings, natural harmonics, finger picking. It’s a very beautiful, soothing piece.

 

By the time I reached the track “Scotch Rocks” the snow was starting to stick to the roads. Normally I would have had the urge to drive a little faster than I was, but “Scotch Rocks” is so smooth that I just sat back and enjoyed the solitude while listening. This song has an acoustic jazz feel and the backing instruments really make this my favorite track on the CD.

 

When I cross the railroad tracks I know I am almost home and I was almost finished with my first listen to Wires, Rosewood & Roots. The album had made my trip home more of a journey than a commute. I was now listening to the final track “Windrush”. It’s a fine example of how Bob is able to combine New Age style guitar with bluesy guitar licks. This hybrid gives the album a very unique style of its own.

 

Wires, Rosewood & Roots made my hellish commute a little piece of heaven. If you like acoustic guitar, you should add this album to your collection. Make sure you keep a copy in the car just in case.

4/5 Stars

Key Tracks: Dusty’s Train, Scotch Rocks, Windrush

Kirk Bullough

Tracks: 1. Irish Mood 2. Skating 3. Palindrome 4. Dusty's Train 5. Scotch Rocks 6. Flea's Reel 7. Eleanor of Aquitaine 8. Windrush 9. Tea Rose 10. Waiting for McAfee 11. Pray for Rain 12. Out of Work

 

 

Artist:  Bob Ardern
Title:  Wires Rosewood & Roots
Genre:  Folk: Fingerstyle
Release Date: January 2, 2012
Label:  Bob Ardern
Website:  http://www.bobardern.ca/

Review: Ann Claire - Honkytonk Princess

It’s good to be the king, but when you are Ann Claire it’s even better being the princess. Ann isn’t just the Honkytonk Princess; she is literally a real princess. She is the granddaughter of HH Princess Shams of Iran's Pahlavi Dynasty.

Ann Claire is far from what you would expect from a princess though. Ann grew up in London and Los Angeles. She attended school in England, Switzerland and Spain. She majored in film and television with a minor in sociology at University of Southern California. She also studied theatre and voice at San Francisco’s American Conservatory Theatre. She is proud to be an American citizen and loves country music with her whole heart and soul.

As someone who already has fortune and fame, Ann has risked it all to follow her dream. Ann says, “This has never been for me about being famous or rich. Those things are not of interest to me at all. All I’ve ever wanted to do is write great songs and make a difference in the world, and sing and present them in a way where they will affect people.”

If you are going to call yourself the Honkytonk Princess, you better be ready to back up that claim. Out of the gate with the song, “Better Girl”, Ann Claire shows that writing and singing country music comes as easy to her as sliding off a greasy log backwards.  Her voice is unique, but if I had to compare it to someone I would probably say it reminds me a little of Dolly Parton with some Kate Bush mixed in here and there.

The song “Lucky Me” quickly became my favorite with its great banjo intro and witty lyrics. I am impressed that with her privileged upbringing, Ann Claire is able to put her life experiences into words that ring true to rural America. I am sure part of this is due to her experiences working as a waitress at a barbecue joint when she first moved to Nashville. She didn’t even own a car. Not something your typical pampered princess would do.

The title track of Honkytonk Princess shows that you don’t have to be born into royalty to be treated like a princess. “I don’t think it matters at all whether you’re from a trailer park or a palace, you’ve gotta know who you are, what you’re worth, and don’t you take a cent less.”

Honkytonk Princess finishes with a nice ballad “Somewhere”, reminding us that life is about enjoying the journey and not worrying about the destination. “I couldn’t say just where I’m headed yet,   but I’m headed somewhere”. 

Ann co-wrote 8 of the 12 songs on this CD. The lyrics are witty and honest with a sense of vulnerability to them. Watch out Nashville there is a new girl in town and she is tearin’ it up. Honkytonk Princess is the best new country album that I have heard this year. Ann Claire is soon to be taking her rightful place as an heir in the country music royal family.  

4.5/5 Stars

Key Tracks: Better Girl, Lucky Me, Somewhere

Kirk Bullough

Tracks: 1. Better Girl 2. Dark Horse 3. Lucky Me 4. Good Enough 5. Honkytonk Princess 6. Here to Home 7. Let’s Go To Mexico 8. Way That I Do 9. Go With Me 10. If I Leave Here Tonight 11. Gettin' Good At This 12. Somewhere

Artist:  Ann Claire
Title:  Honkytonk Princess
Genre:  Country/Pop
Release Date: February 21, 2012
Label:  Prosody Records
Website:  http://princessannclaire.com/