|
Nine High A Pallet (Capricorn, 1995) is credited to Brute, which is most
of the Widespread Panic fronted by Vic Chesnutt. The furor of
Protein Drink and Sewing Machine resembles Neil Young and the
Crazy Horses.
About To Choke (Capitol, 1996) is in many ways an uncertain record,
a return to Chesnutt's origins (Ladle, Degenerate) while
aiming for a more musical (Little Vacation) and political
(New Time) future.
An impending stylistic crisis limits the emotional power of every word he
utters.
Chesnutt leaves behind his southern gothic for
The Salesman & Bernadette (Capricorn, 1998), by far his most upbeat
album ever, and, alas, also his most derivative
(at times, it sounds like Chesnutt is mainly mocking southern music).
The funereal Duty Free and the romantic Maiden are trademark
Chesnutt, but Replenished and Until The Led resonate loudly
of New Orleans rhythm and blues and Memphis soul.
Lambchop's arrangements are a mixed blessing, as
they detract from the quintessential Chesnutt atmosphere (bittersweet,
humurous, populist) but augment the sonic experience.
Merriment (Backburner, 2000) is
a far humbler work than his previous albums, just a collection of nostalgic
vignettes whose music was composed by the duo of Kelly and Nikki Keneipp
(Sunny Pasture, A Feather At A Wall).
Chesnutt's contribution is limited to writing the lyrics.
Left To His Own Devices (SpinArt, 2001), a
collection of demos and rarities, proves, on the other hand, that
Chesnutt is a lousy arranger of his own music. Here he plays everything
by himself and the result is awful at best. Granted, these are leftovers
and hardly a match for Chesnutt's classic repertory. Chesnutt seems intent
at destroying his own myth.
A more serious and austere Vic Chesnutt surfaced on
Silver Lake (New West, 2003), which is also one of his most
band-oriented efforts. At least the
pensive and complex, seven-minute I'm Through and
the eight-minute Sultan So Mighty are noteworthy additions to his canon,
while 2nd Floor and Wren's Nest rank among his best
Neil Young imitations, and Fa-La-La and Band Camp rank
with the best folk-rock vignettes of The Salesman & Bernadette.
Ghetto Bells (New West, 2005), featuring
VanDyke Parks
Parks on accordion and
Bill Frisell
on guitar,
lacked the invigorating sound of its predecessor.
But it sounded like a very personal
self-examination, although it dealt mostly with "external" themes.
the six-minute Vesuvius,
the seven-minute Rambunctious Cloud, Gnats,
Virginia, the the seven-minute Forthright
were performed as if drifting through a manic depression.
The instrumental strength that was missing on Ghetto Bells was
abudantly available on
North Star Deserter (Constellation, 2007), recorded with the
Thee Silver Mt Zion Memorial Orchestra
and many other guests. So much so that the instrumentalists can be considered
co-author of the album for all practical purposes.
The eight-minute Debriefing (a Neil Young-ian tornado of ear-splitting guitar riffs)
and the seven-minute Everything I Say (a martial, stormy hymn with religious organ and shoegazing guitars),
are so dense of sonic events that Chesnutt's humble voice and humble guitar
sound out of context.
At the same time Chesnutt seems to relish the loneliness of
Warm and Fodder On Her Wings (the two barest songs).
However, it is the soundscapes, not the lyrics, that carry the atmosphere
and the ultimate meaning of
Glossolalia (a less vibrant Cat Stevens in his Greek/Slavic phase),
You Are Never Alone (a relatively traditional country elegy with
multi-part vocals),
Marathon (a quiet lullaby wrapped in waves of distortion),
each devastated by its own set of cruel instrumental scaffoldings.
So much so that the eight-minute Splendid (devoid of such devices)
sounds merely overlong.
On the other hand, Rustic City Fathers manages to create a suspense-filled atmosphere with minimal guitar and percussion counterpoint.
Vic Chesnutt and Elf Power joined ranks (in Chesnutt's attic) to record
Dark Developments (2008), the way
Lambchop helped arrange
The Salesman & Bernadette. Coming after a better album, though, it makes
the arrangement sounds guilty of stifling Chesnutt's inspiration.
|
(Translation by/Tradotto da Davide Carrozza)
Nine High A Pallet (Capricorn, 1995) è accreditato ai Brute, la maggior parte dei Widespread Panic capitanati da Vic Chesnutt. Il furore di
Protein Drink e Sewing Machine ricorda Neil Young e i Crazy Horses.
About To Choke (Capitol, 1996), in un certo senso, è un disco incerto, un ritorno alle origini (Ladle, Degenerate) tendente a un futuro più musicale (Little Vacation) e politico
(New Time).
Un'imminente crisi di stile limita il potere emozionale di ogni parola che pronuncia.
Chesnutt lascia alle spalle il suo gotico sudista per
The Salesman & Bernadette (Capricorn, 1998), finora il suo album più ottimista e, purtroppo, anche il più pedante
(a volte, sembra che Chesnutt stia soprattutto deridendo la musica sudista).
La funerea Duty Free e la romantica Maiden sono tipiche di
Chesnutt, ma in Replenished e Until The Led risuonano il rhythm and blues di New Orleans e il soul di Memphis. Gli arrangiamenti dei Lambchop
sono più o meno una benedizione, poiché sminuiscono la quintessenza
delle atmosfere di Chesnutt (agrodolce, umoristico, populista) ma
migliorano l'esperienza sonica.
Merriment (Backburner, 2000) è un lavoro più umile dei suoi
precedenti album, una raccolta di vignette nostalgiche la cui musica è
stata composta dal duo formato da Kelly e Nikki Keneipp
(Sunny Pasture, A Feather At A Wall).
Il contributo di Chesnutt è limitato ai testi.
Left To His Own Devices (SpinArt, 2001), una raccolta di demo e
rarità, prova, tuttavia, che Chesnutt è un pessimo arrangiatore di se
stesso. Qui suona tutto da solo e i risultati migliori sono orribili.
Garantiti, questi sono scarti difficilmente comparabili con il
repertorio classico di Chesnutt, che sembra intento a distruggere il
proprio mito.
Un Vic Chesnutt più serio e austero si affacciò su
Silver Lake (New West, 2003), che è anche uno dei suoi sforzi più orientati alla band. Almeno i pensosi e complessi sette minuti di I'm Through e gli otto di Sultan So Mighty sono notevoli aggiunte al suo canone, mentre 2nd Floor e Wren's Nest figurano tra le sue migliori imitazioni di
Neil Young, e Fa-La-La e Band Camp si collocano con le migliori vignette folk-rock di The Salesman & Bernadette.
Ghetto Bells (New West, 2005), con
VanDyke Parks alla fisarmonica e
Bill Frisell alla chitarra,
non aveva il suono invigorente del suo predecessore.
Ma suonava come un auto-esame molto personale, sebbene tratti per lo più temi "esterni".
Vesuvius, Rambunctious Cloud, Gnats,
Virginia e la lunga Forthright
sembrano eseguite in preda a una depressione maniacale.
|
