Michael Doherty's Music Log: Michelle Malone: “1977” (2022) CD Review

When I think 1977, I think Star Wars, seeing it being one of my earliest memories. I also think of the debut release from Talking Heads. For Michelle Malone, 1977 has a more personal and important connotation. It was the year she started playing guitar, the year she started becoming the person she is. Her new album’s title 1977 also gives an idea of the style of the music that is presented on these tracks. It is different from a lot of what we’ve heard from this vocal powerhouse, but clearly this artist can do anything she sets out to do, for this is an excellent album. The title also hints at how on this album she is looking to the past to help sort out the present, looking at the road that got here to this point. I think most of us can relate to that, particularly in these days of the pandemic, when priorities have been reevaluated and choices reexamined. The album features original material, written or co-written by Michelle Malone. Joining her on this release are Doug Kees on guitar, Gerry Hansen on drums and percussion, Trish Land on percussion, Matt Stallard on bass, and Neal Wauchope on keys, with some special guests on certain tracks. By the way, even the album’s length – 39:44 – takes us back to the 1970s.

Speaking of the past, the album opens with a song titled “Not Who I Used To Be.” That title seems inherently sad to me, but of course if you were a jerk in the past, this could be a very positive thing. The music here has a mellow, somewhat relaxed vibe, calling to mind some of Neil Young’s 1970s output. Michelle Malone’s vocals are somewhat restrained, and beautiful. “I wonder if you’d know me now/I barely recognize myself/Sometimes I catch the reflection/Of somebody else.” But where the sound most reminds us of the 1970s is on the title line, particularly in the “Ooh” that begins the line. “I’m talking in my sleep/In a language I don’t speak.” “Not Who I Used To Be” was written by Michelle Malone and Eliot Bronson, with Bronson joining her on vocals. The 1970s vibes continue on “Know My Name,” which has sort of a soft rock sound. Interestingly, the woman of this song has more of a punk look (tattoos and pink hair), in contrast to the sweet sound of Michelle’s vocal approach. But of course that works, as she refers to her look as a “disguise.” And check out these lines: “I want to dance with you in Spain/But you don’t, no you don’t want to know my name/I want to kiss you like the war is over/I want to carry you away/But you don’t, no you don’t want to know my name.” Another line that stands out for me is “You’re so special, wish I was special too.”

“Even The Queen” is a sweet pop song that feels like summer to me, particularly that rhythm. “Broken promises and broken hearts/You make the best of it, you play your cards/Work until you get to quit this scene/Even the queen has dreams.” This is a delightful song, written by Michelle Malone and Eliot Bronson. As on “Not Who I Used To Be,” Eliot Bronson joins her again on vocals. Then Amy Ray (of Indigo Girls) joins Michelle Malone on vocals for “River Song.” This one has a wonderful folk vibe, and features some excellent, catchy work on guitar in addition the outstanding vocals. That’s followed by “Bodyguard.” Perhaps it’s because I live in Los Angeles these days, but this song’s opening lines make me smile: “She says she wants to go to California/That’s where all the beautiful people are/They’re drinking martinis and taking business meetings/On Hollywood Boulevard.” But my favorite lines are “I feel like the sky might swallow me alive/No one would even care.” This song features a smooth vocal performance and a good folk-pop sound.

One of my personal favorites on this album is “Dust Bowl Man” a strong, character-driven song, with a haunting atmosphere. “And the preacher says that it’s part of the plan/I was born to be a dust bowl man/This is not the life I chose/I can feel my daddy’s ghost/Sitting on the front porch with a gun.” This one was written by Michelle Malone and Carol Price, and it features some powerful work on electric guitar, particularly at the end. That’s followed by another portrait, this time of a “Buck Knife Man,” told from the perspective of the man’s daughter. “He worked at the plant for forty years/He said, ‘I don’t like it, but I do the best I can’/Oh, don’t the clock keep ticking.” Michelle Malone delivers a passionate vocal performance. Another highlight is “Powder Keg,” an intriguing and powerful number that features what might be the album’s best vocal performance. “Wake up, wake up, wake up/Before it’s too late,” she sings here, and there is something about her delivery of those lines, the way on each repetition of the phrase “Wake up,” her voice gets lower rather than more forceful, that is interesting. And listen to the way she delivers the lines “I’m troubled and tired of all of the lies/I try to decipher, I’m losing my mind.” Near the ends, she repeats “Wake up, wake up, wake up,” building in intensity and energy. This track is just fantastic. Kevn Kinney joins her on vocals on this one.

Michelle Malone delivers some good work on harmonica at the beginning of “Georgia Made,” a song with a sweet vibe. The song is a tribute to her grandfather. “He went off to fight in the great war/In Germany and France and Italy/He said Paris is nice, but I missed the swaying pines/Georgia clay must run in my bloodstream.” There is more nice work on harmonica at the end. The album then concludes with “Daggers,” which has a soft 1970s sound, yet is compelling. Check out these lyrics: “You were contagious/I was contaminated/Like the other lovers who got tangled up in your chains/You were my addiction/I needed to be needed/I sacrificed myself upon the daggers in your eyes.”

CD Track List