Pete McCabe: “Mister Right” (2022) CD Review

Pete McCabe is a singer and songwriter based in the Los Angeles area. He put out his first album back in 1973, and then in more recent years has been releasing several new recordings of original material. His latest is titled Mister Right. As with 2019’s Head Tones and 2020’s Many Storyed, this new release is largely a solo effort, with Pete McCabe providing most of the vocal work and playing the majority of the instruments. He does, however, get some help from a few guests on various tracks. He also wrote or co-wrote all of the songs.

The album opens with its title track, “Mister Right,” the only track of this album to have a co-writer. Pete McCabe wrote this one with Alfred Johnson.  Interestingly, it opens with horns, then settles into an easygoing groove, with something of a 1970s pop vibe. “I feel lucky tonight/With my hair and my wardrobe so nice and tight/Still, I’m distressed/Will she be impressed?” There is something light and playful about this song, about its subject, hoping to be chosen as Mister Right. It is a contest, likened to a dog show. “I never win/Sink, never swim/Chances are slim.” Yet he is still optimistic, saying, “But I swear I could be Mister Right.” Grant Geissman plays electric guitar on this one, delivering some nice work, particularly toward the end. Then Richard Barron joins Pete McCabe on accordion on “Tryin’ Not To Dream,” a title that strikes me as terribly sad. And the main line is “I’ll be tryin’ not to dream about you,” which is also sad. This is a mellower, pretty song told from the perspective of a man who is filled with longing and wishes to hold onto the past. Check out these lines: “With beauty all around me/You’d think I’d feel at ease/While you’re out there in city lights/I’m lost in the shadows of the trees/I’ve been counting up mistakes I made/This aching in my heart is the price I paid.” By the way, Richard Barron also co-produced most of this album’s tracks, and mastered the album.

The mood lightens for “The Drawers Song,” a song about how divided space within a couple’s bedroom is now being invaded by his partner.  He finds himself having to defend his choices to her as she questions his need for certain items contained within that space. And so in this song he lists some of those things, such as eight-track tapes and greeting cards, which of course seem silly, even as he tells us, “All that stuff I crammed in there has got a special meaning/Don’t throw it all away to satisfy your need for cleaning.” But of course when cleaning, it is easier to start with other people’s stuff. It’s always easier to see what someone else should toss. The playful line here is: “But, men, don’t ever let your woman get into your drawers.” Interestingly, the song’s final line, its final thought, is, “My best advice is try to understand what’s in her head.” It’s a rather surprising line. That’s followed by “Love Lives Matter,” a song to remind folks to pay attention to their love lives, regardless of their age. After all, what else is there? Arthur Seltzer joins Pete McCabe on vocals on this one, and John Thomas delivers some pretty work on piano. “When you’re chasing a buck/You’re pushing your luck/If you think that’s a shortcut to pleasure/Your time’s better spent on finding a love you can treasure forever.”

In “The Fly In The Ointment,” Pete McCabe describes a woman who has apparently caused him a good deal pain, referring to her as “the rock in my shoe.” And she “left a bruise that I still feel.” But of course he still loves her. And who can say what is the right course of action for another person? Should he let her go? Can he? That’s followed by “The Running Girl.” There is a certain humor to this one, a song about a man who loses himself while watching a pretty woman jogging. “When I see her running down the sidewalk/In her designer shoes and shorts/I fantasize that she will stop to talk/And I’ll mention my high school year in sports.” That last line made me laugh the first time I listened to this song, but of course there is also something sad about that line, and about this song. How quickly it all goes. Our youth, all that potential we were told we had, it all just goes. And even this moment of reverie is fleeting. “The magic only lasts so long/Then I realize the running girl is gone.”

“Quarantine Tune” is an instrumental track. It has an introspective sense about it, but also is hopeful, and even cheerful. While a lot of things seem to be back to normal, the pandemic is not over. In fact, after two and a half years of taking all the suggested precautions and getting four shots, I tested positive this past week and was having my own personal additional quarantine time while listening to this disc. So of course I’ve projected my own experiences and thoughts onto this piece of music. Richard Barron adds some beautiful work on flute here. The album then concludes with “Anti-Obsession Man.” In this one, Pete McCabe sings, “In this hurried, hectic nation/A growing population/Is worried and distressed.” Ah yes, worry and distress have been on the menu for several years now. And when everything was shut down due to the pandemic, many of us became even more obsessed with the news. After all, there were new things to worry about. This song creates a character who might be able to save people from obsessions and keep them from depression. Clearly, such a person would be a hero. Arthur Seltzer and Momo McKellop provide some vocals on this one, while Harry Orlove is on electric guitar and John Thomas delivers some cool work on organ.

CD Track List

1. Mister Right
2. Tryin’ Not To Dream
3. The Drawers Song
4. Love Lives Matter
5. The Fly In My Ointment
6. The Running Girl
7. Quarantine Tune
8. Anti-Obsession Man

Mister Right was released on July 4, 2022 on Man8Plant Records.