Dave Rudolf: “Sit Down, Take A Number” (2022) CD Review

Some folks really took advantage of the extra time they found themselves with during part of the pandemic. Singer and songwriter Dave Rudolf, for example, recorded four albums. Though, really, while that might be a serious feat for a normal person, it seems to be about on par for Dave Rudolf regarding output. After all, this is a guy who has released more than forty albums during his career. What’s really remarkable about that, however, is that the music is consistently good, even as he journeys into different musical realms, trying new things. His latest release (though how can I be certain he hasn’t released another album while I’ve been typing this?) is Sit Down, Take A Number, and it features all original material. That’s right, this artist didn’t just record four new albums of covers, but wrote a whole lot of new material. And this disc contains an hour of music. How does he do it? Clearly he has made some sort of pact with a powerful demon. Well, good for him! And good for us too! Dave Rudolf provides lead and backing vocals, and plays acoustic guitar, electric guitar, and percussion on this album. Joining him on this release are Dan Peters on guitar, Jim Widlowski on drums and percussion, Thomas Linsk on keyboards and organ, John Chorney on keyboards and organ, Jack Whittle on guitar, Wally Hustin on bass, Gary Victorine on pedal steel, Harry Garner on harmonica, Al Joseph on violin, Michael Hesiak on saxophone, Tim Bales on trumpet, and Lauren Dukes on backing vocals.

This album opens with a cool, soulful number titled “Slow Burn.”  In this sweet song, he sings “Everything I ever wanted is here/You’re in my arms, I know my future is clear.” Oh yes, even when everything else falls apart, it’s somehow okay as long as we’re with that special person. And sometimes we have to marvel at our good fortune. “I can’t believe that your heart’s next to mine.” This track features some good work on sax. That’s followed by “The Other Side,” which features some great, jazzy guitar work at the beginning, and again during that wonderful instrumental section in the middle. In addition to that phenomenal work on guitar, this track includes some really nice stuff on keys. For this track, Dave Rudolf’s vocals have a smoother quality. “Do we ever know another story?/Do we ever glimpse the other side of life?”

“Sit Down, Take A Number,” the album’s title track, is a total delight, with a delicious old-time jazz sound, a sound that instantly raises one’s spirits, even before that horn comes in. “I know I’m not perfect,” Dave Rudolf sings at one point in this song, but this track seems as close to perfect as something can get. I love those backing vocals. “Sit down, take a number if you’ve got a complaint/Sit down, get in line, ‘cause you know I’m no saint.” There is also some wonderful work on both keys and violin. The pandemic has certainly made a lot of us want to escape to another time, and this track will aid you in your flight. It is then followed by “Second Best,” which has a sweet, friendly, intimate sound. There is a gentle beauty to this love song, and though there is humor to his declaration, he is in earnest as he sings, “I’m not your Prince Charming/I’m not the man of your sweet dreams/I’m not the first you would request/But I will be your second best.” Something about this song got right to me. I love the honesty of it, the heartfelt and true feel of it. Dave Rudolf then totally changes gears with a rocking number, “Rock Until You Drop.” This one has a straight ahead rock sound and energy.

“Choices” has a friendly, positive sound, and features some nice work on pedal steel. Here is a taste of the lyrics: “They’re filling up your ears/With their judgments and fears/No matter what it takes/The choice is yours to make.” A good message to keep in mind, eh? Then “Mind Your Manners” has a heavy blues vibe, featuring some strong work on harmonica. “Seems these days in these times of troubles/There are folks who have lost their way/Listen to the snake oil salesmen/Believe in lies put on display.” Oh yes, this is a song for these crazy times. I foolishly thought these times would be on their way out once that previous resident of the White House was on his way out. But so many people are still eagerly purchasing the snake oil and swallowing the lies. That’s followed by “Time To Leave,” which has a lighter feel, more in the pop realm. It describes the end of a relationship, one that hasn’t been particularly volatile or harsh, one that doesn’t end with relief. After all, these people still seem friendly and loving toward one another. Sometimes things just end. “We know that we love each other/But something is wrong/How can the fire burn out/When it raged so strong/It’s not a single moment or a word spoken in spite/It’s just we don’t feel we need to keep up the fight.” There is something sweet, but also terribly sad, in this line: “I will never regret the time spent here in your arms.”

“Stepping Up In Class” is a number in which he brags about his girl. All in good fun, of course. He suspects others are jealous and that they wonder just how he ended up dating such a beautiful woman. He surmises they are thinking things like “What kind of potion did I put in her drink” and “There must be something wrong with her mind.” And these lines make me think of my relationship: “She’s like a goddess, a girl of your dreams/I make her happy, as absurd as it seems.” This track contains some really nice touches on horns. That’s followed by “Spend Some Time Together.” When the Rolling Stones performed “Let’s Spend The Night Together” on Ed Sullivan’s television program in 1967, they were asked to censor the suggestive title line, and they, sadly, agreed, with Mick singing “Let’s spend some time together.” Ridiculous. Well, Dave Rudolf’s “Spend Some Time Together” is a lighthearted and sweet number about taking some time to appreciate their relationship and not getting caught up in whatever troubles are bothering the world. “Let’s let the world drift by us/For just a little while/All of my troubles seem small/Whenever you start to smile.” “So Long” is another lively number, featuring some delicious work on keys and harmonica.

That cool saxophone part sets the tone at the beginning of “Something New,” promising good things to come. That instrument has a classic vibe here, and helps to keep things hopping. “It’s such a hard year, the work and the stress/And her personal life is in such a mess/She needs to leave her troubles far behind.” Yeah, I think we can all relate to those lyrics. On this track, he also delivers this line: “It’s long overdue, this night on the town.” That is certainly a line from the pandemic. It’s still weird going out, isn’t it? Last week I went to a bar for the first time in more than two and a half years, and it was strange. It took a bit of time for me to relax, and catching live music at a bar is something that I usually did in order to relax. That is how topsy-turvy things have become. Then “Step Aside” has a bluesy rock sound.

“It Could Be Worse” is another song that speaks to us in these strange times. The title line is something my girlfriend has been saying a lot lately, a necessary reminder to not get too upset about current troubles and problems. She often adds that other people have it worse. Of course, saying “It could be worse” is not saying things are good, just that they’re not as bad as they could be. Sometimes that’s the best we can hope for, I suppose. But this song has a brighter sound and feel than that. “If you look for the darkness, you will miss all the light/And your dreams will never take sail.” These lines also stand out for me: “This universe/It is not perverse/It’s not a curse/It could be worse/So much worse.” That’s followed by the last of the album’s original numbers, “In The Wind.”  “Just give in, enjoy the ride/And hope your sanity survives.” The album then concludes with its only cover, a pretty and heartfelt rendition of “The Water Is Wide,” featuring a good vocal performance, as well as some nice work on both keys and violin.

CD Track List

1. Slow Burn
2. The Other Side
3. Sit Down, Take A Number
4. Second Best
5. Rock Until You Drop
6. Choices
7. Mind Your Manners
8. Time To Leave
9. Stepping Up In Class
10. Spend Some Time Together
11. So Long
12. Something New
13. Step Aside
14. It Could Be Worse
15. In The Wind
16. The Water Is Wide

Sit Down, Take A Number was released on May 3, 2022.