David Ruffin: “David Ruffin/Me ‘N Rock ‘N Roll Are Here To Stay” (2014) CD Review

While David Ruffin is most well-known for his work with The Temptations, he also had a good career as a solo artist. Two of his albums – David Rufffin and Me ‘N Rock ‘N Roll Are Here To Stay – from 1973 and 1974 respectively, have now been released on a single CD, with new liner notes by Gene Sculatti.

Bobby Miller wrote the majority of tracks for the first of these two records, and produced that album as well. Some of the tracks have the feel of David Ruffin’s earlier work, and some have a definite 1970s feel, such as “I Miss You (Part 1),” which, by the way, features another Temptation, Eddie Kendricks. The second album was produced by Norman Whitfield.

“The Rovin’ Kind”

David Ruffin kicks off with “The Rovin’ Kind,” which opens with the sound effect of a motorcycle driving off. That sound effect is pointless, but the song itself is quite good. It has a light, fun, breezy vibe. This one is driven by the music as much as by David Ruffin’s vocals. It was written by Bobby Miller.

“Common Man,” also written by Bobby Miller, has a slower groove, and the focus is back on David’s vocals.

“I’m Just A Mortal Man”

Things start to pick up for me with “I’m Just A Mortal Man,” with its good rhythm and really nice vocal performance by David. Sometimes he sounds so smooth on this track, but also delivers those great screams of his. “And I thought just how helpless I really am/My hair is turning grey/I’ve got a new wrinkle every day/Guess I’m just a mortal man/Let me tell you all about it.”

“Blood Donors Needed (Give All You Can)”

Things get a bit funky with “Blood Donors Needed (Give All You Can).” This has such a good feel and a wonderful groove, along with serious lyrics about violence in the streets. “A shotgun blast was heard from the ghetto/Guess what/Just took the life of a boy of sixteen.” This is one of my favorite tracks, and features some cool work on guitar during an excellent instrumental section, as well as some impassioned vocals from David Ruffin.

Approximately five minutes in, there is a little break that’s not needed. The song fades out, and a child’s music box is heard briefly. The song then returns to the jam, which then soon fades out. “Blood Donors Needed (Give All You Can)” was released as a single.

“Go On With Your Bad Self” has a lot of energy, with a good groove, and some nice touches on horns. This song was included as the flip side to the “Blood Donors Needed” single.

“A Day In The Life, Of A Working Man”

The first album ends with “A Day In The Life, Of A Working Man,” which was co-written by David Ruffin (along with Bobby Miller). The unnecessary comma in the song’s title makes me think of The Beatles song, as it separates that part from the rest of the title, though this song sounds nothing like “A Day In The Life.”

“I Saw You When You Met Her”

The second album opens with an oddity. “I Saw You When You Met Her” begins with electronic sounds and then sound effects of wind and rain. I always hate rain sound effects in songs. It gets a little more interesting as it approaches the two-minute mark, though the rain and wind sound effects persist even after David’s vocals begin, which is seriously annoying. David’s great, powerful delivery of lines like “Let the four winds blow” isn’t enough to make me like this track.

“Smiling Faces Sometimes”

“Smiling Faces Sometimes” begins with a spoken word introduction about why he chose to record this song: “This song tells it just like it is. The message is simply that it’s just about an impossible task to figure out which of your friends’ smile is a mask. Dig it.” He delivers a good, slow, thoughtful rendition. It was written by Norman Whitfield and Barrett Strong, and was a hit for Undisputed Truth in 1971. Interestingly, it was also recorded by The Temptations and included on their 1971 record, Sky’s The Limit.

“Me ‘N Rock ‘N Roll Are Here To Stay”

The title of this record, Me ‘N Rock ‘N Roll Are Here To Stay, contains grammatical errors. If “‘N” is intended to mean “And,” there needs to be an apostrophe after the “n” as well as before it. This is a common mistake, but it always puts me off. That being said, the title track has a great energy, and bursts open with full force. This one got me dancing.

“Superstar (Remember How You Got Where You Are)”

David Ruffin covers The Temptations’ “Superstar (Remember How You Got Where You Are),” an interesting choice (though technically “Smiling Faces Sometimes” was also a Temptations cover). This has the sounds of being a live track, but it feels more like the audience noise is a sound effect, and it’s distracting. He does say, “Thank you, ladies and gentlemen” at one point near the end, so who knows?

Rare Earth’s “I Just Want To Celebrate”

The album ends with a cover of Rare Earth’s “I Just Want To Celebrate.” Again, there is the sound of an audience, and again it seems fake, not like an actual live track. It’s incredibly irritating. Even if it were a live track, you’d want the audience noise taken down in the mix. The audience sound seems more prominent than David's vocals, and it's constant, not like it's reacting to anything that's happening musically. And the audience noise is the last thing you hear on the album, after the song fades out.

CD Track List

1. The Rovin’ Kind
2. Common Man
3. I’m Just A Mortal Man
4. (If Loving You Is Wrong) I Don’t Want To Be Right
5. There Will Always Be Another Song To Sing
6. I Miss You (Part 1)
7. Blood Donors Needed (Give All You Can)
8. A Little More Trust
9. Go On With Your Bad Self
10. A Day In The Life, Of A Working Man
11. I Saw You When You Met Her
12. Take Me Clear From Here
13. Smiling Faces Sometimes
14. Me ‘N Rock ‘N Roll Are Here To Stay
15. Superstar (Remember How You Got Where You Are)
16. No Matter Where
17. City Stars
18. I Just Want To Celebrate

David Ruffin/Me ‘N Rock ‘N Roll Are Here To Stay was released on March 4, 2014 through Real Gone Music. Released on that same date was My Whole World Ended/Feelin' Good (David Ruffin's first two solo albums on a single CD).

David Ruffin: “My Whole World Ended/Feelin’ Good” (2014) CD Review

I don’t think I’ve ever met anyone who didn’t like The Temptations. I’ve met people who told me they don’t like The Beatles (something I can’t understand), but never The Temptations. David Ruffin provided lead vocals on many of that band’s biggest hits and most loved tunes, such as “My Girl,” “Ain’t Too Proud To Beg” and “I Wish It Would Rain.” But by mid-1968, he was out of the band and soon pursuing a solo career. (He would later rejoin The Temptations, and then leave them again.) His first two solo albums, My Whole World Ended and Feelin’ Good (both originally released in 1969), have now been released on a single CD.

There is so much heartache in these songs, so many troubles, and David Ruffin has the perfect voice to express them. The opening line of “I’ve Got To Find Myself A Brand New Baby” is “The love I thought would never die came to a certain end.” And that is typical of the lyrics found on these tracks. Yet, this is far from a depressing CD. It’s like David Ruffin suffers so we don’t have to. These two albums actually have a lot of positive vibes (check out "I Could Never Be President"). And in a song like “My Love Is Growing Stronger,” things actually seem to going well. “Each time I hold you close, it seems to make me strong.”

“My Whole World Ended (The Moment You Left Me)”

The CD kicks off with the title track of the first album, “My Whole World Ended,” which was released first as a single. The song was a hit, reaching #31 on the pop chart, and #1 on the R&B chart. It’s an excellent tune, with a good groove and a powerful, soulful vocal performance by David Ruffin. He sings, “Tell me, baby/Where did I go wrong, honey/Whatever changed your mind, baby/I’ve asked myself these questions over a million times/Baby, baby, oh baby.” That “Baby, baby, oh baby” alone is enough to grab you. The heartache is there in every line, every syllable, though the song is not a downer. You can dance to his pain.

His vocals have even a rougher quality on “Pieces Of A Man.” And though this is another song about a man torn apart, it too has a good energy. Listening to these tracks, you get to thinking if anyone can internalize pain and then exorcise it by singing it out, then David Ruffin can do it. Again he asks, “What did I do wrong, baby?”

“I’ve Lost Everything I’ve Ever Loved”

“I’ve Lost Everything I’ve Ever Loved” tells a story of woe, opening with these lines: “I was raised an only child/My folks died when I was four/They were trapped in a fire/Way up on the fourteenth floor.” So he was raised by his grandmother, but then she died too. And the troubles continued. Now he has a love, and is worried about losing her too over the course of the song. “I’ve Lost Everything I’ve Ever Loved” was written by John Bristol and Thomas Kemp.

“The Double Cross”

In “The Double Cross,” it’s a friend who does him wrong. “About the sweet, sweet love I lost/And the way I got double-crossed/By a guy who was my friend/I see him now and then/But I pretend I’m doing fine/When I’m about to lose my mind.” David Ruffin does some surprising things in his vocal approach to this one. It’s like sometimes it gets to be too much and he just can’t take it and so has to shout out his pain. It’s a seriously good song.

“Message From Maria”

“Message From Maria” is one of my favorites.  I love the way David’s lead vocals play over the backing vocals on the chorus, giving this song a wonderful feel. This one tells of receiving a suicide letter from his girl. “By the time you get this letter I may be gone/That’s what she said.” He sees where her tears hit the paper and realizes, “I’ll never see my Maria again.” There’s a great section toward the end where the bass line is more prominent.

David has lost his girl again in “World Of Darkness.” This is another favorite of mine. There are some excellent backing vocals giving it sort of a gospel feel, and an odd little instrumental hook that occurs occasionally throughout the song.

“Loving You (Is Hurting Me)”

The second album, Feelin’ Good, opens with “Loving You (Is Hurting Me).” In this one, love itself is hurting him, as he can’t stop loving a woman even after she’s gone.  “My heart says, You can’t live without her/But my mind says that’s not true.” Ah yes, sometimes love can be painful, and it’s difficult to align your heart with your mind.

“I’m So Glad I Fell For You”

My favorite song on this CD is “I’m So Glad I Fell For You.” It’s gorgeous, and features an excellent vocal performance by David Ruffin, full of emotion. “Yesterday my life was filled with sadness/I had little hope of ever, ever finding gladness.” This is a slower tune, with beautiful backing vocals supporting David. The heartbreak seems behind him – “I found sunshine, yes I did” – and the song expresses heartfelt thanks to the woman who turned things around for him. This is such a great tune. It was written by Arthur Posey and Glenna Session.

David Ruffin does a really good cover of “Feeling Alright,” which was written by Dave Mason and made popular by Joe Cocker. David seems to be having quite a bit of fun with this one.

CD Track List

1. My Whole World Ended (The Moment You Left Me)
2. Pieces Of A Man
3. Somebody Stole My Dream
4. I’ve Lost Everything I’ve Ever Loved
5. Everlasting Love
6. I’ve Got To Find Myself A Brand New Baby
7. The Double Cross
8. Message From Maria
9. World Of Darkness
10. We’ll Have A Good Thing Going On
11. My Love Is Growing Stronger
12. Flower Child
13. Loving You (Is Hurting Me)
14. Put A Little Love In Your Heart
15. I’m So Glad I Fell For You
16. Feeling Alright
17. I Could Never Be President
18. I Pray Everyday You Won’t Regret Leaving Me
19. What You Gave Me
20. One More Hurt
21. I Let Love Slip Away
22. I Don’t Know Why I Love You
23. The Forgotten Man
24. The Letter

My Whole World Ended/Feelin’ Good was released on March 4, 2014 through Real Gone Music.

Record Store Day, 2014

I've decided that poverty actually kind of sucks. It might have been okay when I was in my twenties. But it's fucking awful when I'm in my forties on Record Store Day and can't buy The Pogues live double LP. But I did get the Grateful Dead live double LP, and that was the most important thing today. I need to replace my turntable, but at least I have this record for when I do. The album features a good portion of a concert from 1979, Brent Mydland's third show with the band.

Freakbeat Records opens at 11 a.m. Parking can be tricky in that area because a lot of it is two-hour parking, and I knew I'd be there longer. But I found a space on Moorpark, not too far from the store. I got in line around 8:15 a.m., and was farther back than usual. The guy who got in line behind me had a young daughter who was getting antsy within moments of arriving. Then she started playing a video game. If you know me at all, you know that the sound of a video game is something certain to throw me into a desperate, murderous rage. So I said, "Sweetie, can you put that on silent mode?" And her father was nice enough to silence the game. But that led to her saying repeatedly, "Can't hear." How was this girl going to last two and a half hours? Well, she didn't. Once I told the guy that the store didn't open until 11, he took his daughter and left.

The rest of the time flew by. The guy who took the father's spot behind me in line was a Grateful Dead fan who had seen something like eighty shows, including shows in 1974 when the band had the Wall of Sound. So the conversation was good. And other than that, it was pretty quiet. So I was actually able to read a book.

I had planned on just buying the Grateful Dead record and the Ronnie Spector & The E Street Band 7-inch. But as I got closer, I started thinking seriously about getting The Pogues. And about Bruce Springsteen. And about the David Hess picture disc. As you walk in to the store, you have to hand over your wish list. So I put all five items on it, and decided to see what fate would deliver me. As it turned out, they had everything except the Ronnie Spector record. I was surprised they still had copies of the David Hess picture disc. I had read it was limited to 950 copies worldwide. Each is numbered, and it turns out there 1,500. But still, that's a small number. So I ended up buying that and not The Pogues.

But yes, I am already wishing I had bought The Pogues too. And the hell with my bills. Next year I will have money. Next year.

By the way, as far as goodies included with my purchase, this year there was just one record and one compilation CD. The rest were various postcards and stickers, advertising upcoming releases. For some reason they included a Justin Bieber sticker. It says "Believe" across it. Oh boy. I've never heard anything by Justin Bieber, but I am guessing the only person who might be interested in this sticker was the little girl with the video game.

Ellis Paul at Thousand Oaks Library 4-18-14 Concert Review

Ellis Paul performs "Hurricane Angel"

Seeing Ellis Paul in concert always makes seriously happy. He’s such a great songwriter, but also a wonderful storyteller and performer. And he was definitely in storyteller mode at the Thousand Oaks Library, in Thousand Oaks, California. From a look at the set list, it might seem like a short show, but it wasn’t. He told several stories throughout the performance, including the reason for the tape over a large section of his guitar (after it was cracked by some criminal handling by the airline).

He opened the show with the title track from his upcoming CD release, Chasing Beauty. He followed it with “Rose Tattoo,” from The Day After Everything Changed. After playing the always-appreciated “Maria’s Beautiful Mess” (I could listen to that song all day), he talked about how his rental car had all sorts of gadgetry yet no CD player. That led to a bit on the changing record industry, and how we’re losing physical touch with the albums due to downloads and so on, and while he talked he put a record on the small turntable he’d brought (The Beatles' “White Album”).  Of course, that got me even more excited for Record Store Day. And guess what? He’s going to be pressing his upcoming album on vinyl, as well as having a CD release. Very cool.  I definitely have to get a copy of that on vinyl, and I definitely have to get my turntable fixed (or replaced).

I’m always happy to hear new material from Ellis Paul, and at this show he played a couple of newer ones to finish off the first set – “Hold Me, Scold Me” and “I Never Want To Lose You.” Both are really good, but I particularly love “I Never Want To Lose You,” partly because of the line “one-man clown car.” What a great image. His guitar accidentally came unplugged during that song, so he finished it unmiked, stepping off the stage down to the audience.

The second set began with an improvised tune with Ellis at the piano. Called “Danielle’s Song,” it was sung for a woman who is having Ellis play at her birthday party this summer. "Oh Danielle, Danielle/You're probably wondering what the hell/I'm here to sing a song, to say/I am playing your birthday party, somewhere in New Hampshire."  He followed that with the wonderful “Jukebox On My Grave,” another that I am always happy to hear. “Alice’s Champagne Palace” is another fan-favorite. But I was especially happy to hear Ellis play Joni Mitchell’s “The Circle Game.” I love that song, though it always makes me a little sad. Ellis introduced it by saying, "It's like the best song ever written about growing up." I agree. An audience member requested “3,000 Miles,” and Ellis finished the second set with that song, playing it unmiked and in front of the stage.

The encore was a sweet rendition of “If I Had A Hammer,” done on piano. And he told a couple of Pete Seeger anecdotes.

Ellis Paul 4-18-14 Set List

Set I

1. Chasing Beauty
2. Rose Tattoo
3. Maria’s Beautiful Mess
4. Kick Out The Lights
5. Hurricane Angel
6. Hold Me, Scold Me
7. I Never Want To Lose You 

Set II

1. Danielle’s Song
2. Jukebox On My Grave
3. Alice’s Champagne Palace
4. The Circle Game
5. 3,000 Miles 

Encore

1. If I Had A Hammer

The next stop on Ellis Paul's tour is Santa Barbara on April 19th.

Ellis Paul performing "I Never Want To Lose You"

During the set break, The White Album plays

Ellis Paul performing "Alice's Champagne Palace"

Patrolled By Radar: “Cool Your Jets” (2014) CD Review

Patrolled By Radar is one of the best Los Angeles bands going these days. They sound like the greatest bar band ever, except that they also write damned good lyrics. They mix rock, folk and country elements, and on their new release, Cool Your Jets, dip a bit into pop on certain tracks.

One thing I love about this band is its sense of humor. It’s kind of dry, and it’s often there at the heart of songs rather than as silliness on the surface. It’s inherent in the perspective. Lead singer Jay Souza’s voice has this delightful weariness which works well against the inherent comedy in many of their songs, in lines like “I live above a dry cleaner to the stars” in “Grain Of Sand,” which for me adds to the humor.

All but one of the songs on Cool Your Jets are originals, written by Jay Souza.

"Died With Money"

The album’s opening track, “Died With Money,” is told from the perspective of a person who died with money. It’s a mid-tempo rock tune, and is wonderfully absurd, especially as it’s sung with a sort of weary pride. Even after death, he’s not quite prepared to admit to anything wrong in his goals and approach to life, but there is something in the vocal delivery which betrays him. “I never felt the need to get along/I may now be in flames/But I died with money.” There’s a short instrumental section that has elements of a ‘60s pop song (this section repeats just before the end).

“Grain Of Sand” features the lines, “I make plenty of green/at the village idiot bar/I live above a dry cleaner/to the stars.” That line makes me laugh every time, but it is far from this song’s only humorous lyric. These are the song’s opening lines: “Mental illness doesn't run in your family/It crawls quietly.” This one has something of a delightful pop vibe.

"Rally"

“Rally” is a song that gets in my head a lot. I saw them perform it in concert, and it pops in my head often enough that I was under the impression that it had been included on an earlier release (it wasn’t). The lines that I absolutely love are these: “It’s not the end of the world/It’s just the end of the day.” Sometimes we need a reminder, eh? I love this song.

“Lost Cause” opens with a spoken word intro, as by an old-time DJ at a dance hall or on the radio: “And now, friends, here’s an old favorite melody...” Then surprisingly this one has more of a raw and energetic rock vibe. This is a song that demands to be turned up. This song also provides the CD with its title in its opening lines: “Keep your shirt on/Cool your jets/You've been running fast enough/Ain't seen nothing yet.” And I totally dig these lines: “Anybody can sing/Sing a hallelujah.”

“El Norte” begins with a softer, acoustic instrumental section, and has kind of a sweet, pretty vibe. And lines like: “You know the pure will kill you if you stay/Send us money from the U.S.A./Take your broken heart to El Norte.” It then slowly builds into a kind of wonderful rock tune. “I miss you mama/You told me I should go.” Part of it is sung in Spanish.

"Hate Talkin'"

“Hate Talkin’” is a song you might already be familiar with. A video for this song was released last year, featuring the band at Cinema Bar, an incredibly small bar in Culver City that is actually a great place to catch live music. “Hate Talkin’” is a catchy country rock tune that will get you smiling. It starts as a series of insults which are funny, but where the song really grabs me is when Jay sings, “But wait I'm not through/I really hate talkin’ to you.” Those lines are so great, because clearly the person being insulted is walking away, ending the conversation, and the singer calls him back just to tell him he’s not enjoying the conversation. It’s wonderful. I also like these lines: “If you should reproduce/It would be child abuse/I say spare us your offspring.” And: “I wish you the worst.” The backing vocals echoing the title are a nice touch. 

"Do You Know A Love Song"

“Do You Know A Love Song” is my favorite track, and not just because of the addition of accordion (that’s Jason Eoff on accordion). This is just an overall very cool tune. I love the vibe. Plus, there are some wonderful backing vocals by Annette Summersett (she had also joined the band on Be Happy). Here is a taste of the lyrics: “Don't say you weren't cryin’/You know I could hear you/On the last day of summer/I want to be near you/This world's changing form/How will we ever keep warm/Do you know a love song/Do you know a love song/There's got to be/one we can sing/when we can't get along.” Wonderful, right?

Randy Newman

Cool Your Jets ends with its sole cover, a nice rendition of Randy Newman’s “Ghosts” (a song that Randy Newman included on his 1979 release, Born Again).  While Randy Newman's version was basically vocals and piano, this version by Patrolled By Radar is a full band affair, and it's seriously good. It has that great mixture of humor and despair that Randy Newman was so great at creating before he sold his soul to Disney. “I don’t want to be all alone anymore/I’m sorry.”

CD Track List

1. Died With Money
2. Grain Of Sand
3. Rally
4. Lost Cause
5. El Norte
6. Fool
7. Hate Talkin’
8. Do You Know A Love Song
9. Velocipede
10. Ghosts 

Musicians

Patrolled By Radar is Jay Souza on vocals and guitar, Bosco Sheff on guitar, Preston Mann on organ and piano, Ben Johnsen on drums and vocals, and Peter Curry on bass.

Cool Your Jets is scheduled for an official release of May 1, 2014. But if you live in Los Angeles, you have a chance to hear these songs earlier. Patrolled By Radar is doing a special record release concert at Three Of Clubs in Los Angeles on April 24, 2014.

Record Store Day 2014 Wish List

This Saturday is Record Store Day. I have to admit I'm not as excited about it as I usually am. But that's because I'm broke, and won't be able to buy more than one or two records (and really shouldn't even buy those, but honestly, I can't let that Grateful Dead record slip through my fingers). If I suddenly come in to some funds in the next two days, here is my list:

• David Bowie: "1984" picture disc
• Grateful Dead: "Live At Hampton Coliseum" double-LP
• David Hess: "The Last House On The Left" 12-inch picture disc
• The Julie Ruin: "Brightside/In The Picture" 7-inch 
• The Pogues: "Live In London" (with Joe Strummer) double-LP
• R.E.M.: "Unplugged: The Complete 1991 and 2001 Sessions" box
• Ronnie Spector & The E Street Band: "Say Goodbye To Hollywood/Baby Please Don't Go" 7-inch
• Bruce Springsteen: "American Beauty" 12-inch
• Harry Dean Stanton: "Partly Fiction" 7-inch
• various artists: "The Folk Box 50th Anniversary" box set

David Wilcox: “Blaze” (2014) CD Review

When I started getting into folk music in my late teens, David Wilcox was one of the first people I saw in concert. He used to play at a place called The Old Vienna Kaffeehaus in Westboro, Massachusetts, and always had a good rapport with his audience. He was so adept at connecting with his listeners, both live and on his albums, and that clearly remains true today. His newest CD, Blaze, boasts many excellent songs with intelligent lyrics, songs you can sink into. The album features all original material, written or co-written by David Wilcox. Blaze has a full band sound, but its heart is still that of a singer/songwriter. And for those who prefer the more stripped down acoustic sound, you can enjoy gems like “Drift” and “Single Candle.”

“Oil Talking To Ya”

The opening track, “Oil Talking To Ya,” premiered online before the CD, and it got me excited for the full-length album. It has a cool vibe, and a good message. There is kind of a rock and roll thing happening, with touches of blues. David Wilcox sings, “That’s just the oil talking to ya, it says you got no choice.” And it sure feels that way sometimes. But the song has an optimistic bent, as he adds, “But there’s a brighter voice.”  Yes, there is a positive outlook, which is appreciated. “Oil Talking To Ya” was written by David Wilcox and Ric Hordinski.

“Ocean Soul” is a love song with a sweet sound. The chorus reminds me a bit of Tom Petty – that is, the guitar part, not the vocals. “You’re so beautiful/You’re the ocean soul I need/You’re so beautiful/And I’ll be with you always.”

“We Came To Ride The Road”

I really dig the slow groove that begins “We Came To Ride The Road.” The song then has some interesting changes, each section with a very distinct sound. I love David’s vocals particularly on this track – those smooth, deep tones are delicious. And then the chorus has a sweet feel to it, helped by the backing vocals of Andrea Summer. As David Wilcox says in the CD’s liner notes, this one is about, and inspired by, a long-distance bicycle trip, and the song has the light, uplifting, beautiful feel you’d get from a trip like that. The song itself puts you in that frame of mind, where whatever is binding you somehow is looser.

“Guilty By Degree”

“Guilty By Degree” begins like a heavier rock song, which is something of a surprise, the drums kicking it off. But when David’s vocals come in, the tune breaks to a higher plateau. The chorus then returns us to a cool, heavy blues riff and feel, and David really makes it work. There is something tough in his vocal approach to the chorus. Like I said, this one surprised me. It then continued to do so by becoming one of my favorites the more I listened to it.

He then takes us in a completely different direction with “Bail My Boat,” a happy, positive-sounding tune. This has a certain catchy rhythm, giving the song a fun vibe. “If I’m there in despair/Getting pounded by the waves/In the up-and-down world affairs, unprepared/Sure, the sea is gonna crash, but it doesn’t have to take me there.” This is another favorite of mine. Dan Joseph Dorff plays Fender Rhodes on this track. 

“Guilty By Degree” and “Bail My Boat” were written by David Wilcox and Ric Hordinski.

“Drift”

“Drift” is a slow, incredibly pretty acoustic tune. David’s vocals and acoustic guitar are joined by Carol Sharar on violin and by David’s wife, Nance Pettit, on backing vocals, adding to the beauty of the song. “Each lonely drop of rain will be delivered/To the sea someday.” There is something sad in this song’s sound – something lonesome though loving. It’s a wonderful song.

“The Sacrifice”

“The Sacrifice” is a bluesy tune from the perspective of a policeman, and features a nearly spoken word type of delivery on some of the lines, giving a sense of immediacy to the story David relates. “I touch beneath his jawline for life under the skin/And he’s face down on the pavement, his neck feels cold and thin/So I’ll need some information from the two who called it in/’Cause the moment that it’s over is the moment it begins.” But then other sections are sung, and the contrast works to give the song an interesting power. I really like this line: “My badge covers my own heart, but these questions hurt my head.”

“It could have been me, it could have been you/It could have been anyone we knew.”

“Single Candle”

Blaze concludes with “Single Candle,” a softer, acoustic tune with a positive message. “But that simple truth’s insistence melted your resistance/’Til all at once you knew that what you knew must change.” Life sometimes seems too short for us to feel we can effect any true and meaningful change. But this song urges us to go for it anyway, with Martin Luther King as the example of what can be accomplished. “Your quick life had time enough to shine like the sun.”

CD Track List

1. Oil Talking To Ya
2. Ocean Soul
3. Tip Of My Tongue
4. We Came To Ride The Road
5. Guilty By Degree
6. Bail My Boat
7. Drift
8. It’ll Work On You
9. Don’t Look Back
10. The Sacrifice
11. Single Candle 

Blaze was released on February 25, 2014 through What Are Records?