 
|
CHRIS McKENNA & GG1
Soundtown (Redbass)
Reviewed by Shaun Dale
The first thing you'll notice about Chris McKenna's Soundtown is the packaging. The CD sleeve is bound into a hardbound book whose 24 glossy pages contain notes, lyrics and pictures. It's very clear that McKenna cares very much about presentation. Slipping the CD into your machine and pressing play will make it very clear that he cares every bit as much about his music. He's recruited a rotating cast of excellent players to contribute to his sound, and what they can't do, he does. Just check the track credits for a cut like "Lilac Goddess (Miss Moss)." Along with bass by Steve Calandra and tablas by Greg O'Keefe, you'll find acoustic and electric guitars, ukulele, gongs, hand rubs, cymbals, bass drum, piano, melodica, glockenspiel, windchimes, detuned percussion, field recording manipulation and lead and backing vocals by Mr. McKenna himself. That's not the longest list of his contributions, although it's one of the more conventional (elsewhere he's credited for chains, radiator, wrench and lots of other intriguing instruments, musical and otherwise.)
All this attention is lavished on a twenty track song cycle on the subject of love, which is probably the ultimate pop music subject matter. McKenna comes pretty damn near the ultimate pop music album in the process. If there's an "if you like...." touchstone that applies, it's probably the Beach Boys in Brian Wilson's creative prime, but there's so much more here than that tag implies. This is an album to soak in, soak up, and to appreciate as much as McKenna's careful attention to every detail demonstrates his appreciation for his audience. The non-standard packaging means you probably won't find it in many of the standard places, but it's worth searching for. True treasure is rarely found in plain sight.
Track List:
Welcomeroom * Great White Wave * Maximum Love Vibes * Hey Jay * That's How Easy * All Because Of You * My Dear Ocean * Call My Name * The Farm * Dear Someone Who Knows * Lilac Goddess (Miss Moss) * King * Garden * Nothing But The One * About Love * League Of Insane Women (Red Bank Chapter) * Around Me * Someday We Will Be * Windy Out West * Pinocchio Of The Nuclear Age
[Pick this up at CDBaby.]
© 2003 - Shaun Dale