JOHNNY DOWD
Pictures From The Life's Other Side(Koch)
Reviewed by DJ Johnson

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Rarely have there been more stunning debut albums than Johnny Dowd's Wrong Side Of Memphis. At the age of 49, the guy came out of nowhere with a homemade CD full of frightening sketches of the dark side of life. The fact that it was done on a toy keyboard and a guitar was more about necessity than effect, but the stark result was perfect for Dowd's atmospheric music. When it was announced that his follow-up release would be done with a full band, some wondered if that might not suck the magic right out of it. Not so. Pictures From Life's Other Side is an unqualified masterpiece of dark textures and danger.

In Johnny Dowd's world, every song is a new experience of realization, revulsion and wary acceptance. The common thread is the way each tune is perceived; you feel the emotions and absorb the meaning, all the while protected by a strange detachment, as if floating by it all in some macabre funhouse.

You'd be hard pressed to find an apt comparison when trying to explain Dowd to a friend. God knows I am. Some may compare him to Lou Reed, and it's hard to argue that because both sing about a dark side of life with voices that are decidedly out of key. But there's an interesting difference in that while Reed always personified the dark stranger in the alley, Dowd prefers to paint a detailed picture of the alley itself, complete with deep shadows where your imagination can place its own boogie man. To that end, his band supplies some of the most intense, psychotic coloration you'll ever hear, all without overcrowding the soundscape and watering down the magic of Johnny Dowd's a-tonal voice and eye-widening lyrics. It all comes together in a most disturbing and wonderful way.

I hate to say anything that might limit the sales of a masterpiece, but one thing must be said: there are a million things happening in almost every song, making this album a real headache for those who prefer not to think when they listen. Active listeners only need apply. Pictures From Life's Other Side requires and deserves your full attention.

© 1999 - DJ Johnson