“Sold My Heart” begins the side in understated (but lovely) fashion. Brilliantly, as strange as the songs are, they’re organized in a way that creates a perfect flow. On side two, the song cycle goes completely haywire, with each song being more experimental than the previous. “No Time Lonesome,” which has all of the heartbreak of a Hank Williams song, features a lovely, unexpected violin break by Bobby Notkoff, known for his work with Neil Young. “I Am Not Surprised” and “Moving Too Fast” brim with understated energy, “Someone To Chew” with sexual passion. Side one is relatively straightforward, developing the new style confidently but safely. The album itself is as perfectly structured as the songs within. This album has the kind of indefinable magic of a true masterwork. Moments like the raveup at the end of “Moving Too Fast” are intensely powerful, and lyrics like “I’ve been smokin’ hash/talking trash/wishing things weren’t real” have a sense of tragedy. The upbeat songs are filled with longing the downbeat ones filled with hope. The end result is a positive one: wasted energy being trumped by creativity. The overall vibe is that of Candy struggling to the surface from a not-so-happy hole she’s found herself in. The production, which puts the percussion high in the mix and the guitar and voice low (the exact opposite of the first album) adds an eerie, late night feel there’s no question that the *sound* of this album is as effective as the songs. This is blues-rock, but it lacks the musical cliches of traditional blues. New guitarist Jock Bartley’s jazzy but unobtrusive style and undistorted sound is a perfect fit for the songs. It’s a thing of beauty and power, potential completely fulfilled. Gone is the wailing and screeching, most of which took place during and around Bolin’s solos when Candy obviously didn’t know what else to do. The experimentation on this album is entirely structured and intentional, the exact opposite of the kind of improvisation that passes for heavy metal “innovation.” The more refined and intricate song structure also works miracles with Candy’s singing. Since the songs no longer needed to be structured to accommodate long guitar solos, the songwriting became impeccably tight. Obviously the departure of Bolin liberated the band, and with Sunset Ride, the husband/wife team of Candy and David Givens truly came into their own as songwriters.
0 kommentar(er)
