I have now reviewed two CDs on this blog. The first was Country Love by Harold Allen. The second was the soundtrack to the movie, Longhorns. I wasn't entirely happy with the way either review. came out. In both cases, I don't think I did a good job of communicating just how good these albums are. I realize that part of the problem is that at this point I am just not comfortable writing reviews as such. So, for the time being, I'm not going to be writing reviews.
This is not to say that I won't devote any posts to new releases. If I feel like writing about a new CD or a new book about music (or an old CD, for that matter), I'll do so. And when I do, I may recommend or discommend a product -- either explicitly or implicitly. But I don't want to write in the review format.
Showing posts with label Harold Allen. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Harold Allen. Show all posts
Thursday, March 8, 2012
Thursday, February 9, 2012
cd review: "country love" by harold allen
Allen sings crisply and clearly, and his material is full of great hooks and clever lyrics. "Jack Daniels" is the standout track. This clever drinking song has me repeating the catchphrase "Jack Daniels take me away" in my head. "The Train Song" and "Hold Me Now" are also great. As a father, I can't help loving the slower "My Biggest Fan."
"Your Northstar," a bittersweet goodbye, is what Allen seems to be pushing as the album's single of sorts (see the video following this paragraph). As good as the song is, I still would have preferred to see "Jack Daniels" pushed. Though admittedly I have a bias toward fast material, and am therefore not the best person to make such a call.
"Country Love" is a great followupto re-Deuced, standing up to repeated listenings. It's available for purchase through his website or from CDBaby.
Tuesday, February 7, 2012
music underground
One of the great things about living in New York is the music in the subway. The Transit Authority has an official program, Music Under New York, in which performers get specially designated spaces and times to perform with an official banner. Harold Allen, about whom I wrote here, performs as part of the MUNY program. Other performers I've enjoyed include the Ebony Hillbillies and Jeremiah Lockwood.
The MUNY program includes performers in a wide array of styles. Aside from the conventional, you can see people playing saws, or Chinese dulcimer.
I should note that there are plenty of musicians who perform without the MUNY imprimatur -- that will be true as long as there is potential tip money. Quality can vary, of course, but some are really good. A number of CDs in my collection were unplanned purchases from musicians whom I liked.
Now sometimes the performers get on the trains to serenade the passengers between stops. There's one particular mariachi band that I've seen a bunch of times on the E and F trains, and around twenty or so years ago their was a group of breakdancers that always seemed to find my car on the 7 train. I'm more likely to be annoyed by performers on the trains than by those on the platform, only because the close quarters and closed doors on the train make the music more of an imposition on those who may not want to listen.
If you're into a variety of styles and want a free concert (though tipping, or buying a CD is always encouraged) during the weekday, you can always find something in the subway.
A brief video profile of the Ebony Hillbillies
Jeremiah Lockwood performing in the New York subway.
The MUNY program includes performers in a wide array of styles. Aside from the conventional, you can see people playing saws, or Chinese dulcimer.
I should note that there are plenty of musicians who perform without the MUNY imprimatur -- that will be true as long as there is potential tip money. Quality can vary, of course, but some are really good. A number of CDs in my collection were unplanned purchases from musicians whom I liked.
Now sometimes the performers get on the trains to serenade the passengers between stops. There's one particular mariachi band that I've seen a bunch of times on the E and F trains, and around twenty or so years ago their was a group of breakdancers that always seemed to find my car on the 7 train. I'm more likely to be annoyed by performers on the trains than by those on the platform, only because the close quarters and closed doors on the train make the music more of an imposition on those who may not want to listen.
If you're into a variety of styles and want a free concert (though tipping, or buying a CD is always encouraged) during the weekday, you can always find something in the subway.
Sunday, January 22, 2012
harold allen -- urban country singer
The other day I was in the subway at Grand Central, and saw a musician whom I'd seen before. Harold Allen is a country singer from the Midwest.
I remember the first time I saw Allen, (a couple years ago?) he was playing in the same spot. I liked his music enough that I wanted to buy his CDs. But I didn't have cash with me, and figured I'd try to catch him on my way back about an hour later (after hitting an ATM). On my way back, he wasn't there. Oh well. Some time later, about a year ago, I saw him again But this time I had cash so I bought both of the CDs -- re-Deuced and Country Love -- that he was selling. These were good country albums. You can hear a lot of his music at his website (linked above).
One of my favorite tracks, from Country Love, is "Jack Daniels," an infectiously energetic drinking song. Allen also displays some humor in this -- about two minutes in, he breaks the fourth wall and speaks to the listener explaining that the song is still missing a few of the five ingredients necessary for the perfect country song (mama, trains, trucks, prisons and getting drunk) so he added the next verse to complete it:
Other choice tracks, from re-Deuced, are "I Do" and "Payin' Dues." My favorite, though, is "What I Need," which is what call a meta-country song -- a country song about listening to country songs.
As I was saying, I saw Allen again a few days ago, playing in the same place. This time, though, he had another CD for sale. This one is a live album, Live from Arlene's Grocery. (Arlene's Grocery is a music club on the Lower East Side. Here, Allen is backed by a full band, performing songs from his past two other albums as well as a few others. The sound is clear and the band is tight. This is a worthy live set. At one point between songs, Allen talks about writing songs for his nieces, which is why I am guessing that "My Biggest Fan" is about a niece and not a daughter. (Harold, if you're reading this and I am wrong, please feel free to let me know).
In one of those "small world" moments, I noticed after I left that one of the musicians backing him in the show was Alan Lee Backer, a musician who has been in a couple of bands that I've liked. I'll try to blog about that at some point in the future. There are a couple of other "small world" moments in that story.
Following are a few videos of Harold Allen. Enjoy:
I remember the first time I saw Allen, (a couple years ago?) he was playing in the same spot. I liked his music enough that I wanted to buy his CDs. But I didn't have cash with me, and figured I'd try to catch him on my way back about an hour later (after hitting an ATM). On my way back, he wasn't there. Oh well. Some time later, about a year ago, I saw him again But this time I had cash so I bought both of the CDs -- re-Deuced and Country Love -- that he was selling. These were good country albums. You can hear a lot of his music at his website (linked above).
One of my favorite tracks, from Country Love, is "Jack Daniels," an infectiously energetic drinking song. Allen also displays some humor in this -- about two minutes in, he breaks the fourth wall and speaks to the listener explaining that the song is still missing a few of the five ingredients necessary for the perfect country song (mama, trains, trucks, prisons and getting drunk) so he added the next verse to complete it:
I'm gonna jump on that northbound trainAnother great track is "My Biggest Fan," a reminder of what's really important in life. It's about a little girl (at first listen one would think she's a daughter, but for reasons I will mention below I believe she's a niece) who listens to his music and dances to it. This always gets me, partly because it reminds me of my own daughter; it's an amazing feeling to walk by her room, see her coloring or playing a game or something and hear her singing one of the songs I wrote. The key phrase is:
And go see mama locked up in Sing Sing.
If I can stumble through the pouring rain,
Jack Daniels take me away.
I may never sail the oceansBut "My Biggest Fan" notwithstanding, I generally prefer the fast songs to the slow. That is, of course, on par with my general taste in music.
Or ever go out on the road.
But as long as my song's in that little girl's heart
I've got the biggest fan in the world.
Other choice tracks, from re-Deuced, are "I Do" and "Payin' Dues." My favorite, though, is "What I Need," which is what call a meta-country song -- a country song about listening to country songs.
As I was saying, I saw Allen again a few days ago, playing in the same place. This time, though, he had another CD for sale. This one is a live album, Live from Arlene's Grocery. (Arlene's Grocery is a music club on the Lower East Side. Here, Allen is backed by a full band, performing songs from his past two other albums as well as a few others. The sound is clear and the band is tight. This is a worthy live set. At one point between songs, Allen talks about writing songs for his nieces, which is why I am guessing that "My Biggest Fan" is about a niece and not a daughter. (Harold, if you're reading this and I am wrong, please feel free to let me know).
In one of those "small world" moments, I noticed after I left that one of the musicians backing him in the show was Alan Lee Backer, a musician who has been in a couple of bands that I've liked. I'll try to blog about that at some point in the future. There are a couple of other "small world" moments in that story.
Following are a few videos of Harold Allen. Enjoy:
A live performance of "Train Song"
Being interviewed by Cognac Wellerlane. Interview starts at about 6:27
Video for "Your North Star," the song he mentioned (and sang a bit of) in the interview above
A live performance of "Payin' Dues"
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