RY COODER-ELECTION TIME.

dereksmusicblog ♦ October 30, 2012 ♦ Leave a comment

RY COODER-ELECTION TIME.

For roughly a hundred years, American music has a history of producing some of greatest protest singers in the history of music. Woody Guthrie, Joe Hill, Josh White, Pete Seeger, Burl Ives and Billie Holliday. A later generation protest singers included Bob Dylan, Phil Ochs and Joan Baez. Unlike America, British singers don’t do protest songs as well. Even John Lennon and Paul McCartney failed miserably when it came to releasing protest music. While Lennon and McCartney weren’t exactly successful when it came to releasing protest songs, neither were the next generation of musicians. Indeed, protest songs are no longer fashionable, except when a musician whose career is failing and wants to jump on a fashionable bandwagon. One artist whose bucking this trend is Ry Cooder, who recently and just in time for the closest American election in some time, released Election Time. Election Time is the nearest thing to an album of latter day protest songs, filled with biting social comment. So, Ry Cooder dares to tread where other musicians fear to go. Will Election Time become a modern day successor to the great protest songs of yesteryear?

Rather than put together a band of crack session players like many musicians do, Election Time is a low-key, family affair. Ry’s joined by his son Joachim on drums and Arnold McCuller adding harmonies on Take Your Hands Off It. Eight of the nine tracks that makeup Election Time were penned by Ry, except Take Your Hands Off It, which Joachim cowrote. Election Time was recorded at Wireland Studios, Chatsworth, California and Drive-By Studios in Hollywood, California, with Ry taking charge of production. Fittingly for an album of songs that are politically charged, and to some extent protest songs, Election Time is in memory of Ken Price, Mike Seeger and Earl Scruggs. Will Election Time be a fitting tribute to the memory?

Election Time opens with Mutt Romney Blues, where just Ry’s trademark slide-guitar accompanies is angry, frustrated vocal. Backing vocalists and his son Joachim on drums accompany his vocal, as the arrangement has fuses Americana with blues. There’s a slightly lo-fi sound to the arrangement and Ry’s lyrics aren’t his best effort, to put it kindly. They lack wit and subtlety, something many great protest and political song benefit from. As for Ry’s vocal, I get the feeling Ry’s trying to deliver his vocal in what he thinks is an authentic style. It’s not though. Quite simply, apart from Ry’s guitar playing, it’s a disappointing start to Election Time.

Brother Is Gone sees Ry switch to mandolin, which creates a melancholy, wistful sound. Joachim adds slow, subtle and pensive drums. When Ry’s vocal enters, his vocal is much more natural, and has a wistful sound. The lyrics are slightly derivative, reminding me of many an old blues track. Having said that, Ry’s delivery is powerful. Strings add to the melancholy sound of what’s quite a beautiful track.

Ry now turns his sights on another of the modern day bogey men, Wall Street financiers. The Wall Street Part Of Town sees Ry’s lyrics improve. He gives voice to a nation’s thoughts and anger. With an arrangement where rocky guitars and a driving rhythm section produce something you’d expect on a Neil Young album. Whatever Neil can do, Ry can do it just as good. His vocal full of anger and emotion, as he lays down some searing guitar licks. Later, he changes to the mandolin, which proves really effective. It seems at last, Ry has found his own voice and created a track full of biting, social comment that speaks for an angry and sadly, much poorer nation.

Guantanamo sees Ry continue where he left off on the previous track. His tight, talented band fuse a driving rhythm section with some glorious guitar licks. They accompany Ry’s powerful, angry vocal. He almost barks out the lyrics, which are much better. It seems Ry has found his own voice and style. He’s no longer trying to create a faux blues track. Despite that, there’s still a bluesy twist to the track, but it’s mostly, straight ahead rock. Like the previous track, anger and frustration are combined with a rocky sound and social comment.

Having said that Ry had left behind his faux blues sound, it returns on Cold Cold Feeling. The problem is Ry overplays the bluesy sound, coming across as overblown and melodramatic. This results in what’s almost a parody of an authentic blues track. Granted Ry lays down some bluesy guitar licks against some slow, moody drums. When sings, he tries too hard to come across as a modern day blues man. Sadly, this means you tend not to focus on what are some intelligent lyrics.

Going To Tampa sees Election Time get back on track. The song has a real country-tinged sound that has your attention from the start. It’s the jaunty arrangement that’s responsible for this. Ry plays mandolin, delivering his vocal in a style that’s much more natural, with country a twist. He’s accompanied by an understated arrangement, one that could’ve been recorded sixty years ago. What makes the track are the lyrics. They’re full of social comment, but with the wit and subtlety that was lacking on Mutt Romney Blues. That’s what makes this such an effective and successful song, one that’ll make you stop, think and listen.

Kool-Aid sees a real change style. A broody bass, drums and waves of echoey guitars combine to create a moody backdrop. Ry’s powerful vocal sounds desperate and defeated. His weary vocal is joined by backing vocals while the guitars reverberate as drums and bass provide the track’s pensive heartbeat. This works, as Ry isn’t trying to be something he’s not. Instead, the real Ry Cooder shines through, creating a track that’s dramatic, moody and emotive.

The 90 And The 9 sees Ry return to a sound where Americana and country unite. Again, his vocal has a worldweary sound. He’s accompanied by an understated backdrop, where just guitar, drums played by brushes and percussion combine. Backing vocals join Ry, reflecting his worldweary vocal. This is another track where the Election Time’s sheer eclecticism shines through, with Americana, roots and country music all combined seamlessly by Ry and his tight band.

Closing Election Time is Take Your Hands Off It. Here Ry and his band decide to kick loose. He delivers  an angry vocal about the erosion in the American constitution. His vocal is anger and frustration personified, delivered against an arrangement that’s a mixture of rock and blues. Ry’s trademark guitar licks are joined by the rhythm section, percussion and piano that drive the arrangement along. As the song progresses, Ry’s anger and frustration gets the better of him, with his vocal becoming righteous anger at the erosion of America’s foundation. What a way to close Election Time, with Ry Cooder telling it like it is.

After a faltering and quite disappointing start, Election Time got on track. While Mutt Romney Blues disappoints, Brother Is Gone sees things improve. Although the lyrics are somewhat derivative, its still a quite beautiful track. Ry ups the ante on The Wall Street Part Of Town, where he becomes America’s voice and conscience, railing against the greed and corruption of Wall Street. On Guantanamo Ry continues to find his own voice, delivering lyrics laden with social comment and anger. Sadly, Ry forgets that this is 2012 and he’s not a twenties bluesman on Cold Cold Feeling. Rather than giving us his take on the blues, he tries to recreate what he thinks is an authentic bluesy sound. It’s not big, it’s not clever and it certainly doesn’t work. From there, Ry’s hitting home runs all the way. There’s no drop in quality on Going To Tampa, Kool-Aid, The 90 And The 9 and Take Your Hands Off It where his frustration almost boils over, becoming righteous anger. These four songs see Ry Cooder reborn, reborn as a modern day protest singer, whose songs are full of social comment and righteous indignation. In becoming the voice and conscience of America, he brings to their attention the wrongs and injustices that need righted. Ry Cooder also warns of the greed, self interest and corruption that brought a once proud nation to its knees. In many ways  Ry Cooder’s Election time is a wakeup call for America as Election Time nears. Standout Tracks: Brother Is Gone, The Wall Street Part Of Town, Going To Tampa and Take Your Hands Off It. 

RY COODER-ELECTION TIME.