K's review & feedback-completed-updated
May 30, 2019 11:06:22 GMT -5
Post by icubud on May 30, 2019 11:06:22 GMT -5
I hope that we will see more reviews from his fans. [hint, hint]
TRACK LISTING:
1. No Erasin’
2. We’re Still Here
3. Most Of All
4. No More Cryin’
5. In The Rain
6. Sun Shines Gray
7. You Belong To Me
8. Easy To Love
9. I Need You
10. We Fly
11. October in NY
12. Angel Eyes
13. Could We Be Somethin’ Again?
14. Blue Jay’s Fly
Released October 2018 and seven months later I must admit I appreciate the tracks much more now than at first listen. While there was the HUGE expectation and desire to devour it immediately, I think that (at least for me) it took away from what he creatively produced. I know in at least one interview he commented/replied, in gist, that TRACES is where he is NOW.
It reminded me of a quote a few years back by Robert Plant when he was getting daggered about why no LZ reunion or why his new works aren't like the howling mane performer and he replied in gist, he is no longer a rock and roll singer but a musician, a singer of music. And life has happened and experiences and his music is where he is NOW. I commented on some board back when the latest (5 years ago) drum beating for reunion of LZ that he was a smart man. There is no way he can physically compete with the Robert Plant of LZ glory days. It would be a losing battle. Besides that, the fantasies/imagination of millions as to how it would be now are surely exaggerated in comparison to reality. Why would he try to perform or be in a “match” with a legend? Plus why tarnish the LZ product/brand and the rock and roller front man Robert Plant of that group? But back to the wonderful Mr. Perry...
In ref to TRACES, I don't think it is fair to compare it to Street Talk or FLOSM. I was guilty of doing so for the first few months. TRACES, is its own being. Just as the other two are. No one does anyone any good comparing children of a family against one another and then documenting it for others. And as SP often refers to his songs/music as his children, well, I will follow that idea - or at least try to.
SP sounds great on these tracks. The supporting band are polished and know exactly when to kick it up a notch or dial it back. In a couple of the videos u get a brief grin or smile from a musician as they experience the tune.
The artwork/concept for TRACES is well done. I wish the liner notes would have contained the key/legend explaining the different images. I know later there was a release of the info which I screenshotted, so I have them in my SP file. It was a nice touch and a bit of SP revealing to all of us what he sees as moments of importance in his life.
When I first listened to TRACES the song that was my favorite was "Sun Shines Gray" with "No More Cryin'" being a very close behind it. Like I alluded to earlier, my first listen of the whole was quite melancholy. Who knows it may have had more to do with stuff going on in my own life at the time. I know my heart went and still does go out to him for his loss with the passing of Kellie. She undoubtedly is proud of him.
Now, I can say that eight of the songs are favorites: Sun Shines Gray, No More Cryin’, Most of All, We’re Still Here, Could We Be Somethin’ Again?, No Erasin’, Call on Me, and Easy to Love.
To me, it seems that he really wanted to bring out his love of Sam Cooke and that genre of music in this collection of songs. A lot of vocal harmony and a couple of the tracks having the sudden tempo change which allowed for more vocal textures to the songs. Also the album mood is subdued which to my limited understanding, makes sense. Considering the heartbeat of the project, it would be. But as he pointed out in interviews, there are songs of uptempo and “happiness”. But in those moments, quite naturally, he can’t run with it and I don’t think it would be realistically expected. To go about in the interviews and talk about Kellie and the whole beautiful and heartbreaking experience while then “peddling” a high energy rock record would have seemed disingenuous and manipulative. But then again, I could be way overthinking things. All that to “say”, the mood of the whole work is appropriate, and the different glimpses of different emotions helps make it a “real” expression of love to and for her – and a kind gesture to his fans.
Now comes the burning question on millions of peoples minds… “will Steve come out and play?”
7/21/19 add: Sun Shines Gray the recent new version of it seemed to me to actually suppress the energy and upness of the original release. U?
The original version is a phenomenal song. Would have been the perfect first song for release. Energy and all but also laced inside the images of the song that their is knowledge of something has happened.
TRACK LISTING:
1. No Erasin’
2. We’re Still Here
3. Most Of All
4. No More Cryin’
5. In The Rain
6. Sun Shines Gray
7. You Belong To Me
8. Easy To Love
9. I Need You
10. We Fly
11. October in NY
12. Angel Eyes
13. Could We Be Somethin’ Again?
14. Blue Jay’s Fly
Released October 2018 and seven months later I must admit I appreciate the tracks much more now than at first listen. While there was the HUGE expectation and desire to devour it immediately, I think that (at least for me) it took away from what he creatively produced. I know in at least one interview he commented/replied, in gist, that TRACES is where he is NOW.
It reminded me of a quote a few years back by Robert Plant when he was getting daggered about why no LZ reunion or why his new works aren't like the howling mane performer and he replied in gist, he is no longer a rock and roll singer but a musician, a singer of music. And life has happened and experiences and his music is where he is NOW. I commented on some board back when the latest (5 years ago) drum beating for reunion of LZ that he was a smart man. There is no way he can physically compete with the Robert Plant of LZ glory days. It would be a losing battle. Besides that, the fantasies/imagination of millions as to how it would be now are surely exaggerated in comparison to reality. Why would he try to perform or be in a “match” with a legend? Plus why tarnish the LZ product/brand and the rock and roller front man Robert Plant of that group? But back to the wonderful Mr. Perry...
In ref to TRACES, I don't think it is fair to compare it to Street Talk or FLOSM. I was guilty of doing so for the first few months. TRACES, is its own being. Just as the other two are. No one does anyone any good comparing children of a family against one another and then documenting it for others. And as SP often refers to his songs/music as his children, well, I will follow that idea - or at least try to.
SP sounds great on these tracks. The supporting band are polished and know exactly when to kick it up a notch or dial it back. In a couple of the videos u get a brief grin or smile from a musician as they experience the tune.
The artwork/concept for TRACES is well done. I wish the liner notes would have contained the key/legend explaining the different images. I know later there was a release of the info which I screenshotted, so I have them in my SP file. It was a nice touch and a bit of SP revealing to all of us what he sees as moments of importance in his life.
When I first listened to TRACES the song that was my favorite was "Sun Shines Gray" with "No More Cryin'" being a very close behind it. Like I alluded to earlier, my first listen of the whole was quite melancholy. Who knows it may have had more to do with stuff going on in my own life at the time. I know my heart went and still does go out to him for his loss with the passing of Kellie. She undoubtedly is proud of him.
Now, I can say that eight of the songs are favorites: Sun Shines Gray, No More Cryin’, Most of All, We’re Still Here, Could We Be Somethin’ Again?, No Erasin’, Call on Me, and Easy to Love.
To me, it seems that he really wanted to bring out his love of Sam Cooke and that genre of music in this collection of songs. A lot of vocal harmony and a couple of the tracks having the sudden tempo change which allowed for more vocal textures to the songs. Also the album mood is subdued which to my limited understanding, makes sense. Considering the heartbeat of the project, it would be. But as he pointed out in interviews, there are songs of uptempo and “happiness”. But in those moments, quite naturally, he can’t run with it and I don’t think it would be realistically expected. To go about in the interviews and talk about Kellie and the whole beautiful and heartbreaking experience while then “peddling” a high energy rock record would have seemed disingenuous and manipulative. But then again, I could be way overthinking things. All that to “say”, the mood of the whole work is appropriate, and the different glimpses of different emotions helps make it a “real” expression of love to and for her – and a kind gesture to his fans.
Now comes the burning question on millions of peoples minds… “will Steve come out and play?”
7/21/19 add: Sun Shines Gray the recent new version of it seemed to me to actually suppress the energy and upness of the original release. U?
The original version is a phenomenal song. Would have been the perfect first song for release. Energy and all but also laced inside the images of the song that their is knowledge of something has happened.
