The first song I heard from him was " Ain't nothing wrong with that" I had no notion what to do with it. It was everything, I knew it was good, beyond that, magical. Robert Randolph is a true master of the steel guitar - or as they call it sacred steel - as a matter of fact, he is so dexterous that he was listed 97th on Rolling Stone's 100 Greatest Guitarists of all Time list in 2003. I would also like to remind everyone, that steel guitar is one of the most complex instruments. So I waited, and then I came across his new album and I wasn't disappointed. I rarely come across an album which is superb all around. It's funky, original, gospelly, but not in a "you have to know the Bible" way. It's rocking, its bluesy, its so upbeat that the last time I heard an album so upbeat it was in the deep genre of electronica. As Robert puts it when he talks about his musical ambitions “My thing is really upbeat, uptempo, with great guitar riffs,but also catchy choruses and lyrics that someday will make this music into classic tunes.” The album is out as of July 16th. Make sure to grab it. It's not just you will not regret it, but you will be straight thankful for/to him, and me to guide you in the arms of his musical ingenuity.
The thing what I like about the album, besides everything, is that, it's starts out as it should. The first track titled "Amped up" and it pretty much tells you what to do when you listen to the album. It doesn't sell false hopes, it's a prefect manifesto of the album, it straight forwardly shows what you can expect when you listen to it.
According to Robert, the next track is what "captures the band's new spirit" titled "Born again". It started out as a session in the studio. "It's about finding joy again. At first it was more of a love song, the sense you get when you find the right person, but then as we were recording this new music with a whole new sense of direction, and feeling free again, that all came into it. It’s not a religious thing, it’s just new energy—which is really the old energy that I had at the beginning of my career.”
Then we take a trip to "New Orleans". It starts out slowly with his sister's vocals. Reminds me of somewhat of and island sound but then Mr. Randolph steps in, and you know, and then you feel the N'awlins spirit. It's elegant, entertaining mix of slow and uptmepo. The slow and fast parts of the song, the female and male vocals add a positive offsetness to the song.
And if we are in New Orleans what comes to mind? Besides good food, fun people, and great music? Well of course the endless parties. "Take the party" is an eclectic mix of jazz funk and church music all in the best possible way. A song, I picture played somewhere in a south, Sunday during service but also can be played some jazz joint on Bourbon street. That's of course hugely thanked to Trombone Shorty a New Orleans native trombone and trumpet player.
I only will have one word about the next track: Carlos Santana. Pointless to say anything else.
Randolph notes that the title track of "Licekty Split" (on which his sister sings the hook) is one of his favorites. “What’s great about that one is that it’s something we actually played in church, just like that,” he says. “There’s a section in the service called the ‘Jubilee Jam Session Time,’ and I can show you video where we played that very same riff.” It brings the sun out of the darkest clouds.
Recently I catch myself singing the next song. The reason is clear: It is that good, it slowly creeps into your head and you can't get it out. Of course not in a "Call me maybe way". It's one of the slower tracks from the album. This one also features Carlos Santana on it, but believe it or not, he is not the reason why I love it. It's super bluesy, but yet bright which is not an easy thing. Yet the way it comes together the structure of it, the solos, the sounds, the fact that you think it's almost over but it goes on and on, so everything about the song is just phenomenal.
Ohio Players, Roller coaster covered by this band? How does that sound? Exactly you'd imagine it. It just feels right.
The following song could be a description of the whole album. "All American". If you think of 4th of July tracks, this one definitely should be one of them. Any lyrics containing the words "Apple pie" and "Land of the free and home of the brave" has a "red white and blue eagle painted on muscle car" kind of patriotism written all over it.
If you think the magic is over, and we rafted to the waters of an American flag flying over a Texas oil field, well the next will throw you back right where you should be. Pure amazing sound. The virtuosity of the "Get ready" track is beyond a lot of things. You just want to loop it, over and over, and when you think the song is over, when you have the feeling of "the end of a good concert, and you don't wanted to be over", then he continues it where he left off. Like a sad feeling when you loose something you love, then you realize it's in your pocket. You are lifted and ecstatic that you found it. That same feeling hits you as he keeps going on with it.
Next, it's a sad part of the album, since it's the 11th track, and we only have one left. It's titled "Welcome home". It's about the never ending, artist inspiring yet horrible thing: War.
How can you end an album like that? You could with another sad song since, I felt pretty sad that it's over. They finished the album, with Limmie Snells "Lemme B. good" from 1965 which later became better known as "Good lovin'" from The Rascals.
There are a lot of things that makes this album wonderful, flawless. There are times when you have a feeling that they just put songs on it without having the slightest idea of which song should follow which. In this case it all makes perfect sense. It starts out great it slows down when you get real tired of dancing around, and at the end it gives you something to think about, and something to be happy about. But of course there are not so good things with the album, for example it "only" contains 12 tracks. I could listen to another probably 6 more. The other bad thing is that we had to wait 3 years for it. So hopefully the next one will be sooner.
If you think that his music is not that good, I'll give you one more reason to buy his album: He plans to remodel an abandoned school in Irvington N.J. and starting the Robert Randolph Music and Arts Program. This is what he has to say about it: “There hasn’t been any arts in the schools, period, since I was in high school,” he says. “So my whole motivation changed to a full-on effort to get these kids into music, and also find out what other passions they have and try to offer that. These kids don’t have anything to do, they don’t have any hope.”
I think the best way to end the review is with this, which gives you yet another reason to check it out:
"I’m still undiscovered, and that’s really the best thing about it. Now we have the chance to present the music right, and have the story told right, and for me to be focused on being an ambassador for inner-city kids and a role model, and also an ambassador for my instrument and as an artist. " -Robert Randolph
Quotes are courtesy of www.robertrandolph.net
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