On her new album, Wildflower (Universal), Sheryl Crow is not quite the rock chick any more. She now seems determined to become a meaningful, wise singer-songwriter, sharing writing and producing credit on the album with Jeff Trott.
And though the instant likeability of past Crow hits such as All I Wanna Do, If It Makes You Happy and Every Day Is a Winding Road occasionally shines through the undemanding clouds of pop swirling on Wildflower, this is an album that’s hard to care for, regrettably.
Her picture in the CD booklet appears as if it was taken on a windswept summer’s day, with Crow looking tanned, happy and relaxed — a wild flower set against the rainy backdrop painted on the booklet’s other pages. Musically, though, her flower seems to be wilting.
From opener I Know Why — “I know why the heart gets lonely” — we meet a Crow pondering love and life’s mysteries, and the sad state of the world on Where Has All the Love Gone, in a rather slow and dull manner.
The music’s not all that boring; it just rarely becomes very exciting (the title track is an especially wishy-washy ballad, and you don’t want to know I Don’t Wanna Know). Lifetimes and Live It Up sparkle with life compared with the rest.
Despite being dedicated to husband Lance Armstrong, marriage seems not to have inspired Crow much. A change would do her good.
ALSO ON THE SHELF
Piet Botha and Jack Hammer
Live at the Nile (Wolmer Records)
Live at the Nile will have Piet Botha fans frothing at the mouth, I guess. I know from past experience that a great live recording can become the holy grail in one’s collection, the album one turns to when one wants to hear artists purely expressing themselves. Nighthawks at the Diner by Tom Waits strikes me as a good example, or The Name of this Band Is Talking Heads. Anyway, the best thing about a live recording for me is the sense of urgency; the songs are not perfectly performed, but who’s really looking for that? I mean, listening to a song work and almost fall apart at the same time — isn’t that where it’s at? Which brings me to my point: the reason that this album fell flat for me is that Botha and Jack Hammer sound like they are coasting, and I was not in the mood for a Sunday drive. I ordered a healthy dose of rock’n’roll. — Lloyd Gedye
Ry Cooder
Chavez Ravine (Nonesuch Records)
In Los Angeles during the 1950s, a Mexican suburb named Chavez Ravine was demolished so that a new stadium could be built for the Dodgers. “Because baseball was clean, you couldn’t argue with it,” says Ry Cooder in his album’s liner notes. The progressive city administrator’s public housing programme had developed a plan to provide low-rent housing in Chavez Ravine at a cost of $7-million, but instead a deal was struck with Walter O’Mally to relocate the Dodgers. The story of Chavez Ravine and its colourful community is the inspiration for this incredibly well-researched concept album from the musical institution that is Cooder. Sung in English and Spanish, the album is a series of sketches of the people and events that form the history of Chavez Ravine. Highlights include the antagonistic Don’t call Me Red, the jazzy In My Town and 3rd base, Dodger Stadium, which tells the tale of old-timers who locate themselves on the Dodgers’ playing field according to their old street address. — Lloyd Gedye
DJ Jazzy D
Another Story (Electromode Music)
Local deep-house punter DJ Jazzy D releases his first album of his favourite party remixes. With tinny house beats and unremarkable female vocals, this is not something to be listened to on your headphones and doesn’t fare much better on a sound system. It seems more techno than deep house, failing to stir the soulful bass that makes deep house so addictive after a couple of beers. — Nadine Botha
Foo Fighters
In Your Honour (Sony BMG)
This two-sided coin of an album offers fans the best of both sides of the Foo Fighters. On one side there are 10 screeching tracks, kicking off with the title track. Best of You and DOA hit the right balance between tension and release. Once you’re done screaming your lungs out, flip the coin over — or, in this case, insert CD two, and you get the gentler side of Dave Grohl’s voice and the band’s playing on acoustic guitar-driven tracks such as What If I Do and Virginia Moon, featuring Norah Jones on piano and vocals. — Nadia Neophytou
Trike
Kennis van die Oggend (One F Music)
You know what you’re in for with Trike when you’re offered Minora razor blades on arrival at the CD launch. Comprising Esme Evakwaad and Drikus Barnard — both also of cynical rockers Brixton Moord en Roof Orkes and caustic punk group Plank — Trike put the bitter back into black coffee. However, with Evakwaad’s Cranberries-like voice, Barnard’s dry groan and the humble singer-songwriter guitar, it sounds so good that you don’t get round to slashing your wrists. They also have corny jokes, which are not always effective, in between the tracks to lighten it up. The CD was engineered by Paul Riekert. — Nadine Botha
Valiant Swart
Mystic Myle: Songs oor die Langpad en die Liefde (Rhythm Records)
I was lucky enough to catch Valiant Swart, the mystic boer and Boland punk-rocker, at Oppikoppi this year. For me it was a festival highlight; then, after returning from my exploits op die koppie, I was handed this new compilation, Mystic Myle: Songs oor die Langpad en die Liefde, two discs of pure Valiant. The first disc contains the more upbeat material divided into three sections: Op die Pad, Op die Paartie and Blues, while the second disc contains the ballads and instrumentals. If you haven’t got his albums by now, this is a great purchase that is fairly representative of his body of work. Standout tracks include Maanhare and Diep in die Bos off his Maanhare album of 2002, while Song for Swakopmund — recorded with Koos Kombuis for their 2003 album ‘n Jaar in die Son — is a pearl. — Lloyd Gedye
Various
Blunt Volume One (Alter-Ego)
Raw, unbridled passion. That’s the stuff this compilation is made of. Just as the popular magazine documents youth culture in all its revelry, so too does this album capture the musical essence of that youth. Some of the best-known names in modern rock and punk are on this album — the local fitting well alongside the international. So you have Fokofpolisiekar next to the Offspring, and AFI’s The Days of the Phoenix right alongside The Narrow’s Crash Through. A couple of great covers (Hog Hoggidy Hog’s Great Heart and Pennywise with Stand by Me) are thrown in to complete the mix. Bring on volume two! — Nadia Neophytou
Various
Homebru 3 (Sting Music)
Now, Gauteng radio station 94.7 Highveld Stereo isn’t exactly known for its scintillating music selection, to put it mildly. And while it’s good to have 27 South African artists’ music promoted on a double-CD set like this, it’s not so good if the selection criteria seem to have been on the dull side. It’s not the artists: there is nothing wrong with the likes of Karen Zoid, Prime Circle, Redd Angel and State Far Better. But choosing what may be the least exciting song in each artist’s repertoire and putting all these together leads to very little excitement (much like tuning into the radio station). — Riaan Wolmarans