Music Reviews

- Review -
Rave On, Buddy Holly
Various Artists
Fantasy FAN – 32670-02

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It’s always a tough thing, to gather artists around an artist (or album) and try to make some magic. When the artist is an icon, that makes it tougher. This new collection brings together a slew of artists to honor the musical legacy of Buddy Holly. While I’m not going to go song-by-song, I would like to spotlight a couple of songs that represent the collection, in sound and style.

The CD opens with the Black Keys rendition of “Dearest.” The one constant theme within this disc is the lo-fi sound. A little noise, distortion or other retro stylings. The Black Keys have that style pretty much nailed down. The original version of this song was just Buddy and his guitar, recorded in his apartment in New York. We don’t have the luxury of hearing his idea of how this song would have ultimately sounded (likewise with Peggy Sue Got Married and Crying Waiting Hoping). The Black Keys do a great job with this one, letting us see it their way but still letting a little Buddy Holly rock ‘n’ roll shine through.

Paul McCartney’s version of “It’s So Easy” is exactly what I was talking about above. A ton of distortion on Paul’s lead vocal renders it almost other-worldly. It’s unlike something you may have heard Paul do before. The ad-lib parts tossed within and especially the end of the song are notable. Again, it’s Paul unlike you’ve ever heard.

Florence + The Machine’s rendition of “Not Fade Away” easily does away with the Bo Diddley rhythm of the original song. It’s percussive instruments sculpt an interesting backing track, with drums, a lively sousaphone riff, guitars, organs and other layered parts. Her vocal is powerful but still lets the instrumentation have its rightful place. Nice job.

“You’re So Square (Baby, I Don’t Care)” is fun, bouncy and almost loses Cee Lo Green in the recording. I love when an artist takes a total risk with their sound and lets their hair down to show a fun and interesting side. Cee Lo Green does just that. Unfortunately, it’s only 1:33 in length, seriously too short. I guess it’s better to leave us wanting more.

Disappointing is My Morning Jacket’s version of “True Love Ways.” They mostly try to cover the song close to the original, as a soft ballad with orchestration. I think it may have been more interesting to hear something totally fresh (I mean, if I want to hear it this way – I’ll put on Buddy’s superior version). Sometimes an artist thinks that this type of project calls for them to recreate the song they love, but there is the risk of failing by comparison. Better to grab the bull by the horn and change it around a little, make it stand out from the original. Easy for me to say I guess, I’m here typing. So whatever.

Kid Rock pulls “Well Alright” far from it’s cymbal-based original. Pulling it through with a Memphis sound, horns, pulsing bass and a nice amount of echo on his voice. I think that it’s good but there’s something still missing. Perhaps he could have changed something or not shown us all his cards at the beginning of the track. You know, build the arrangement a little.

Okay, I love Lou Reed’s “Peggy Sue.” Here’s why: it doesn’t have any respect for the original, you know what I mean? It takes the song from it’s original 50s rock ‘n’ roll and dips it into a psychedelic hodge-podge. The backing track sounds like it’s an outtake from The Beatles circa 1968 (actually, it sounds like a pastiche of “Only A Northern Song” and “Tomorrow Never Knows”). Lou has a dry voice, no echo or reverb on his voice (which makes it even more unsettling). A re-creation like no other.

The CD ends on a tender note with Graham Nash performing “Raining In My Heart.” When I saw his name on the tracklist, I had one of those “awww” moments. I guess I’m a sucker for tying it all together. What better way to end but with a Hollie? That being said, it’s a great, simple, precise and appropriate way to end the disc. If I had been using the criteria I used earlier, I might have said that it’s not daring enough or not original but I think putting it at the end nulls that opinion. It’s a perfect place for quiet reflection on the musical place Buddy Holly has in all our hearts.

So, grab this disc. You should listen to it, enjoy it. It’s a great spin and while you may not love every track, there’s most definitely something here you will love, trust me.

Rene
rene@albumlinernotes.com

Read the liner notes for this release here: Rave On, Buddy Holly

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