Lumpy's "Acoustic Hotel" Reviewed

Date: Wed, 05 Feb 2003 05:12:49 GMT
Newsgroups: rec.music.makers.guitar.acoustic
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Reviewing somebody's cd is a risky business. When you feel you know
the player a little bit, as we all know each other 'a little bit' here
on RMMGA, you can't help but wonder about the pitfalls. What if you
damn with faint praise? How about with brutal honesty? Then there's
the other extreme --- discounting the value of what you write by being
too kind; making too much allowance for the interpersonal risks. You
could play it too safe and end up not saying much of anything.
I'm not sure Lumpy picked the right guy for this. I don't even listen
to music much for pleasure anymore. Maybe I'm not exactly jaded, but
over the years my high and low thresholds have gotten compressed so
nothing excites me too much either way anymore. Don't hate much,
don't love much. Music's a good a thing just because it *is* music.
I like it by definition. Jaded or not, I like to think I can
appreciate other people's work.
Well, I do appreciate Lumpy's work on this cd very much. Its good,
honest work and I'm happy to have the cd in my collection for several
reasons. First, its just pretty damn good music. That's the
no-brainer. It stands alone on its own merit as I'm sure most of us
would agree after a listen. Beyond that, I always like learning what
'you good people' out there on RMMGA are doing musically. I'd rather
learn about that first hand at a gathering, but that's a rare
pleasure. This is good too.
"Acoustic Hotel" will give you a good sense of what Lumpy does on the
job. My impression is that the vocal tunes are recorded as they'd be
performed live --- voice and guitar simultaneously. Live in the
studio. I actually might have liked a little more 'production' but
that's just me. You might disagree. Lumpy might also but --- too
bad so sad for him. He's just the artist.
Cumulus 19:
This is a simple, pretty little tune with a couple of jazzy changes
here and there. Good choice for the opening. I like it just fine and
I bet most people here would too. Its good.
Cardboard Boxes:
Well, if you ever moved or helped somebody move then you might get
some yucks out of this one. Good choice of music to match the lyrics
too --- a bit of a musical parody in a way. Funny lyrics with
serious-sounding music. There's a minor vamp that reminds me of those
old-time, socially relevant folk songs. Song writing, especially
lyric writing has always been a mystery to me but this tune
de-mystifies things a little. It's basically a long list of all the
stuff you can own and what you have to do to move it. That list would
fill up some blank space on a page and it seems like that could get
you started on a song (assuming you were born with the songwriting
gene). Fun song and I bet it's the type of original that would fly in
front of most any audience.
Bigger Situation:
I found this track interesting and hard to classify. There's some
nice slippery sounds on the low strings in spots that are very cool.
Neat extended turnaround, too. I'm not really up on solo,
instrumental guitar music, though. I don't attempt to play it myself
and I don't really understand or appreciate the genre as much as many
of us around here do. Nothing against it, though. I certainly don't
dislike or discount it in any way. I only mention it because from
that perspective, I think this tune might have been shorter. A couple
of the recurring themes recur a little too frequently for my taste.
Some of the phrases are great, unusual and even inventive, but my
interest slips as I become familiar with them after a few passes.
Still, its certainly better original composing than anything that I
could ever come up with it so its fine with me. I give it a big okey
dokey.
Now That I've Found You:
Cornball oldies-but-moldies appeal to me. I like being reminded of
them and I like Lumpy's straight-up, no frills delivery on this
classic. Its just fingerpicking and voice. I like that the decision
was made to include it. Hell, I grew up ice-skating to this tune at
the local rink. Its not my favorite old pop song but Lumpy plays it
simple and lets the song stand alone and it works. He plays it like a
ballad, though, so be warned --- its a radically different feel from
the original. That makes the lyrics seem a little heavy, but
depending on your mood when you're listening that could be fine too.
Sleepwalking:
See above and same goes here. I've played Sleepwalk with different
steel players in country bands over the years and was always happy to
play in the rhythm section for them on this. Notes soar on a pedal
steel --- the guitar equivalent of a Hammond B3. I also like Larry
Carlton's high-production, electric guitar version so I figured this
would probably be a tough sell for me. Lumpy plays this simple,
straight and slow. Its pretty anda good adaptation. It surprises me
in a way --- I'd probably have predicted "boring" if someone
described it to me in advance, but its very cool. It makes a good
addition to the project.
Career Moves
This is a dark, moody, folk-style song about being a player. Its
interesting but maybe a bit introspective and serious for my taste.
It's the listener's perspective that rules on this type of tune so you
might find it matches your experience and attitude as a player
exactly. Maybe non-musicians appreciate the insight. I'd be curious
what other players think about the concept behind this one. I've
always only played for sport.
Eight Miles Max
I'm liking this Spanish-sounding tune. Of course I don't know what
real Spanish music's even like, only what I hear on TV, so the fact
that this sounds authentic enough to me probably doesn't count for
much. Maybe its just a little bit too authentic, though. I think
I'd have liked Lumpy to have taken a few more chances on this one.
Maybe improvise a little over the changes somewhere. Since I know he
doesn't actually play the Madrid bar scene or busk outside
bullfighting arenas I'd have made allowances for some deviation from
theme --- an American's interpretation of something Spanish would have
interested me too. Still, it's a very nice tune and its well played.
Dancin' in the Moonlight
Here's another pop tune revived and adapted. I was never crazy about
this tune but I don't mind hearing it on this cd at all. It's a good
indication of what the lump sounds like playing and singing live. Its
good. I would have liked a solo of some kind in the middle and maybe
some fills in and around the vocals somewhere. I suppose that's
because the tune's so familiar --- its already going to run through my
head on its own once it starts. He could have taken more liberties
with this one too.
Snorkel:
Nice contrasts. The bulk of the tune is an inventive little Scott
Joplinesque melody that's interesting enough and ends with a nice
turnaround. There's also a bridge with a funky little bass thing
that I really like but that only happens once. This is a case where I
wouldn't have minded more repetition. I went back to find that bass
riff a couple of times. I wish he'd have developed and expanded that
theme some more.
Walk Don't Run
And another classic old tune here. I find the adaptation to acoustic
interesting in itself but I think as long as Lumpy was going to track
two guitars, it would have been nice if he'd have tracked a third and
gone for a little value-added somehow. Not sure what, though, but
this is a song where going a little over the top would have been a
safe bet. Its cool as it stands but if he was of a mind to he could
have played (as in played around) more.
Your Mother and I:
This is one of my favorite tunes on the cd. It's a pretty ballad with
changes that are simple but not too simple. Its comfortably
predictable but not too predictable. There's just enough interesting
little touches here and there to make it special. Lyrics are
thoughtful and serious without being too heavy ---- no attempt to be
profound, just a description of one small part of the human
condition. It's a people tune. Very good songwriting, in my opinion.
I wish I could write something half as nice. This tune alone is
worth the price of the cd.
Linus and Lucy:
I wasn't reading song titles when I listened the first time through so
the intro to this tune went by and then the melody surprised me. Very
well played. Skilled. Nice touch. Neat idea for the cd, too.
There's a section played in harmonics that's great. A stand-out track
for sure.
Nice Guys:
Here's a basic, slow country-blues tune with a fancy little riff in
the choruses. The lyrics are good and there's a hook that I'd think
might interest a big-time song merchant but what do I know? I wish
Lumpy would have tracked another guitar on this tune too. Some fills
to build the complexity and energy would have been nice but hey,
that's just my opinion. The song stands alone as it is just fine.
Still one of my favorite tracks just as it is.
Anjie
I haven't heard the original version of this in 25 years but I don't
remember it being quite like this. This is jumpy. I remember a
'rolling' effect but I don't remember jumpy. Jumpy Lumpy! There's
cool little blues-rock licks here and there. Maybe they were on the
original too but I think Lumpy's given this his own twist and I like
it. Another stand-out track. When I hear some of the phrases I
think "now that's the stuff I'd like to have heard in some of those
earlier tracks too." Nicely executed version of a classic. I like
it. Its got ooomph.
Hard Day on the Planet
Socially conscious stuff here and not the happiest tune on the cd.
Good song, though. I guess I'd have liked one more track to end
things on a lighter note but then its not my cd is it? I figure
Lumpy knows all that too and he put this tune there deliberately so
that's cool.
Soooooooo . . . . good music and an honest look inside the man's
playing. Definitely an enjoyable listen. Clean lines, nice
execution, plenty of song variety, and a professional sound.
Now that he's got this one under his belt I'd encourage Lumpy to push
the envelope a little more on his next one --- maybe a little more
improvising and maybe a little more production flair (an occasional
vocal harmony track, or an extra guitar track here or there, for
example.) He's certainly got the chops to take the risks. You'll
hear.
Thumbs up for "Acoustic Hotel" and I can say that without the
slightest hesitation.
Sherm