Robyn Hitchcock - Spooked
- This is a shoe-in for my Top Ten of ‘Ought Four...and whaddya know, December is just around the corner. Ah yes, 'tis the season for music geeks the world over to begin considering their annual Best-Ofs—more on that later, most certainly.
I’m no Hitchcock connoisseur. At least not yet. I own and enjoy three Soft Boys albums, yet prior to my purchase of Spooked, I had none of his solo stuff. I hadn’t even heard it. But I jumped on this baby when I heard that earlier this year the consummate English kook flew his arse to the Capital of Country Music for a few sessions with Gillian Welch and David Rawlings, and that this was the result. 
- First things first. Gillian and David are geniuses: flat-out, hands down, without question. I challenge anyone to uncover even a single flaw in their masterpiece, 2001's Time (The Revelator). Welch's other three records are outstanding as well. Her musical partnership with Mr. Rawlings has been one of the best things to happen to traditional folk music in decades. And with Mr. Hitchcock, they make for one of the more satisfying collaborations in recent memory, for sure.
- It is difficult for me to imagine a more gorgeous collection of songs in the Hitchcock catalogue. And not merely for its sparse acoustic backdrop, so brilliantly painted by Dave & Gil & Rob, though the positive impact of a change of environments on Hitchcock himself most likely cannot be overstated.
- Is Spooked Hitchcock’s Nebraska? Well, not exactly. The landscape is far less desolate, and mostly free of working class Woody Guthrie-isms. But songwriting like this puts you on the A-list in my book. And that, for me, likely means some digging into said catalogue. Anyone know which are the good Egyptians records?
- Poignant melodies. Deft picking. Breathtaking harmonies. A fabulous Dylan cover. And available vinyl (thanks, Yep Roc). Bing-a-bong-a-bing-bong-bing-bong.
Coming soon: shilling for the likes of Brazilian iconoclast Tom Ze and defunct Australian band Dumb and the Ugly. So brush up on your Portuguese, mate!
posted by Jonathan Wright at 11:44 PM EMAIL POST
