AT THE CHELSEA HOTEL
A NEW review of "The Second Album" by Karl Hasten... "THE SECOND ALBUM"/DAN GARNER... "Sometimes I’m happy, sometimes I’m sad" Dan Garner sings on "Without A Broken Heart", the rocking first cut on his newest CD release. That seems to be an appropriate sentiment symbolizing the melange of feelings on the release, "The Second Album", where Garner candidly portrays a wide range of emotions. As on his former release "25 Things", Garner also shifts fluidly between styles and genres, from the stripped down folk of "Red Balloon" to the country shuffle of "I’ve Got A Fever" – the latter stoked by the always flawless guitar of Mark Griffith who adds great flair to the CD in several notable places. Listen for his subtle nod to Hendrix on "Gypsy Woman". When Garner checks into "Wing Motel" it is with an endearingly insouciant, Guy Clark-meets-Leonard Cohen vocal, yet he moves easily to the Kinks-like, neo-punk rave up on "Same Sun". From rockers to acoustic, Garner maps the shifting landscapes of love with a practiced hand. Whether reflecting on the "wreckage strewn" or being "down to my last card" on "What Is Happening To Me" or the driving optimism of "I’ve got a fever, white hot and pure" on "I’ve Got A Fever" he deftly illustrates that he has been to both the deserts and the oases of relationships. Though "The Second Album" is filled with one strong cut after another-even more consistently than "25 Things" (possibly due to the shear number of songs on the latter) – Garner seems most at home on the acoustic singer/songwriter work he is known for in his many live performances around the region. "Where Are You Now", recorded live, is a real standout, exemplifying his striking talent for intimate connection in delivering his heart-felt lyrics.
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A FIRST REVIEW OF "25 THINGS":
25 THINGS/Dan Garner
A sprawling, ambitious project with 25 songs, ³25 Things² paints a diverse
sonic and lyrical landscape that showcases Garner¹s broad diversity of
musical influences.
At times displaying the perceptive intellect of a Leonard Cohen, at
others, exposing a Warren Zevon playful slyness, ³25 Things² cooks up a
gumbo that sacrifices stylistic continuity for an always surprising and
satisfying ³eclectricity.²
On the opening cut, ³I Told You Before,² Garner attempts to impart
world-wizended wisdom to his children, and that lyrical maturity is
masterfully counterbalanced with the raw musical energy of a proto-power
punk music bed. This is a great device for luring the kids in to listen to
the message with music they can relate to. Telling an obstinate,
know-it-all teen, ³you¹ve got more issues than Time Magazine² smartly sums
up every parents dilemma with their rebels with or without causes.
Garner moves from the energetic power of proto-punk to the realm of
³sensitive singer/songwriter² with effortless ease. In ³You¹re So
Beautiful² he tells the object of his affections that ³you¹re so beautiful,
you don¹t even know.² This is a subtle but searing romantic line guaranteed
to make a heart melt, right up there in a league with ³you had me at
hello.²
On several notable cuts like ³What Makes The World Go Round,² ³Someone Who
Can² and the unsentimentally nostalgic ³Bossier Strip² Garner slips into
the smooth blues grooves indigenous to this area .
Garner is not only a prolific writer but a well-versed student of the
musical history of this area and beyond. Given that talent, Garner
references several genre and artists without sounding like he is copying
any of them.
His vocals do occasionally evoke early Dylan and Nick Drake, even Michael
Franks here and there, but he never appears to be doing a cover. And, since
he wrote all the songs on the CD, he has kept everything well within the
range of his voice.
There are some stand out guest star s on ³25 Things² including guitarists
Mark Griffith, Ron Johnson and Dave Green; background vocalists Cookie
Garner and Amelia Blake and The Ever Ready Gospel Singers to name a few.
Ron Johnson¹s fluid, blistering lead work on ³Someone Who Can² channels
Stevie Ray Vaughn¹s swagger and Dave Green adds an alternative and
progressive fire to ³I Told You Before.² Griffith¹s ferocious space blues
attack on ³Bossier Strip² seems to come from a Boom Boom Room in a parallel
dimension.
The closing title cut gives us a hilarious menu of arm chair philosophical
nuggets encased in a musical shell of talking blues a la early Dylan. They
are guaranteed to make you think - and to make you smile, if not laugh out
loud. Remember, ³it ain¹t the jeans that make your butt look fat.²
Tales of love both lost and found; insights both profound and tongue in
cheek; superlative songwriting craft; and vocals comfortable in their own
skin. These elements make for one of the most entertaining and enjoyable
releases in recent memory.
All songs written by Dan Garner.
Produced by Dan Garner
Mastered and Released by Why The Hell Not Records
Art Design: J.K. Potter
--------------------------------------Karl Hasten, The Forum
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SOME OF MY ARTWORK...
Influences
MADAME K
JESSE THOMAS
..>
Paul
Big D's
Johnny "Slim" Campbell
Sounds Like
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Ever mind the Rule of Three
Three times what thou givest returns to thee
This lesson well, thou must learn
Thee only gets what thou dost earn
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Dan Garner, guitar, harmonica & vocals...Mark Griffith, lead guitar...Rick Willis, bass guitar...Randy Cassell, drums.
"Shreveport Sounds in Black and White" from the University Press of Mississippi, compiled by noted "Leadbelly" author, Kip Lornell and Tracey E. W. Laird!!
It's a page turner and a mind expander...you'll never look down the mean streets of Shreveport in the same light again.
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http://www.upress.state.ms.us/books/1068
Don't try this!!
BIO: Described as a singer/songwriter who paints a diverse sonic and lyrical landscape, showcasing a broad diversity of musical influences, Dan Garner is a veteran of the Blues Festival circuit as well as the Shreveport, Louisiana music scene, having played on practically every stage in the city, from clubs to casinos. His work has been compared to Nick Drake, Michael Franks, Paul Simon and Leonard Cohen meets Guy Clark. Dan was an apprentice for thirteen years to the late legendary pre-war bluesman, JesseThomas, recording and performing with him until Thomas’ death in 1995. Dan played with Thomas in venues and festivals across the country, including the New Orleans Jazz Festival and the Long Beach Blues Festival. Living Blues magazine referred to Garner’s work on the release of Thomas’ "Lookin’ For That Woman" as "well attuned." That description inspired the title for the Blue Goose Blues Records release of Dr. Cookie & Louisiana Dan’s "Attuned To The Blues". Through various labels, Garner has produced eleven releases, which span the genres of acoustic blues, rockabilly and gospel. In addition to documenting some of the vanishing music traditions of Northwest Louisiana, "Louisiana Dan" Garner has also produced music for commercials and jingles in the Americana tradition. Currently Garner works for The Tipitina’s Foundation of New Orleans and performs with Cookie & The Kingcakes, THE PATIO DADDY OS, The Velvet Swivel Rockers and as a solo singer/songwriter with a mission to keep the music traditions of Louisiana alive and well. He has recently contributed a chapter to the University Press of Mississippi’s "Shreveport Sounds In Black and White" a history of music in North Louisiana. "25 Things" is his first solo release and "The Second Album" is his second.
Garner marks his
Network Television debut on the series, "Sordid Lives" which airs on the LOGO Channel, July 23rd, ’08 10:PM EST. See clips below for a sneak preview.
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Sordid Lives Series Trailer - Full Length ..
I'm jealous that you made the Sordid premiere in NYC. Del invited me, personally, but I work in nonprofit. I would have slept behind a dumpster. I posted a comment to your Sordid bulletin, so you can read that there. Basically it's a big THANK you.
