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Chip Taylor/Carrie Rodriguez Let's LeaveThis Town |
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Track List 1. Sweet Tequila 2. Him Who Saved Me 3. Extra 4.There's A Hole In The Midnight 5. Let's Leave This Town 6. Storybook Children 7. Do Your Part 8. His Eyes 9. Say Little Darlin' 10. Midnight On The Water 11. You Are Danger 12. Was That For Me
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(Texas Music Group) Chip Taylor has been a legend in the
field of songwriting for decades, penning hit songs across many genres.
He's penned songs as diverse as "Wild Thing," "Angel Of The Morning"
(which topped the charts three times, decades apart), and "The Real
Thing," which has has recently been recorded not once, but thrice, in
just the past year (Rodney Hayden, Monty & The Pythons, and George
Strait). Chip has earned the title of having the longest span of #1 hits
in music history. The artists that have recorded his songs are just as
diverse, ranging from The Troggs, Janis Joplin, Jimi Hendrix and
Shaggy, to Waylon Jennings, Emmylou Harris, Bobby Bare, Juice Newton,
and George Strait. Chip was also a producer (James Taylor, Neil
Diamond), and recording artist in his own right during the 70's. He put
out several albums, however, his music was at the time considered
"progressive" and never quite "in sync" with Nashville's. In retrospect,
today he's considered one of the grandfathers of the alt-country scene.
He left music in the 80's to pursue a career as a professional gambler.
He made quite a good living at it, as he was banned from all the major
casinos in Atlantic City, as well as several in Las Vegas and Europe. In
1995, his mother became seriously ill, and he returned home to be with
her. While there, he played music for her, as she was always his biggest
fan who always encouraged her children to follow their dreams. (Chip's
real name is James Wesley Voight, and turns out he wasn't the only
talent in the family. His brother happens to be actor Jon Voight.) While
spending time with his mother, he realized he missed the creativity of
music, and put his gambling career aside and returned to music, both
writing and recording. Since then he's put out a succession of albums:
Hit Man (1996), The Livingroom Tapes (1997), Seven
Days In May (1999), The London Sessions Bootleg+ (2000)
and Black And Blue America (2001).
Carrie Luz Rodriguez hails from Austin, the daughter of
noted Texas songwriter David Rodriguez. She began playing violin at age
5, and pursued the serious musical study of classics, as well as jazz,
country and folk. Throughout school she consistently made all state
honors as a violinist and concertmaster. She earned a scholarship to the
Oberlin Conservatory of Music. She's recorded with Patty Griffin and
appeared with Lyle Lovett. She's also played the more traditional fiddle
music with her dad as well as Don Walser.
Chip happened upon Carrie during her performance at South
By Southwest in 2001. He was not only taken with her amazing talent, but
saw something very special in her. He asked her if she'd be interested
in going on the road with him for his upcoming European tour, an offer
she accepted. Up until this point Carrie did not sing, she only did
instrumentals. Chip asked her if she could sing. She told him she could
sing a little harmony, but that was about it. However, Chip was
impressed with her voice, and coaxed her into trying a duet with him.
They tried it out in front of an audience, and the crowd went wild for
Carrie. They performed the song again at the next show, and it was met
with the same reaction. Chip added another, and soon began writing
more songs they could duet on, and these duets became the highlight of
the show. That's when he knew he was right about Carrie, and these songs
needed to be recorded. And so on Let's Leave This Town, Chip
presents to the world, not only his latest collection of songs, but this
amazingly talented newcomer, Carrie Rodriguez.
Carrie has a truly wonderful voice, full of thick Texas
twang, and lots of sauce and sass, the perfect balance to Chip's easy
going, but worldly wise vocals. And Carrie is a truly stellar
violinist/fiddler. At times they play off each other's vocals and it
comes off as nothing less than brilliant fun- the young sassy attitude
of Carrie's vocals, met with the vocals of an old road warrior sounding
almost bemused by her exuberance and energy. They also have great
vocal chemistry between them on the more serious
and passionate/emotionally aching songs, that adds even more depth and
strength to them. Let's Leave This Town is heavy on the quieter
moments of country/folk, but there's plenty of uptempo touches
throughout the disc, incorporating a dash of swing, some bluesy
undertones, a little country-grass, and even a bit of torch and twang.
Let's Leave This Town opens with the uptempo
"Sweet Tequila Blues," a traditional number about not wanting to settle
down anywhere but in Austin. "Him Who Saved Me" starts out hymn-like and
changes tempo between verses and chorus, a reflection on where the world
is heading if it stays on it's current path. Carrie's vocals really
shine on "Extra" a swing tune sung with joyous exuberance, about wanting
to reach for the stars and being in the mood for a little something
extra in her life. "There's A Hole In The Midnight" a
lonely weeper, finds two people that have loved and lost, meeting
and contemplating helping each other plug up the hole in the heart that
midnight thoughts bring.
The title track, "Let's Leave This Town" finds the
characters longing to leave the predictability of their lives behind for
some adventure and unpredictability. "Storybook Children" is a weeping,
torchy ballad of two lovers who can't be together because one happens
to married to someone else. The bluesy "Do Your Part" is a
standout, clever twist on PC-ism, excess, and too much bland sameness
in our society, and encourages people to do their part and make the
choice to be different. "His Eyes" is an
aching ballad about lovers parting.
Carrie really cuts loose and shines again on the uptempo country-grass
"Say Little Darlin', " about proposing marriage and how great life would
be after getting married. "Midnight On The Water" is a soft, dreamy
instrumental that showcases Carrie as an amazing talent on the fiddle.
"You Are Danger" is a disc highlight, about two defiant "outlaw" lovers
that are considered trouble, but who's passion for each other is so
strong, nothing will keep them apart. The disc's closer is "Was That For
Me," a slightly bluesy, torchy song asking if the signs being given,
were indeed meant as signs of love.
Chip Taylor has proven once again that the well is
still far from running dry yet in the songwriting department, and his
vocals are still as charmingly laid back as ever, though age has made
them a bit more comfortably worn around the edges. More importantly
though, this time around he's taken this opportunity to present
a young woman from Austin he saw great potential in, and debuts the very
multi-talented and wonderful Carrie Rodriguez for the first time for all
to enjoy. Let's Leave This Town is another feather in Chip's
cap, and Carrie Rodriguez is a very strong up and comer, who without
question, we'll undoubtedly be hearing plenty more great things from in
the future.
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AnnMarie
Harrington
Take Country Back September 2002