Customer Reviews

Blue Boy

5 star:		(18)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

Brilliant---maybe the best thing I’ve heard all year(right up there with the Old 97’s album). Subtle, refined music---wry lyrics---unobtrusive production---totally at odds with the stuff on the radio(cause to rejoice). Occasionally melancholy and mellow but definitely not overly so. “Foolproof” sounds like a standard from the 30's and he pulls it off. Each song has its own merits. A solid piece of work (possibly a classic in my humble opinion).

. . . and if you listen to Ron Sexsmith's latest, you'll understand why. The melodies, the lyrics, the sometimes smooth-as-caramel/sometimes touchingly-croaky voice all hint at elements of Macca's and Elvis's decades of acclaimed songwriting. And THIS may turn out to be one of 2001's "best kept secrets" in the music industry. Those who swear by Top 40 radio to get "the latest" are missing out on a gem of a record.
Standouts on _Blue Boy_ include the touching story of a woman who, with her kids, flees from her husband and finds sanctuary in a "Cheap Hotel"; this song's simple, subtle melody allows Sexsmith's poignant lyrics to take center stage. "Don't Ask Why" would find a comfortable home on any album by McCartney, Costello, Nick Lowe, or the like; a simple pop melody (using tried-and-true guitar chords like D, Am, Bm) but addictive after a few listens. "Tell Me Again" is one of many songs that highlight Sexsmith's "sheepish", self-deprecating (but nonetheless intriguing and endearing) sides, as he asks the one he loves to repeat what was just said, having been lost in thought. Likewise, "Not too Big" also showcases this self-deprecating side, but with a bit more cynicism, backed by a more upbeat, shuffling, blues-y melody (perhaps similar to Little Feat, in some oblique way?)
This album will be in my Top 5 Albums of 2001. I highly recommend giving this one a listen; you will be pleasantly suprised again and again, with each track.

This newest release from Ron Sexsmith might initially freak out some oldtime fans who have come to know Sexsmith's soft, warm and pop-folkish tunes. Those characteristics certainly aren't missing from Blue Boy, but on this new and most eclectic album to date some stuff will jump out and tilt your head, at first. R.S. gets more bluesy, more funky, more off-beat and definitely more up-tempo on this one. He raises his voice more than I've heard before, and even throws some reggae/ska in the mix. I admit, I was scared at first listen, wondering if he was getting too experimental. But as I took it in 3 and 4 times over, the songs began to seep in and touch my soul like only Ron's songs can. Even with the almost-edgyness of some of these tracks, his honest, real sounds and strong yet sublte lyrics come through and personfy greatness. Ron can, apparently, do no wrong. Amen.

I listened to this CD at a listening station at a local store, and I literally cried when I got to track 4. Why? Well, besides staying up late too much lately, I was sitting there thinking about how amazing the production is -- the drums sound so beautiful, the horns so good, the guy's voice is incredible, but not over-controlled. I was just blown away at what an amazing mood he creates. The songwriting is also top notch. Every song could just about be covered by a big name star in any musical genre and the person would have a bonafide hit on their hands. If you like Paul Westerberg, if you like Paul Simon, if you like Wilco (think SummerTeeth) if you like Brian Wilson, if you like Elvis Costello, etc. then this album will fit you like a glove. Steve Earle's production help is nothing but positive because the overall sound and its simplicity doesn't interfere with these great songs, but rather brings them out starkly. If you eschew the "wall of sound" muddiness of bands who don't know how to record (U2, etc) then you'll appreciate this music a great deal. On one song you can hear the brushes on the snare drum, the hi-hat being closed by the foot pedal and then a horn comes in.... Wow.

This is Sexsmith's most immediately appealing album yet. The trio of recordings he did with Mitch Froom in the 1990s (Ron Sexsmith, Other Songs and Whereabouts) are all wonderful, but their charms emerged gradually, with repeated listens. Not so with Blue Boy. Part of the credit goes to Steve Earle's production, which is clean and spacious while still managing to be a little rough around the edges (the CD was apparently recorded in a matter of days). But Sexsmith's songwriting, as always, is the true wonder. He has a singular talent for writing songs with hooks that work without banging you over the head. His singing, meanwhile, continues to grow more confident--Blue Boy features the best vocal work of his career. Sexsmith isn't an experimental artist on the order of Radiohead or Elvis Costello. He merely writes good songs ("just melodies with words," to paraphase "This Song"), and presents them unadorned. The fact that that approach has sustained four excellent albums is testament to his huge talent as a writer.

If the world were possibly a bit more of a perfect place, and albums sold purely on their merits, this would make it to the top of the charts. If it doesn't quite get there, hopefully it might come as at least some consolation that (if there were such a place) it would now be No.1 in heaven, and the likes of Buddy Holly, John Lennon, Cole Porter, Roy Orbison and Harry Nilsson would be touring together playing "Blue Boy" and spreading the gospel about a most remarkable talent named Ron Sexsmith.

PS: I don't know what album the two people behind the poor reviews below were listening to. Song writing, melody, lyrics, and music full stop, don't get much better than this

It's hard to descibe an album like this, or Ron Sexsmith's music generally, without sounding gushy and over the top. I'm sure if you listen to it though, you'll quickly understand what I mean. If your not already with Ron's music, you might also want to check out his first, self titled record, which since its release around 5 years ago, has already become a classic, and is simply one of best bodies of music going. His other two are almost just as good. Paul McCartney, Elvis Costello, Elton John, Paul Simon, Cheryl Crowe and Sarah McClaughlin are some of Rons biggest fans, and it's easy to understand why. Do your heart and mind a favour, break open your piggy bank, and join the club.

This album is worth buying simply because it's by Ron Sexsmith. He's not one for whom superlatives are usually used (nor is he one to indulge in hyperbole), but he is just about the best thing going in music today.
A master of melody, he is also a talented and understated lyricist. Then there's his voice. One honest and artless, yet inifinitely expressive. Sexsmith's struggles are those of any introverted, sensitive soul trudging through everyday life, with all its unromantic mundanity (he's from St. Catharine's, Ontario -- an unspiring town, as anyone knows who has passed through by bus). What draws us to his music is the plain, clear insight he brings.
"Foolproof" is the song of a man who has hardened himself to love, but whose resigning tone tells us he knows it won't last.
"Tell Me Again" is of one who's just heard those three simple words but is sure he must have misheard.
"Just My Heart Talkin'" is a 2-minute gem about those little disagreements we often have between our hearts and minds (or feet and eyes, in this case).
Not all his efforts are successful: The first song, "This Song" is a misguided attempt at cheeriness by an artist clearly more at home with melancholy, or at least a guarded optimism. Nonetheless, here the author of "Secret Heart" and "Strawberry Blonde" has presented another collection of pure, beautiful music, one which reveals more of itself with each listen.

Dear reader:

If you'd like to hear a 30 minute broadcast of Ron talking with Terry Gross on Fresh Air, all you have to do is go to npr.com, do a search for Ron Sexsmith, and you'll be there. It's a great show, all about this album, with him talking about why he wrote the songs, with some live performances. If you want to know more about this outstanding singer/song writer, check him out on the radio. He sure does seem like an awful nice guy, too--wish he was a friend of mine.

This is my first experience with Ron Sexsmith. Word of mouth brought me to him and glad it did. Very tuneful pop-folk. Steve Earle is involved, but his influence is not as strong as on some of his other proteges. In fact, Sexsmith -- in voice, compositions and variety of arrangements -- most reminds me of Freedy Johnston. Immediate highlights include the runaway abused woman of Cheap Hotel, and the would-be model son of Never Been Done. But Sexsmith's forte is the romantic, slightly dazed and dreamy, can't quite believe this is happening love song, as in Tell Me Again and Just My Heart Talkin'. This is a talent worth hearing and we'll be hearing more from him.