Customer Reviews

Closer To The Bone (180g Vinyl)

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In his 70s now, Kris Kristofferson has nothing to prove. His last couple records have shown that--intimate, acoustic arrangements complete with personal, highly poetic lyrics that shun the story-songs of yesteryear, instead emphasizing reflection and contentment. This leads to records that aren't as overwhelmingly amazing as his earlier work, but are somehow more mature, more satisfying on the whole.

Such is CLOSER TO THE BONE. Few of these songs could stand, alone, among his best; but together, they create a reflective collection that is nothing less than astonishing. The album is much in the vein of THIS OLD ROAD; in fact, this could be considered a "sequel" album of sorts. Kristofferson has songs on here about his kids ("From Here to Forever"), his wife ("Holy Woman"), Johny Cash ("Good Morning John," including the heart-stopping line "You can lose your mind and memory/But you won't lose me as a friend"), and other people near and dear to him. The album is made oddly complete by the inclusion of a hidden track, the first full song he wrote (at age 11) entitled "I Hate Your Ugly Face." Even as a kid, he knew how to put it honestly.

And that's a word that sums up this whole album: honest. A Rhodes Scholar, a movie star, a sex symbol, a living legend...Kris Kristofferson is, first and foremost, the world's preeminent songwriter of honest, lasting songs. CLOSER TO THE BONE ranks with THIS OLD ROAD as his most captivating album; even if the songs here don't rank, individually, among his best work, as a whole they create a beautiful, elegant portrait of a man who's found contentment in his life...and, thank God, is talented enough to write about it.

Kris Kristofferson is one of American's greatest songwriters, he is part of that elite group that includes masters such as Bob Dylan and Townes Van Zandt. Kristofferson's voice has always been a rough and limited instrument, he once likened his own singing to the croaking of a frog, but in spite of this (or perhaps because of it) he manages to transmit a sense of true significance and meaning through the performances of his songs in a way that a pretty-but-empty, american idol-esque voice could never replicate. When Kristofferson sings, its not to show off an impressive range through various vocal acrobatics, but rather to communicate some truth, something of importance to his audience.

This latest release maintains the high level of excellence that one has come to expect of Kristofferson. "Closer to the Bone" can legitimately stand alongside the best of Kristofferson's vast catalogue. It is perhaps more quiet and contemplative than his early masterpieces, but that is perfectly reasonable given Kristofferson's age and the accompanying realization that there are more days behind than there are ahead. Nonetheless, when all is said and done, he is still the best!

This is a really nice intimate traditional country/folk album. I grew up listening to a lot of Kris' country stuff in the 80's and this is a nice stripped-down version of the singer. Nothing earth-shattering going on just well-made, heartfelt songs stripped to the bone (haha) for maximum impact and a stark beauty. Highly recommended for fans of simple guitar-and-vocal tales of heartbreak, dreams, love and loneliness.

This is a very special CD. Kris has done it again and that is he's bought me to tears with some of his songs but then took them away with his bonus track that he wrote when he was 11 yrs old. This one had me laughing again. Kris is natural on this CD just a down to earth type of guy. I will always love this Man not just for his many talents but because he believes in the same things I believe in and that is...FREEDOM, JUSTICE, MERCY, and PEACE! He is a hard man to find, A good man to find but a one of a kind Man who could never be replaced by anyone. God Bless you Kris Kristofferson!

Kris Kristofferson has been astounding us with his remarkable songwriting for four decades now. Most normal people would run out of material by now. But he's a master and masters just do not run out of material. Their minds are always clicking, their eyes are always seeing, and their ears are always hearing. They never completely stop. They may rest every now and then, but never totally stop.

Such is the case of Kris Kristofferson's latest recording, Closer to the Bone, due for release on September 29th from New West Records. The songs are simple, acoustic gems you will love from the very start. They are songs of the human condition. These are songs of undying love, songs about our demons, songs of love lost, and songs of our devotion to one another.

All of the lyrics are profound and poetic as is expected from Mr. Kristofferson. For instance, in Sister Sinead he intones; "Maybe she's crazy, and maybe she ain't. So was Picasso and so were the Saints. She's never been partial to shackles or chains, she's to old for breakin' and to young to tame". As you can see the lyrics are rich in texture and the acoustic guitar along with harmonica and accordion add to the texture of the lyrics.

Good Morning John was written by Kristofferson for his long time friend and teacher of the ways of the entertainment industry, the late great Johnny Cash, about his self destructive fight with addiction which took place early in his career. But it's also about how deeply he inspired Kristofferson. "God Bless you John, for the love and joy you've given and the livin' inspiration that you are.... I Love you John....."

Me being a Father myself, I took a partial liking to From Here to Forever. It's a tribute he wrote for his children. You can tell how much he loves his children by listening to him sing his heart out to them. "I'll love you from Here to Forever, and be there where ever you go". It's mostly just Kristofferson, his guitar and his harmonica, and it's a very intimate look into his personal and deep relationship with his kids.

Closer To The Bone features Kristofferson on vocals, guitar and harmonica, Don Was on bass, Rami Jaffee on keyboards, Jim Keltner on drums, and longtime friend, and deeply missed, Stephen Bruton on guitar, mandolin and background vocals. The record is dedicated to Mr. Bruton. Everything was written by Mr. Kristofferson except for From Here to Forever, which he wrote with Stephen Bruton and Glen Clark.

The entire album is richly produced. You would swear it came out from under your dirt covered boots; growing all around you and encompassing your body, your soul, and especially your heart. Every track has a very earthy feel to it and emotionally involves the listener on nearly every single song. This is something missing from most recordings today.

Closer to the Bone was an absolute pleasure to listen to from start to finish. How could it not be with Don Was (Rolling Stones, Bob Dylan, Bonnie Raitt) at the helm. He's known for his rich and beautifully produced recordings. His touch is present throughout. Mr. Was also produced Kristofferson's last record, the equally impressive, This Old Road.


`Rebel' Rod says to absolutely check out this gem from a master.

I have been a Kris Kristofferson fan since the early 70's, but I think this is the very best of all his albums. The words of the songs and his voice are inseparable; when others sing his songs, they fall flat. For me there is a bit of melancholy that reaches down deep into my soul and touches and draws out all sadness, moodiness, loneliness, and other bad stuff, throws it on the table and says, look at it, it's nothing. Lately I've been bombarded with too much uncertainty and stress and all the deep breathing in the world couldn't produce the sense of calm and confidence that I get from listening to this music. The older he gets, the better his voice sounds. It's a very soulful experience.

[...]

The poet prince writes again
Published in

New Straits Times Press
Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
Monday 2009/11/16

BY ERROL DE CRUZ

American music icon Kris Kristofferson is back with his 15th solo album, an acoustic recording about his friends, love and tenderness. ERROL DE CRUZ writes.

HE'S won more than a dozen awards since his debut in 1971 with Me and Bobby McGee. He was described by the late Johnny Cash as a visionary. Above all that, he has the undisputed reputation of having changed the landscape of country music songwriting.

With hits like Help Me Make It Through The Night, For The Good Times, Sunday Morning Coming Down, Me and Bobby McGee, From The Bottle To The Bottom and Why Me, Lord? he inspired Nashville's writers, some of whom called him the most refreshing thing since Hank Williams.

Kris Kristofferson, the poet prince of country music, is back with his 15th solo album, aptly entitled Closer To The Bone, and like poets down the annals of history, he writes of what he sees and experiences, or as someone described, recently, "songs built on emotional bedrock", when the composer was honoured with an Icon Award from performance rights organisation BMI.

His vast experience before he eloped to Nashville to become a songwriter included stints as a college athlete, Golden Gloves boxer, member of Phi Beta Kappa, Rhodes scholar, US Army captain and helicopter pilot.

Once there, he went from janitor to award-winning actor, composer and undisputed star.




In his early albums -- Spooky Lady's Sideshow, The Silver-Tongued Devil And I, Border Lord and Who's To Bless And Who's To Blame? he recorded his life's story, most significantly, the booze and mind-altering drugs, the chances he took, the dues he'd paid and the women he loved and left.

Then came the protester and political activist who hounded his government for interfering in the affairs of South American nations like Nicaragua on several albums, including Repossessed and Third World Warrior.

It then seemed like he took a hiatus and it wasn't until 2006 that he finally resurfaced and reclaimed his throne.

Thanks to his skillful penmanship, a host of highly-reputed crooners, groovers and rockers turned to the Kristofferson trove for their hits.

His debut album alone brewed hits for an eclectic list, including Roger Miller and Janis Joplin (Me and Bobby McGee), Sammi Smith and Gladys Knight (Help Me Make It Through The Night) and Johnny Cash (Sunday Morning Coming Down).

The plethora of love songs and catchy ditties from his 15 solo outings were recorded by the who's who of music -- Frank Sinatra, Bobby Bare, Roger Whittaker, Elvis Presley, Rita Coolidge, Val Doonican and even Millie Jackson who recorded his If You Don't Like Hank Williams (You Can Kiss My Ass), replacing Williams' name with hers!

Kristofferson wrote, sang, spoke and reeked of a life he had lived. When his discoverer and country star Johnny Cash wanted to sing his Sunday Morning, Coming Down on TV, he was instructed to remove a line -- ... wishing, Lord, that I was stoned ... -- but Cash stood his ground, saying: "If that's the way Kris wrote it, that's how I'm singing it".

That cover garnered Cash the Country Music Association Award for Song of the Year in 1970.

Kristofferson's poetry attracted many music stars and also resulted in at least three tribute albums, the first -- The Pilgrim -- by country stars like Emmylou Harris, Randy Scruggs, Rosanne Cash, Rodney Crowell, Shooter Jennings, Patty Griffin, Jessi Colter and Willie Nelson.



Another -- Nothing Left To Lose -- was recorded by some rather young garage, soul and punk bands like the Handsome Family, Souled American, Califone, Calexico, Court And Spark, Milk Chopper, Radar Brothers, Granfaloon Bus, Virgil Shaw, Killer Views Band and Grandaddy.



A third, again by indie bands, was entitled Don't Let The Bastards Get You Down and featured the talents of interpreters like Polara, Mother Hips, Hannah Marcus, Mark Kozelek, John Doe, Oranger and more.

It was a respectful acknowledgement of the essence of Kristofferson's songs and just goes to show how eclectic his writing has been and the influences he's had on three generations of recording artistes across a slew of genres.

The third stage in his evolution came with This Old Road which reflected crime and other social ills and crusaded understanding and forgiveness.

Kristofferson's latest studio outing, at age 73, is not just closer, but downright stripped to the bone, and the silver-tongued devil, is completely unplugged, his gravelly vocals pickled in lyrical brine, a heady cocktail of sawdust and honey.

The album, produced by Don Was (who plays bass), stars drummer Jim Keltner, Rami Jaffee on keyboards, and guitarist Stephen Bruton, who passed away shortly after finishing this album.

Closer To The Bone is dedicated to Bruton's memory and is kept burning with Kristofferon's poetry all over again and this time around, he's writing about his friends, about love and tenderness.

Cool shadows fall through the moonlight, soft as the breeze through your hair, and the smile on face when you're sleeping, is the answer to anyone's prayer comes through on From Here To Forever dedicated to his kids and so is:

Darling, if you need a reason for living,

Do it for love and for me.

Kristofferson's most touching, heart-breaking lines on this album are in Hall Of Angels, a song he wrote for the late Eddie Rabbitt who had lost his son Timmy to biliary atresia (a liver ailment) in 1985. Rabbitt, incidentally, passed away from lung cancer, several years later.

In this one, Kristofferson, writes as if from a parallel universe:

I dreamed of a young band of angels that shone like the stars from above,

For each held a bright burning candle, except for the angel that I loved.

Then I asked why their candles were burning and why that hers wasn't the same,

She said: Oh Daddy, each time that I try to light it, your tears just keeping drowning the flame.

Good Morning, John is probably the only song Kristofferson was ever commissioned to write. As he said in a recent interview with Aquarium Drunkard, it was Johnny Cash's wife June who'd asked him to write a song when Cash came out of rehabilitation.

"It was the first time I was asked to write," Kristofferson had said, bemusedly. "I usually write when it hits me."

Good Morning, John, written for The Highwaymen (Waylon Jennings, Willie Nelson, Cash and Kristofferson), was never recorded by the legendary quartet.

Kristofferson's affair with bare acoustic recording began in 1999, when he released The Austin Sessions, stark naked versions of his biggest and earliest hits, with vocal accompaniment from such stars as Jackson Browne, Steve Earle, Matraca Berg, Vince Gill, Marc Cohn, Alison Krauss, Catie Curtis and Mark Knopfler.

He followed that acoustic trek with This Old Road in 2006, his first album of originals in 11 years.

Now, three years later, he's back with this 12-tracker which he's currently touring with dates confirmed right into February.

Over the last 40 years, he's toured with several outfits, first with sessionists like Billy Swan, Donnie Fritts, Terry Paul and Jerry Kennedy, followed by the Borderlords, then the legendary The Highwaymen and now, he's come full circle, playing to packed houses.

There's something in all that because they haven't come to hear instrumental masterpieces. They come to hear the man and his guitar, maybe a mournful harmonica, every once in a while and they know he's right. Everything is sweeter, closer to the bone.

Closer to the bone

Tracks: Closer To The Bone, From Here To Forever, Holy Woman, Starlight And Stone, Sister Sinead, Hall Of The Angels, Love Don't Live Here Anymore, Good Morning John, Tell Me One More Time, Let The Walls Come Down, The Wonder, I Hate Your Ugly Face (bonus track).

The Deluxe Edition includes a bonus CD with This Old Road, The Final Attraction, Sunday Mornin' Comin' Down, The Silver Tongued Devil and I, For The Good Times, A Moment Of Forever, Don't Let The Bastards Get You Down and Why Me? recorded live at The Olympia Theatre in Dublin, Ireland on March 21, last year and fold-out poster.

For more, you can visit [...].

Kris hasn't lost it. He is still the modern day poet of the heart of America

It's now over 40 years ,and over 60 albums;and with Kris in his 70's ;he deserves the title of a Living Legend.What great songs he has written and sung for us.There are few who can be grouped with the best such as Hank Willims,Johnny Cash,Willie Nelson,Woody Guthrie and such;and Kris Kristoffersonis certainly one of them.The thing that raises these artists above the rest is not only the number of songs they wrote and sang but how widespread their songs have become and how many other artists have also recorded them.Along with that, is the variety of their songs and new directions their music took.All this will result in their music becomming known and will continue long after their days among us are over.
With all these artists,there are songs of theirs that immediately come to mind and one associates with them;For instance,Hank Williams and "Your Cheating Heart";Johnny Cash and "Folsom Prison";Willie Nelson and "On The Road Again" ;Woody Guthrie and "This Land Is Your Land" and Kris Kristofferson and "Sunday Morning Coming Down"..or pick your own.These songs will be with us for generations.
All these artists wrote and sang thousands of other songs that are not as well known and I believe many fans find many of their other songs their favorites.As an example,with Hank Williams ,my favorite has always been a lesser known song "The First Fall Of Snow".
The reason I have said this is that the songs on this CD are exceptionally good,all but one were written by Kris,and they are all filled with deep emotions and thoughts;which by the way will have personal meaning to anyone who listens to them.This is very important,and when one can have a song seem to apply to their own life and experiences;it becomes a special and favorite to them.
The songs on this album are just that type of songs.Maybe none of them will ever become top sellers ;but that doesn't matter.Surely,they will tug at the heartstrings of the listener,and isn't that what is really important.
Kris never fails to surprise us with his songs and the one he included at the end of the album is such a song.It is the first full song that he ever wrote;and it is amazing that the ideas in this song came from someone only 11 years old..but then Kris has continually amazed us.
It is a CD that I will listen to often ;and suggest any of Kris's fans will treasure it.

I have been a Kristofferson fan from the start of his career and have all his albums. Now in his Seventies, he still surpasses expectations with the production of the heartfelt, emotionally-moving release, "Closer to the Bone." Kristofferson followers will love it. "Thank you, Kris!"