Customer Reviews

Love and Fear

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

 

 

I am an unabashed Tom Russell fan. Anyone who writes for a living has to be. The first time I heard "The Sky Above, The Mud Below" -- an epic tale of twin Mexican horsethieves who stole the wrong horse from the wrong person ("he was the sheriff, the judge, he owned the hearse -- a man you did not anger") -- I was hooked. But it takes more than good writing to deliver a great song. It also takes solid musicianship and, in the case of a CD/record, good production work. It all comes together on "Love & Fear," a collection of 11 songs that will have anyone over 40 looking in the mirror and wondering if they could have done a better job with the years they've lived so far. Amazingly, there is no "filler" on this album; every song is a keeper in its own unique way. Highlights include "Beautiful Trouble," which warns of falling "in love with women half your age... you've found trouble, beautiful trouble"); "Stealing Electricity," with one of the most engaging chorus hooks in recent memory (just try NOT to sing along!); "Ash Wednesday," a gorgeous duet with the equally gorgeous Grethen Peters; and "All the Fine Young Ladies," a tale of regret and hope that Russell had been honing in his live shows for at least a year prior to the release of this album. Why Russell has not gained more widespread recognition is beyond me. The singing is consistently great, the music is always compelling and the songwriting is beyond stellar. And on "Love & Fear," Russell raises an already extremely high bar to new heights -- a truly magnificent accomplishment. If you don't know Tom Russell, it's time to get acquainted with one of America's musical treasures.

Like Columbus, I was looking for one thing and found another---namely, Tom Russell. Never heard of the guy. Now that I have, I plan on filling out my collection of his stuff. This is not one weak song on this album. Starts off with a strong, I am in the fight now and forever number,"the Pugulist at 59". Got some regret numbers, like "All the fine young woman" and the "sound of one heart breaking" and a few of redemption and of the it will be all right variety, like "It Goes Away." The songs are, in fact all, about Love and Fear. But they are pivot songs, written by someone who has learned a few(well, more than a few) lessons but still has time to put the lessons to use. Like the writer said, life can only be understood looking backwards, but lived going forward. Russell gets that and we are all the better for it.

Eddy Arnold once wrote about music by, for and about grown ups. In many ways that is a more apt description of this album than any genre you attempt to classify it in. Much like the witty and wonderful Guy Forsyth and the starkly poetic Lucinda Williams, Tom Russell seems to be that rare artist who actually makes Americana, and like them his making of the music pre-dates it by several decades. He shares with Forsyth and Williams a critical and wry eye towards living in the 50s. "There's a fine line between a heavyweight champ and a used up old clown" he states in "The Pugalist is 59." He then proceeds though a series of songs many of which, like "Beautiful Trouble" and "Four Chambered Hearts" find him on the clown side of the line. Highlights include two heartbreaking numbers "Stolen Babies" ("When parents play get even games they cheat by stealing kids.") and the haunting duet with the awesome Gretchen Peters "Ash Wednesday." But there really aren't any lowlights on this impressive collection. He brings you around full circle and takes you on the trip of a literal lifetime.

I'm new to his music, and mystified at how so much of life's experiences are packed into the songs. The words are so harmonic and mix perfectly with the instrumentals. All frequencies are rich and pleasing. The selection "KC Violin" alone is worth the price of the disc. How many realize that "Stealing Electricity" is based in fact. I have seen Mexicans throw metal hooks attached to steel cables over power lines and use the stolen power to weld. I had a joyous belly laugh at that song. Phrases like "califlower heart" and many other subtle expressions reflect his unique talent with words. A remarkable production.

Tom sounding right cranky about that middle age thing. The opener, The Pugilist, grabs with a great hook tied to a twist on caffeine and alcohol for starting the day after. After that, the songs take a run through life, family and love with what starts as bitterness but becomes bittersweet when wrapped around music and time. Getting aged but knowing the alternative is no good.

Tom Russell is a master storyteller and songwriter. I do not see how anyone could listen to the song Beautiful Trouble and not be haunted by the music, words and story.

The whole CD is very well done. Russell is at his best reminiscing. Probably "Pugilist at 59" is my favorite, but "Love and Fear" has enough dimensions that you're going to hear something different each time you listen--and you will want to listen.

The one reason for the deduction of a star is because the CD doesn't seem to burn on iTunes. Since this is now how I keep track of my collection, I'm very disappointed.

After reading all the critical praise for Love and Fear, I expected a lot more than I got. I mean, the hosannahs were sung so high, I expected this CD to be akin to the second coming. However, its far from that. This is one CD I actually liked less the more I listened to it. Once I had listened at least a dozen times, I was able to get past the dissonance experienced in the contrast between my high expectations and the reality of what I heard.
The reality is that Love and Fear is not a great album, but neither is it a bad one. Russell starts out strong with Pugilist at 59, a stark tale of growing old alone while being stalked by the demons of alcohol and caffeine. The brooding Beautiful Trouble builds on the promise offered by the opening cut. But then the spell is broken by the mildly humorous but musically awful Stealing Electricity. C'mon Tom, what is this garbage?
The spell broken, the quality of the rest of the CD fluctuates. The best of the rest are It All Goes Away and the gorgeous Old Heart which ends the CD. Four-Chambered Heart offers an interesting simile and musically, it is the hardest-driving piece on the CD. The mawkish and whiny sob song Stolen Children vies with Stealing Electricity for the title of worst song on the album.
If you are already a Tom Russell fan, you will find much to like here. But be honest, its not among his best. I like Russell, and I like Love and Fear. But I will certainly be skipping over the last two mentioned songs whenever I have the CD on.

This CD has a different "sound" than other recent Tom Russell CDs. I love the lyrics, and I especially liked Kansas City Violin. If your already a Tom Russell fan, it's a definite must have. If your new to Tom, try Borderland and Modern Art first.