Customer Reviews

Play Don't Worry (Dig)

5 star:		(6)
4 star:		(5)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

When you listen to an imaginative, well written, superbly played and meticulously produced collection like 'Play Don't Worry' you get to wondering why some people become household names and others stay mostly in the shadows. With the exception of brief moments in the spotlight as David Bowie's guitar sidekick in the Spiders from Mars days and the guy who added the screaming guitar licks in Dylan's Hard Rain movie, Mick Ronson spent most of his career unknown by music fans but highly respected by artists as diverse as Bowie, Dylan, Morrissey, Ian Hunter and country rockers Pure Prarie League for his skills as a producer, arranger and musician. Sadly, only two of Ronson's five solo albums are still in print and Play Don't Worry shows him at his musically diverse best. From straight ahead rockers like 'White Light,White Heat' to R&B classics like 'This Girl Can't Help' it to traditional ballads like 'The Empty Bed', Ronson's versitility and remarkable guitar and piano skills shine. But the highlight of the album is Angel #9, a country-folk tune transformed into a metal guitar romp by a guy who helped create that genre. A music world that's all too predictable these days could use a few creative people like Mick Ronson but he unfortunately died of cancer in 1993. You should get Play Don't Worry and anything else you can find by this remarkable artist while you still can.

Mick Ronson is and always will be one of my favorite guitarists, as well as all-around musician; his guitar sound is distinctive and recognizable, but equally impressive was his talent as a producer and arranger, having produced many classic albums by artists ranging from Lou Reed to Morrissey and even John Cougar Mellencamp. He was so much more than just the guitarist in David Bowie's backing band; he was an exciting, energetic and innovative musician. I think Bowie owes his entire career and it's success to Mick Ronson; without him, Bowie wouldn't have gone as far as he did in such a short time!

"Play Don't Worry" is an aptly titled album; right from the start, Ronson wastes no time in taking his own advice and letting his guitar playing go full-tilt. On the track "Billy Porter", Ronson plays all of the instruments, receiving only backing vocal support. Other standout tracks include "Angel No. 9" (boasting some fierce and fiery wah-wah guitar), the Lou Reed/Velvet Underground classic "White Light/White Heat", and the great title track. Ronson also displays his more delicate and sensitive side on tracks like the excellent "The Empty Bed" (the overdubbed acoustic guitar intro is FABULOUS), and "Hazy Days", with it's infectious, feel-good-all-over atmosphere.

I highly recommend this album to anyone; discover for yourself how immensely talented Mick Ronson was and how the music world lost one of it's true originals back in 1993. Rest in peace, Mick; you are sorely missed!

This album has some amazing tracks!!! Essential for fans of David Bowie, where Ronson worked on some of his best early 70s work.

1. "Billy Porter" - A+...great opener
2. "Angel No. 9" - A+...awesome guitar solo
3. "This Is for You" - A...slower number, on par with Bowie's Hunky Dory songs
4. "White Light/White Heat" - A....Jammin' cover with a backing track David Bowie omitted from "Pin Ups"
5. "Play Don't Worry" - A
6. "Hazy Days" - A+
7. "Girl Can't Help It" - C+...a little weaker song
8. "Empty Bed (Io Me Ne Andrei)" - A - great poetic song
9. "Woman" - B-... so-so song

[edit] Bonus tracks

1. "Seven Days" - C
2. "Stone Love" "(Soul Love)" - B
3. "I'd Rather Be Me" - A-
4. "Life on Mars?" B
5. "Pain in the City" - B... reminds me of Bob Dylan's "The Lonesome Death of Hattie Carroll"
6. "Dogs (French Girl)" - A
7. "Seven Days" [Alternate Take]
8. "28 Days Jam" (Ronson)
9. "Woman" [Alternate Take]

With an appreciative nod to the great players still around, it remains a sad fact that the most gifted guitarists always seem to leave us long before they should. Mick Ronson places toward the top of that list. Contrary to the typical bio, Ronson's career spanned a much wider spectrum of accomplishment than just being "David Bowie's guitar player".He produced a number of other artist's albums, guested on countless sessions, and released several excellent solo albums, of which this was one of the best. Ronson may not have possessed the world's best singing voice, but with that unbelievably transcendant guitar tone and sustain, who cares! The re-issue also features a generous helping of bonus tracks of varying quality and/or historical interest. Required listening for guitar afficiandos.

mick never got recognize enough in the U.S. . Being over shadowed by Bowie even after death radio will play zigge stardust. But by far his best work is play don't worry it has great new sound and shows the versatile Mick . also showing Micks great arrangement of this cd .Not to mention the awesome & clean guitar work and clean sustaines in songs like angel # 9

It seems that people have lost out big time with CDs. This album and the other review (by Marco) of it are a case in point.

If albums were still around people could read the liner notes. In this case, if you were to read the liner notes on Bowie's Hunky Dory and Ziggy albums you would see that the so-called Bowie sound during the glam-rock era is basically heavily influenced, if not created, by Mick Ronson (on the back of Hunky Dory there is a dedication thanking Mick). Mick wrote the arrangements and orchestrations basically writing the sound. He was also the defacto bandleader, very similar to how Leon Russell worked for Cocker ("Maddogs and Englishmen"), Harrison ("Concert for Bangladesh") and Clapton ("Eric Clapton" - the one where he is sitting in a chair on the cover).

There are some great rock tunes on this album "White Light/White Heat" being the prime example and probably the style Mick liked the best himself. I had the opportunity to meet him in a studio once. I was helping a drummer friend out who was auditioning for Mick. All of the stuff Mick played that night was like "White Light/White Heat". Real scorching guitar stuff.

One of my favorite songs on the album is "Empty Bed (Io Me Ne Andrei)". In fact I was just discussing this song last night with some people as an example of how rock musicians (and I guess Country ones as well) seem to write about lost love more than anything.

I've been looking for a CD of this album for a long time. He is one of my all-time favorite guitar players. On this album he shows all his talents. He plays most of the instruments himself, has arranged all the tracks, and has written some great songs. If you don't know who Mick Ronson is, get this album and find out.

Ok, guys, "Life On Mars" was written by Bob Barnes, A.K.A. Roscoe West (The Yellow Payges/Kinky Friedman and his Texas Jewboys) and was the song Mick sang every night on the first Rolling Thunder Review tour in 1975.

A friend of mine turned me onto this record in the late 70s, and after a reluctant first/second listen, it slowly turned to out to be one of those classics that deeply effected me, via a slow burn.

As time past, I learned the Mick Ronson was basically David Bowie's "right-hand man" on Changes thru Ziggy Startdust. I wanted to believe that Mick could take his own work to the Bowie level (in hindsight - an unreasonable expectation).

But, don't be mislead! This is a classic! Mick does exactly as the title states, he plays on his first solo record without worry. What comes out of it - a fresh sound, that was only his. In my opinion, he never got to the same level of workmanship on his subsequent solo projects.

Cheers and Happy Listening.

fyi - its not a cover of Bowie's magnificent life on mars but a completely different tune