Customer Reviews

Old Souls & Wolf Tickets

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I was very delighted-no, overjoyed!-when I spotted Chuck E Weiss's low-key, no-publicity new album in a local music store. It wasn't displayed, it wasn't on the new-releases shelf, a single copy was simply and humbly filed next to his 1999 aptly titled LP "Extremely Cool". Chuck E is like one of your weird uncles who smokes and drinks too much, and nobody in your family likes him. But you don't mind chewing the fat with him, sipping a spiked lemonade on the porch while listening to his wild stories from the good old Bohemian days, or even occasionally taking some avuncular advices from the old man on women, cigarettes and various other un-kosher activities. The songs on this new collection call to mind many influences. Comparisons to his old pal, Tom Wais, are inevitable. Other people will probably talk to you about all the similarities, so I won't go into them. Instead, I'll tell ya how this new album is dissimilar to Tom Waits in many ways. First of all, it's not produced, co-wrote, or guest-stared by Tom. The songs are written almost exclusively by Chuck himself. Makes one wonder what the sources of his new-found inspirations are (after all, we are talking about a man with a disproportional 40-year career and a 3-LP catalog). Second departure from Tom is indicated by the ecstatic joy that can be found in the new songs. Bluesy and earthy, quite different from some of Tom's recent works which are thick, dark, theatrical, and Kurt Weill-esque (Don't get me wrong, I LOVE Tom's recent stuff and hope he never stops making them. I'm just saying that Chuck's new songs have a different vibe.) The new set of Chuck E songs are raw, rowdy, playful, soulful, and definitely more accessible. A rich tapestry of different schools of Americana, reminiscent of the swampy Dr. John and Professor Longhair's Cajun brew. A wonderful album and arrived just in time, a nice mental retreat from the harsh Canadian winter. If you wish you were in New Orleans as well, I suggest you go buy the Wolf Tickets and ride the slow train with the Old Souls to the gay old Cajun country!

To my ears, this is an amazing new release by Chuck E. Weiss, and one that actually has me starting my "Best Of" list only 31 days into '02. It fulfills the promise made last year on Weiss's first effort in almost two decades. How? By standing apart from (possibly, above!) his primary musical and lyrical influences.

What makes this CD especially memorable is the appearance of Mr. Willie Dixon. While most often Weiss is compared to his old running mate Tom Waits -- for prettydamngoodreason -- this time it's also impossible not to hear other strong influences reminiscent of Dr. John and Professor Longhair at their Cajun-gumbo-best.

Anyone who needs a shot of rhythm & blues can get a distillery-load off this disc.

The songs are sometimes simultaneously humorous and serious, but none are done simply to be clever. This is a display of the real crafts of songwriting and tunesmithing.

Maybe it's simply wishful thinking on my part, but in my mind, I can hear Van Morrison doing these songs. The relaxed and confident freeform style is so comparable. I wish-to-god Morrison would listen to this disc and re-ignite his dedication to original blues/jazz/rock roots.

Chuck E. Weiss is the epitome of cool. As a teenager, Chuck E. toured various venues with the late Lightnin' Hopkins and Willie Dixon and in the late 70's he was the subject of Rickie Lee Jones top ten tune "Chuck E.'s In Love". His friends include Tom Waits and Johnny Depp. In fact, Weiss together with Depp founded the Viper Room in Los Angeles which is featured in the video enhanced track contained on the disc "Dixieland Funeral". Musically, Weiss recorded a solo album in the 70's which, for unknown reasons, received only limited distribution. So dismal were the results, Weiss opted to perform in clubs of his choosing and did not record another solo CD until coaxed back to the studio in 1999 by friend, Tom Waits who co-produced the exceptional "Extremely Cool". While, Waits does not play a role in the production of this disc, his influence is heard throughout, especially in tunes like "Congo Square At Midnight", "No Hep Cats" and "Sneaky Jesus". Overall, the CD is not blues in the more traditional sense. It is, however, heavily jazz/ blues influenced and some songs, like "Down The Road A Piece" and "Dixieland Funeral" would be at home in any Dixie bar. This is a musical experience not to be missed. Pick this up and then seek out "Extremely Cool".

No hace falta tener un posgrado en "Crítica de música pop" para darse cuenta de que Chuck E. Weiss tiene una voz y unas canciones muy parecidas a las de Tom Waits. Pero allí acaba toda coincidencia: lo que en uno es oscuro, asfixiante y tortuoso, en el otro es divertido, carnal y accesible. Y a pesar de compartir su buen gusto por el jazz decadente, Weiss está más empapado del rhythm & blues al estilo de New Orleans.

De acuerdo: en "Old Souls & Wolf Tickets", su segundo álbum tras "Extremely Cool" (99), el cantante de Los Angeles, junto a su excelente banda The G-d Damn Good Liars, desgrana algunas canciones que pasarían por el Tom Waits más clásico: la tremenda torch song "It Don't Happen Overnight"; o los elegantes y jazzys "Sweetie-O" y "Blood Alley".

Sin embargo, en la "alternative jungle music" de Weiss (como él define su estilo) el influjo de New Orleans es más que evidente, por lo que con frecuencia resulta un curioso y excitante cruce entre Waits y Dr.John: en "Congo Square At Midnight" (con cantos tribales onomatopéyicos característicos de los indios del Mardi Gras); en "Sneaky Jesus" (con ritmos exuberantes y coloristas); en "No Hep Cats" (rhythm & blues a lo Professor Longhair); en "Anthem For Old Souls" (con el ritmo cansino marcado por la tuba y un piano de juguete); y en ese "Dixieland Funeral" (una brutalidad dixie con brass band desmesurada).

Weiss va más allá de los ritmos crudos de los pantanos, y con su voz rota ataca el rock & roll desquiciado ("Tony Did The Boogie Woogie"), el espiritual paródico ("Piggly Wiggly"), el honky tonk arrollador ("Two-Tone Car") y los recitados ("Jolie's Nightmare", construido sobre riffs a lo Link Wray). "Old Souls & Wolf Tickets" se completa con dos curiosidades: un vídeo en directo, y un documento sonoro de 1970 donde un joven Chuck se une a la banda de Willie Dixon en el ortodoxo boogie blues "Down The Road A Piece".

How to describe Chuck E. Weiss, hmmmm, well he is one part Tom Waits and then throw in some Dr. John. The New Orleans sound is dominant as are rambling songs that appear to be spontaneous takes. Hell, let's just say he is different and not for everybody. But if you are in the right mood, that perfect mood, this album cannot last long enough.