Unsung

Slaid Cleaves | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (May 23, 2006)
• Original Release Date: 2006
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: Rounder / Umgd
• ASIN: B000F7CEE8
• In-Print Editions: MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (15 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #15,701 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com

When a celebrated songwriter cuts an album of covers, it's generally a stopgap till the next record or a way out of a contract. But Cleaves, never known to be prolific or to knock out product, approaches his seventh album in 16 years with a purposefulness that transcends a mere shout-out to wordsmith friends. His choices are obscure--the best-known songwriter here is David Olney--but meaningful, varied, sometimes stunning. He's drawn to traditional allusions and melodies (Michael O'Connor's "Devil's Lullaby"), to minimalist character studies (Adam Carroll's "Race Car Joe"), and to Austin, Texas, where many of the songwriters covered make their homes. Cleaves taps Karen Poston for "Flowered Dresses," a Kodachrome of small town love; Steve Brooks for "Everette," a praise-song for a barstool poet; Graham Weber for "Oh Roberta," a gift to a troubadour's muse; and Chris Montgomery for "Call It Sleep," a working man's lament. If the arrangements are straight-up Americana--with David Henry's cello and organ shaking things up a bit--Cleaves's temperate, sly grin of a voice finds comic insight between all the wistfully down-and-out lines. Like Nanci Griffith on Other Voices, Other Rooms, Cleaves takes the measure of influences which are more contemporary than historic, and as a result, captures the spirit of a lively if largely underground folk scene. --Roy Kasten

Product Description

On 'Unsung,' Austin singer-songwriter Slaid Cleaves delivers a treasure trove of songs from some of his favorite writers, some undiscovered, all less-known than deserved. These are poignant stories, not unlike Cleaves' own songs, that feature poets, lovers and underdogs struggling to win. Cleaves brings these stories to life with the same eloquent grace and grit that have made his past recordings so valued.

"Cleaves tells gorgeously compact stories in a voice packed with Texas trail dust." - Entertainment Weekly

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

11 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent, unified collection of covers by Slaid's friends., June 2, 2006

By 

Robert Evans (North Carolina, USA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Unsung (Audio CD)

There are two reasons for doing cover songs: for younger artists starting out, it is a way to pay tribute to musical influences, and pad out a cd's worth of music if you haven't written much of your own stuff; for an established artist, it is a chance to acknowledge mentors, and give a hand up to deserving friends who haven't had the same level of success. Most of the tunes on unsung fall into this latter category, with Austin singer-songwriter Slaid Cleaves letting his friends and fellow musicians get a wider exposure than they otherwise would.

Two of the songs, "Devil's Lullaby" and "Getaway Car," are by Slaid's current road guitarist, Michael O'Connor. These are great songs, and Getaway Car's chorus, ably sung by Slaid, cries out even more for multipart harmony singing.

"Another Kind of Blue" brings to my mind Van Gogh's "Starry Nights" for some reason. It's a short, lovely song, very impressionistic.

"Everette" is a fun song. Written by Steve Brooks, it owes obvious influence to Tom Waits, specifically the tune "Singapore." Once I learned the words, I was singing the song in a Tom Waits voice, and laughing myself silly: "And staring at his crotch." The song even employs Waits-type arrangements.

"Racecar Joe" is another character sketch, similar to Slaid's own "Horses" from Wishbones.

"Millionaire" although not overtly political, seems to bring to mind operatives like Karl Rove if you are a Democrat, and perhaps George Soros (from a line about owning Presidents) if you are a Republican.

"Fairest Of Them All" is really a woman's song, intended to be sung by a woman. It suffers from shifting viewpoints: 3rd person in the verses, switching to 1st person in the chorus. I'll caution Slaid now: singing about "wearing a dress and red, red lipstick" is going to get you heckled at some gigs. Don't say I didn't warn you. :) Slaid is backed up on this tune by Mary Gauthier, and I think that the song is more suited to Gauthier's done-it-all-seen-it-all voice than Slaid's. It's a good song, though. I have no real complaints with it.

"Flowered Dresses" is by Slaid's friend Karen Poston, the author of audience favorite "Lydia." Poston is the artist whose work I'd most like to hear next, when I can fit it into my budget. Slaid's singing on this song evokes a Rockwell landscape of Americana, which isn't a bad thing at all. Slaid's voice on this song is husky and romantic; it should be popular with his female fans, especially.

"Working Stiff" is a personal favorite. Slaid's voice on this song is evocative of Paul McCartney, and I mean that in the best sense. The arrangement is for a horn quartet, which I love. It just won't sound the same on the road with just Slaid and O'Connor's guitars, but that's ok. I can still play the disc.

Slaid's previous cd's, "Broke Down" and "Wishbones," suffered from the occasional clunker song nestled among the jewels; I can't really say the same for "Unsung." It's quickly turning into my favorite Slaid Cleaves CD, although individual songs from the earlier discs will remain favorites.

Thanks, Slaid, for a great CD.

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Highly Engaging (even if he didn't write the songs!), May 31, 2006

By 

Sandlapper - See all my reviews

This review is from: Unsung (Audio CD)

I recently saw Mr. Slaid live at a small venue with a small audience...and found out why he is such a beloved artist amongst the Texas/Americana music scene. He is a highly engaging character, gentle spirit, smooth voice, great delivery.

And great choices for songs, as "Unsung" shows. These are all superior songs by under-appreciated songwriters. Highlights for myself are Karen Poston's "Flowered Dresses" (she seems to have a knack for writing lines that make the listener "close their eyes and let the memories in" (as in her "Lydia" which Slaid cut on "Broke Down")); JJ Barron's "Song for June" (best tribute song to June Carter out there); Melvern Taylor's resigned yet fun "Working Stiff" (you expect someone to break into a kazoo solo in the middle)....Heck, every song is a highlight in its own way.

The production is different this time since Gurf Morlix was not involved, but perhaps that is a good thing that contributes to the freshness of this temporarily-non-songwriting Slaid record. (I hear he is a slow writer, so he'll be back and his next CD should be highly anticipated.)

But don't wait for the next one - this one is just as engaging as the Slaid-written Morlix-produced albums. Enjoy!

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Diamonds In the Rough, September 27, 2006

By 

Kurt Harding "bon vivant" (Boerne TX) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Unsung (Audio CD)

Somehow Slaid Cleaves had escaped my notice until recently. A couple of months ago, I was giving musical tips to an old classmate who now lives in Arizona. Then she gave me hers. Slaid Cleaves was among those she mentioned, so I looked him up here and was surprised to find out how long he's been around. Unsung seemed like an interesting place to start with him and so I ordered it.
Well, the industry reviewer certainly got it right. On Unsung, Cleaves has really captured the spirit of a lively but underground folk scene. Its a shame that a lot of the songwriters Cleaves covers here will remain little-known, but that's the state of the music industry today outside of a few places such as Austin.
It took me a few listens to really get into this album, but once I did I could hear that Cleaves had carefully picked a batch of songs to cover that he liked and wanted others to like as well. Since I have not heard his other work, I can't compare these songs to his own but I can see that he's found some diamonds in the rough.
My favorite is Everette, but I also really enjoy Devil's Lullaby, Call It Sleep, Millionaire, Working Stiff, and Song For Jane. This would be a great CD to play while sitting by a campfire with some buds swilling a few beers or while enjoying a barbecue with a small group of good friends.
If you are a fan of singer-songwriters like Dave Alvin, Ray Wiley Hubbard, Jerry Jeff Walker, or Robert Earl Keen Jr. and you have not yet heard Cleaves, then you should find that Unsung is an album made just for you. I will certainly explore his music further.