Blue Boy

Ron Sexsmith

Product Details

• Audio CD (June 5, 2001)
• Original Release Date: June 5, 2001
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: Cooking Vinyl
• ASIN: B00005JD74
• Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars See all reviews (24 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #73,034 in Music (See Bestsellers in Music)

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com
No, Ron Sexsmith hasn't gone country. Instead, this collaboration between the Canadian troubadour and Nashville's renegade production team of Steve Earle and Ray Kennedy pushes well beyond Earle's beloved twang. Supporting Sexsmith's tuneful lilt and bittersweet lyricism are arrangements emphasizing a jaunty horn section (the album-opening "This Song"), chamber strings ("Miracle in Itself," "Fallen"), reggae rhythm ("Never Been Done"), Merseybeat jangle and harmony ("Don't Ask Why"), and even circus atmospherics ("Thumbelina Farewell"). On his most musically varied album to date, Sexsmith continues to merit comparison with artists who are rarely compared with each other--combining the wry vocal wobble of the Kinks' Ray Davies, the wispy delicacy of folksinger Tim Hardin, and the boyish pop of Harry Nilsson--reinforcing the impression that he's a singular singer-songwriter. --Don McLeese

Product Description
On Blue Boy, his fourth major recording, Ron Sexsmith brings more songs into this world, just melodies with words. The acclaimed singer-songwriter, whose work has been covered by everyone from Rod Stewart to opera singer Anne Sophie Van Otter, for the first time comes out of the box with an up tempo, punchy lead-off track, called 'This Song', signaling the listener to expect something a little different. 'It means more now to me now lyrically than it did when I wrote it,' says Ron of the country turned brassy-pop song. 14 tracks. This 2001 release was produced by Steve Earle and Ray Kennedy.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Holy cow this is good stuff!, June 16, 2001

By	S. Harri McLennon "moople" (Prairie Village, Kansas United States) - See all my reviews

Brilliant---maybe the best thing I’ve heard all year(right up there with the Old 97’s album). Subtle, refined music---wry lyrics---unobtrusive production---totally at odds with the stuff on the radio(cause to rejoice). Occasionally melancholy and mellow but definitely not overly so. “Foolproof” sounds like a standard from the 30's and he pulls it off. Each song has its own merits. A solid piece of work (possibly a classic in my humble opinion).

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Getting raves from Paul McCartney and Elvis Costello . . ., November 3, 2001

By	M. Campbell "mhfoster" (Hermance, Switzerland) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

. . . and if you listen to Ron Sexsmith's latest, you'll understand why. The melodies, the lyrics, the sometimes smooth-as-caramel/sometimes touchingly-croaky voice all hint at elements of Macca's and Elvis's decades of acclaimed songwriting. And THIS may turn out to be one of 2001's "best kept secrets" in the music industry. Those who swear by Top 40 radio to get "the latest" are missing out on a gem of a record.
Standouts on _Blue Boy_ include the touching story of a woman who, with her kids, flees from her husband and finds sanctuary in a "Cheap Hotel"; this song's simple, subtle melody allows Sexsmith's poignant lyrics to take center stage. "Don't Ask Why" would find a comfortable home on any album by McCartney, Costello, Nick Lowe, or the like; a simple pop melody (using tried-and-true guitar chords like D, Am, Bm) but addictive after a few listens. "Tell Me Again" is one of many songs that highlight Sexsmith's "sheepish", self-deprecating (but nonetheless intriguing and endearing) sides, as he asks the one he loves to repeat what was just said, having been lost in thought. Likewise, "Not too Big" also showcases this self-deprecating side, but with a bit more cynicism, backed by a more upbeat, shuffling, blues-y melody (perhaps similar to Little Feat, in some oblique way?)
This album will be in my Top 5 Albums of 2001. I highly recommend giving this one a listen; you will be pleasantly suprised again and again, with each track.

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Sexsmith proves again he can do no wrong, June 6, 2001

By	David Clark (Los Angeles, CA United States) - See all my reviews

This newest release from Ron Sexsmith might initially freak out some oldtime fans who have come to know Sexsmith's soft, warm and pop-folkish tunes. Those characteristics certainly aren't missing from Blue Boy, but on this new and most eclectic album to date some stuff will jump out and tilt your head, at first. R.S. gets more bluesy, more funky, more off-beat and definitely more up-tempo on this one. He raises his voice more than I've heard before, and even throws some reggae/ska in the mix. I admit, I was scared at first listen, wondering if he was getting too experimental. But as I took it in 3 and 4 times over, the songs began to seep in and touch my soul like only Ron's songs can. Even with the almost-edgyness of some of these tracks, his honest, real sounds and strong yet sublte lyrics come through and personfy greatness. Ron can, apparently, do no wrong. Amen.