- Release Info -------------------------------------------------------------- -
Artist: Chuck Ragan
Album: Los Feliz
Label: Side One Dummy Records
Playtime: 43:55 min
Genre: Indie
URL:
Rip date: 2007-04-05
Street date: 2007-05-08
Size: 60.43 MB
Type: Advance
Quality: VBR kbps / 4410kHz / Joint Stereo
- Release Notes ------------------------------------------------------------- -
Good-intentioned philosophers may try to boil life down to one universal
truth or ôsecret,ö but theyÆre missing the point. Ultimately, life is
composed of so many experiences, emotions and relationships that itÆs
impossible to break it down like a chemical compound. Chuck Ragan has always
understood that dichotomy, whether he was screaming over buzzing guitars in
Hot Water Music or pouring his heart out over a bed of acoustic
instrumentation as he does these days. Ultimately, the one constant in
RaganÆs music is the way it personifies lifeÆs beauty and struggles with
equal aplomb.
Recorded on February 19 in Los Feliz, California, Los Feliz captures a very
spontaneous performance of songs in a setting that isnÆt contrived or overly
scrutinized. ôWe set up the show and played it a week later,ö Ragan explains
about the impromptu performance, which spans everything from traditional
songs to a HWM track to previously unreleased solo material and even a few
covers. ôA lot of good friends came out and played and a lot of people showed
up and showed their support,ö he continues, ôit was nothing but good fun.ö
Although RaganÆs debut studio album will be out later this year, heÆs always
had a soft spot in his heart for live recordings. ôI love the spontaneity of
live performances and I always end up doing something differently, even after
the song has been recorded.ö Ragan explains. ôDepending on the environment or
the crowd, everything youÆre faced with when you go out and play a show
affects the way you sound,ö he continues. ôPlus, I love that rawness that you
canÆt really achieve in the studio.ö
Ragan is occasionally accompanied by Ted Hutt on mandolin and Jon Gaunt on
fiddle on Los Feliz, but for the most part itÆs just him in the spotlight,
armed with an acoustic guitar, harmonica and an instantly recognizable voice
that recalls vintage Springsteen doused with Jameson. In fact, whether heÆs
delicately crooning on the eerie ballad ôThe Boatö or continuing the folk
tradition of songwriters like Woody Guthrie and Pete Seeger on call-to-arms
tracks like ôFor Broken Ears,ö Ragan is as much a storyteller as he is a
songwriter, setting lifeÆs triumphs and failures to guitar chords and
melodies.
ôThis is the most prolific IÆve felt in a long time,ö Ragan explains when
asked why he felt it was important to get this live record out to his fans
who werenÆt at the show. ôI have this thing where if I write something I have
to record itùand at that point I can kind of move on, you know what I mean?ö
Ragan spends most of his day cutting wood and doing contracting work, yet
somehow ôbetween getting off work and waiting for the chicken to cook,ö he
found time to write 30 songs for his forthcoming album, a handful of which
are included on Los Feliz in their rawest and most stripped-down form.
ôThe recording came out well and thereÆs a really good energy in the room;
you can hear everyone and theyÆre all happy and excited to be there,ö he
adds, palpably excited. ôIt sounds exactly like what I remember it to be.ö
- Track List ---------------------------------------------------------------- -
01. Open Up And Wail ( 2:54)
02. The Boat ( 3:21)
03. Do You Pray ( 3:31)
04. Valentine ( 3:38)
05. Congratulations Joe ( 4:10)
06. God Deciding ( 3:34)
07. Fixin To Die ( 2:57)
08. Symmetry ( 4:42)
09. Dream Of A Miners Child ( 3:06)
10. It's What You Will ( 3:43)
11. For Broken Ears ( 4:27)
12. California Burritos ( 3:52)
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