ARTiST: Ron Franklin
ALBUM: Ron Franklin
BiTRATE: 197kbps avg
QUALiTY: EAC Secure Mode / LAME 3.97 Final / -V2 --vbr-new / 44.100Khz
LABEL: Alive Records
GENRE: Rock
SiZE: 65.32 megs
PLAYTiME: 0h 44min 04sec total
RiP DATE: 2008-06-10
STORE DATE: 2008-05-30
Track List:
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01. Western Movies 2:39
02. Call It A Night 3:20
03. Dark Night, Cold Ground 3:04
04. Do Not Wait 'Til I Am Laid 3:51
'Neath The Clay
05. Dear, Marianne 5:21
06. That's Just The Love I Have 4U 5:24
07. Visions Of Parfume 3:47
08. The Elocutionist 3:12
09. All Along A Summer's Day 3:35
10. Pontiac 1:45
11. We Ain't Got No Home 3:16
12. 25$ For The Morphine, 15$ For 4:50
The Beer
Release Notes:
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On his third album, Ron Franklin is messing with the blues again, though that's
hardly all he has on his mind. Ron Franklin opens with "Western Movies," a tune
that cops its title from an oldie by the Olympics, and its sound and style from
Buddy Holly before making way for "Call It a Night," an acoustic number which
could pass for an early Bob Dylan copyright in dim light, and while Franklin's
Memphis loyalties shine through the cracks in both tracks, he manages to sound
like someone who respects the blues tradition while still finding the space to
play with its conventions at the same time. (This becomes all the more evident
on "Dark Night, Cold Ground" and "The Elocutionist," which hit closer to the
roots of traditional blues while still twisting the framework with their fuzzy
tone and aggressive simplicity.) Nearly all the songs on Ron Franklin capture
the man performing all by his lonesome, either on acoustic or electric guitar,
with occasional overdubbed percussion while Franklin's reedy vocals and
harmonica hover over it all. The results are simpler but more satisfying than
2007's City Lights; where on that album Franklin's challenges to convention
sometimes played out like a hipster's parody, with less gingerbread his
sincerity, as well as his imagination, are more evident, even as ghosts of pop,
folk, and garage rock are plainly visible on the horizon and lyrical lifts from
classic songs dot the landscape. Stark, simple, and subtly witty, Ron Franklin
suggests this artist has a bright future as long as he remembers that less can
be more. - Mark Deming / All Music Guide
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The thing that becomes obvious as I listen to more and more music is that while
the trends constantly shift, it's the songs that seem timeless that I seek out.
When the sound-de-jour changes from dance punk to minimal dub to coke raps, it's
hard not to feel lost. I don't always have the time to digest records, and part
of the listening experience is lost.
Luckily, artists like Ron Franklin continue to make music that aspire to stand
the test of time, instead of hoping to get their 15-minutes by being featured in
an Ipod commercial. In fact, Franklin would probably talk you into the early
morning with stories of being on the road with Arthur Lee or meeting blues
legends before he'd mention someone like Feist or CSS. And truth be told, that's
a conversation I'd much rather be a part of.
Franklin's honesty and appreciation shines through when you listen to his new
self-titled release. Finding a song writer infatuated with Dylan's draw or the
Ray Davies pop sensibilities is like finding a strand of hay in a haystack, but
finding a young man willing to take those roots and fuse them with an
appreciation for blues and soul that have been on this Earth longer than he has
is something that stands out. Not many artists take standard American folk and
cover it in enough swampy mud and soul food to make it stand out, especially
when the normal accompaniment is just a guitar.
While lots of this record finds Franklin drifting along a dusty folk trail (Don
Not Wait 'til I am Laid 'Neath the Clay or Visions of Parfume) with an acoustic
or some harmonica, he's just as comfortable cranking up the electric and busting
into some heavier blues action (All Along a Summer's Day or Pontiac). That being
said, it's when he throws all of his styles into the same pot that the recipe
works best. The record's standout track,The Elocutionist, showcases Franklin's
harmonica, a rollicking slide guitar and some of his most inspired lyrics. The
three-minutes seems to go by in a blink of the eye and you find yourself wanting
to hear it over and over again.
I could go through this record track by track, trying to help you understand why
this record a hidden treasure for music fans, but hearing a song hits you harder
than an essay. For me, trying to express the hollow drum sound that keeps time
for the electric guitar driven Western Movies just doesn't do it justice;
neither does trying to describe the change of pace guitar flourish Franklin uses
between the second and third verse.
In fact, trying to put any of this record into words makes me feel like I'm
trying to convert the already converted. There isn't a hook that will grab you,
but over the course of Franklin's latest twelve songs, I found myself letting go
of any critical ear and just enjoying his effort. I'm not sure if it's because
his songs are so good, or it's just refreshing to hear someone tip his hat to
the greats and show us that good music doesn't rely on trends or require playing
in the hottest tents at the biggest festivals. Sometimes playing in a shitty
club or on a friends back porch is the realest moment in any musician's life. -
Herohill