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Records

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Parent Issue
Day
16
Month
November
Year
1973
OCR Text

RECORDS

The Band; Taj Mahal

The Band--MOONDOG MATINEE--Capitol, SW11214; Taj Mahal, --OOOH SO GOOD 'N' BLUES--Columbia,KC-32600

The second album The Band made and the second album Taj Mahal made are masterpieces. Those two are among the small body of records that can stand up under the duress of long-term attentive listening. The Band is every-note-in-the-right-place precise and (remarkably) also soulful and funky. "Natch'l Blues" is loose, comfortable music with a hard edge of blues earnestness, and with finesse everywhere. All of Taj's and the Band's other records have also contained good music, but some not-so-good music too. Those albums have parts that beg to be skipped over. Taken as whole albums they can't be said to have everything right. The Band's "Moondog Matineee" and Taj's "Oooh So Good 'n Blues" fall right in with the rest of the non-masterpieces: they contain tasty material, but you couldn't listen to them all the way through every day for ten months and still like them.

"Moondog Matinee" is made up of music that must be what The Band listened to when they were kids. It has songs by Fats Domino and Chuck Berry, and it even has an old-time purple record label with silver type, and a poster of a jook joint wrapped around the album jacket. It's interesting to hear rhythm 'n' blues played by The Band, because it's good to hear that music done in a contemporary style. And The Band sounds pleasant no matter what kind of song they're playing.

It's a warm, relaxing album. Even the heavy rock numbers sound mellow, like "I'm Ready" (I'm ready/I'm willin'/and I'm able/to rock an' roll all night). But those mellow numbers are exuberant, too. The version of "Promised Land" conjures visions of Kerouacian trips. And there's an authentic Chuck Berry solo by Robbie Robertson in "Saved." "Mystery Train" reminds me of Sly or Curtis Mayfield.

There are a couple of poor sections in the album. "Third Man Theme" is corny. The corniness is intentional, but it becomes irritating after a few listenings. And there are some moments, such as in "Share Your Love," when the typical lyrical Band vocals get too syrupy.

It's wonderful to hear familiar Band sounds, like "Holy Cow." Rick Danko continues to be one of my favorite bassists. And Robbie Robertson has that nice unique quality in his guitar playing, a precise, almost mathematical sound. I only wish that Levon Helm would use more of the offbeat style he drums with on "The Band." But the group's sound is staying relatively the same.

Taj Mahal has been moving away from electric bands and towards simple arrangements, with either only his guitar and voice, or with a couple of other acoustic instruments and voices in addition. This is what he uses in "Oooh So Good 'n Blues." A few of the songs on the album shine like lights. That shows he can make good music with these uncluttered arrangements. But some of the cuts fall flat, because they sound flat and uninspired.

"Frankie and Albert" is a nice love ballad. Frankie shoots Albert " 'cause he was doin' her wrong.'" The vocal is bouncy, the guitar playing crisp and clean. "Railroad Bill" is a good folky instrumental, with more expert guitar work. And Taj has started putting a loose, impressionistic song in all of his albums. "Teacup's Jazzy Blues Tune" is the one on this record. It isn't very bluesy, but it's very good.

But other songs on the album are another story. Taj was trying something difficult in covering Robert Johnson's "Dust My Broom," armed only with guitar and voice; there's nothing moving about this one.

Taj uses acoustic bass on "Built for Comfort" and the Pointer Sisters' voices on "Oh Mama Don't You Know." These songs are hardly alive. On his album "Recycling The Blues," he used the Pointers on "Sweet Home Chicago" and the Pointers plus upright bass on "Texas Woman Blues." These two show what Taj can do with voices and bass when he's really hot.

"Moondog Matinee" and "Oooh So Good" are worthwhile because they add to the world's stockpile of good Band and Taj tunes. "Moondog" is more valuable: it stands with "Big Pink" directly below "The Band." But if you don't listen too critically, "Oooh So Good" is good listening too.

--Stephen Hersh