Album Club - Week 100: 02.07.2013: Jimmy LaFave - Highway Trance (1994)

[Album Club]

Thanks to Tim for the 100th Album Club - we've hit our first century!

Jimmy LaFave - Highway Trance
Released: 1994
16 tracks - Running time 1:09:28
Road-House Rock/Folk/Alt.Country

The Album:





http://www.jimmylafave.com/discography/trance.html

I have been finding it hard to pick albums for Album Club, as I seem to listen to different music to the majority here, but I have hit upon a bit of a cop out idea for this one. I have used Last.fm for over a year now, so I thought I will just pick the artists I play the most at the moment. So I 'loosely' covered Ryan Adams last time around, who is my most played artist and second in my charts is Jimmy LaFave . . . . Jimmy who?

Jimmy for me has one of those voices that reaches into your heart and wrings it dry, the level of emotion in Jimmy's songwriting is unique and he can burrow into parts of your soul that you thought were totally private. He's virtually unknown over here, but tours relentlessly in the US and is held in very high regard amongst many of the singer/songwriters I most admire and respect - he's an artists artist. Lucinda Williams can say it better than me; “Jimmy LaFave’s songs move me ’cause he sings them with grit, passion, and uncommon beauty.” There is another quote I really like which is also pretty apt; “Imagine if Van Morrison had been a Texan; he might have sounded something like this.”

Anyway, this isn't necessarily my favourite Jimmy LF album, but a good place to start for a newcomer as there is a mix of rock, blues and Americana with some very strong ballads. Jimmy (aged 57) hails from Austin, Texas and has IMO one of the great American voices. He sings with great clarity and a level of honesty rarely found amongst the dross of mainstream mediocrity called 'popular music'. His voice will be marmite to many, but if he grabs you like he did me, then you are in for a rare treat.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jimmy_LaFave

[Tim]

. . . Jimmy who?

[synsei]

YEEEEHAW!!! Well, I've had a listen now and although there is some good musicianship on display here it really isn't my cup of tea. Sorry Tim

[John]

Gave it a try a good song writer but not really for me I can listen to some alt country but has to be bit rootsy for me

[The Grand Wazoo]

Well, I've played this thrice now.
I don't think it's really for me, Tim. Just a little bit too countrified for my taste, though the bluesier moments are much more my kind of thing. On one track 'Get It, Got It Good' I think it was, I noticed a strong flavour of Ronnie Van Zant in the vocals, which was a bit of a surprise.
Perhaps a 4 would be an appropriate score?

[Tim]

Ta for giving it a go Chris, I was expecting it to be a long shot for AoS folk

[Bazil]

Ta for giving it a go Chris, I was expecting it to be a long shot for AoS folk

So you will not be disappointed with my 3/10

[Barry]

This is the sort of thing I ought to like, but on listening to some YouTube tracks I was disappointed.

His voice lacks sufficient character to engage and his playing, whilst more than competent, again fails to impress. There are too many "folkies" around, who sound the same.

Perhaps I'm being too harsh, but I'll give it 5/10.

[MartinT]

His voice isn't so much Marmite as quite familiar to the material. I couldn't differentiate him from a score of others, I'm afraid.

Some fun numbers and a competent, tight, band score him a decent 6/10 for me. Probably a lot better live.

[Tim]

6/10 Martin, that's not a bad shout really as he's Americana, not sure I'll get you interested in Country though, but you never know

Thanks for giving it a go and thanks to everyone else. I totally love the guy and his music, but knew it would be a hard sell here. Funnily enough he's coming over for 3 dates next month and I'm driving from Dorset to Nottingham to see him. I cannot wait I have 5 gigs in a row that week! . . . so much music, so little time . . .