New album: Turn Blue
Artist: The Black Keys
Label: Nonesuch
Rating: 3.5 stars out of 5
The Black Keys have previously recycled the blues into something enterprising hipsters think is new, and “Turn Blue” sees the duo pulling the same trick with psychedelia.
“Weight Of Love” could easily be mistaken for a Pink Floyd outtake from “Saucerful Of Secrets.” Eerie vibraphone coagulates with ghostly keyboards carry “Weight Of Love” along the same interstellar path Floyd took after Syd Barrett went cuckoo for Cocoa Puffs back in 1968. The tone is simultaneously soft and menacing, with lead Black Key Dan Auerbach doing his best David Gilmour impression.
Radio single “Fever” incorporates a bit of Prince’s keyboard tone from “Delirious,” but the trippy, spacey vibe permeates most of “Turn Blue”. The pilgrimage to David Gilmour continues with “Bullet In The Brain”, which takes its cue from the epic Pink Floyd song “Echoes.” Patrick Carney’s drums are drenched in compression, giving even his groove-heavy playing a lysergic edge.
“Waiting On Words” is the closest thing to a straight ballad in the Black Keys catalog, and with all apologies to the dead horse, it’s cut from the same cloth as late 1960s Pink Floyd ballads such as “Cymbaline” and “Green Is The Colour.” Album closer “Gotta Get Away” borders on rollicking, with producer Danger Mouse apparently realizing they album needed something peppy to ride out on.
“Turn Blue” isn’t as strong as the Black Keys greatest achievement “Brothers” or the impressive “El Camino,” but many of the forays into space rock suit the band well. “Turn Blue” is a solid if unremarkable collection that should satisfy most of the Black Keys faithful and continue to tick off Jack White.
Classic album: I Never Loved A Man The Way I Love You
Artist: Aretha Franklin
Label: Atlantic
Rating: 5 stars out of 5
“I Never Loved A Man The Way I Love You” was arguably the zenith of Aretha Franklin’s recording career.
For starters, the album contain’s Franklin’s version of Otis Redding’s “Respect,” which on top of becoming an anthem for women’s rights is one of the greatest r&b/soul records of all time. Under the tried and true guidance of producer Jerry Wexler and engineer extraordinaire Tom Dowd, Franklin flourished as a performer like she never had before in her then young career.
Leading off with “Respect” could have been a disaster, but the rest of the album is strong also. Franklin co-wrote four of the album’s song, with “Save Me” and “Don’t Let Me Lose This Dream” being the strongest. Covers of Sam Cooke’s “A Change Is Gonna Come” and Moman/Penn’s “Do Right Woman, Do Right Man” are totally owned by Franklin, who by this point in 1967 had proven herself the be one of if not the top soul singer on the planet.
Franklin’s unparalleled vocals are the main attraction here, but Jerry Wexler’s production work helped create this perfect audio storm. Wexler put together a great band (including sax legend King Curtis) and created a clear channel for Franklin’s strengths to flow without restraint. Wexler’s dedication to R&B/soul music was so deep that he quit Atlantic Records when they started shifting to British electric blues acts only one year later.
“I Never Loved A Man The Way I Love You” is an undisputed classic, and there’s no reason not to own it.
Jon Dawson’s album reviews appear every Thursday in The Free Press. Contact Jon at 252-559-1092 or jon.dawson@kinston.com. Purchase Jon’s new book “Coutnerfeit Sauerkraut & The Weekend Teeth” at the Free Press office or www.jondawson.com.