DANIEL ROMANO - IF I'VE ONLY ONE TIME ASKIN'
2015 - New West Records
Having seen Daniel Romano and his excellent band in a live setting a few weeks ago I felt the songs worked better in that stripped down situation rather than as on this disc that often includes what sounds like a full string section. I have never seen the point of unnecessary colouration, particularly when the songs are as strong as this and the artist this talented.
In the early days of recording, hillbilly/country musicians rarely had the benefit of very much orchestration, although it could well be true that if they had many would have taken advantage of it, but the fact is they didn't. It is only since the early 1920s, when commercial recording was first available, that people started to gain access to technology that helped the genre to develop in leaps and bounds and in myriad directions and sub genres with the gradual awakening of big budget Nashville recordings that to this day still often use a full orchestration. It can easily be argued that some of the greats of 'country music' have used similar but I still much prefer country music that is stripped down and 'edgy,' obviously something that says more about my tastes than those recordings
That convoluted preamble is my way of getting to the point that perhaps I shouldn't review this album, unless of course it has changed my mind on the above points? Well, it hasn't really but knowing all of Daniel Romano's previous recordings pretty well it's time to apply a little perspective. This album has the feel of greater experimentation than previously, with that orchestration often giving the album a slight edge of psychedelia and whilst the string section does exist, it is not overused. What it does do is give various phases of the album more of a 'countrypolitan' feel but fortunately, never one of blandness. Daniels melodic, highly expressive vocals always have enough 'edginess' to avoid becoming bland and he is not the sort of songwriter or performer (I hope) to ever be told what he can or can't do. If I'm right about this albums experimental feel it changes the focus and becomes a better album as a result and it could well be that Daniel is seeing how far he can stretch his boundaries. I would suggest that for a man of his musical talents there is no limit to what he can achieve and he does achieve much on this recording. Separating the above relatively minor concern from the rest of the recording this really is a tremendous album. He has always been a high quality, distinctive vocalist and his songwriting is as good as anyone's. Add to that the quality of his band, Kay Berkel, Aaron Goldstein, Ross Miller and Ryan Peters and it is easy to see why so many more people are starting to take note.
Playing the album whilst carrying out other activities it would be easy to think the 'countrypolitanism' and denser arrangements overwhelm much of the quality, but given a chance and more concentrated listening sessions you would need to be deaf to not realise this man is at or near the top of the country tree and that perhaps that little experimentation with the arrangements goes a little deeper than just the addition of strings and a few other effects. As I've already said, everything on this recording reeks of quality and it gradually becomes obvious that there are other areas where the arrangements are not so called 'traditional country' but are edging away from the mainstream and showing a lot of originality, something rarely found in this generic off shoot.
The big production intro to the first song, I'm Gonna Teach You was a shock at first until it became obvious this was a true country weepie, with a melody that clings to the listener long after the song has finished. As the song finishes it segues into the next song, Old Fire Die, via a link that felt to me like a middle period Moody Blues link. That is not the insult some may see it as because for one thing i've always had a soft spot for the Moodies and for another it flows beautifully into the song, virtually giving the recording a conceptual feel, which in many ways it is with the albums theme being very much geared towards lost or fading love. These links carry on through the album and eventually I was able to accept them as an original way of linking the songs and cementing the albums few characters, eventually getting to the stage where the album wouldn't have felt right without those links. What they actually do in terms of concept is convince the listener that even if Daniel is not writing about himself the characters are the same people on each song, giving the recording a pretty much unique flow. As to the orchestration that initially was a disappointment, I gradually realized it was nowhere near as heavy as I at first thought and that it will in fact appeal to more people than it puts off. The title track If I've Only One Time Askin' has a lovely soft feel on a quite memorable country song, supported by a lovely steel guitar and accordion plus fiddle and a chugging deep guitar sound that takes what could well have been merely a good love song into a high lonesomeness and adds an indefinable quality that sets it apart from the usual country balladry fare. There's A Hardship is an excellent and relatively unadorned weepy country ballad, one that taken at face value is pretty standard but it soon becomes obvious that this song, whatever else it is, is certainly not a 'standard country ballad' but is a song of the highest quality. Learning To Do Without Me somehow links together the various forms and presentations of country balladry that reflect on various aspects of love and loss, this one fairly obviously about lost love. Finally, Two Word Joe is an excellent up beat tale, with lovely accordion and steel guitar on a stylistically quite chirpy tale that again is different to most other similar songs and a complete contrast to what has gone before. It eventually changes moods and instrumentation leading the listener into a different direction before the link extends into the next song.
Whilst there are still a few things on this album that lessen its appeal for me, it is a truly tremendous recording and, within the wide confines of 'traditional country music,' has some quite original ideas that actually enhance the quality, whether I particularly like them or not! Given a chance in the mainstream this could actually be the recording that sets the scene that lets Nashville know they can still keep some of their production values but actually update the 'Nashville sound' to something that would actually widen its appeal.
http://www.danielromanomusic.com/
Having seen Daniel Romano and his excellent band in a live setting a few weeks ago I felt the songs worked better in that stripped down situation rather than as on this disc that often includes what sounds like a full string section. I have never seen the point of unnecessary colouration, particularly when the songs are as strong as this and the artist this talented.
In the early days of recording, hillbilly/country musicians rarely had the benefit of very much orchestration, although it could well be true that if they had many would have taken advantage of it, but the fact is they didn't. It is only since the early 1920s, when commercial recording was first available, that people started to gain access to technology that helped the genre to develop in leaps and bounds and in myriad directions and sub genres with the gradual awakening of big budget Nashville recordings that to this day still often use a full orchestration. It can easily be argued that some of the greats of 'country music' have used similar but I still much prefer country music that is stripped down and 'edgy,' obviously something that says more about my tastes than those recordings
That convoluted preamble is my way of getting to the point that perhaps I shouldn't review this album, unless of course it has changed my mind on the above points? Well, it hasn't really but knowing all of Daniel Romano's previous recordings pretty well it's time to apply a little perspective. This album has the feel of greater experimentation than previously, with that orchestration often giving the album a slight edge of psychedelia and whilst the string section does exist, it is not overused. What it does do is give various phases of the album more of a 'countrypolitan' feel but fortunately, never one of blandness. Daniels melodic, highly expressive vocals always have enough 'edginess' to avoid becoming bland and he is not the sort of songwriter or performer (I hope) to ever be told what he can or can't do. If I'm right about this albums experimental feel it changes the focus and becomes a better album as a result and it could well be that Daniel is seeing how far he can stretch his boundaries. I would suggest that for a man of his musical talents there is no limit to what he can achieve and he does achieve much on this recording. Separating the above relatively minor concern from the rest of the recording this really is a tremendous album. He has always been a high quality, distinctive vocalist and his songwriting is as good as anyone's. Add to that the quality of his band, Kay Berkel, Aaron Goldstein, Ross Miller and Ryan Peters and it is easy to see why so many more people are starting to take note.
Playing the album whilst carrying out other activities it would be easy to think the 'countrypolitanism' and denser arrangements overwhelm much of the quality, but given a chance and more concentrated listening sessions you would need to be deaf to not realise this man is at or near the top of the country tree and that perhaps that little experimentation with the arrangements goes a little deeper than just the addition of strings and a few other effects. As I've already said, everything on this recording reeks of quality and it gradually becomes obvious that there are other areas where the arrangements are not so called 'traditional country' but are edging away from the mainstream and showing a lot of originality, something rarely found in this generic off shoot.
The big production intro to the first song, I'm Gonna Teach You was a shock at first until it became obvious this was a true country weepie, with a melody that clings to the listener long after the song has finished. As the song finishes it segues into the next song, Old Fire Die, via a link that felt to me like a middle period Moody Blues link. That is not the insult some may see it as because for one thing i've always had a soft spot for the Moodies and for another it flows beautifully into the song, virtually giving the recording a conceptual feel, which in many ways it is with the albums theme being very much geared towards lost or fading love. These links carry on through the album and eventually I was able to accept them as an original way of linking the songs and cementing the albums few characters, eventually getting to the stage where the album wouldn't have felt right without those links. What they actually do in terms of concept is convince the listener that even if Daniel is not writing about himself the characters are the same people on each song, giving the recording a pretty much unique flow. As to the orchestration that initially was a disappointment, I gradually realized it was nowhere near as heavy as I at first thought and that it will in fact appeal to more people than it puts off. The title track If I've Only One Time Askin' has a lovely soft feel on a quite memorable country song, supported by a lovely steel guitar and accordion plus fiddle and a chugging deep guitar sound that takes what could well have been merely a good love song into a high lonesomeness and adds an indefinable quality that sets it apart from the usual country balladry fare. There's A Hardship is an excellent and relatively unadorned weepy country ballad, one that taken at face value is pretty standard but it soon becomes obvious that this song, whatever else it is, is certainly not a 'standard country ballad' but is a song of the highest quality. Learning To Do Without Me somehow links together the various forms and presentations of country balladry that reflect on various aspects of love and loss, this one fairly obviously about lost love. Finally, Two Word Joe is an excellent up beat tale, with lovely accordion and steel guitar on a stylistically quite chirpy tale that again is different to most other similar songs and a complete contrast to what has gone before. It eventually changes moods and instrumentation leading the listener into a different direction before the link extends into the next song.
Whilst there are still a few things on this album that lessen its appeal for me, it is a truly tremendous recording and, within the wide confines of 'traditional country music,' has some quite original ideas that actually enhance the quality, whether I particularly like them or not! Given a chance in the mainstream this could actually be the recording that sets the scene that lets Nashville know they can still keep some of their production values but actually update the 'Nashville sound' to something that would actually widen its appeal.
http://www.danielromanomusic.com/