OR   Search for Artist/Title    Advanced Search
 
you are not logged in...  [login] 
All Reviews    Edit This Review     
Review: 'CPR'
'Just Like Gravity'   

-  Label: 'BMG'
-  Genre: 'Seventies' -  Release Date: '31.7.20.'-  Catalogue No: '538588632'

Our Rating:
Just Like Gravity was CPR's second album and if you don't know already, CPR are David Crosby, Jeff Pevar and James Raymond, who is the son that Dave gave up for adoption in the 60's, who he was reunited with while recovering from his liver transplant, who he then formed this band with. These albums sunk without a trace on original release in 1998 for the first album and 2001 for this one by being totally out of sync with the times and aimed firmly at Dave's core fan base of baby boomer heads. The two albums are now being reissued on CD along with two live albums for any David Crosby completists out there...

The album opens with Map To Buried Treasure whose intro is pretty much better than anything on the first album, the harmony vocals on the intro are great and then it devolves into a mellow mild jazz rock rumination with a cool piano part. This song and much of the album is obviously aimed at the sort of music fan who thinks Steely Dan are one of the most innovative and progressive bands ever, if like me you don't think that you may struggle with this album.

The opening and main theme on Breathless reminds me a bit of one of the tracks on the album that John McLaughlin put out with Elvin Jones and Joey DeFrancesco in the mid 90's only this is more laid back and milder with a guitar solo that feels strangely out of place and over wrought.

Darkness doesn't sound anywhere dark enough musically, but it does sound like it should be heard late at night while getting maudlin over a glass of single malt, lyrically it tells a suitably dark tale of being alone in the dark.

Gone Forever Is what they see as the albums centre piece that sounds like a semi baroque Alessi brothers windswept epic that thankfully is reasonably restrained and not as full blown as it could have been, it sounds like it might end up being 20 minutes long live as you go on a trip and journey as he says good bye to any number of his friends and musical compadres over the years. I'm sure live it would be used to pay tribute to the endless list of his friends and colleagues who are no longer with us.

Eye's Too Blue has a gentle piano and vocal intro as the slow tale of regret and loss unfolds at a somber pace with gentle brushed drums in a deep red room with candles on and Bottle of red wine a rather sad song.

Jerusalem features Leland Sklar on Bass, thankfully on something better than the last time I reviewed him backing a comedienne, as this is much more up-beat and as close to really rocking as they come and has a good spirited feel to it I'm sure this sounds epic live as it wakes up the crowd.

Kings Get Broken feels like a message that's far more relevant today than it was in 2001 and it was relevant enough then, even if musically it's far more mid-west 1970's Steely Dan indebted easy listening AOR.

Angel Dream sounds like extremely bland late 70's emotional easy listening ballad doing everything it can to be as precise and forlorn and punctuated with meaning as it can be. I totally love how well put together it is and how well the voices go together, but I can't wait for it to be over, if this came on the radio I'd be looking to find another station.

Katie Did is an upbeat country rocker that will appeal to the Grateful Dead American heads and it has the best solos that Dave takes on the album as it sounds like he's letting go instead of holding tight while trying to sound like The Eagles.

Climber was originally recorded by Crosby Stills Nash and Young but not released, So Dave has had another go at it and it is a late night spare rumination, that I totally understand having been left off an album. This is down depressed and maudlin while rambling on and on and on for over 6 minutes.

Coyote King would be far better as an instrumental with that lush piano and percussion as background music rather than this hippy jazz fusion with over wrought vocals, but yes love it musically.

The album closes with Just Like Gravity that sounds like a slow strummed late-night cry of pain of the sort that Neil Young does well, this is cool and the only solo piece on the album, just guitar and vocals and bags of atmosphere.

Find out more at https://davidcrosby.com/ https://www.facebook.com/OfficialDavidCrosby/
  author: simonovitch

[Show all reviews for this Artist]

READERS COMMENTS    10 comments still available (max 10)    [Click here to add your own comments]

There are currently no comments...
----------