Don_Krider's Full Review: Catch-All by Swag (Power Pop)
So you were wondering, "What if members of Wilco, The Mavericks, Cheap Trick, Sixpence None The Richer and Doug Powell recorded together, what would it sound like?"
The answer is on "Catch-All" by Swag. The performers on the album include: drummer Ken Coomer of Wilco (the critics love this band --- get their CD "Summerteeth" for a good introduction to the band), guitarist Robert Reynolds of The Mavericks (winner of multiple Country Music Association Awards; husband of Trisha Yearwood), bassist Tom Petersson of Cheap Trick (famed for power pop hits such as "I Want You To Want Me" and "The Flame"; though listed by the record company as a band member, Tom now says he only played on a couple of tracks --- see my "negative note" later in the review), keyboardist Jerry Dale McFadden of Sixpence None The Richer (who scored a Top 10 hit with their cover of The La's "There She Goes") and singer-guitarist Doug Powell.
'60s Flashbacks:
The band members, all still with their original outfits when this effort was released in 2001, got together with producer Brad Jones (a fine performer in his own write) to record in Nashville and to pay tribute to their 1960s' pop idols --- but rather than a boring tribute album of cover tunes, they have created an album of original material that provides immediate snapshots of the '60s to be added to the musical photo album in your mind.
Each song captures a different flavor of their '60s music idols. At times, the songs capture that long ago "sound" so perfectly that you'll swear you must be listening to one of the British Invasion "Masters" (The Beatles, The Who, The Zombies, The Dave Clark Five, The Animals, The Kinks) rather than to an album by a group called Swag.
The CD:
12 tracks, all originals, produced, engineered and mixed by Brad Jones (he's a huge power pop/Raspberries' fan, being among the performers on "Raspberries Preserved," a tribute album on Ginger Records from 1996).
The CD booklet:
A gorgeous 8-page CD booklet --- includes photos and lyrics to all the songs. There is no biographical information (which itself brings back memories of some '60s LPs), but visiting the individual band members' websites will supply you with that material, though short bios would have been a welcome addition to the booklet.
The tracks:
"Lone," "I'll Get By," "Near Pefect Smile," "Please Don't Tell," "When She Awoke," "Louise," "Different Girl," "You," "Eight," "Trixie," "Ride" and "She's Deceiving."
The best songs:
"Please Don't Tell":
On "Please Don't Tell," Swag manages to perfectly blend the styles of The Kinks ("You Really Got Me," "Tired Of Waiting For You"), The Beatles ("Please Please Me"), The Knickerbockers ("Lies") and The Zombies ("She's Not There," "Tell Her No") into one irresistible tune.
Opening with a vocal salvo, followed by ringing guitar sounds, some prime lead guitar work and propelled by a gorgeous Ringo Starr-ish backbeat, the tune takes you to 1965 with its innocence and ode to lost love.
The lead vocal is sung in unison by Jerry Dale and Robert (in the CD's liner notes, Robert describes his guitar work here as a "homage to Dave Davies" of The Kinks):
"Please don't tell her I love her / please don't tell her I cry / though it's true / she won't understand / I'm a broken man / please don't tell her I need her / please don't tell her / I'd die if she knew / but still I want her so / though it was long ago..."
"Lone":
Songs don't sound or get any more British and Beatle-ish than this (Eric Carmen never sounded this much like a Beatle in The Raspberries, for instance).
Catchy, uptempo, the drums/bass/guitar at the song's core are joined by some fantastic acoustic 12-string guitar work by Robert, who also sings lead on the tune, filled with lyrics that flash back to London's Carnaby Street circa the mod mid-'60s and The Beatles' "Penny Lane" in spirit:
"Lone, she works the lobby / of a hotel in the park / it's going nowhere / and she knows it never stops / and little Lady London / sipping tea and taking shop / upon her knees she had a napkin but she / didn't see it drop / O' but Lone was on the ball / and she watched the napkin fall / she brought out a new one, baby blue one / that's what she's there for after all..."
"I'll Get By":
Written by Doug Powell of Swag and guest Bill Lloyd (a wonderful power pop singer with several strong solo albums), "I'll Get By" is a great rocker, but the style is more '70s Cheap Trick in its sound.
Guest player Lloyd adds backup vocals and lead guitar to the band's mix, while Doug sings the lead vocal. The lyrics are perfect for anyone rejecting the explanations for being "dumped" by a lover:
"...take your excuses / the reasons why you set me free / go blame chance and circumstance / it don't mean a thing to me / I'll get by / ... / save your tears, dry your eyes / I'm alive, I'll survive / I'll get by..."
"Near Perfect Smile":
Robert's sweet lead vocal carries this slow ballad, which features some gentle acoustic guitar. A nice addition is some sweet harmonica by guest musician Jim Hoke. The sound is akin to The Rascals "How Can I Be Sure," but without the orchestration --- a very peaceful, easy on the ears track with Robert singing:
"Boy on a string / can you sing / can you play anything / for the girl with the near perfect smile / and for a while / can you stay / can you play / what's another day anyway / for the girl with the near perfect smile / she was the one / who could shine like the sun / please tell me what good is love / if she's gone..."
"Louise":
Fans of The Beatles, The Monkees and The Raspberries will adore "Louise."
It's a gorgeous, uptempo, harmony-filled masterpiece, with a moderate rock beat, strings by Chris Carmichael and a Davy Jones-sounding lead vocal by Jerry Dale singing about a guy who can't decide on which girl he's in love with:
"She doesn't like my mucky boots / she thinks she paid too much for my suit / she's just a barmaid / I tell myself every day / but I love her anyway, Louise / should see her sister, she's alright / she works the bar most every night / she's just a barmaid / I tell myself every day / but you'll love her anyway, you'll see..."
"You":
The bass line from Cheap Trick's Tom Petersson rocks beneath the co-lead vocals by Jerry Dale and Robert (who sound like Utopia's Todd Rundgren and Cheap Trick's Robin Zander here) on "You."
The tune reminds one of the late Pete Ham's work with Badfinger ("No Matter What," "Baby Blue") on Badfinger songs like "Lonely You."
Swag's "You" is an understated ballad buoyed by strong lyrics with a melody that at times is very close to Rundgren's "Hello It's Me" :
"...it's all sinking in / some love never wins / after hurting begins / and the pain never ends / it's all I can do this gettin' over you / you don't listen / you don't know me / you only leave me lonely..."
"Trixie":
The Kinks' Ray Davies used to write tunes like "Trixie" (think "Lola" and "A Well-Respected Man" sound-wise).
Featuring Jerry Dale on lead vocals (sometimes with the echo effect John Lennon perfected in The Beatles by double-tracking his lead vocals on some tunes like "A Day In the Life") and Doug playing the Harmonium, "Trixie" would have fit perfectly on any Kinks album:
"Dear Trixie / tell me you miss me / though it was yesterday / when you went away / Dear Trixie / do you ever wish me / sometimes I think about / now just do without / Dear Missy / give this note to Trixie / tell her I tried to call / it was no use at all / and if she / doesn't seem to miss me / then I'll just make believe / she's coming back to me..."
"Ride":
Guest guitarist Kenny Vaughn (a legendary Nashville session guitarist) powers "Ride," which evokes the '70s (a little bit Kiss, a little bit Rick Derringer) and pays tribute to Cheap Trick (and to themselves) in the lyrics of this hard rocking little number:
"...Do you ever turn the music on? / Do you ever sing along? / Do you have a favorite Cheap Trick song? / Put it on! / Have ever seen SWAG play live?..."
Recommendation:
Fans of '60s/'70s pop-rock will love it. The band members are all outstanding musicians/songwriters with large followings of their own from their other projects.
The production is clean and all the songs are winners (a wonderful discovery, I might add). Echos of McCartney/Lennon and the brothers Davies (Ray and Dave, of The Kinks) appear everywhere.
Fans of classic rock and power pop will want this one.
Now the negative note:
Great album --- which Yep Roc Records has proudly proclaimed its members to be via a "SWAG is..." sticker applied to the CD jewel box with Tom Petersson of Cheap Trick listed as a member of the band.
However, the official voice of Tom Petersson, CheapTrick.Com, now says Tom played bass on only two tracks and was not a Swag band member (some press materials from Yep Roc Records do state that Brad Jones, the producer, played bass on other tracks when "Tom was at his day job").
Despite the controversy, this is a fine album and well worth having in your collection.
On the web:
An article on the Tom Petersson band membership controversy: http://members.tripod.com/swizzlestickzine/news/6.18.html
Official Yep Roc Records site (Swag's label): http://www.yeproc.com
Official Doug Powell site: http://www.dougpowell.com
Official Cheap Trick site: http://www.cheaptrick.com
Official Wilco site: http://www.wilcoworld.net
Official Mavericks site: http://www.themavericks.com
Official Sixpence None The Richer site: http://www.sixpence-ntr.com
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