{"id":2293,"date":"2013-06-01T19:56:48","date_gmt":"2013-06-01T19:56:48","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/216.71.127.204\/wordpress\/?p=2293"},"modified":"2015-10-20T19:57:09","modified_gmt":"2015-10-20T19:57:09","slug":"slaid-cleaves-fighting-the-war","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/houstonmusicreview.com\/wordpress\/2013\/06\/01\/slaid-cleaves-fighting-the-war\/","title":{"rendered":"Slaid Cleaves – Fighting the War"},"content":{"rendered":"\n\n\n\n\n
Written by James Killen <\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Jun 01, 2013 at 12:01 AM<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
\"Image\"It\u2019s been four years since the release of \u201cEverything You Love Will Be Taken Away\u201d and high time for another Slaid Cleaves collection of stories and laments. \u201cStill Fighting the War\u201d is due out in mid-June, but if you have been lucky enough to see him in the last week or two (the Wildflower Festival, for instance), Slaid has had a few cases of pre-release discs available. That\u2019s an opportunity that I couldn\u2019t pass up.<\/p>\n

Cleaves has earned the reputation for writing songs about sad situations in life, social injustices and regrets for unfortunate decisions that we all make. The performance at the festival gave a peak to the audience of what we would find on \u201cStill Fighting the War\u201d. Scrappy Jud Newcomb, who was playing guitar lead for the show, was revealed to be the primary producer for the disc as well as a big contributor on guitars and keyboards. Lloyd Maines produced and played on two of the tunes and two others were produced by Mark Hallman.<\/p>\n

One thing that came out of the song selection for the show was that there were a number of upbeat and even humorous numbers on the upcoming disc. He told the story that Don Walser once said to him after a show, \u201cBoy you sure can make \u2018em cry! You need to learn to make \u2018em grin, too.\u201d There seems to be that effort on \u201cStill Fighting the War\u201d.<\/p>\n

The opening number and title track, \u201cStill Fighting the War\u201d broaches the looming issue of returning veterans and PTSD. Jimmy LaFave contributes harmony vocals and Scrappy Jud lay down some tasty lead guitar licks. \u201cWithout Her\u201d is a ballad of lost love in the tradition of Slaid Cleaves sadness.<\/p>\n

\u201cRust Belt Fields\u201d rues the loss of jobs to outsourcing and the gradual extinction of the blue collar middle class. Lines like, \u201cNo one remembers your name just for working hard\u201d, are accented by Newcomb\u2019s plucky guitar and ominous keyboard work. In a more traditional country tune, \u201dHometown, USA\u201d, Cleaves sings the stories of small town folk that had ventured out into the world to chase their dreams only to be bounced back home with dreams dashed.<\/p>\n

“Gone\u201d is one of the tunes produced by Mark Hallman and has a simpler folksy sound, again about lost love. \u201cWelding Burns\u201d is a tribute to his father as a working man and has a hammer like percussion line that makes you think of a construction site. \u201cI\u2019ll Bet She Does\u201d is about having gotten over an old love and features a solid hook with the title line in the refrain.<\/p>\n

So after seven sad tunes Cleaves finally lays down one of those upbeat songs that he\u2019d promised. He dedicated \u201cWhim of Iron\u201d to a lady he had known in New England that would take on a project or an issue that no one else would and stick with it until she was finished, while \u201cfriends would roll their eyes\u201d.<\/p>\n

\u201cTexas Love Song\u201d is set to make you grin as Slaid professes his love for his lady as greater than his love for the Lone Star State. He sets out a list of all of the great things that he loves about Texas, including the Mucky Duck in the same breath with the Broken Spoke. This one was produced by Lloyd Maines and features Terri Hendrix on Harmony vocals. It\u2019s followed immediately by the other Maines production, \u201cGod\u2019s Own Yodeler\u201d, a tribute to Don Walser that features some pretty fair yodeling on Slaid\u2019s part.<\/p>\n

So much for the happy songs as Cleaves lays out a bluesy number, \u201cIn the Rain\u201d, with Mark Hallman adding some crying guitar and Eliza Gilkyson chipping in some harmony vocals. \u201cGo for the Gold\u201d is a country gospel song entreating the listener to forgo wealth and pride in favor of the golden rule.<\/p>\n

\u201cVoice of Midnight\u201d ends the disc with a glimpse of the coming end of life with a bittersweet last wish, accentuated by an ethereal guitar from Scrappy Jud.<\/p>\n

If you are a Slaid Cleaves fan, his website is taking preorders for signed copies of his CD. If you are not a Slaid Cleaves fan, give a few of these tunes a listen and you may find out that you want to be.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Written by James Killen Jun 01, 2013 at 12:01 AM It\u2019s been four years since the release of \u201cEverything You Love Will Be Taken Away\u201d and high time for another Slaid Cleaves collection of stories and laments. \u201cStill Fighting the War\u201d is due out in mid-June, but if you have been lucky enough to see… <\/p>\n

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