Album Roundup, 11/15/2019

Juliana Hatfield, David Bowie, Céline Dion, Lady Antebellum, The Band

Albums released on 11/08/2019 that I enjoyed:

Juliana Hatfield—Juliana Hatfield Sings The Police

Where Juliana Hatfield Sings Olivia Newton-John—the first in what's turning into a series of songbook albums from Hatfield—was bathed in the soft glow of nostalgia, Juliana Hatfield Sings The Police is an edgier affair. Some of this is surely due to the fact that the Police were a rock band, not an adult contemporary icon, but Hatfield also gives her readings sharp, inventive arrangements that underscore the trio's new wave roots while rarely sounding like re-creations. The selections from Zenyatta Mondatta are the only versions that approach replicants, which means  "Every Breath You Take" and "Roxanne" deliver curveballs, sounding as vibrant as the excavations of deep cuts "Landlord" and "Hungry For You."

Lady Antebellum—Ocean

Set aside the fact that Lady Antebellum—the sweetest and softest of modern country-pop acts—are touting their embrace of adult contemporary as "fearless" and "honest." As a band, they're simply not equipped to provoke. Perhaps they're singing about issues that hit close to home—Ocean is filled with songs about enduring love--but these themes are dressed in gentle harmonies and reassuring melodies, so the trio is offering comfort, not adventure. Coming on the heels of 2017's Heart Break, where the late busbee gave Lady Antebellum the slightest of modern makeovers, the caution of Ocean is even more striking, but the group's appeal lays in how they provide a soundtrack for cozy domestic afternoons, a quality they emphasize here. 

Ronnie Wood—Mad Lad: A Live Tribute To Chuck Berry

For my tastes, this 2018 live tribute contains too much late-night blues--a sound that Chuck Berry often played, but wasn't core to his genius. Still, Ronnie Wood's affection for Chuck is palpable and infectious, even if it steers him toward penning a truly embarrassing tribute to the great one ("we're here to celebrate Chuck Berry/what a crazy man!").

Also Ran:      

Céline Dion—Courage

Céline Dion's first album since the death of her husband/manager René Angélil—and her first English-language pop album in six years—is long enough to support whatever grand theory you'd like. There are songs about survival and songs about heartbreak, songs about moving on, songs for clubs and songs for waiting rooms. It's scattered musically, too, opening with a clutch of glassy EDM-inflected tracks and slinky ballads, eventually winding its way to old-fashioned R&B and inspirational ballads. It's a move to appeal to every imaginable Céline Dion audience, which can provide some cognitive dissonance, like when she sings "This shit is perfect" on "Perfect Goodbye," a phrase that sounds stilted in her hands, or when her vocals are subtly, yet notably, pitch-sifted. Courage has its moments but it's ultimately an aan endurance test.

Reissues:      

David Bowie—Conversation Piece

The last few years have seen a comprehensive retrospective David Bowie hit the market in the last few months of the year. That didn't happen this year. Instead, Parlophone/WMG offered Conversation Piece, a hefty box documenting Bowie's 1968 and 1969 through a series of home demos, BBC recordings and, finally, the David Bowie (aka Space Oddity) album. All this would've been more enticing if so much of this hadn't been parceled out in limited-edition vinyl box sets over the course of 2019, but hearing it all in one place is fascinating, offering some insights into Bowie's songwriting process. The new Tony Visconti remix of the David Bowie (aka Space Oddity) album isn't all that different. 

Suede—Head Music [Deluxe Edition]

The second expanded edition of Head Music—the first arrived back in 2011—offers a lot of demos and working versions of the album that attempted to replicate the fizzy pleasures of Coming Up. The album is patchy but, like Conversation Piece, it's interesting to trace the creative process of Suede, and the acoustic Fan Club set at the end of the set is lovely.

The Band—The Band [50th Anniversary Edition]

Like last year's Music From Big Pink anniversary edition, there isn't much new on this 50th Anniversary box of The Band's eponymous second album. The best outtakes, including a studio version of "Get Up Jake," were aired on the 2000 reissue, and the new alternate takes are all inferior to what made the final cut. Still, it's always a pleasure to hear the Band in their prime, and the new Bob Clearmountain mix doesn't mess with the mix the way his Big Pink revision did and the band's Woodstock set is a firecracker.

David Ball—Thinkin' Problem

Omnivore's 25th Anniversary edition of David Ball's Thinkin' Problem shines a light on this fine —and underappreciated—straightahead country album from 1994. The bonus tracks include some new recordings—including a 2019 version of "What Do You Want With His Love"--that show Ball hasn't lost much of a step in the last quarter decade. 

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