Chris Isaak finally finds the right formula
By JOE LARSON
Scene Music Critic
Chris Isaak has been churning out smooth, moody surf songs since his arrival on the music scene in the late '80s. His songs ooze emotion and the sultry videos he continues to flaunt back up the vibe of his music.
On all his albums, his marble voice plunges down low and then soars up into a soulful croon for lost love. This is Isaak's staple, but substantial commercial success has mostly eluded him.
His most popular work to date is his 1990 smash song and accompanying video, "Wicked Game," and some people could be familiar with Isaak's "Baby Did a Bad Thing" from Stanley Kubrick's last movie, "Eyes Wide Shut." His previous efforts were always good and achieved critical accolades, but the feel that he had still not found the missing link for major success continued to prevail.
That feeling is negated in his latest effort, Always Got Tonight, which is his best album to date. On previous albums, Isaak's voice was the main and only focal point, but with the addition of his new producer, John Shanks, this album concentrates on presenting a fuller guitar sound to complement Isaak's silver voice. Shanks said, "I wanted to take Chris' songs to a different place – making songs rock a little harder." And they do.
On this album, Isaak not only provides the slow, moody songs he is best known for, but adds crunchy guitars and cranks out some great fast songs, too. The balance between fast rock songs and slow crooners on this album is perfect. On previous albums, there were always a few tracks in a row that beg to be skipped, but this album cruises throughout without ever getting too repetitive or boring.
The album starts with the haunting "One Day," a quick-paced song about desire. The song mixes a swinging acoustic background, thumping bass line, and melodic lead guitar-playing with Isaak's breathy vocals asking for "One day of your life."
The second song and first single, "Let Me Down Easy," is a catchy, toe-tapping lighter number where Isaak's vocals again shine through. In the chorus, he shows his range while he is begging for his love interest to take it easy on him.
Other rockers include "Courthouse" and the theme song to the Showtime series that bears his name, "American Boy." "Courthouse" thumps through the verses and then Isaak belts out the chorus "I don't care what people say/ I will always feel this way/ I don't care how long it takes/ You're not to blame." The song builds and peeks with lead guitarist Hershel Yatovitz's rocking solo.
"American Boy" is an instant classic that immediately becomes stuck on the brain after the first time you hear it. It tells the story of, you guessed it, an American boy who plainly states "I'm no James Dean, baby/ But you know I care." Isaak fights for the regular guy and rocks through the song that could have been written for Elvis.
A new sound for Isaak comes on the title track, which rocks harder than any of Isaak's previous work. The song begs for a lover to take another chance with her former partner. Isaak's low voice begs for the person to return and the guitar borders on a heavy stomping beat.
This song and the very speedy and eclectic "Notice the Ring," which boasts some floating flute riffs, explore the musical possibilities that Isaak had not delved into previously.
Isaak stretched on this album and that is why it's so great. He took his Elvis and Beach Boys-based sound and added a better guitar sound and quicker tempos which put this album high above his other efforts to date. "Always Got Tonight" rocks from the first song to the last song, alternating between up-tempo songs about desire and slower, more emotional songs about loss.
As always, Isaak's vocals are incredible, but on this album, the band and sound surrounding him excel and come together to form a truly great rock record.
All Scene Stories for Tuesday, February 26, 2002
