Disco de Hootie & The Blowfish: “Fairweather Johnson”

Descripción (en inglés) :

Hootie & The Blowfish: Darius Rucker (vocals, guitar, dobro); Mark Bryan (guitar, mandolin, piano, background vocals); Jim "Soni" Sonefeld (piano, drums, percussion, background vocals); Dean Felber (bass, background vocals). Additional personnel includes: Lili Haydn (violin, viola); Michael Severens (cello); Peter Holsapple (accordion, piano, Hammond organ); John Nau (piano, Fender Rhodes piano, Hammond B-3 organ); Randy Guss (tambourine); Nanci Griffith & Band, Dean Dinning, Glen Phillips & Band (background vocals); Cary. Recorded at The Site, Marin County, California. Includes liner notes by Mark Bryan, Dean Felber, Darius Rucker, Jim "Soni" Sonefeld & Paul Graham. An air of melancholy and isolation hangs over Hootie & The Blowfish's second major-label album. A similar air hangs over many follow-ups to whopping commercial succeses like Hootie's CRACKED REAR VIEW. But this South Carolina foursome is both too smart to follow that tired path in which stardom begets ennui, and a few miles on the road beget resentment and resignation. The darkness in their existential-pop love songs derives not from the world without, but from souls within. Meanwhile, they craft R&B-soaked folk-rock with the confidence of a band that's as popular as they wanna be. Propelled both inward and onward by their fame, they continue to cast for sad fish with happyish hooks. The prevalent sound of FAIRWEATHER JOHNSON is dark folk-rock, with jangly guitars and melodies rooted in '60s rock. The country-gospel swing of "So Strange," awash in the sound of a Hammond organ, sounds like vintage Rolling Stones; "Silly Little Pop Song," which isn't silly at all, is Beatlesque down to an ooh-la-la-la backing chorus. The song structures themselves are also dizzyingly '60s-ish, many clocking in at three and a half minutes or less. But the band's tangle of Southern roots separates this from any other classic-rock homage. On the gorgeous "Earth Stopped Cold At Dawn," they invite country singer Nanci Griffith to join them in a country-rock ballad that could pass for acoustic R.E.M.; "Fool" is nearly Cajun (with an accordion played by former R.E.M. sideman Peter Holsapple); and "She Crawls Away" bounces to an island beat. The arrangements cannily and cleanly incorporate cellos, violins and even a mandolin. They're topped and set off by Darius Rucker's nearly reckless vocal performance. Alternately slurring phrases and spitting them out with venomous love, Rucker's voice abandons reason in favor of pure emotion, as if to parry away the complaints that Hootie's art was based on craft alone.

Fairweather Johnson is one of those CDs that you buy because you like the one or two songs played on the radio, but you're fully prepared to hate the rest of it and be ok with that. I was pleasantly surprised when I discovered that I loved the majority of songs on this CD. I saw a VH1 special where Hootie played these songs acoustically, and it was wonderful and convinced me to buy the CD. Now, it's one of my CD changer regulars--the ones where you can listen to the entire CD without constantly reaching for the remote to skip songs. My personal favorites are "Earth Stopped Cold at Dawn" and "Let It Breathe." The CD is mellow in most places, but it reflects a maturation in song writing ability compared with Cracked Rear View. Those looking for a repeat of Cracked will be sorely disappointed. Johnson has much more depth and emotion. This just may be Hootie's best CD of all.

Sure, we all remember when Hootie had their hits like "Time," "Only Wanna Be With You," "I Go Blind," etc. But it is this album, Fairweather Johnson, that amazes me so. The lyrics are intense, emotional, poetic, and tender. The music is dynamite, and very atmospheric. You can almost imagine this album being played at an old blues house in Connecticut under a cliudy sky. This album just puts you in that mood, that dark, lonely mood. Darius Rucker's voice is amazing. His talent is so underappreciated in an age where it seems rock has been taken over by metal-head, whiteboys who think they can rap. This album is a breath of fresh air to that formula, because it is so old fashioned. Songs like "Sad Caper," "Old Man and Me," "Earth Stopped Cold At Dawn," and "Tucker's Town" are wonderful tracks that really grip your heart. Themes range from death,age, and of course lost love. "Sad Caper" is without a doubt Hootie and the Blowfish's best song. It's really too bad the public didn't pick up on this album, because it is a masterwork of this genre of music. It may take time, but this album will gain it's much deserved recognition, and it will become a classic. It is simply one of the '90's best albums.

I bought this album the day it came out and I was very disappointed. After putting it on the back burner I gave it another shot a few months later and it was like I was listening to it for the very first time. The lyrics of this album are much deeper than I have ever expected them to be. I can't stop listening to this album and my fingers stay away from the skip button because every song is special in its own way. My favorite tracks are: Be the One, Earth Stopped Cold at Dawn, Sad Caper, and the most powerful song on the album called, Tootie. Old Man and Me and Tucker's Town are great but not their best. I believe Hootie and the Blowfish made this album from their soul instead of what would be a commercial success. I love this album and it is a must have if you want to slow down and completely listen to an album. Give it a few times all the way through and I promise you it will speak to you in ways that you never thought were possible.


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