I never thought I'd live to see this day. Concrete Blonde reunited with original members: Harry Rushakoff, Jim Mankey, and the fabulous Johnette Napolitano. As soon as I bought the CD I sat in my truck and ripped off the plastic, hoping for a lyric sheet inside. Score. So, I start reading lyrics and by the time I get through the words on track four ("True, Part III - one of the best songs here) I felt tears rolling down my face.
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Johnette still has it. Group Therapy is beautifully written. I love how Jim Mankey has such sensitivity on "Your Llorona" and then explodes with aggression on "Valentine". And I'm glad the band stayed true to their roots, and didn't succumb to commercial radio standards by recording some over-produced, slick piece of shit. These songs are somber and angry and contemplative, which makes this record oh so timely. And what makes it spookier is that it was written before the September 11th attack on America.
When Johnette sings, there's actually no need for a lyric sheet. She annunciates so well you hear every word she breathes into your ear. But, read the lyrics that come with Group Therapy anyway cuz what she put on paper and what she put on record are sometimes different. She changes "When I Was A Fool" from questioning who she is to a declaration of who she is. Both versions, though, are treasures. I love it when she gets to the point in a song where she screams her words as if she was on the brink of losing her sanity. Her pipes sound as powerful as ever.
"Roxy" is a love song of sorts that could have easily been written by any one of her fans as a tribute to Johnette herself: "Sweeter sounds from space were never heard, or a perfect turn of a word...it's like listening to a kiss/after all these years you still bring tears to my eyes."
"Your Llorona" (remember: double 'L' sounds like 'Y', and roll your 'R') is a clever song, and I'll tell ya why. 'Llorona' in Spanish describes a woman who is crying - that's a rough translation. There is a Mexican folklore about 'La Llorona', who is a woman whose asshole macho shithead lover abandoned her and the kids and the adobe. Out of despair the woman took her children to the river and drowned them. And at night when you're near water you can hear the woman crying for her dead babies. The story is told much more eloquently and in a scarier way by old Mexican ladies. But, here's my point. The song Johnette wrote is about a woman weeping not for her children but for the lover that left her. I've never heard the story from that perspective. I'd have never thought of presenting that angle. From this point of view I relate to the weeping woman, rather than feeling like I wanna hide under the blankets at the mere mention of her - Llorona. Jim Mankey's acoustic accompaniment is nothing less than beautiful. And Johnette has a nice accent, said my mom.
I'm not aware of another Concrete Blonde record where Jim and Johnette switched instruments. On what is probably my favorite track, "Take Me Home", Johnette does some heartfelt guitar playing while her longtime guitarist takes charge of her bass. This is a great song written as a conversation, it sounds like.
First live show I ever saw of Concrete Blonde was in 1989 in San Francisco. This was when the band had a bass player and Johnette's only concentration was on singing her heart out for us, which she did. But when I saw CB perform one of their first gigs on the Group Therapy Tour Johnette had her bass strapped on again - and she rocked out. Live, Johnette's voice is bigger, better, stronger. We chatted after the show, too - but for the rest of the story you'll have to read my Live Journal page (search the calendar for January 23rd.)
I love "Angel" for these words: "What if I told you you were beautiful with your scars and missing parts and your aging face?" Johnette writes for those of us who have lived a life that maybe needed to be interrupted once in awhile, and for those with old souls. At this point in my life, her words mean so much more to me.
The album closes with the crackling of a needle digging into the grooves, and with Johnette's sexiest voice. "Memory" salutes a long life friendship that after all these years the line is still blurred of where admiration ends and deep love begins all over again.
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