22 February 2010
ThisIsBooksMusic.comWhat defines the "American Songbook"? Look in libraries, older albums and CD's, and people will go out of their way to maybe not define it, but keep adding to it. For years it seems that songbook has been locked in a time capture, as if there have been no other American compositions of interest written. British vocalist Barb Jungr... now right there you're probably thinking "wait a minute, a British woman is going to tell me what the American songbook should consist of?" Those who are open-minded are probably saying "interesting, a British perspective of the American songbook. I'm now curious." Welcome.
The Men I Love: The New American Songbook (NAIM) is an album that takes a unique look at American music of the last 50 years, exploring rock'n'roll, pop, and soul that presents these songs in an all new way. Even if you've heard them countless times (and you have), you'll come out of this thinking that these are the best songs ever written. Maybe they're a part of your life's soundtrack and didn't realize what they were or why they're important, at least to you.
For new fans, Jungr is know for dabbling in jazz and blues, and has done a bit of cabaret singing too. Normally that would be a red flag for me but I only knew of these AFTER playing the album. The Men I Love represents the men who wrote and/or performed these songs, showing why they should and will be a part of the neverending American songbook. Todd Rundgren's "I Saw The Light" is removed from its slightly nostalgic feel to become something that sounds like deep passionate love, while Bruce Springsteen's "The River" will definitely turn heads with its elegance. Springsteen: elegant? Indeed, indeed. Jungr has covered a number of Bob Dylan songs in the past, and she continues this with doing "You Ain't Going Nowhere". Her versions of Simon & Garfunkel's "My Little Town", Leonard Cohen's "Night Comes On", and The Monkees‘ "I'm A Believer" (as written by Neil Diamond are perfect as they allow the listener to hear the songs for what they are, and perhaps offer unique twists to its meaning when she adjusts the melody or structure. No matter how you cover Jimmy Webb's "Wichita Lineman" (made famous by Glen Campbell), it comes out sounding strong and Jungr's take is just brilliant.
The song that did it for me, and what hooked me to listen to the thing in full was her cover of "Once In A Lifetime" by The Talking Heads, which opens the album. Trust me, when I saw the title on the back of the digipak, I wondered what this could sound like. After hearing it, I realized once again how powerful and meaningful this song is, especially for me. I feel old now because I've lived long enough to remember when this song and video was considered one of the most weirdest and yet coolest things I've ever heard and seen. I've lived long enough to where the Talking Heads are now considered classic rock in some circles, and I have now lived long enough to hear the Talking Heads become a part of the American songbook, Jungr's performance turns this into possibly the best pop song of the 80's. It's performed completely different from the original, she speaks the verses just like David Byrne did but the chorus is restructured a bit. Within her voice you still hear that desperation and uncertainty of the lyrics, but the most effective part of the song is at the end, when she ends it by reciting the line "into the blue again". Immediately I got the vision of the Talking Heads video where Byrne electronically faded into the blue again, but it also represents the vicious circle that we all go through in our lives, over and over again. Jungr's and producer Simon Wallace's arrangement is a painful reminder of life and what we do to live it, and that if we continue to things the "same as it ever was", we'll be going into the blue again and again and again.
The Men I Love reminds me of all of those albums I regularly come across at thrift stores and yard sales, where a pop or jazz singer will take songs of the times and re-interpret, sometimes brilliantly, sometimes not so much but it's the effort of it that counts. In the last few years, people don't so much re-interpret as they mimic or copy, it's as if everyone has become enamored of the Mary J. Blige method of doing karaoke on music and songs of the past. Jungr is not that type of singer, she is a true artist who knows how to get in the spirit of these compositions and allow herself to get caught up in the music. In return, the listener senses this and allows the music to overwhelm them. Anyone who thinks that there hasn't been any decent song written in the last 50 years really hasn't listened, so perhaps Jungr's perspective will move people to realize the truth. May the new American songbook continue to grow, especially when an "outsider" perspective is necessary to keep it alive.