how to meld the blues with death erections
Any album titled the Snake King written by a 68-year-old rocker I figured I just had to hear upon its release.
The album opens with In the Land of the Blind, and despite its lyrical content, the music for the track is more laid back then what I figured it would be especially on an opening track. The lyrics on this album in general deal with the loss of faith as well as social and political unrest and Land of the Blind leads the way there with Mr. Springthorpe winding his way down a desperate path double entendres included.
The music on this track and a few others reminds me of some of the work on Karma, kind of a laid-back guitar slinging session that moves along at a steady pace. For this track and some of those others, I would've preferred the incendiary guitar work of something like Shock, Anger & Denial lp with its rocking guitar blasts to match them but I suppose it's a smart way of lulling the average listener in so as to tuck in the lyrical content.
The Devil That You Know is next up and is a nice little ditty that sets listener up for the varied and blues driven tunage that is to come. It's a little forced but that's alright. I would've preferred this to be later in the track order of the lp but as a second song it's not so bad I suppose.
Little Demon is where the album really opens up for me. With its driving acoustic cords, blasting expansive lead guitar work and popping horns it's the track that should've been second on the album. This will be great live.
Judas Tree follows and is an all-out blues rave. It's a fantastic blast that will also be great live. Any song that melds the blues with death erection has my vote to be played live.
Jesus was an Atheist is yet another blues driven number that winks at the listener with its sly lyrical content of the protagonist being a running partner of Jesus that knew the holy one as just another player from the neighborhood.
"He said they're going to kill me
When we go out smokin'
I thought he meant the cigarettes
But Jesus wasn't jokin'"
Indeed.
The title track is next and while good, I was sort of waiting for it to really burn with some hammering guitar work instead of the building blues cords used, but it's still a fun song that will also be a live favorite. Jelly rolls, alcohol, and Vicodin sounds like a good time for any old snake king.
God Don't Care is yet another bluesy track that plays out with intensity. Of course, the real question isn't if God cares or not, it's that everything is already here to take care of each and every person but it's not God that messes with that it's the race that is human that does.
The Voodoo House is a storm bringer of sorts that romps and stomps all over the place and extolls the listener to come on down for many rewards. This one has to be played live.
The two-minute dark ditty that is Suicide Manifesto slides in next and is a nice warm-up for one of my favorite tracks on the lp Blues for the Disillusioned. This is one really hits home and fits just right with what the album wants to be. Everything locks into place here; blues, lyrics, and vocals to deliver the message of everything is a mess with little resolution or answers for anyone that might want some.
Santa is Anagram is a cute two minute Christmas song for the times and features winding blues licks.
And now we come to the album's stunner.
Orpheus in the Underworld. With its sweet little pop acoustic tune and lyrics that burn everything and everyone down around their knees, it's quite the song. Logging in at over ten minutes in length it rambles along twisting and turning spinning its desolate tale of America with its harmonica hooks that only encourages the listener to sing along to their own doom. While Rick has tackled lots of serious stuff in the past with Orpheus he puts down probably his most serious statement. Orpheus fits well here in that he's the perfect tragic hero to choose from for this song having saved his wife from death only to lose her again by his own seemingly simple mistake.
I've read some reviews that accuse Rick of trying too hard here. Maybe so, but I'd rather he do that than not try at all and the Snake King is a worthy addition to his already vast catalog.
