Paul
Kelly's worst enemy is familiarity. After 20 years on record it's
too easy to presume there's nothing he can do to surprise us. His
best friend is the quality of his songs. No matter where you came
at them from, it's hard not to be engaged by Paul's songs. Spend
more than passing time with Paul Kelly's records and you know that
in fact he is full of surprises, and works very hard at evolving
as an artist. His last two records were huge sidetracks, two albums
released at the same time, one heading down the bluegrass track,
the other into a brave new world of technology. The album before,
'Words And Music', was a 'band' record, with Paul adding his guitarwork
and finding another (falsetto) voice. That voice was given full
vent on the techno Professor Ratbaggy album. What was interesting
to observe about that record and that group of songs is the disappearance
of the ''storytelling" Paul Kelly. This album takes another step
in that direction. These are relationship songs, without one place
name to give the songs a physical landscape. When you look at the
song titles and listen to the album you may realize that some of
these songs are already familiar. The album opens with the stirringly
melancholy 'If I Could Start Today Again', previously recorded by
Vika and Linda. 'Love Is The Law' was written for the Adelaide Festival
and the song Paul chose to perform as his contribution to the Continental
Cafe finale. 'Change Your Mind' has also had some live airings.
One song, 'Pretty Face', is eight years old. The old songs suggested
a mood Paul has chosen to explore over the course of the album,
Paul as the introspective singer songwriter struggling with life
and love. It's a role he's obviously made to play. If he was just
starting out we'd marvel at the emotion and depth in these songs.
'Just About To Break' is as fragile as we've ever heard Paul in
song. This is the album with which Paul plans to re-launch himself
in England. He's still a national treasure, but he's decided to
take off the defining and confining clothes of the modern day Banjo
Patterson to slip into something with room to grow and move. As
a performer and songwriter he's stripped himself down to the essentials,
without any encumbrances or confusion, as he's pictured on the cover,
a man and his guitar, his voice songs and thoughts. This is the
universal Paul Kelly - not totally alone of course, but surrounded
by his familiar cast of favourite players and backing voices - a
man who knows how to write a great song and nail it as a performer.
Paul
Kelly's worst enemy is familiarity. After 20 years on record it's
too easy to presume there's nothing he can do to surprise us. His
best friend is the quality of his songs. No matter where you came
at them from, it's hard not to be engaged by Paul's songs. Spend
more than passing time with Paul Kelly's records and you know that
in fact he is full of surprises, and works very hard at evolving
as an artist. His last two records were huge sidetracks, two albums
released at the same time, one heading down the bluegrass track,
the other into a brave new world of technology. The album before,
'Words And Music', was a 'band' record, with Paul adding his guitarwork
and finding another (falsetto) voice. That voice was given full
vent on the techno Professor Ratbaggy album. What was interesting
to observe about that record and that group of songs is the disappearance
of the ''storytelling" Paul Kelly. This album takes another step
in that direction. These are relationship songs, without one place
name to give the songs a physical landscape. When you look at the
song titles and listen to the album you may realize that some of
these songs are already familiar. The album opens with the stirringly
melancholy 'If I Could Start Today Again', previously recorded by
Vika and Linda. 'Love Is The Law' was written for the Adelaide Festival
and the song Paul chose to perform as his contribution to the Continental
Cafe finale. 'Change Your Mind' has also had some live airings.
One song, 'Pretty Face', is eight years old. The old songs suggested
a mood Paul has chosen to explore over the course of the album,
Paul as the introspective singer songwriter struggling with life
and love. It's a role he's obviously made to play. If he was just
starting out we'd marvel at the emotion and depth in these songs.
'Just About To Break' is as fragile as we've ever heard Paul in
song. This is the album with which Paul plans to re-launch himself
in England. He's still a national treasure, but he's decided to
take off the defining and confining clothes of the modern day Banjo
Patterson to slip into something with room to grow and move. As
a performer and songwriter he's stripped himself down to the essentials,
without any encumbrances or confusion, as he's pictured on the cover,
a man and his guitar, his voice songs and thoughts. This is the
universal Paul Kelly - not totally alone of course, but surrounded
by his familiar cast of favourite players and backing voices - a
man who knows how to write a great song and nail it as a performer.
