You
Am I's latest album is the sound of a courageous, experienced band
determined to do what they do, no matter what. The way singer and
songwriter Tim Rogers tells it himself there were pressures on You
Am I to conform in order to secure themselves a future in America.
The band didn't lift up an index finger of contempt out of hand.
Obviously the band did their best to accommodate those outside views,
agreed to work with suggested producers, wrote some songs which
might fit the bill without taking You Am I off the rails. All through,
You Am I tried to keep their focus, their sense of self. In the
end all those outside pressures, that "wasted" gestation, might
have done You Am I (and us) a huge favour. In the end Tim Rogers
and his friends dug deep to bring out what THEY thought was important,
what THEY wanted to hear from You Am I. If there was ever a thought
in Tim's mind to "go solo", even periodically, this thought is less
potent now. Why would he? Tim has had reason to focus on his songwriting
and decided that You Am I is the best medium for him, that he can
challenge this bunch of musicians and they will challenge him, and
in that process the band and its music (and us) emerge as the winners.
Adding potency to the exercise for this album is the addition of
new guitarist Dave Lane. If Tim felt the band was limited or dependant
on his own guitarwork, that thought is also gone. So that's what
'Dress Me Slowly' is, for me, an album with the power and energy
of the album with which You Am I introduced themselves. If they
hadn't broken the mould with 'Berlin Chair' then, and we were listening
to You Am I for the first time now, we'd find a 'Berlin Chair' here.
The difference is that the band and its songwriter are ten years
and more on. 'Kick A Hole In The Sky' has all the bite of You Am
I at their bite best. You want pop songs? Try to get 'Bring Back
Some Sun' out of your head. Rock classicism is something that's
always something pointed at You Am I. The Who. The Faces. Others.
It's true. Just like they've dug deep to get the best of out of
themselves for this album they hold their work up against the music
they admire, not as imitators, but as a standard they aspire to
build on. With 'Dress Me Slowly' they've succeeded dramatically.
Anyone who would have wished them to be anything else should be
ashamed.
You
Am I's latest album is the sound of a courageous, experienced band
determined to do what they do, no matter what. The way singer and
songwriter Tim Rogers tells it himself there were pressures on You
Am I to conform in order to secure themselves a future in America.
The band didn't lift up an index finger of contempt out of hand.
Obviously the band did their best to accommodate those outside views,
agreed to work with suggested producers, wrote some songs which
might fit the bill without taking You Am I off the rails. All through,
You Am I tried to keep their focus, their sense of self. In the
end all those outside pressures, that "wasted" gestation, might
have done You Am I (and us) a huge favour. In the end Tim Rogers
and his friends dug deep to bring out what THEY thought was important,
what THEY wanted to hear from You Am I. If there was ever a thought
in Tim's mind to "go solo", even periodically, this thought is less
potent now. Why would he? Tim has had reason to focus on his songwriting
and decided that You Am I is the best medium for him, that he can
challenge this bunch of musicians and they will challenge him, and
in that process the band and its music (and us) emerge as the winners.
Adding potency to the exercise for this album is the addition of
new guitarist Dave Lane. If Tim felt the band was limited or dependant
on his own guitarwork, that thought is also gone. So that's what
'Dress Me Slowly' is, for me, an album with the power and energy
of the album with which You Am I introduced themselves. If they
hadn't broken the mould with 'Berlin Chair' then, and we were listening
to You Am I for the first time now, we'd find a 'Berlin Chair' here.
The difference is that the band and its songwriter are ten years
and more on. 'Kick A Hole In The Sky' has all the bite of You Am
I at their bite best. You want pop songs? Try to get 'Bring Back
Some Sun' out of your head. Rock classicism is something that's
always something pointed at You Am I. The Who. The Faces. Others.
It's true. Just like they've dug deep to get the best of out of
themselves for this album they hold their work up against the music
they admire, not as imitators, but as a standard they aspire to
build on. With 'Dress Me Slowly' they've succeeded dramatically.
Anyone who would have wished them to be anything else should be
ashamed.