Reverend Freakchild – Blues & Spirituals/Hymn Hustler – 2 CDs
This artist has kicked the musical can further & further down the musical road since 2001. With this ambitious framing, it’s actually his first 2 albums from 2001 & 2003 reincarnated, digitized, remastered & humanized as a new double set.
Reverend Freakchild offers in one package his original 20 tracks (10) from each set. CD #1 is Blues & Spiritual & CD #2 is Hymn Hustler. Drops May 1/Treated & Released Records). The music as a whole dives into country & traditional blues, soul-folk & adds psychedelic overtones to keep things interesting. The Blues & Spirituals disc is geared toward acoustic troubadour-oriented performances, whereas the Hymn Hustler showcase reveals a tougher side but in the same tradition as the acoustic blend. So, if you missed the good Reverend’s music the first time, this is a good opportunity to be re-acquainted.
A glance at Blues & Spirituals has spare instrumentation, acoustic guitar, harmonica & vocals. The Reverend Freakchild (guitars/slides/voices/vocals/harmonica/banjo), while not originally from the South, sings with a Southern spirit in his tone & intonation, especially on the traditional blues-Gospel of “Jesus On the Mainline.” Not quite at the essence level of John Fahey, but forged strongly. There’s no pontificating; the feeling is authentic — stifled a little since it’s in a modern-day discipline. The vocals are still convincing within the context of the material. The Reverend knows his stuff.
“Lose These Blues” is well played, but because the Reverend doesn’t have a lived-in blues voice of Furry Lewis, Blind Willie McTell, Sonny Boy Williamson, or Muddy Waters, it’s more of a performance than a paint-flaking narrative. However, “Mo’ Better Blues” slides the thermometer up into a far more genuine temperature. Good vocal application, the harmonica adds more rural richness & the Reverend has this song penetrating the ears.
He still sounds like a young blues singer & not a blues elder. Taking into consideration some of the “youth” in his voice, it can be dismissed because his effort is reliably acute & all-consuming. In this realm, he could easily have been a lead vocalist for Canned Heat, Savoy Brown Band, or the Butterfield Blues Band. “Pure Religion” finds the Reverend singing in a world-weary voice, which works well, but it sounds more like Hot Tuna musically than a veteran blues group. The vocal approach is more like The The’s Matt Johnson during his “Hanky Panky” album days.
“Rollin’ On” is good, but it has a country singer flourish trying to sing the blues. Result? Interesting. One of the best tracks on the LP. It’s ambitious. It sounds like folk singer Fred Neil, Loudon Wainwright III, or Eric Andersen going bluesy. Different.
The jive upbeat wordy “Cheeba-Cheeba” falls short of scatting & would’ve been better suited for jazz singer Annie Ross than the Reverend. Seems out of place. Something musician & composer David Amram would’ve done back in the Beat Generation coffee house days of the ‘50s. A better choice is The Beatles’ “Yer Blues,” composed by John Lennon. Here it sounds like a dusty old blues (probably the way Lennon would’ve loved it). Excellent number by the Reverend, well interpreted, good vocal projections. The final entry is Lowell George’s “Willin’”, superb. Nothing overdone, everything splendid, gentle & easy going.
Disc 2 starts with “Rollin’ & Tumblin’” & what makes this striking is that the Reverend sounds as if he recorded & played this 70 years ago to good effect. It’s an excellent recording if not penetrating. This whole side has a presence that’s not modern-day. It inhabits another realm. The Reverend captures the embers of the blues in his bare hands & juggles them. “In My Time of Dyin’” is another old-world faithful recording captured with expertise.
Falling back into a more modern-day vocalization & doing it with finesse is the original “Supersubconscious Mind.” Quite cool. The more psychedelic “Strange Magic” has an undercurrent of jazz bass with harmonica. It’s a nice distraction from the other tunes, but it doesn’t fit the modus operandi of the album. Maybe if it were a Chambers Brothers album or a War showcase, it would fit.
Rev. Gary Davis’s “Search My Heart” is another formidable piece that’s sung in a modern blues manner quite well. All the nuances & variables of the tradition are embedded & distinguished. The slurry words, emphasized words, add to the excitement of the song. Whereas “A Day Late and $ Short,” leave this to The Fabulous Thunderbirds or Cab Calloway.
I’m not big on the novelty & comedy slices on an LP like this, but the final track “Momento Mori” is crazy good, the way The Beatles’ “Revolution #9” was crazy. I liked that. Creative.
The album was produced by The Freakchild, PhD & recorded in Brooklyn, NY.
Highlights – CD #1 (37:52) – “Jesus On the Mainline,” “Lose These Blues,” “Mo’ Better Blues,” “Pure Religion,” “Rollin’ On,” “Yer Blues” & “Willin’.”
CD #2 (41:50) – “Rollin’ & Tumblin,’” “In My Time of Dyin,’” “Supersubconscious Mind,” “Hawaiian Cowboy Lost in NYC,” “Search My Heart,” “Don’t Miss Nothin’” & “Momento Mori.”
Musicians – Jon Robinson (upright bass), Patrick Carmichael (drums), Michael Gomez & Drew Glackin (lap steels), CC (other voices), Alan Grubner (viola) & Cleophus Jones (baritone vocal).
Color image courtesy of Sal Tufano. CD @ Bandcamp & https://www.www-reverendfreakchild.org/