All good writing leaves characters and the details of their lives open to interpretation. William Makepeace Thackeray will be known for satire shortly after "Lyndon" bows to success with "Vanity Fair." As picaresque as you want to make "Lyndon" out to be, there are moments when you connect the pieces and the tragic aspects provide a hint of method to the madness.
Despite losing his father, Redmond Barry does not grow up in a "ruined" family. If anything, he is the inheritor of something far more valuable than an estate and grounds to ride around on his mare. Redmond is the recipient of his mother's non dimmable optimism. Even when he is cast out of Barryville and sent on his way to Dublin with a little coin to get through the trip, his misadventures and "luck" never deter him from continuing the arduous journey.
His chance meetings with people always lead to bigger and (sort of) better things. If he was guided by love towards Nora, his time in Thackeray's "genteel world" is a better lesson in who to trust. He rescues the wife of Captain Fitzsimons after she has been robbed by the most feared highwayman on the king's highroad. (We must point out that in the Kubrick 1975 film, it is Barry that is robbed - and quite politely.) Her list of stolen items is not to be believed as it includes a "pair of diamond shoe-buckles." Yet knowing that the infamous Captain Freny also hit two barristers on the circuit that same day, makes it feel real and reinforce the Fitzsimons appearance as somewhat wealthy.
Redmond does the gracious thing and accompanies her to her home - not for any particular reason except being gentlemanly. Along the way, she constructs a grandiose vision of what awaits Redmond in Dublin. It is not that Redmond is not listening for the odd piece of this storied history that does not fit. It is that his new friend has actually tied up this story with moments of advice and caution. Still, when Redmond utters statements like "she was the first REAL English person I had ever met," it is hard not to consider how enamored he was with Nora and the rocky road that put him on.
So when we arrive at the Fitzsimons homestead, it all seems so foreign to the description. Captain Fitzsimons is in a "tattered nightgown and cap," Redmond even notes that in using linens the next day he encounters a stain from the night before. However, Fitzsimons is inflating Redmond and the myth that he is not a part of the "Redmonds of Redmondstown," just as Redmond admits to being a possession of the "Redmonds of Castle Redmond."
Who's lying and who's not is a game that we are playing because Redmond Barry has essentially lost his identity in a gun battle that he ironically won. Yet it all starts so casually here with the Fitzsimons of Dublin. First, the lady asks if he can help out with paying for a serving of lobsters. Although, later on we will see the lady use that money for something else. Thackeray through his "unreliable narrator" gives us a young man with judgment clouded by a variety of maladies including being thrust out of his home, and left in a uncomfortable circumstances but still needing to "keep up appearances" or as Redmond succinctly puts it smile while being "served bad fish."
If this all sounds like Thackeray and/or Redmond are toying with us as readers, it may be meant to reduce our sympathy for the protagonist. Given his narration originating from the future when we sense he has turned out successful, falling prey to being "pigeoned" by the Fitzsimons is the least of his troubles and the most revealing of his character flaws. The help seems to understand that he truly is a fish out of water, but they have nothing to gain from acting on their instincts. That leads us to the parade of business associates Captain Fitzsimons takes young Redmond to see.
As if he were an actor playing a part, he is "presented" at the "hatter's and tailor's as a gentleman of great expectations and large property.' One tailored coat simply will not do the trick. Necessity at appearing rich, means many coats, frocks, and couture - all without making payment. Here is where your suspicions as a reader rise. If he must make a name for himself in Dublin (mind you, not his own,) wouldn't the fastest way to arouse suspicions in those around you be to follow every whim? After all, Captain Fitzsimons is billed as "an adventurer," but he would only have to say he was leaving town on an excursion to prove that correct. Like everything else in "Barry Lyndon," the atmosphere around our young man must be intoxicating to the point of optimist disbelief. Redmond knows this is unreal and those twenty guineas his dear mother gave him are dwindling.
"In a pretty nest of villains, indeed, was I plunged," Redmond says upon confronting the reality that he is having to sell his credit-purchased wares to pay for the accoutrements of this new life. When he has no funds to get his mare out of the stable, the livery keeper finally lets him know that he was the mark of the Fitzsimons all along. Then to return to their home and find them rifling through his personals delivers a shock to the system.
Thackeray skillfully pivots here:
"You're an impostor, young man, a schemer, a deceiver" shouted the Captain.
"Repeat the words again, and I will run you through the body." replied I.
Redmond has been found out. His immediate reaction is to threaten bodily harm of these people he thought were gracious hosts. In most situations, this discovery would lead to a retreat with shame. However, Redmond has learned something from his confrontation with Captain Quin. He knows that the Captain is countering his attack but truly a coward, Thackerary clues us in as the Captain loses his "brogue" from too many big words like "inthrojuice" and "genthry." Redmond summons his dignity, perhaps from thinking of his late father dying just before leading the family into the vaunted gentry. Amidst the shrieks of the lady, Redmond tells the Captain the truth for the first time - admitting that he is on the run because he killed a soldier in a gun battle.
A valuable lesson unfolded here. Redmond cannot fall prey to his own vulnerability as that is the glowing indicator that he is ripe for the taking. Given the task of going to Dublin and hiding out for a few months, he has been thrust out in a few days. On one hand, it is comedic to see him as a lovable screw-up. On the other, a victim of circumstance from his incomplete family life and the constant implication from those around him that he is "not one of us."
In need of yet another fresh start, and now another new identity, does the only thing a red-blooded young man can do - join the Army.
NEW MUSIC THIS WEEK
WET LEG - Moisturizer [FAMILY PHOTO LP/CD](Domino/Redeye)
The Grammy-winners Wet Leg hail from the south coast of England's Isle of Wight, an island that is twice as large as Hattiesburg if it was filled with the entire metropolitan area that surrounds us. The beauty of the Isle of Wight is its distance from everything meaning that its local population is truly local. "Overners" who come to visit only add to their culture. Rhian Teasdale and Hester Chambers wanted to make music that was inspired by their idols (P.J. Harvey, The Strokes, and The White Stripes) but different and almost foreign. With their blend of modest detachment and overdriven Id, Wet Leg struck a chord with listeners around the world. For their second album, they pump up their glam side (as shown on the debut's sparkling "Angelica," produced by Dan Carey - who takes the reins for all of the new album.) Where the debut flirted with what we will call "sexy indifference," "Moisturizer" rolls around in it like a Russ Meyer film. "cpr" is a blood-pumping swaggering call of lust (complete with vocals sung through a phone receiver) where Teasdale takes center stage letting the band build tension. "Catch These Fists" is an amped-up revenge tale that could fit well into Quentin Tarantino's "Death Proof." Adding synths and more sounds (but wisely no more shine,) Wet Leg sounds edgy and perched for attack. Whether they choose to strike out at you at any given moment (or lay back on "Davina McCall,") makes "Moisturizer" less calculated and much more fun.
T-BONE'S is celebrating the release of the new WET LEG with a special LATE NIGHT LISTENING PARTY - tonight at 11PM!
CLIPSE - Let God Sort Em Out [CLEAR LP/CD](Roc Nation)
BURNA BOY - No Sign of Weakness [BROWN LP/CD](Atlantic)
On their first album since 2009, Pusha T and Malice pick up their grim, serpentine, and imaginative Hip-Hop again. Recorded in private with Pharrell Williams, these two spit verses with the same attack they had on "Til The Casket Drops." While they may have scored some serious guest appearances including Kendrick Lamar, John Legend, Tyler The Creator, and NAS, these brothers have not lost a step in their means of capturing reality crashing down around all of us.
Speaking of guests, Burna Boy celebrates how he has made the insistent Afro/Funk beat a part of Hip-Hop around the world with help from Stromae, Shaboozey, Travis Scott, and Mick Jagger. The beats are all tough and mixed up front whether Burna Boy wants to pump it up ("Tatata" feat. Travis Scott) or slow things down (the AutoTune romantic reggae of "Sweet Love.") "Weakness" even throws back to the classic Soul 2 Soul jam "Back to Life" on the African "Update."
BRENT COBB & THE FIXINS - Ain't Rocked In A While [CLEAR LP/CD](Ol' Buddy/Thirty Tigers/The Orchard)
KETCH SECOR - Story The Crow Told Me [BLUE LP](Equal Housing Opportunity)
STEPHEN WILSON, JR. - Son of Dad [3LP](Big Loud/Mercury)
Temporarily stepping away from his back-porch relaxed persona, Brent Cobb cranks up his band for some Southern Rock-steeped Country. Like Marshall Tucker Band or even Foghat, "Even If It's Broke" pumps out riffs and bluesy swagger. The title cut with its gutsy, muted licks could have been on either Skynyrd's "Second Helping" or Metallica's "Load."
Away from his role as the titular leader of Old Crow Medicine Show, Ketch Secor uses his holiday (and first solo album ever,) to make an 80s-ish New Traditionalist Country singer/songwriter record. "Catch Me If You Can" is expansively produced especially with the Dylan-esque harmonica and R.E.M-ian ending. "Dickerson Road" strays even further away from the OCMS formula with double-tracked vocals, spoken word verse, and a Hip-Hop stride. This "Story" as told by Secor is a lot of what put the Alt in Country.
It would be easy to lump Stephen Wilson, Jr in with the rest of Big Loud hitmaker Country-to-Rock-to-Country gang. However, Wilson's formula of dusty 16 Horsepower-style Gothic Country backdrops, his Trigger-like guitar, and lonesome yowl truly stand out. There is a darkness to his music ("The Devil") and yet Wilson is not afraid to be sincere about his life. Hearing the grass roots shaken up with atmospheric production and anthemic choruses (the stomping "American Gothic" feat. Hailey Whitters) is the best thing commercial Country has on the horizon. Yet, no chart singles but one brilliant new single you can hear on Netflix's "The Waterfront."
PETEY USA - The Yips [2LP/2CD](Capitol)
Singing about the local watering hole as a form of beastly acid trip takes a lot of guts. Working with producer Chris Walla, Petey USA finally gets the hang of combining his over earnestness and thought-provoking lyrics. "The Yips" is exhausting, because it is meant to be that. The core message of how alcohol (or drug) use takes one away piece-by-piece is never lost from song-to-song. Where Petey USA has not yet attained a Springsteen-ian depth of production or presentation, "As Two People Drift Apart" speaks honestly about opposing forces out to obliterate oneself ("I could kiss you on the head/Or should I hit you on the mouth?") The title track almost threatens to overwhelm itself, but lyrical couplets like "I think he's following me, quiet as a mouse/I think he's poisoning the water in my house" keep you ready to see where he travels next.
NOAH CYRUS - I Want My Loved Ones To Go With Me [LP](Records/Columbia)
The other singing Cyrus had a moment of clarity on her previous album "The Hardest Part." While confessing the problems she endured over a bed of Indie Folk/Country (like many others were doing at the time,) Cyrus connected with her emotion-filled vocals. For her newest album, she went back to the well but in a devil-may-care way. Working with Fleet Foxes, Bill Callahan, and Blake Shelton, "Loved Ones' wants to be New Country - but Cyrus does not. The steel guitars take a backseat to pounding drums and cool harmonies. While it is as melancholic as "Hardest," there is a silver lining where Cyrus sounded free to think about the past, not necessarily to relive it.
REISSUES THIS WEEK
GEORGE HARRISON - Let It Roll [2LP](Dark Horse/BMG Rights Mgmt)
A Beatle with a greatest hits package is always welcome. Harrison's work has long been ill-represented. For the first time on vinyl, "Let It Roll" reassembles the Quiet Beatle's solo career over nineteen cuts. The number ones are all here taking you from "My Sweet Lord" to "Got My Mind Set On You." In addition, three of his best from the Beatles heyday ("Something," "Here Comes The Sun," and "While My Guitar Gently Weeps") are added from the mega-Seventies benefit "The Concert For Bangladesh."
BILLY JOEL - Glass Houses/The Nylon Curtain/An Innocent Man/The Bridge/Storm Front/River of Dreams [LP](Columbia)
After Billy Joel survived bad management deals, bad mastering of his records, and bad promotion, he finally broke through with 1977's "The Stranger." Working with Phil Ramone and taking management cues from his then-wife Elizabeth, Joel experienced a creative and commercial awakening. Shaking off complaints about being a soft-rock balladeers, Joel made the almost-hard Rock album "Glass Houses" where we realized that his anger was not misplaced ("You May Be Right.") A bout with depression and the end of his first marriage played a vital role in the relentless perfectionism of 1982's still-underrated "The Nylon Curtain." The craft of his work and a budding new romance heated up his nostalgia and the homage to the past on 1983's "An Innocent Man." While Joel was no stranger to injecting a little Soul, honoring his influences gave us the Motown-esque "Tell Her About It" and the doo-wop burst "The Longest Time." The massive success put him and his band on the road for long enough to realize that he needed a change. With help from Steve Winwood and Ray Charles, 1986's "The Bridge" is a more adult record and features the first Joel-led guitar song ("A Matter of Trust.") Touring the world, including Russia, opened up Joel to new emotions and realizations ("We Didn't Start The Fire") on 1989's "Storm Front" before 1993's "River of Dreams" captured the frustration of (his) life so vividly that he decided to retire from making albums for a while.
LEE DORSEY - Ya Ya [LP](Friday)
New Orleans music played a vital source of fusion in early Rock N'Roll, and an even more important one in how it could combine with R&B and Soul. Lee Dorsey grew up with Fats Domino. During the day, Dorsey ran an auto shop. At night, he was a staple in the local clubs who were busy putting "sugar in the tea" of Rock N'Roll to stir it up. Working the Southeast for Fury Records (and Fire) as well, Marshall Sehorn discovered Dorsey in the same year he signed Bobby Marchan and led Wilbert Harrison to cover "Kansas City." Pairing Dorsey with another new discovery, Allen Toussaint, proved to be the recipe for success. The nursery-rhyme inspired "Ya Ya" soared to #1 on the R&B charts and Billboard Top 10. Dorsey's 1961 album was a bonafide hit and New Orleans stride-style piano and the tick-tock syncopated beat of the city spread nationwide. "People Gonna Talk," "Do-Re-Mi," and "Chin-Chin" would influence Southern R&B for years to come. When he leaped back on the charts in 1965 ("Ride Your Pony,") and again in 1966 ("Workin' In The Coal Mine,") Dorsey would play the Bandstand-style TV shows during the day - and get back to that shop as quickly as he could.
THE CARS - The Cars [HIFI LP](Rhino)
TELEVISION - Marquee Moon [HIFI LP](Rhino)
There is a passage in Legs McNeil's oral history of Punk Rock where Elektra Records gives Television's Tom Verlaine an advance tape of their new signing. The cassette is from The Cars and to Verlaine, at the time, it spells the end of Television. Now thanks to AAA rated masters and pressings, you can have your own feast on this pair of landmarks. "Marquee Moon" was a much drier recording than most engineers and studios were considering. That brittleness gives Television its immediacy and edge. The songs on "Marquee" are about tension and release (the middle of the title cut is one of the most glorious you may ever hear.)
Boston's The Cars rescued AOR radio from the late Seventies doldrums with the first taste of sleek New Wave. However, the real "New' here was The Cars embrace of new technology. Working with Queen's Roy Thomas Baker, "The Cars" remains one of the best examples of a running order that uses narrative space without acknowledging it. As a result, the singles pulled from the album are timeless ("Good Times Roll," "My Best Friend's Girl," and "Just What I Needed" are the albums 1-2-3 punches.) When consumed as a whole for its sonic overlook, it feels like their Greatest Hits one day and the soundtrack for the longest Saturday night possible the next ("Moving In Stereo.") Finally, "All Mixed Up" is the perfect ending for that last stolen glance and the credit roll.
