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Mark Kozelek
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| It seems that
most people who are AC/DC fans wouldn’t really care for the Red
House Painters slow sad style, likewise it’s hard to imagine many
Red House Painter fans also enjoying the style and antics of AC/DC. So
it’s almost as much of a shock as Shock Me that Kozelek should make
his second solo album a complete AC/DC cover collection, with only the
3 previous covers on his first solo as warning. Some people would write it off as a horrible and disgusting perversion of the creativity of Kozelek right off the bat. This only further proves that the Red House Painters weren’t trying to be any kind of band, only to put out personal material. Most Red House Painters fans have more faith in Kozelek’s ability to rework songs after his past accomplishments. This one does not fail, it makes AC/DC more tolerable to people like myself. His renderings of these songs are like adding sugar to a child’s cough syrup. Instead of seeing the hardness and boisterous nature of AC/DC, Kozelek reveals the hidden hurt and sensitivity behind the music, makes AC/DC no longer monsters but the traditional groveling human beings. Most of the songs are Kozelek alone with his guitar but a few feature double vocals, harmonies, and multiple guitar tracks. Most were probably done in a single take as though live, there are a few missed notes, which only serve to open up the songs even more and conjure pictures of a lonely boy in his bedroom playing his songs to no one but himself. Though these songs were originally by AC/DC, Kozelek has made them his own and worth listening to if you have enjoyed his previous endeavors. They are to be used as more of an extension of ones own thought than a window into Kozelek himself. Reviewed by JJ Hamon |
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Mark Kozelek |
| Red
House Painters. Mark Kozelek.
Perhaps roots rock and roll is not your cup of tea. It should be though.
Kozelek’s solo, mostly acoustic record is nice. It’s much easier to
write scathing reviews than to praise an honest effort of music that
really should be called ‘pretty’. Pretty is good and even during the
off-putting AC/DC song and title track ‘Rock N’ Roll Singer’
you’re glad this record emerged. It is far from groundbreaking, but
so seamless.
Reviewed by Paul Priessner |
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