Published on Jul 24, 2001
As I’ve said in previous reviews, I’m an absolute sucker for
good guitar music. Being a one-time student of the instrument (as
well as the occasional player these days, when my hands will allow
me to play without cramping up), I know how beautiful people can
make this instrument sound. I’m also a sucker for music with an
Irish or Celtic twist to it, thanks to a portion of my
heritage.
Fingerstyle guitarist El McMeen might be a lawyer by trade, but
no one should have any objections to his latest collection,
The Lea Rig, the first disc which features McMeen performing
with other musicians. I first got to know McMeen’s music through
his work on the
Celtic Fingerstyle Guitar CD series from Rounder, and he has
yet to disappoint me.
Admittedly, I was a bit nervous about this disc – after all,
when I pick up a disc from an artist like McMeen, I want to hear
the guitar work primarily. However, those fears proved to be short
lived. If anything, working with musicians like Larry Pattis
(another guitarist whose work we’ve featured on these pages),
whistler Bob Pegritz, fiddler Kate MacLeod and songwriter/harmonica
player (harmonica-ist?) Steve Black actually deepens the Celtic
roots of much of this music.
Granted, it’s hard not to notice the mournful whistles on songs
like “Bridget Cruise, 3d Air” and “Sad Eyes,” or the fiddle work on
“The Shearing’s Not For You / Bogie’s Bonny Belle,” but more often
than not, the contributions of the other musicians becomes such an
intregal part of the piece that the listener almost doesn’t notice
their presence. This is far from a negative; if anything, the
contributions enrich McMeen’s already deep playing, and they all
take these songs to a new level.
McMeen is also able to put new spins on songs you wouldn’t
expect to hear on an album like
The Lea Rig – but then again, if you know McMeen, the
inclusion of works from artists like Bruce Springsteen (“Sad Eyes”)
won’t surprise you in the least. McMeen’s re-take on George
Harrison’s “Here Comes The Sun” is a loving tribute to the song,
and remains respectful of the original. And while it takes longer
than I’d like to warm up to his take on “Stop, In The Name Of
Love,” one can eventually understand what McMeen was trying to do
with this song.
Two minor complaints I’ll direct to McMeen himself, especially
since the chances are good that he’ll be reading this review.
First, while I respect and enjoy the covers (especially the works
of Turlough O’Carolan), I’d like to hear more of your own original
songs. “High Ground” shows you’re no slouch in the songwriting
department. Second, two words: more vocals! “West Virginia Moon” is
hauntingly beautiful, and frankly, it wouldn’t have had the same
impact without the vocals. Just my two cents, anyway.
Good guitar work doesn’t necessarily have to come from an
effects-laden electric with someone playing a million notes in the
span of a second. It can come from the thoughtful, emotional takes
on an acoustic – something which McMeen has made a career out of.
The Lea Rig is yet another example of why McMeen is so
highly regarded in his field, and why more people should be paying
attention to this soft-spoken guitarist.