Published on Aug 9, 1997
If you think of New Orleans, you think of Mardi Gras, cajun
cooking, Mike Ditka and the Saints… sorry, but we still miss him
in Chicago… and some good ol’ Cajun and Zydeco tunes flowing out
of the mouth of the Mississippi. It’s a unique area of the country
with a flavor all its own – and though I can’t claim to have ever
visited it, I can tell it’s a taste one has to get used to.
How can I say that after pleading such ignorance? Just listen to
local troubador Joe Tullos’s debut release
The Scoundrel’s Waltz, which fights off murky production and
a slow start to prove its mettle.
Tullos’s love of music led him, according to his bio, to sneak
into a recording studio nights to make his recordings. The deal
that ensued when he finally ‘fessed up, along with the friendships
he struck with members of Squirrel Nut Zippers and the late,
lamented Blind Melon, led him to this CD.
Too bad he took with him producer Mike Napolitano, producer of
the final Blind Melon release, who lays on a layer of sonic gunk to
the CD. The drums are anything but crisp, and tend to be buried in
the mix – in fact, the whole mix is murky, which I can’t
understand. In his defense, the disc gets better around the midway
point – but not by much.
Part of the problem is Tullos’s singing style. His delivery
occasionally sounds like Lenny Kravitz (“Love Generator”), other
times like Matthew Sweet (“Hopeless The Clown”). And he does have
an emotion-packed voice, but when he’s even a shade off, it’s
painful. Early in the second track “Jet Junction,” he misses a note
and tries to slide back into it, which is grating on the ears. I’ve
listened to this track around a dozen times, and I still cringe
when I hit that point.
So all is lost, right? Wrong. Tullos is able to shake off these
two problems about four songs into
The Scoundrel’s Waltz; the disc greatly improves starting
with the track “Every Angel.” At this point, Tullos shows his flair
for songwriting, and his delivery gets better. Also, his big-name
friendships help the disc out, though I would have been interested
to hear a band made up of locals perform the same numbers. I just
think it would have brought the New Orleans flavor out a bit more.
(While I am not very familiar with Squirrel Nut Zippers, the
inclusion of Glen Graham, Rogers Stevens and Brad Smith from Blind
Melon give the disc a more rocky texture.)
The New Orleans influence is felt on cuts like “Dominique,” with
the touches of French thrown in for good measure. But the highlight
of this disc is “Hopeless The Clown,” a song looking at the
difficulties a man down on his luck faces as well as how heartless
his fellow man (and woman) can be. I sometimes find myself thinking
about Judd Winick’s cartoon creation “Frumpy The Clown” (bring it
back,
Chicago Sun-Times!), though our hero in this song is much
more deserving of our empathy. Plus, he’s a hell of a lot less
cynical than Frumpy, though he has every right to be so. I find
myself constantly going back to this track.
From then on,
The Scoundrel’s Waltz shines on songs like “Sunshine Dance,”
“Gravity Street” and “Earthen Chains,” the latter featuring Tullos
on banjo – just one of a barrage of instruments Tullos plays. (His
dobro work on “Dominique” is subtle, but moving.)
Many listeners may find this to be a difficult listen,
especially getting past the hump of the first three tracks.
However, once that hurdle is cleared, the disc proves itself worthy
of your time and money. Problem is, many listeners may not have
that kind of patience, having been raised in a single-driven top-40
radio environment. My thought: that’s why they put the “fast
forward” button on the CD player.
Tullos is still young and growing in maturity, both in
musicianship and songwriting.
The Scoundrel’s Waltz offers you an interesting, but flawed,
portrait of the artist as a young man. It’s not your typical swamp
music you’d expect, nor is it down-and-out rock. Tullos
successfully manages to create his own distinct style of music.
Now, his challenge is to expand on it and keep us interested. It
will be interesting to see how he chooses to carve out his own road
to stardom.