Americana Music Reviews

 

Chuck Pyle
Affected by the Moon
Bee 'n' Flower Music
by Al Kunz

When the uninitiated ask me about this Rockzillaworld gig, the reaction is predictable. If they aren't overly familiar with Destiny's Child, odds are good they'll instinctively "get" what we mean by Texas Music. But saying Americana prompts the "what's that" question or a deer-in-the-headlights look that forces an attempt to answer the question they can't even articulate. My favorite answer, "it's like pornography, I can't define it but know it when I see (or hear) it" is good for a laugh, but not very enlightening. Then begins the long ramble, attempting to define one term with others they understand only slightly better than the last. I'll finally shut-up when I see a glimmer of understanding or, more frequently, the deer's eyes glaze over. Mid-ramble I'll usually say something about "roots music."

Most Rockzillaworld readers probably have a working definition for what roots music is. You might define it in terms of mostly acoustic instruments, derivation from traditional styles, and the like. One often-overlooked aspect of these roots relates to geography and the influence of an area's history and culture on the music. Bluegrass's roots in the Appalachians is the most obvious. Consider the high-plains sounds of the Flatlanders and Doug Sahm's musical stew spiced with German, Tejano, and God knows what other influences from San Antonio's multi-cultural heritage for more subtle examples.

Chuck Pyle's Affected by the Moon is firmly rooted in the soil of Colorado's Front Range. You can be forgiven if a "Colorado sound" is difficult to imagine. Colorado bands such as Sugarloaf (of "Green Eyed Lady" fame) or Big Head Todd and the Monsters couldn't be described as "roots music." Country-rock wimps Firefall sound like they're from California. Jam band Leftover Salmon and '70s bluegrassers Hot Rize have musical roots from points east. Maybe this should be called the Chuck Pyle sound until someone else from the Centennial State figures it out.

Pyle's sound combines elements of singing cowboys with new-agey sounds I attribute to Boulder, Colorado (the "Berkley of the Rockies") and the philosophy of the Cowboy Poet. Combine this with Pyle's smooth, laid-back vocals and you've got a great make-out record with a country flavor.

Snuggle in front of the fire and play Affected by the Moon instead of Johnny Mathis, Aaron Neville, or your favorite romantic mood setter. The opening lines of the title track ("Gypsy guitar, violins play / The café bar, Champs Elysee / The music's hot, the tempo's up / Ready or not, falling in love") should set the stage. As the penultimate track, "Cowboy's Christmas Dream," fades into the instrumental "Spank" your lady (or guy, Rockzillaworld is an equal opportunity country) should be fully in touch with what you've got in mind.

In between, Pyle treats you to his versions of "Blue Train" (you might be familiar with Linda Ronstadt's version, either solo or with Emmylou and Dolly) and a cover of Jack Williams' (Mickey Newbury, Harry Nilsson) "Outlaw's Dream." Nashville songwriter Tom Kimmel co-wrote "Why Pretend," a ballad of romantic regret almost too painful to listen to, at least for me, striking way too close to home.

I can say we're friends, I can let you in
I can almost forget about what could have been
What could have been, what still could be
If you loved me, I'd let you in

In "97 Hillside Road," Pyle sings his own song on the same theme ("I'm trying to get out of my head / Praying that it's true / I did all I could do / But I'm losing this battle to regret").

But his tales of romance aren't all downers. "Laurie Ann," about his favorite southern belle, is upbeat ("Laurie Ann, you take me to Dixie / Every time you call me you-all / You tell me that you're fixin' to kiss me / In that Louisiana drawl"), and "Romancing the Moment" brings us back from the past into the here and now.

Let's you and I go chase a rainbow together
Let's be devil-may-care, let's be now-or-never
Forever's a word from story and song
All my forevers never lasted that long

Midway through the disc is "Inside of My Face," a tune that seems downright edgy (vocally, musically, and lyrically) compared to the rest of the disc. It functions as an antidote to diabetic coma for the less sugar-tolerant who will be ready for a change of theme. The wordiest song on the disc, it should also be a favorite of lyric decipherers everywhere.

So with your brain stuck in the 'on' position
You drag yourself to a mental physician
Who shakes his heat at your furtive stare
"Never be alone when you go in there
Everything you say will be misunderstood,
'Cause your mind is like a bad neighborhood!

"Maybe back there in your psychoactive years
You might've stripped some really important gear
From doing what the little voices tell you to do
It's dark in there and . . . it's dark in there
I think it's damaged way beyond fixing
Some parts are broken, some are missing"

* Now it's up to you. My suggestion is turn down the lights, light the fire (www.firewood.com if you need help or advice) and go to www.chuckpyle.com for a rush order of Affected by the Moon. Maybe it will help some "Cowboy's Christmas Dream" come true


Contact Al Kunz at kunz-at-rockzilla.net

 
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