Flanfire

Rich Restaino's new CD, Revisionary Man, is actually his third solo project, and this time he plays just about every instrument on every song - with a little help from Kris Brown on guitar, Chris Hinojosa on drums, and Jason James on upright bass on "My Favorite Remedy" (which Kris says just screamed out for a lively recording, and we would add his excellent solo riffs) - a sorta honkytonking song about his woman being far better than hootch. What this means is that Rich plays acoustic and electric guitars, piano, bass, drums and drum programs, lap steel, banjo, harmonica, and a mini-marimba - and sings. Overall, I very much enjoyed this record - but I suggest you catch Rich live and in concert (or bug him to get more solo gigs).

The title cut leads off - a paean to Warren Zevon (or Rich's vision of himself in a similar role) ... Since "everything was better before I was born, so I mourn the past and pass out in the morn..." [though it is hard to see this future high school history teacher with a lovely companion being that depressed.] Yet, "to my peers, history won't be kind, cuz it's all heat and seldom light, we all dumbed down fighting the wrong fight, guns and bombs are no match for the mind." This catchy, bouncy tune is right out of the center of Rich's personality -- even down to the strange tweets in the musical outro.

The third cut ("Remedy" is No. 2) is the jazzy popish "She Always Knows (what to say to me)" -- This song has an excellent hook and some nice guitar riffs (my wife likes Rich's guitar work), and it is really the first of many that remind me of Randy Newman in a quirky sort of way. I like the way he lets the guitar tell big parts of the song's story. This is very listenable music.

Now the next cut lets us know that Rich does not want to be another "Rock and Roll Casualty" - I can hardly wait for a rich production on a radio ready version of this cut (I think the song needs a little work yet to really get over on the air, but how can anyone not want to hear a song with this great title and chorus?) Then it's "Song for Hank (Sucker's Bet)" - which sounds like early Dylan with the deep chords on acoustic guitar, and yes, this too is a drinking song about the loss of a woman whom the barflys had warned our protagonist was a golddigger. Oh, well, he says, "I guess I always thought that misery deserved some company." And did I mention he also wails away on the Dylanesque harmonica?

"Matter" is an ode to physics - and a play on words (do we matter?). "The constellations cause me great consternation that we don't matter after all?" It's OK - just not that heavy. But then there is "The Majestic Sound of Failure" - which begins with some majestic sounds [the guitar work reminds me of Neil Young's Cortez the Killer a little]. "I don't believe in heroes not like when I was young; I take my father's advice, good and bad just as it comes. When nothing is expected, you can't be let down.. There's glory in the mistakes, there's wisdom in the sound .. the majestic sound of failure whispers in my ear. Takes me out to dinner, tells me what I want to hear." This is also another song about history .. and the clamor of the people for peace. "My father worked for money, not for glory not for joy. I recognized the price he paid when I was just a boy.... I look up to imperfection, honest, pure and proud." I really like this song.

Then it's "Jesus Saves," which is a honky-tonking boogie ... you can dance to it.... I'm still working on the lyrics here - while I listen over and over to "Saturday Springtime Gardening Girl" (which admittedly has some psychedelic stuff to prick your ears) ... reminds me of "Everyone Knows It's Wendy" in a strange way.

Now every boy has a dog, but how many boys write songs from their dog's perspective? "Good Boy" is written perhaps BY his dog Bailey, with lyrics like: "I''ve got no thumbs, I an't pick up the phone, got this itch that I can't scratch on my own, and I hope it was true when you said I was a "good boy." Poor Bailey is beset by three cats who have nine lives, while "all I've got is four paws and a soul." Now this is the song that best exemplies the character shown in Amy Smith's photos -- the old bearded Santa clone with sunglasses tickling the ivories, picking the guitar, and singing into a vintage mike.

Next up is "Framed": "Maybe I posed for a picture or two, but the brushes, they belong to you." In short, our hero says he is not the guy he is being made out to be. Nice mandolin work here gives this a lighter touch. Then we have Rich's take on his trip to New York City for the 2004 Republican National Convention -- replete with banjo (to give us that old-timey feeling). "These folks ain't half bad once you get to know them, the real people that is...." Okay so it is a little tongue in cheek -- a little praise for Rudy Giuliani, and poke at Rush Limbaugh.

Finally, we reach nirvana -- Dr. Thompson (with actual recordings of Hunter S. himself speaking as if from the grave). Fuzzball guitar reminds one a little of Eight Miles High ... "You took up an outlaw's code that served you well until the very end" - "Dr. Thompson, Is is true? Are we doomed if we don't damned if we do?" This is a song of freedom ... and daring, the kind of guy Rich wants never to lose within himself. He is perplexed by Thompson's suicide -- was it that he just left this world on his own terms, or "did it finally get weird enough for you?" Well, "Free men don't apologize," and Thompson was bold enough to call the USA the "nazis" in Iraq. [Note to self -- Be sure that Dony Wynn hears this song - as he is the town's resident commentator on HST.]

Longtime collaborator Jason Silverberg (now in Austin with The Lemmings) lends his backup vocals to two of the songs -- these guys were bandmates back in New Paltz, New York when Rich was earning his keep as a reporter in the Hudson Valley. Rich has been a member of Mr. Brown (aka Kris Brown's Family Sauce) and is also performing with Neil Kaiser (actually his alter ego, Zimmy T.) as Fingers McKnuckles in the punk-doowop group "The Late Fees." He is also a member of the currently on hold "Boxcar Angels" (with Kaiser and Kris).

The Late Fees are performing at the Dirty Dog on Sixth Street on April 21, while Mr. Brown will be naked on stage (we presume, of course) at Eeyore's Birthday (will the naked cowboy be with them?) on April 29.