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Pamela is like looking through a scrapbook you made when you were ten, and makes poetry of friends with unpoetic names, while the catchy A Good And Simple Man is full of reminiscence, and is dedicated to Ian's Dad.
Ian's trumpet-playing cohort, Guy Barker, pops up on various tracks. On Letter From A Soldier there's a poignant Last Post feel to his interludes; and the jaunty Richard Rodney Bennett-like I Want to Live in Paris features Guy in a pure-toned, swinging solo.
David Preston, co-writer of many of the tracks on Lifejacket also features on guitar. His eerily simple backing on Glue works beautifully against Julian Siegel's ominous-sounding bass clarinet. On She's Loaded, David's guitar is light and funky and Ian's quicksilver vocals chatter like gossip, while Love At First Tequila mixes sinewy soprano sax with rapid and precise percussion. Hiraeth ('homesick' in Welsh) sounds like vocalese, and Ian's prog-folk-rock vocals meet exciting instrumental jazz on Northop Road.
One of the most poignant tracks on the album is Forty-Two, an anthemic country waltz, reminiscent of a Tom Waits song. It's a duet between Ian''s soulfulness and the enormous warm voice of Liane Carroll.
Rozz Williams' gorgeous death-song Flowers is the only cover here, and it creeps in as the full stop at the end of the collection. Ian wrings the passion out of Williams' stark lyrics, backed simply by cello and piano.
Ian Shaw's last album was a tribute to Joni Mitchell's songwriting, but with Lifejacket he's moved from Canada to Camden and he's laying his own life bare. --Kathryn Shackleton
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Its great,
This review is from: Lifejacket (Audio CD)
Just relistened to this after a year, on a long drive. It holds up very well as a whole. Ok apart from Lifejacket there is no one incredibly outstanding song but to listen to the CD is a wonderful experience. 'In a New York Minute' for example is almost too full of headlining leading songs. If I only could own one Ian Shaw CD there are others but i can afford to buy and enjoy all of them.
3 of 5 people found the following review helpful:
2.0 out of 5 stars
too much,
By
This review is from: Lifejacket (Audio CD)
I really like Ian Shaw, and especially his Joni Mitchell-album is a masterpiece, showing all his singing and arranging skills. But this follow up is a mess. Too many words, no musical harmony on the album (that guitar is ruining the arrangements!)and the homemade songs are more often than not simply too much and trying too hard to be ART. Sorry. Look instead for Claire Martins magnificent A Modern Art to hear modern vocal jazz as it's best.
3 of 5 people found the following review helpful:
2.0 out of 5 stars
Overblown,
By
This review is from: Lifejacket (Audio CD)
Firstly I must declare my hand that I am a keen admirer of Mr Shaw and have seen him in various venues over the years. However this recording is not the place to start if coming fresh to an outstanding singer . Although well played, recorded with some fine vocal work the lyrics just pull the whole thing down. For a start the whole theme of the album is about mid life crises, or drinking too much personality! The self penned or co-written lyrics just go on and on and on.Ten words will do instead of three, basically it feels like he's thrown in the kitchen sink for good measure. Check out A World Still Turning which is worthy 4 stars
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