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Truly one of the folk/rock greats, "Vic
Chesnutt," is back on the scene with his latest release
"The Salesman & Bernadette." Vic returns to the
Capricorn label with all the power, emotion and beauty that has
made him a legend. "The Salesman & Bernadette"
is every bit worthy of the legacy that precedes it.
Before signing with Capitol records for
his first major release, "About to Choke," this Athens,
GA based songsmith released four albums on the obscure Texas
Hotel Records label, and a collaborative effort with "Widespread
Panic" members under the name "Brute," on Capricorn
records. Produced by "R.E.M.'s" Michael Stipe, Vic's
first two albums, "Little" and "West of Rome,"
garnished him a tight fan base and a foundation for a legend.
Creating imagery and feeling with skewed phrasings and melodies,
his songwriting is best described as a melting pot of Victoria
Williams, Townes Van Zandt and Bob Dylan. The "Sweet Relief
II" album brought Vic's work to center stage. (The foundation's
first album featured the songs of Victoria Williams.) Artists
like Garbage, Cracker, Victoria Williams, Kristin Hersh, LIVE,
R.E.M., Joe Henry, Madonna, Soul Asylum and Mary Margaret O'Hara
gathered to celebrate Vic's music in a benefit for the Sweet
Relief Foundation, a foundation started to help artists pay for
medical bills (musicians do not get medical coverage from their
labels).
"The Salesman & Bernadette"
infuses Vic's bluesy, sweet and ultra deep work into story book
form. Packaged like a children's story book, each track is set
up like a chapter, with lyrics laid out under titles and all.
Chapters to check out include "Replenished," "Scratch,
Scratch, Scratch" and "Arthur Murray." This disc
is one to curl up with a bottle of wine by the fire and indulge
in. |
