I’m mid-way through a lovely long weekend. I’ve had
a couple of evenings out with friends, and tonight I’m looking forward to a
quiet night at home with Sheila and a chance to listen to some albums I bought
last weekend that I haven’t got to yet (one each of Rodney Crowell, the Bottle
Rockets and the Scorpions).
On one of my outings I was asked if I was a
completionist when it comes to collecting music. The answer is that I used to
be, but not anymore. Partly, this is me trying to get real on the space demands
created by my habit. Part of it is just letting go of the obsessive need to own
every album by an artist I like.
That said, I need very little encouragement to drill
deep into an artist’s back catalogue. Depending on the artist I might find one
or two more albums that I like, five or six or…all of them. The last time “all
of them” happened was with the incomparable David Francey, but that is now more
the exception than the rule.
Disc 1201 is… Losin’ Lately Gambler
Artist: Corb Lund
Year of Release: 2009
What’s up with the Cover? You’d expect an album with the
title “Losin’ Lately Gambler” to feature someone gambling, but instead we see
the inveterate gambler in his other natural habitat, the dive bar. He’s looking
back a bit fearfully here, making me wonder if he’s just seen his bookie in the
doorway.
How I Came To Know It: This was just me drilling through
Corb Lund’s music after I realized how much I liked him (see intro above). Yes,
just like David Francey, I liked everything.
How It Stacks Up: I have 8 Corb Lund albums and “Losin’ Lately
Gambler” is in a tie for the best one, but since I’m not big on ties I’ll put it
at #1, bumping “Cabin Fever” down by one in the process.
Ratings: 4 stars
“Losin’ Lately Gambler” is like an old rancher home up
against the road; unassuming and simple at a glance, but once you go inside
there is a big back porch that opens onto some spectacular vistas. Lund’s voice,
smooth and strong, is like the old farmer who lives there, holding a cup of joe
in a tin cup as he points to landmarks in the distance, each one with a story
to tell.
Corb Lund has made no secret of his love for his
native Alberta, but on “Losin’ Lately Gambler” he is even more effusive than
usual. Even the songs that aren’t directly referencing the Province have themes
(farm veterinarians, plains riding outlaws) that feel most at home there.
Corb has always been a master of making new songs
sound like old-time trail songs. It doesn’t feel derivative, but rather like
you are living in an earlier simpler time. Once he sets that tone, however,
Lund cleverly introduces modern concepts as well such as prescription drug
addiction (“Horse Doctor, Come Quick”)
and oil development (“This is My Prairie”).
Sometimes old and new themes cross over, such as on “A Game in Town Like This” which could be
in the old west if it weren’t for references to early morning traffic. Like
many of the songs on “Losin’ Lately Gambler” Lund has a sharp talent for
voicing different characters. Here, the narrator employs a time-honoured
gambling fallacy, figuring that if he’s losing a little bit less then in a way,
he’s winning. On “Horse Doctor, Come
Quick” the singer insists it’s his horse that’s sick, but you quickly
divine he’s after the resulting prescription for himself.
Lund can’t resist a novelty song, and “Losin’ Lately
Gambler” has a couple. “Long Gone to
Saskatchewan” gives playful props to Alberta’s neighbor, and “Talkin’ Veterinarian Blues” is a
Dylanesque rapid fire rhyme about raising livestock. “It’s Hard to Keep a White Shirt Clean” is…exactly what it sounds
like. On some records, these songs start to annoy me on repeat listens, but the
ones here are both musically sound and humorous enough to stay fresh over time.
The best song on the album is “This Is My Prairie” where Lund plays the part of a rancher seeing
his lands poisoned by development and determined to take a stand. It is
heartfelt and well-rounded, with the rancher recognizing those workers are trying
to make a living as well. It is also dark, ending with grim suggestion that the
rancher is about to take the law into his own hands.
The record has great guitar work throughout, but
with three guitarists credited in the liner notes I can’t say for certain who the
maestro is on the strings; maybe it’s all of them. I particularly liked the
Mexican-flavoured trill on “Devil’s Best
Dress” but there is plenty of great musicianship throughout.
“Losin’ Lately Gambler” is a delightful mix of
honky-tonked blues and down home country and western storytelling. On it, Corb
Lund wears his heart on his sleeve throughout, inviting you into his homeland
with heartfelt honesty and more than a little humour.
Best
tracks: A Game
In Town Like This, Alberta Says Hello, Devil’s Best Dress, Chinook Wind, This
Is My Prairie
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