When did the spirit of Nashville West die? When did Nashville's cornucopia of big names, big draws, and big country music moguls drown the Bakersfield sound? I would argue that it never died. Like a caterpillar ensconced in the silky envelope of a big, fat country cocoon, the Bakersfield Sound and the spirit of Nashville West are simply in a state of hibernation. All signs on I'd Be Losin' point to the beginning of the end of that hibernation period.
Though some would simply drive by on Highway 99, nose in air and purposely plugged to find olfactory relief from oil factories in heat, this country cocoon is about to bloom into a beautiful Bakersfield butterfly. If anyone is in search for the next Merle Haggard, Tunney Reeves may be Bakersfield's best bet yet. On I'd Be Losin' Tunney trumps all Johnny-come-lately contenders.
Depicting love's inherent afflictions with a marvel of wit and storytelling grit like this hasn't been seen or heard in these parts since Merle Haggard and Buck Owens came to town. Bakersfield may be known for its oil-pump skyline, but if B-Town keeps pumping out songs like the bouncy honky-tonk "You Don't" or the tear-soaked "I'd Be Losing," tourists simply passing through may have another reason to stop besides an empty tank and a full bladder.
Bakersfield School of Music is undoubtedly the best recording studio in the new Nashville West and Reggie Langendoerfer, who produced, recorded and mixed I'd Be Losin' knows a winner when he hears one. Ron Dante, formerly of those syrupy-sixties-bubble-gum-chump The Archies did vocals on "You Don't," "Loving Arms Around Me," "There Goes My Heart," and "Heavy Metal Cowboy" are enough to silence all would-be critics. Bruce Milburn's drums can't be outdone. Bruce's beats provide a gracefully placed foundation for a musical mansion many will come to call home after one or two visits.
On "Heavy Metal Cowboy," Tunney shamelessly demands the title "a little bit country, a little bit rock 'n' roll" Yet while his R&B influences come loud and strong, there's not a hint of metal in this melodious melting pot. It would be interesting to hear a Motley Crue cover of this catchy Tunney tune.
This seminal CD also sounds a little bit Merle Haggard, especially on tear-in-my-beer songs like "100 Proof Love" which clearly imposes new limits on alcohol as a remedy for love. His fingerprints on the CD point not only to the powerful mark Haggard has left on Reeves, but to the signature keyboard style of Mark Yeary, a former member of Merle Haggard and the Strangers. Yeary's influence is most pronounced on "Destiny Marie" and "Heavy Metal Cowboy." When Mark tickles the ivories on "Heavy Metal Cowboy," "Right or Wrong," and "Loving Arms Around Me," you can feel the flames of Jerry Lee Lewis' piano. On "There Goes My Heart," he crosses that ivory sidewalk like a slithering sidewinder, but with an appreciable gospel feel. "Debra" features Gabe Witcher's felicitous fiddle-playing. In "Right or Wrong" and "Loving Arms Around Me," Reggie comes out strong with a guitar sound that easily places him in the company of some of the greatest guitar legends. The unmistakable gospel influence on "Right or Wrong" leaves one anticipating an altar call.
All of the songs are winners on I'd Be Losin' but "Destiny Marie," with Shawn Criswell's light banjo accents and the heartfelt mood reflected in the lead vocals, found a special place in my heart.
I truly dig "Chilling Bones," a shivering reminder of the skeletal remains contained in Randy Travis's "Diggin' Up Bones." The multiple symptoms revealed in "Chilling Bones," the fitful sleep, recurrent distressing memories, and unrelenting emotional turbulence make me want to call Reeves up and offer him my business card, although that would be a gamble. As a psychologist, nothing I could offer could console or comfort Reeves' grieving spirit like the soothing shrink who resides deep inside his songwriting heart. There's one of those in each of us. Mine is telling me to play I'd Be Losin' again.
Reeves clearly gambles on I'd Be Losin', but comes out a winner by covering a diverse array of countrified sounds and weaving them into a cocoon silk tapestry. I'd Be Losin' is brim-full of rhythm and blues clues, rock-a-billy sensibility and good old-fashioned country cuisine that can't be concealed. He cooks up a batch of variegated tunes, effortlessly demonstrating a masterful grasp of the process of integration. Judging by the visage that greets the would-be consumer of his country cuts, he's not a young buck. But the maverick spirit displayed throughout I'd Be Losin', makes him a man for all seasons, a man who is ageless, timeless and artless in his country candor.
4.5 tocks
