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Elly Roberts reviews
XL Recordings
- Released: July 2006
- Rating: 10/10
- Format: LP (Vinyl)
Monday July 19 brings the LP vinyl version of last years CD release of Devendra Banharts outstanding album Cripple Crow.
This time around it has new artwork. Hundreds of fans entered an onlinecompetition on his eponymous website below after which Devendra personally chosepictures that would appear on the cover. They were added to the existingartwork, creating a wonderful montage. (See above-right)
Clearly a man with a fondness for the ’60s hippy era, 1967-1969, Cripple Crowis a sheer delight from start to finish. Vocally hes a dead ringer ofTyrannosaurus Rexs warbling Marc Bolan. Appropriately recorded in Woodstock,the weird but wonderful Banhart, whos also a part-time member of folkcombo Vetiver, has created an alternative folk masterpiece that includesself-penned Spanish folk ballads including a cover of Luna De Margaritaby Venezuelan tunesmith Simon Diaz, a hark back to his South Americanteenage years.
Then theres the gentle Queen Bee you can just see him watching ahovering bee and chronicling its journey, only to be flummoxed by humanreferences.
Deeply hippyfied I Feel Just Like A Child with playful lyrics likefrom the “womb to the tomb” makes a joyous blast, as is the trippyballad Long Haired Child. Title track Cripple Crow sees himat his best, a wistful floater with lashings of flute, bongos, acousticguitar and friends doing backups.
There are some bonkers moments like the lyrically unfathomable TheBeatles, but there again Banhart has turned being unfathomable into anart form that makes him a unique and beguiling individual, who can only bedescribed as a genuine troubadour, and possibly a genius in his chosengenre.
If I had to choose a special moment, its the 3 minutes 43 seconds of theviolin and acoustic guitar simplicity of Inaniel, followed closely by thebluesy Chinese Children (hitting a Bolan vocal peak) and daisy wavingchorus of Mama Wolf, complete with FX.
Dreamy, beautiful, weird, gentle, and sweet: totally magical.
Weblink:Devendra Banhart.com /XL Recordings.com
The full list of tracks included are :
1. Now That I Know
2. Santa Maria Da Feira
3. heard Somebody Say
4. long Haired Child
5. Lazy Butterfly
6. Quedateluna
7. Queen Bee
8. I Feel Just Like A Child
9. Some People Ride The Wave
10. The Beatles
11. Dragonflys
12. Cripple Crow
13. Inaniel
14. Hey Mama Wolf
15. Hows About Tellin A Story
16. Chinese Children
17. Saw Kill River
18. I Love That Man
19. Luna De Margarita
20. Koreandogwood
21. Little Boys
22. Canela
Elly Roberts passed away in 2011, but he was a man who was so passionate about all types of music and loved meeting his musical heroes, such as Mick Hucknall at a book signing at the Trafford Centre, Manchester in 2007.
A former teacher and also a music journalist, DJ and radio presenter on local community station Calon FM, plus appearances on BBC Radio Wales, BBC Radio Cymru and BBC Radio 2, Elly started doing reviews for DVDfever.co.uk in 2004 and he did the majority of the CD and concerts reviews on the website.
I know also that he loved getting away for the summer to Spain and I hope that wherever he is now he is enjoying the hot sunshine and, as one of his friends has said on his Facebook page, that he is interviewing his musical heroes.