I will admit that I was not really looking forward to listening to this one, based solely on the pictures on the cover of the CD. That would have been a mistake, because this CD is very good. The Preserves are an Alaskan based band, which consists primarily of Tony Tengs, and Albert McDonnell, along with singer Roslyn Brown and several other notable musicians on the Alaskan folk scene. Some of the songs on this album date back to 1995, so the album has been 15 years in the making (obviously not as prolific as The Fall!).
The opening track ‘Stone Soup’ is a good starter, based on a laid back soul rhythm, and whilst some of the lyrics may seem a little nonsensical, there is an underlying message present “They say this country is one big mixin’ pot, Let’s see what will happen when we mix it up a lot!, Imagine what will happen just by adding you to me, A lot of tasty flavours in this kettle that is free” Roslyn Brown carries this song well, and the musicianship is faultless.
‘This is Where it Is’ is a jazz/swing based number which is extremely catchy and features some excellent keyboard work from George Wallace, and is a number that you will remember long after it has finished playing.
‘What are Your Colors?’ features Tony Tengs on vocals and has some wry observations: “Some of us live in suburbs, where safe colors are all the rage, We’re really living in the land of the free, and the home of the beige.”
‘The Pakistani Happy Song’ is a gypsy folk influenced track with a call and response vocal between Roslyn Brown and Tony Tengs, and is an uplifting affair: “For you to me are like the ever sparkling sea, The joy you bring you always make me want to clap and sing!”
‘One Thing I Know’ is an excellent example of the anti-war protest song, which deals with the subject sensitively and demonstrates how it is down to people to make the difference. “We’ve gotta lift a finger to make a change come round, We’ve got to raise our voice, you’ve got to make a sound” and “Peace doesn’t come from a wishing well” How apt!
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‘Everything Like That’ is a track that features some great bluesy harmonica work from Julie Moeller, and suits Roslyn Brown’s vocals very well.
Other tracks that grabbed my attention were ‘Something’s in the Oven’ a jazzy/blues based track with a riff that could have come straight from The Doors ‘L.A. Woman’ album.
‘Marching Steady’, a jazzy folk protest song, which harks back to the 1960s in the lyrical content. “In these days of conflict and confusion, You gotta have your own revolution. Then you can start a chain reaction, Marchin’ on with natural action”.
‘Let it Roll’ is another anti war song, which was written on the cusp of the invasion of Iraq, and features some clever lyrical observations: “Let it roll, let it roll – let the train go by, Let it roll, let it roll – don’t let it draw you nigh” “That train be shiny with lots of bells, But you know it’s headed straight to hell”.
Also the track ‘How Excellent and Civilised Are We’, which features a banjo driven riff underscored with a jazzy base, and a nice line in sarcasm: “How positively super-sized are we, Filled with food grown scientifically/ We’re gonna make this world, like us – McFree!”
It’s not all brilliant though, tracks like ‘Curly Hair’ and ‘You’re Wearing My Hat’ had me reaching for the fast forward button, but overall this was an enjoyable listen with positives that far outweigh the negatives.
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