robert gordon: up close and personal

by arjan deelen

The mid-1990s were difficult for Robert Gordon. In the summer of 1993, his 15 year collaboration with ace guitarist Chris Spedding came to an abrupt end. Chris’ distinctive guitar work and creative input had become such a big part of the "Robert Gordon sound" that his decision to leave the band had to have been a huge shock. On top of that, Gordon's 1994 release “All For The Love Of Rock ‘n’ Roll” got some very unfavorable reviews and sold poorly. It seems Gordon re-recorded several songs from his mid-1970s band, the Tuff Darts, and added various studio leftovers from the 1980s to complete the disc. With hindsight, it was easy to see why it flopped; it was a very inconsistent collection with more than its fair share of weak tracks. And it proved to be very difficult to find a suitable replacement for Spedding while out on tour; there were various reports of Gordon openly criticising his guitarists on stage during that period. On a personal level, Gordon went through several traumatic experiences, including a near-fatal mugging in his New York hometown and the unexpected death of drummer Bobby Chouinard, who’d been a close friend and band mate for almost twenty years.   It’s hard to imagine how Gordon coped with all the chaos, but this CD, originally recorded and released in 1997, does offer some clues, as it is probably his most intensely personal album. One of the things immediately apparent is the pure, no-frills production. The arrangements are simple, almost understated, and the whole album has a "demo"-like feel to it. But it’s Robert Gordon’s towering voice that carries the album, and his singing is excellent throughout.    When I interviewed Gordon a couple of years ago, he talked with great affection about "old time country music", and added that it was what he was devoting his attention to at home. That same affection is also apparent on this album, since you can hear the country influences in the majority of the songs. Classics like George Jones’ ‘Seasons Of My Heart’ and ‘If I Had Yesterday Again’ are performed with warmth and a great deal of respect for the originals. It’s hard to avoid the impression that Gordon is singing these for his own enjoyment. The fact that his sister Jackie sings harmony with him adds further credence to this observation. And ‘Ain’t Gonna Cry’, Gordon's original tribute to the early 1960s Nashville sound, is one of the standout tracks. Gordon also revisits three songs he tackled on stage with guitar hero Danny Gatton in the early eighties. Actually, the Dorsey Burnette rocker ‘Bertha Lou’ goes all the way back to his youthful beginnings, since he sang this number on stage with The Confidentials as early as 1962! An impressive version of this song was captured on tape during one of the two hot Berkeley, California shows. The gigs were issued in 1996 on "The Humbler" CD but, for some odd reason, ‘Bertha Lou’ was omitted from the track selection. ‘Bertha Lou’ continues to be a regular in Robert’s set to this day. ‘Gonna Romp & Stomp’ is another song first performed by Gordon in the Danny Gatton era, and the version here is a delightful evocation of the Slim Rhodes original, with sister Jackie again adding harmony vocals. ‘All For The Love Of A Girl’ is another performance first realised during one of those two Berkeley shows, but unused on "The Humbler". The version here is very close to that rendition, but sounds even better cut in a studio. This 1997 interpretation is beautifully executed, with some remarkable, almost hymn-like vocalising by Gordon. The production is spot-on too, and for me this song is another of the album’s highlights.    Obviously, there’s also a fair amount of rockin’ songs here, but it’s interesting to note that they are all performed with greater reverence for the originals than what we’ve come to expect from Robert Gordon. Eugene Church’s ‘Pretty Girls Everywhere’ gets a solid treatment, with some fine sax by Ken McCoy. Charlie Gracie’s ‘Butterfly’ is delightful, with some neat, Jordanaires-styled backing vocals, courtesy of Gordon, drummer Aaron Walker and bass player Mike Bitts. ‘Mary Lee’ is a chugging rocker co-written by Gordon, and the fact that he’d recently married a gal named Mary Lee adds to the personal nature of this album. The infectious ‘Last One To Know’ is another Gordon co-write, and Quentin Jones’ guitar riffs are clearly inspired by ‘Mystery Train’, one of Robert’s favorite Presley songs. His well-known live version of ‘There You Go’ clearly proved that Gordon’s voice was well-suited to Johnny Cash compositions, and the recording of ‘Train Of Love’ on this release does not disappoint. In fact, it makes one hope he'll tape more Cash material in the future. The early Conway Twitty hit ‘Lonely Blue Boy’ also befits Gordon’s powerful baritone, and he really sinks his teeth into this melancholy ballad, wringing every ounce of emotion out of it – a real tour de force of great singing.    It’s human nature that, whenever we are faced with hard times, we tend to seek solace in the people and things we know and love, and this is precisely what Gordon does here. This remains his most intimate album, revealing as much of himself as he’s probably ever going to. For the first time in his career, he fully embraces his country influences, singing each piece with commitment and sincerity. On those remarkable tracks where Robert and sister Jackie harmonise, it's evident that they must have done this countless times in private, just for friends and family. It’s also interesting to note that, unlike Gordon's usually sporadic songwriting contributions, he has written or co-written several excellent tracks for this release. He also arranged and produced the entire album. All of these crucial elements confirm this album is a labour of love, and serve to proclaim Robert Gordon an artist in full control of his art. Any fan expecting a "rockabilly" album might be perplexed or dismayed by this release, but for those with an ear for exemplary music it has plenty to offer -- in fact, probably more than anyone might have asked or bargained for.