Western music, Blakely style, got a gentle nudge toward a smoother,
purer TexAmericana blend with Any Sky from Swing Rider Records.
Blakely continues the transition he began with his Faded Blue CD to keep
the western flavor, but grew and matured the original songwriting into a
broader, yet personal, and more sophisticated sound. There are a
variety of possibilities in that wide spectrum for which Blakely takes
full advantage. You hear songs that are pure works of master story
weaving, some rowdy honky-tonk, and others that are obviously expressing
some very personal experiences. This CD sweeps you into that next
elevation of evolution with laughter, joy, and pure entertainment.
With his father's assistance, Blakely picked out his first guitar chords
when he was 8. A childhood full of Marty Robbins and the Sons of the
Pioneers, coupled with the real life of ranching and cowboying, was an
inevitably strong influence for the music that is so much a part of who
he is. He uses that with blues, rock and roll, bluegrass, TexMex, and
traditional country to create his uniquely Lone Star sound. In
Blakely's own words, "The beauty of performing for Texas audiences is
that they accept all these styles blended together in a single set of
music -- accept it without a blink, and that's remarkable. This is the
best place in the world to play live, original music." When asked
what he calls his style of music, he quipped, "Sometimes I steal a
page from the Steven Fromholz songbook and call my music "Science
Fiction Cow-Jazz." Hey, if you're going to steal material, you
might was well steal from Fromholz. Seriously, though, I call my style
of music TexAmericana. I believe I'm a true Americana artist as a
writer and a performer. I come from the soil and the ranges of rural
Texas, and that puts a distinct Lone Star stamp on what I do. So, I
came up with the term TexAmericana."
Blakely had the typical rite-of-passage era with garage bands playing
covers of rock and country. His band today is called the Whiskey
Traders (song title from a previous CD) and he credits them, Donnie
Price, bass, and Larry Nye, lead guitar, co-writer and producer, both
of whom he's worked with for years, as being more musically talented
than he, and key to booking, networking, and artistic synergy. Although
Blakely doesn't like to toot his own horn, he has, as he puts it, "an
unorthodox way with the mangle-lin". That mandolin singularity has
become a trademark of some of his best selections. Some terrific
harmonies come from Thomas Michael Riley and Johnny Greenberg. The 3 of
them have been known to perform as a song-swap trio, the Note Gropers.
Blakely says, "Half the fun in this group is the BS we get into over the mic between
songs." His dad, Doc Blakely, and he also have an act called the Swing
Riders, which mostly plays to a corporate audience. According to Blakely,
"The best thing about performing with my dad is that it has allowed
us to bond as adults. People ask, "How do work with your dad?" I
usually say, "He tells me where to go, and I go there, then when we get
there, I tell him what to do and he does it." It's not quite
that cut and dried, but we do have a great time playing music together,
and we've performed from coast to coast and border to border."
Even his record label has an interesting history. "Early in my
songwriting career, I took several trips to Nashville to pitch songs.
Chris Wall tried to talk me out of it, but I had to go see for myself.
I didn't get a whole lot of straight talk from many people there, so I
decided to stay in Texas, create my own label -- Swing Rider Records --
cut my own songs, and sell them right off the stage. I'm so thankful I
went this route. I get much more pleasure from being a hard-working
performing songwriter in Texas than I ever would have writing in a
cubicle in Nash-Vegas." So Blakely chose to become another proud "fence
post in Texas, than the King of Tennessee." That Chris Wall
bumper sticker is proudly displayed on his guitar case.
Well, the songs on this CD are what you expected to hear about in this
review, so I better get on with it. The title cut, "Any Sky You're
Under" and "Run With Me", are smooth romantic ballads with a distinctive
western flavor. Both these songs express some past personal experiences
that left a lasting impression. These songs will leave a lasting
impression on the listener, as well. "Run With Me" is gorgeous,
musically and lyrically. The analogies of waters merging and taking the
other's name leaves you no doubt about what the real story is here. In
your head, you can't help but invent more counterpoint harmony to add to
those already offered. I can't decide of this selection or "The Last of
My Friends" is my favorite tune from this CD.
"Hit the Highway" is a rollicking "rolling" autobiography (of sorts)
that recounts his life via highway number signs instead of years of
age. Clever lyrics and quick tempo keeps you tuned in. Another blast
from the past is "Musta Loved That Girl". A retro doo-wop number about
some girl with eyes the color of nothing in particular. Memories of
high school events from both sides of the story aren't too sharp, but
the song hits the mark.
"What Am I to You?" blasts you with a strong rock beat and a serious
question about where this relationship is going. "San Antonio" and
"Little Miss DeeJay" are another couple of soft ballads about the sad
side of love. Both of these selections are more of what I consider
Blakely's transition music and show you a bit more of his literary style.
"Raymond Was a Cowboy", is Blakely at his western best. This is a
western tale with a humorous twist ending. "Cool Desert Rain" is
another beautiful ballad, definitely in that transition category. Not
entirely western, but the lyrical analogies are there.
"Get the Dodge Outa Hell" is the rowdy honky-tonk I promised you.
Another clever set of lyrics that is pure country. "Change My Ways" is
another country-rockin' tune about NOT changing his ways.
"The Last of My Friends" had a special place in my heart the first time
I heard it. It perfectly captures the mood of a magical campfire shared
with wonderful music and great friends. If you've never experienced
this gemutlichheit, then give the song a listen. It will make you yearn
for that experience. If you know that feeling, then you understand why
that "smile won't let go of your face."
I hope this has whetted your whistle for the full deal. You can find
this CD at Bill's Records, Dallas, Executive Surf Club Records, Corpus
Christi, Waterloo Records, Austin, Hill Country Music, Fredericksburg,
or online at
MyTexasMusic.com, or
MikeBlakely.com. But the best way is
to catch a live performance and get it autographed. Blakely's web site
or the
Miss Lana's Concert Central
(right here on this web site) both can help you plan for his next
performance near you. And if you are into all things western, check out
Blakely's site for the western novels he's published.
Written by Cheryl Arthur, November 2005
E-mail me about this review
Read about
TxLogCabin
Read other reviews by Cheryl
Home
All content ©
2005 Miss Lana's Texicana Music Central. All rights reserved. No part of
this site may be reproduced or copied without the permission of the site owner.
This includes html code.
