Brian Gladstone : A Time for New Beginnings

 

A Cynical Review by Gerald Van Waes (about the author - see below)

Brian Gladstone for me over his career has some elements which I consider a bit of wrong, but not in a (too) negative sense. First of all he has all qualities of being a hippie (like believing in peace and in peace songs : he even published a compilation under this subject, a collection from various wishing-(all)-well characters), but at the same time he most often doesn’t sound like a real hippie.

 

His first song is “a song for everyone”… I would prefer someone who had made a song like “this is not a song for you” instead, which would be a cynical philosophy that would fit me better. I had a thought that nobody would feel special with a song for everyone. It makes it a still warm-hearted crippled-minded hippie song for the sick and the poor and the lonely, and a friend of his.

 

There’s even more happy bluegrass-country song with lyrics like “the sun is in the sky, with a rainbow in my pocket..” there’s no doubt for the twinkle in the eye-energy even when Brian’s voice sounds here like from a tired man wining, all the opposite is there. No wonder the guy’s called Glad-stone, or is it gladstoned ?. Something similar happens on “For a Day in the park”, also a great song I see already (seriously) covered for the Muppet show ; I quote: “I sing for you a ballad, as you eat potato salad, for a day in the park” which I imagine covered favorably with a potato salad and some Tupperwares singing as a background chorus. Here some kazoos on the background confirm the enjoyment. “I’ll try” is a really nice harmony song with background chorus, in remembrance of some fine ‘60’s days. Also “The Flags of freedom” (-another title that could be so incredibly wrong-), which is a song questioning the basics of American democracy model in the eyes of a hippie, has a surprisingly really nice sound.

 

By this time I must admit that the album surprised me really. With “Estrogen”, a nice guitar duet, after this nothing much more can go wrong for me. “The Office Tower Blues” is a song that could easily kill each blue Monday. A few quotes: “I walk the walk and talk the talk when everyone’s around, but from nine to five I count the seconds and the bucks” and “I leave anyone on hold so my coffee won’t get cold”.. “I don’t want to get promoted but with bad work there’s a chance”. For me that’s great (recognizable for the descriptive human conditions) songwriting in a bluegrass fun-making-with-life style.

 

More great songwriting and a great song can be heard on “couch tomato”. I cannot help it and quote a bit more : “Early in the evening…just about twilight time my phone starts ringing and the hormones are singing, I’ve got a pretty babe on line”… “get a sweetie couch tomato, she really make a man out you and me too”.. with banjo’s and so, followed by a great old instrumental, in a ragtime polka style.

 

More old time fun, a bit up tempo, is “Nag”, complete with washtub bass and all. Similar slightly fun-making country with nice banjo and dobro, bass and old car sounds is "Wally's Pre-Owned Automobiles". The song “A Time for new beginnings” is already much happier than how the album started (but where seemed to have wished more deeply). With the best of how a hippie cowboy feeling can feel, I notice he is really so happy with the girl on backing vocals. “A year in the valley” is a great last concluding song for this album with an overall nice and full-warm sound.
 

I was afraid after the first album, and after the peace songs collection, where this album would have lead to, so I’ve put this album aside for almost half a year before I really tried.  And I must say the quality and success almost overwhelmed me with surprise. Really enjoyable !!