Danny Schmidt - Man of Many Moons

[purchase]

When I reviewed Danny Schmidt’s last album, instead the forest rose to sing, I said, “… most of these songs could be performed by Schmidt alone, with just his singing and acoustic guitar.” On Man of Many Moons, that’s very nearly what happens. There is also bass and second guitar on most songs, and harmonica on one song and a whispering piano is on at least one other. I really can’t be sure about the piano, because it’s way down in the mix, and very subtle. Carrie Elkin and Raina Rose contribute soft background vocals. But the attention is squarely on Schmidt’s playing and singing, and therefore on the songs rather than the arrangements. This gives the album as a whole an intimacy that makes Schmidt a good friend by the time you reach the last song. But this is not a set of confessional songs. Schmidt displays warmth and good humor, but some of the lyrics are like Zen teaching tales, offering material for pleasant contemplation rather than direct statements. The songs can also be enjoyed just for the sound of them. The music is wonderful, and Schmidt puts words together in ways that please the ears.

I am letting myself off the hook for interpreting some of the lyrics. Schmidt has issued a warning to me and other reviewers about this. I posted two songs which appear back to back on the album. Guilty By Association Blues comments on the state of the world in a humorous way by using animals as proxies for the singer’s feelings. The singer is thus, theoretically, not responsible for the actions of the animals, but Schmidt is winking at us in this song; he knows better. Almost Round the World follows, and presents a shaggy dog story of how the lyrics of the previous song become the starting point for a global game of whisper down the lane. I hope this didn’t really happen. Almost Round the World seems to me to be a hilarious comic exaggeration, and a wonderful song. But this is why I am reluctant to interpret the lyrics where I am not sure of Schmidt’s meaning. I wouldn’t want to start something like what Almost Round the World describes.

That said, I can tell you that Houses Sing, which opens the album, is one of the catchiest songs I’ve heard in a while, and it has been stuck in my head all day. Schmidt eloquently explains the difference between a house and a home. Little White Angels describes a drug addiction without preaching at all, and Schmidt is able to sympathize with the addict while still having a clear vision of the danger she is in. I believe that Two Guitars is about trying to write a song for the one you love, and it seems to me that Schmidt has more than succeeded. And On Abundance is a reminder to be grateful for what you have, even when it does not seem to be much; this is another time when Schmidt is eloquent without being preachy. The one cover here is a warm version of Bob Dylan’s Buckets of Rain, and Schmidt’s version fits in beautifully with his own work. I find the rest of his originals here to be somewhat enigmatic, but they invite further thought. At his most mystical, Schmidt stills welcomes you in, both with his words and his performance. When I heard his last album, I thought I would enjoy seeing him live. I still haven’t had the chance, but now I’m sure I would enjoy it immensely.

Danny Schmidt: Guilty by Association Blues

Danny Schmidt: Almost Around the World

Danny Schmidt - instead the forest rose to sing

[purchase]

Bittersweet.

A while back, I made up a mix CD by that name. These were songs about things, places, and people who were fondly remembered, but irretrievably gone. Many of Danny Schmidt’s songs here have that quality. It’s hard to do this kind of song well, and all too easy to create something that is cliched and maudlin. Danny Schmidt does very well indeed.

Schmidt’s best bittersweet song here is Grampa Built Bridges. Here is a man whose dignity has deserted him with the coming of old age. But, in his youth, he constructed these structural marvels, like some thing out of a fairytale. Schmidt eloquently expresses both the wonderment and the sense of loss.

Southland Street talks about the pride of an auto worker, from before the factory first moved to Mexico, and then to Asia. The Serpentine Cycle of Money is about a fortune found and lost. Both are fine examples of this kind of song.

But, there is more to Schmidt’s writing than that. His method is to leave out details, and let the listener fill them in; in Two Timing Bank Robber’s Lament this leads to an amusing surprise. You may need to listen twice to see what happened here; do it. The payoff on this one is great. I found myself filling in details for Swing Me Down. In a dance like the Virginia Reel, or a contradance, a row of men faces a row of women; in the course of the dance, each man will take each woman in the line into his arms for a swing. But, the first verse makes reference to driving, and the “women” in the song have names of states. So I take this to be a metaphor for a touring musician who greets each new destination with joy.

In only one place does Schmidt’s writing fail me. Firestorm tells the tale of a man who has learned to control his aggressive tendencies for the sake of the woman he loves; in the end, something horrible happens to her, (exactly what is not spelled out), and he releases all of that aggression either to save her or for revenge. This one leaves a bad taste in my mouth.

Musically, most of these songs could be performed by Schmidt alone, with just his singing and acoustic guitar. His voice is musical, but has a conversational quality. And his guitar playing is fine, folkish with a touch of blues here and there. Voice and guitar together do fine job of conveying the emotional range of these songs. But, in the studio, the songs are embellished with a light touch. There are wonderful backing vocals by Carrie Elkin or Joia Wood. Drums and bass are subtle, helping the songs along without ever drawing attention to themselves. Sometimes there is a fiddle, or an accordion, or a harmonica, each serving the song, and making a welcomed contribution.
The Serpentine Cycle of Money gets the closest thing here to a full rock arrangement, and is probably the most different from what it would sound like live. It doesn’t sound bad by any means, but it does stand out from the rest of the album. And I’m not sure if that’s a good thing or not.

Overall, though, this is fine album that I can heartily recommend. And it makes want to see Schmidt live.

Danny Schmidt: Swing Me Down

Danny Schmidt: Two Timing Bank Robber‘s Lament

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My friend Susan was the first to introduce me to the music of Danny Schmidt. She is currently going through a rough time. I would like to dedicate this post to her.

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Progress report: I am still in the process of putting files for my older album review posts onto my new file host. So, if something you wanted to hear wasn’t working, please try again.