I got lost on the river, but I got found
Maybe not on the river, but
what was lost and found was a box of song lyrics handwritten by Bob Dylan back
in the 1960s. This was the time when Dylan and the Band were recording their
album The Basement Tapes in
Woodstock, New York. More than 40 years later, the dust was shaken off the box
and the newfound lyrics were offered to producer T Bone Burnett. He then
contacted a bunch of talented musicians – Elvis Costello, Marcus Mumford, Jim
James, Rhiannon Giddens and Taylor Goldsmith – and gathered them to a studio.
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The two tracks after which the
album is titled, “Lost on the River” #12 and #20, reflect upon the same theme, the
former doing so from the perspective of a man and the latter from that of a
woman. #12 gives off the feeling of roaming the empty streets of a city usually
so busy, at the crack of dawn, feeling exhausted but glad to see this moment that
you usually sleep through. Costello as the author of this melody has obviously applied
his decades-long song-writing experience. The track has a strong hint of
conclusion in it, be it then the ending of a nocturnal journey homeward, a
movie or an album. It’s far from being the final track of the album, though, as
it ends with the other song in question instead, “Lost on the River” #20. This
one is even softer, could be called melancholic, and among these few tracks
that do not include percussions. In #20, the background vocals almost take over
the stage as they constitute such an important part of the track. It is too
difficult to truly overshadow the vocals of Giddens, though.
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The deep, rich voice of lead
singer Jim James in “Down on the Bottom” cannot be applauded enough, neither
the harmony that is created between the general vibe and the vocals. This track
is an example of how the length of lyrics does not matter – in this case, 12
different lines of lyrics are set to a song four and a half minutes long. These
12 lines were just enough for Dylan to express the feeling of hitting rock
bottom and they were also just enough for this group to turn it into one of the
best tracks on the album. In fact, Jim James manages to sing it in a way that
makes you WANT to be down on the bottom.
Another track featuring these
enjoyable vocals of James is “Nothing to It”, definitely an even better
experience live than on the album with its almost hypnotic duo of drum and
bass. Add to this the harmonious combination of the voices of James and Giddens
in both the chorus and especially the bridges with the staccato rhythm, and
you’ve got a piece well worth listening.
According to the statistics,
the lead vocals of Marcus Mumford seem to attract some nine times more
listeners than other songs. Or it might be that the duo Mumford-Goldsmith works
out extremely well, since the two tracks with disproportionally high numbers of
listens, “Kansas City” and “When I Get My Hands on You”, are written by this
same duo. The second guess is probably closer to the truth since “The Whistle
Is Blowing” and “Stranger” are also led by Mumford, yet have received much less
attention than the former two.
This being said, “Stranger” is one of the most
underrated tracks on the album. The rhythmic variations on drums, occasional
yet absolutely essential fiddle riffs, the flowing chorus and also that
something about Mumford’s vocals make a combination that pushes the replay
button for you. “The Whistle Is Blowing” is a slow-paced track that isn’t bad,
far from that, but isn’t anything remarkable either. It’s one of those songs
that go in one ear and out the other, not leaving a distinct memory nor the
desire to give it an immediate second listen.
Coming back to the most
popular songs on the album, “Kansas City” definitely deserves its position. Its
alternating dynamics and catchy tune make it an easy, uplifting listen and the high-pitched
dazzling guitar solo creates an interesting mixture with the folkish background.
There’s just one thing, though, and it might be just me, but the similarity
between the main guitar riffs in “Kansas City” and in The Offspring’s “The Kids
Aren’t Alright” simply does not stop haunting me. Not to accuse the writers in
plagiarism or anything – the riff is short and simple, easy to accidentally
duplicate. As a sidenote, Johnny Depp also makes an occurrence on this track,
passing by the studio to replace Costello who couldn’t attend that day.
When I get my hands on you
Gonna make you marry me
And now you know
Everywhere on Earth you go
You’re gonna have me as your man
As far as the second-most
popular song goes, it does not take a vivid imagination to see Mumford uttering
the above lyrics and the consequential reaction of the female crowd. It’s very
likely that many share the dream of someone singing “When I Get My Hands on You”
to them personally. An utterly romantic song in which the Mumford-Goldsmith duo
has once again shown its expertise.
Goldsmith also receives lead
singer position in some songs such as “Florida Key”, “Diamond Ring”, and most
notably, “Card Shark”. The last one leaves a somewhat childish impression in
the beginning, but goes on to present a very catchy chorus. The group has had
quite a lot of fun performing this on stage as well, as can be seen here:
“Quick Like a Flash” stands out
on the album, not because it has received more praise or acknowledgement than
others, but because it’s quite different in style. Listening to it apart from
the album, it would be difficult to associate it with The New Basement Tapes, except for the intro. Not that it’s a bad
thing – the vocals of Jim James are, once again, rather hypnotizing and the
funky bass line lays a solid foundation upon which all else is drawn. “Quick
Like a Flash” is arguably another undiscovered and underrated pearl on the
album.
Rhiannon Giddens has mostly
contributed to the album through her flawless vocals and folkish
fiddle-playing, adding a notch of country to it all. Of the songs she has
either written or co-written, the most notable is “Spanish Mary” which allows
her to demonstrate her vocal abilities and dynamics. In this track, the
cooperation of bass and drums works out remarkably well, again indicating that
Goldsmith-Mumford, on bass and drums respectively, make a productive duo. The
loudest applause goes to Giddens, however, as the author and lead singer –
especially praiseworthy is the quiet bridge (Beggar man, beggar man tell me no lie / Is it a mystery to live or is
it a mystery to die?) in which the music and lyrics have achieved an
absolute harmony. “Duncan and Jimmy” is another piece written by her, quite
characteristic in its country-folk feeling. It’s not among the best tracks of
the album, though, as it becomes a bit tedious towards the end, most probably
due to lack of variation.
Since many songs were recorded
as more than one version, some of them made it to the album in two versions as
well. One of those is “Liberty Street”, the second version of which is renamed
to “Six Months in Kansas City (Liberty Street)” on the album. The first of those
features Goldsmith as the lead singer, the second has given the stage to
Costello. Why both versions have been included is quite self-evident as the
natures of the two tracks are very different. Which one is better or whether
one of them is better at all is impossible to say because of that same
difference. However, it has to be mentioned that the groove of Costello’s
version is welcomed on this album of mostly intimate and calm-natured tracks. “Hidee
Hidee Ho” is another title which has received two different forms, both of
which rather belong to the less significant portion of tracks, however.
The New Basement Tapes has succeeded in their original intention which was to
create a free and inspiring atmosphere similar to that of the original Basement Tapes. What is truly spectacular
is how they were able to collaborate in a way that you’d think they have
performed and written together for years, not only a week or two. The album is
unique in many ways, from the origin of the lyrics to the collective of
musicians achieving such a level of harmony.
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Those who’d like to get a
better grasp of how this album happened, the documentary Lost Songs: The Basement Tapes Continued is a must-see. Here is a snippet
showing how much fun they had with all this:
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