Keith Richards new Winos Album "Crosseyed Heart" *

A minor complaint, but this thread's title is factually incorrect. CROSSEYED HEART is not an X-Pensive Winos album, although some members are on it. Great album, though. Okay, read on ...

 

Same as the CD IIRC. Low DR. Vinyl has higher DR

 

It really is a shame that they can't give HD tracks the same master as used for the vinyl.

 

As the OP, I will comment. Yes, technically, (not factually), you are correct, since the Winos was not a real group. None of the "Winos" albums had that name on the spine, except the live one after the informal nickname. Titling the thread that way gets the point across that the core group of Steve Jordan, Waddy Watchell, and Ivan Neville, are all present and accounted for, suggesting the feel and vibe of the album would be similar to his previous two classics. The only core "Wino" absent is bassist Charley Drayton. In his his place, we got the maestro himself on bass.

 

Wasn't the moniker on the cover of MAIN OFFENDER?

 

I think Charlie left the wino's sometime during the Main Offender era.
I'm not sure if he was on part of the tour, but the footage I've seen has a different Bass Player.
If I remember correctly, he had a falling out with Steve Jordan.

 

I'm gonna go out on a limb and suggest that this album is "Album of the Year" nomination-worthy for a Grammy. And, no, not to be relegated to the Rock Album of the Year category, which is where it'll probably wind up.

Anyone agree?

 

I understand the feeling that some albums go on longer than needed sometimes, but I don't get that feeling from this one at all, despite the 50+ minute length. Crosseyed Heart is sequenced very nicely and seems to be over before you expect it.

I attribute that to the songs, which are concise and cover what they need to without meandering on or repeating the same sections to many times. I think sometimes that if something is really good, it's best repeated by making the album itself a re-listenable experience rather than extending the song to 6-7 minutes. Like they did in the old days. I mean, lots of 60s albums had 14-15 songs too, but they moved along. Crosseyed Heart is like that.

Mark

 

At one time there were tens of millions of record buyers and, for the vast majority of them, what you describe is work. And an artist with their priorities straight isn't delivering a homework assignment to record buyers, they're trying to put together a cohesive artistic statement. Tracks that don't fit that artistic statement are what reissues and bonus tracks are for...

 

Wanted to reply to this post specifically to (finally) post my review. Been crazy lately.

Anyway you're absolutely right. I love this album. Great songs, great sequencing and a great diversity of material.

The subtle goings-on throughout the album are what really impressed me too. He uses a lot of familiar names and traditional instruments, but not in the typical way you'd expect. Like Bobby Keys (RIP) for instance, where instead of getting the usual "Brown Sugar" wailing you'd expect, we find some really nice subtle touches that are almost jazz-like. And despite being singers known for powerhouse harmonies and high-range vocal accompaniment, we hear some familiar voices being used much more subtly in the background and peeking in and out from left and right speakers, rather than overshadowing (or trying to make up for) Keith's 'mature' voice. And despite the traditionalist he is, Keith employs other instruments throughout in a neat way and turns in a very original arrangement of Goodnight Irene, making them sound kinda modern in an artistic rather than forced manner.

And despite taking a somewhat 'rootsy' approach in general, the production itself is actually pretty complex with lots of sounds and instruments popping in and out...sometimes almost imperceptibly...but employed in just the right amount as to make this a great headphone listening experience without going overboard. In many ways, this is the same thing I admire about many classic Stones albums. There'd be an abundance of musicians and sounds bouncing around throughout a song, but integrated so well that the end result still came off sounding fairly 'simple'. It was only when you started thinking about how precise all those sound interactions were that you started getting the sense things were more planned and not quite as loose as they seemed on the surface. (I think that's one of the reasons why The Stones aren't always thought of by some as an 'album' band...the amount of production wasn't always immediately obvious.) The production on Crosseyed Heart is a little more obvious than those records, but integrated and tasteful enough to sound natural.

Great album. Keith's a real master and I'm glad the Netflix doc and TV interviews are drawing some much needed attention to that.

Mark

 

I don't see spending a little extra time with Keef as being work.

 

Just finished the Netflix doc. Immediately put on Exile On Main St and listened to the complete album. I have not done that for years. I said it earlier I'm very surprised by Crosseyed Heart. Excellent, excellent!

 

This should be published in Rolling Stone magazine damnit! 5 star kick **** review.

 

I love this record. I have kept it in my cd player for the past week. Clever lyrics, diverse musicly. Keith's voice is still strong... I just love it. "Heartstopper" is a favorite track, followed closely by "Trouble". "Goodnight Irene" is lovely... I can listen to it over and over..

This album just feels real to me, this is not a man recreating his old sounds...dabbling in different genres... This is a guy making music from his gut.

I also love two of the 'story" songs. "Robbed Blind" and "Nothing on Me" both have an outlaw feel to them...kind of like Kieth's channeling Bob Marley's "I Shot the Sherriff" through the Winos...

5 out of 5 stars for me.

Kieth is all that's left of the Stones.... in my opinion. I am just thankful he put this record out. It is like catching up with an old friend.

 

Totally, on both points. Nearly every song has 2-3 lyrical twists that really draw one in (and I'm normally a 'music' guy, who doesn't pay as much attention to lyrics -- but the lyrics on this album really stand out, pulls one attention to them).

And, yeah, the two 'story' songs are among the best on the whole album. Not musically, nor 'hook'-wise, but -- exactly as you said -- they're outstanding tales which unfold nicely over the course of the whole song, verse by verse giving one a bigger impression of the whole picture.

I've said it before, and I'll say it again -- I almost think I like "Crosseyed Heart" even better than "Talk Is Cheap" (and I've been saying "Talk Is Cheap" is my favorite Stones album for going on something like 25 years now). I just hope to hell it isn't the last Keith Richards solo record we'll ever hear, though I kind of doubt there'll be any more after this one.

 

It seems like the collaboration with Steve jordan is perfect for Keith. You can feel their musical influences rub off on each other in these songs, the bluesy numbers... , the outlaw songs...

 

I am finally listening to this, and ...I am loving it! Great album, well done Keef !

 

I like it. Better than the last couple of Stones albums IMHO

 

Anyone get the autographed LP ???

 

This is one of my favorite albums of all time. I keep listening to Crosseyed Heart over and over again, thanks Keith!

 

OMG, I'm listening to it again!

 

me either.

 

I am so happy this album is getting the love here at Steve Hoffman.

 

Anyone else here except me preorder the upcoming limited-edition (500 pieces manufactured) cassette tape for Keith Richards' CROSSEYED HEART? Fun times.

 

I'll go out on a limb and say I didn't like it much - saying this as a "reasonable fan" of the first two albums (especially of "Main Offender"). For me it's a little bit like with Steely Dan, where they seem to not have had much else new to say as of "Two Against Nature"... IMO Keith needed to express himself within a different context than with those same guys, however great they still are. To "write" music differently for once, instead of throwing riffs around (to musical yesmen?), or of waiting for riffs to be thrown around and then just build from there.

And yes, too many tracks...

Oddly, and contrary in a way to this feeling, is how exciting I find "Blues In The Morning", the Chuck Berry-influenced RnR song. KR's voice is quite good... Is this really a contemporay track and not something recorded (...taped) a long while ago?... As if he'd stopped smoking suddenly...

BTW, amazon.com's reviews seem more and more like a waste of time... I have noticed as of recently, for various entries, literal avalanches of positive generic one-liners... "Great album/product, great service, Thank you!"... It smells funny...