Johnny Dowd belongs with the great songwriters. Randy Newman, Tom Waits, Leonard Cohen, Steve Earle, and their close relations come to mind when I think about his songwriting peers. His vision and the craft that is his music never cease to stretch the (dark) imagination and to take the listener to new places. The voice that belongs to Dowd is perfect for his music and the characters that he inhabits; and the occasional leavening that is Kim Sherwood-Caso's lilting voice is like a splash of cool water into a hot and heaving cauldron: it is a perfect complement to Dowd's gravelly drawl. It reminds you that beauty can exist in his twisted world. Overall, this is amazing music, weird lyrics, tight musicianship, and an artist(s) that cares little for the America-Idol worhip that celebrates the lowest common denominator and a definition of talent that is, at best, superficial -- at worst, a parody. The sound quality of the recording, by the way, recorded and mastered by Alex Perialas, at Pyramid Sound in Ithaca, NY, clearly captures Dowd's group in full throttle. Frosting on the cake. There are so many layers to his music that after numerous listenings there is still new meaning to be mined, bizarre locales to visit. In closing, get this CD and revel in the dark and humorous artistry that is Johnny Dowd.
I thought I'd take a chance on this one after reading the positive reviews. I'm rarely led astray by following my insticts, and love discovering new artists after reading about them. Plus, Sally Timms and John Langford from the Mekons are guests on this album, so it seemed like a safe bet. It wasn't. I think this will be my one and only Johnny Dowd purchase. Biggest reason: I just can't get past that voice. Johnny Dowd is not a singer, yet he inflicts his harsh vocals on the listener. I can handle a little eccentricity, but this guy just makes me squirm. It's okay to be "an American original" but it helps if you have some talent. Lyrically, he's got something to say on a few tunes, although some of the simplistic lyrics in other songs make me wince. The parts I enjoyed best were the instrumental passages. Some cool guitar and organ interplay at work. But otherwise ... ouch. This is painful to listen to.
Looking through reviews of Johnny's discs, I have to laugh at the various descriptions. Amazon comes off with a very nice "roots rock from the Twilight Zone". "Gothic Folk" is another apt phrase. Comparisons are made to Tom Waits, Frank Zappa, Butthole Surfers, Johnny Cash, Chet Baker, et al. (Somehow I keep hearing Jon Spencer in his music) All are accurate, but none are really correct. Johnny is impossible to pin down because he is a unique artist, and because it seems that he approaches every song with a fresh perspective. He lives by no genre-rules, he only owes allegiance to the specific song he is playing. Guest appearances by Sally Timms and Jon Langford of the Mekons on "Drunk" is a near-perfect collaboration. But, I'm not sure if they would really fit-in on any other tune on this disc.
Cruel Words is just an excellent, no-frills, rock album. Johnny gets right to the point lyrically, laying-out the cold hard truth on every one of these tunes. His accompaniment is superb, with special credit due Michael Stark for some hauntingly beautiful organ. The production is very good with nice definition between the instruments and a very good sound to the rhythm section.
If you like your liquor straight-up, Johnny Dowd is probably the artist for you. They both really burn when they go down (heh-heh).