Eric Andersen, Beat Avenue (Appleseed Recordings, 2003)
Do not hesitate. Get this excellent double CD set as soon as you can. The last time I found myself this enthusiastic about a recording was Ten Songs by Leonard Cohen...and for the same reason. These are true artists rather than mere purveyors of entertainment 'product.' Like their closest peers, such as Joni Mitchell and Bob Dylan, they are best appreciated first and foremost as poet-troubadors. Andersen is a Sixties folk era veteran with a lot to say and the artistry to say it.
On the back of the minimal liner is a quote from Bob Dylan; "It's all about livelihood. It's all about going out and playing. That's what every musician who has crossed my path strives for." Andersen dedicates Beat Avenue to Dylan, "true poet, hard worker, man of constant wonder, good friend, teacher, the master." To appreciate the long artistic conversation between these two men, check out "Song of You and Me." The music is driving and insistent with the passion of a garage band, albeit one whose members are all talented and seasoned professionals. The words flow without usual verse chorus structure but rather unwind like a movie with scenes like this:
On the all-night train to Stockholm, you got me actin like
a kid
Your mouth spun out of rebel words, my soul was on a thread
Your kisses made me seasick when you pressed your lips to mine
A Casablanca no man’s land, where the hero’s dumb and blind
The lyrics are courtesy of Andersen's well designed and very complete Web site. When I captured the lyrics for this CD they ran 34 pages. Ten or so constitute the title piece, "Beat Avenue." Clocking in at twenty six minutes, this is the amazing and powerful tale of Andersen's experiences the day President John F. Kennedy was shot. While those of us old enough may clearly remember that day, few of us are gifted poet/musicians and fewer still can say we spent that day roving the hills of San Francisco and ending with a gathering that included Allan Ginsberg, Lawrence Ferlinghetti, Neal Cassady and Michael McClure. Do yourself a favor, the first time you listen to this piece take the phone off the hook, turn the lights down low, strap on the headphones and be transported.
With Beat Avenue Eric Andersen reaffirms that he is one of the great artists of his generation. Andersen's heartfelt, honest vocals and guitar perfectly serve his artful, well crafted songs. He is supported by a crack team of musicians including the fine guitarist Eric Brazilian and multi-instrumentalist Robert Aaron, the able producer of Beat Avenue. The material includes entertaining rockers like "Stupid Love," evocative ballads such as "Still Looking for You" and the tour de force title piece that defies categorization. It would be easy to offer paragraph after paragraph of detailed analysis and gushing superlatives, but they wouldn't serve any real purpose. Eric Andersen's Beat Avenue is a gem.
