Eddie Cole, I Know What's Going On (self-produced, 2003)
Eddie Cole has given us a nifty aural gem with I Know What's Going On. This Aussie singer/songwriter/guitarist is ably supported on many tunes by drummer Tony Floyd and on a couple by mandolin player Dave Carr. M.V.P. credit goes to Cameron McKenzie, who recorded and mixed I Know What's Going On, not to mention supplying, on different tracks, variously, bass, rhythm and electric guitars/shaker/piano/keyboards/drum programming/etc.
What makes I Know What's Going On so satisfying to my ears is the deft way Cole moves from tune to tune, varying instrumentation, tempo, and mood while maintaining an overall consistency. I can picture a small club stage with the basic trio set up, a handful of acoustic and electric guitars on stands, a keyboard rack and a trap set. Cole and compatriots mount the stage and take off, bring the audience up, down, and all around without ever leaving us behind.
For example, the sixth track is a slow ballad, tinged with nostalgia and regret. "When I'm Feeling Lonely" has Cole on nylon string guitar, McKenzie on bass and Floyd providing cool jazz drums. (It is a studio recording, so Cole overdubs a couple of atmospheric guitar parts, McKenzie adds a lovely guitar solo and some of the drum sound is a loop.) Next up is "I Can't Stand In The Rain," a lilting rocker on guitar, bass, and drums with Cole telling someone, "I can't stand in the rain / If you're gonna cause me this pain / and I can't lift up my eyes / If you're gonna tell me a lie." At the end, the backing musicians quietly slip off, leaving Cole to bring the set to a close with an intimate pair of tunes, "Let Us Be Married" and "Goodnight."
Twelve tunes that clock in at a mere 37:04 minutes make this more an EP than an LP CD, but I'm not going to complain too much. Going out to eat, if quantity is a priority, I could head to Ton'O'Beef for their Half'A'Heifer special with SpudNuts. Filling? Yes. Satisfying, healthy, or delicious? Not damn likely. But, if quality dining is important and I go to Chez Say Wha for their Petite Nouvelle du Jour, I might still find myself a tad hungry at the end, but, like I Know What's Going On, it sure was tasty.
Eddie Cole has a Web site here.
