Michael Buffalo Smith, Southern Lights (Dreaming Buffalo Records, 2003)
There's a big man on the front cover of this CD. He's wearing a navy blue melton cloth jacket, you know, with the leather sleeves...like a school jacket. He's sporting Native American jewelry on his wrist and around his neck. His hair is greying, and his chin cover has a couple of white spots. He's playing a fire engine red Ibanez guitar, but this guy looks mellow, his eyes are closed. He's standing in front of a hand painted sign that advertises "PEACHES." His name is Michael Smith, but in bigger letters between first and last names it says "Buffalo!" The back cover has a photo of an actual buffalo...a bison really...wading in the water. He looks about as mellow as his namesake on the front cover...calm...but don't bug me, man!
Inside the double fold cardboard sleeve, there's a CD, which is attached to the right inner third by an octagonal bit of rubber through the centre hole. The silver disc has a logo painted on it, an eagle perched atop a delineated buffalo head, crowned by a fiery sun and surrounded by the words "Michael Buffalo Smith." All neatly airbrushed, like you might see on the fuel tank of a Harley-Davidson. And directly across from this logo, there's a poem...
"Moon beams shining thru magnolia branches
Drenching the screened in porch in yellow light
Overhead, Grandpa points out the Big Dipper to a six year old boy
Southern Lights.
Sunday morning singing in the church choir
Voices raised to heaven praising the Lord
"The Old Rugged Cross" and "Just As I Am"
Sun shining through stained glass windows
Southern lights..."
It's quite touching, actually. Not what you might expect from the front cover...but didn't your Mother tell you, "Don't judge a book by it's cover?" When you dislodge the CD from the rubber slug and drop it into your player...you are greeted with some chooglin' southern rock, gospel and blues, played by a solid studio band and fronted by Buffalo, whose voice is as mellow as his visage.
The band includes Ray Brand (lead and slide guitar), John Huber (lead and classical guitar), Tommy Crain (guitar), Billy Teichmiller (drums and percussion), Thad Usry (harp), Owen Brown (bass) and a selection of guest artists including Pete Carr and the great (and lamented) Bonnie Bramlett. They rock. Stephen Foster (not the "Swanee River" guy!) plays keyboards and some guitar, sings backup, co-produced (with Smith and Teichmiller) and did all the musical arrangements.
Smith's original tunes are melodic, sometimes evocative of other songs, but always original enough that you can't quite pinpoint the influence. "Into the Light" starts things off, a mid-tempo gospel song..."outa the darkness into the light." It has backup vocals from Bonnie Bramlett and a sizzling slide solo by Ray Brand. "Behind the Eyes" is next, some spooky work from the rhythm section, and Smith's deep voice asking questions "...have you ever wondered what lies beyond Pluto?" Yes, indeed I have.
The big duet with Bonnie is on the ballad "I Don't Want to Say Goodbye." Ms. Bramlett's voice is in fine fettle and she and the Buffalo blend well. The band does a credible John Lee Hooker impression on the tribute "Hooker's Boogie," in case you thought it was about a different subject. Smith really deepens his voice for this one, singing down so low. "How-how-how-how!" Nice harmonica from Thad Usry.
The rest of the album is more of the same. Blues-based southern rock, with slide guitars and that chooglin' beat. Not a classic, but well worth a listen.
"Heart lights. Auras. Halos. Inner glow. Moonlight. Love lights. Tea lights.
Our own borealis.
Southern lights."
Michael Buffalo Smith has a Web site here.
