Cris Cuddy, come along carmelita (independent, 2002)
Cris Cuddy? Never heard of him. The back of the package has a photo of Cuddy, with his friend Mickey Newbury, so my assumption was that this might be a disc worth listening to. Maybe some good songwriting. I was right. On both counts. This Cris Cuddy is alright!
come along carmelita starts off with some wild zydeco accordion (courtesy of Fats Kaplin) and Cuddy's reedy voice singing about "the Checkout Girl."
"she gave me her number,
said if I was all alone
I could call her up later on at home
I was like a kid, I could hardly wait
to ask that checkout girl for a date
she told me to meet her at a gypsy cafe
we laughed and we danced
until the break of day
talking to her what's all wrong seems all right
and I fell for the checkout girl that night."
I'm a sucker for a happy ending. And many of Cuddy's songs do work out alright in the end.
The musicianship is of a high standard. Victor Bateman plays bass; Al Cross drums; some very evocative cello is provided by George Meanwell; Rusty McCarthy adds electric guitar and Don Rooke (from the Henrys) slides on resophonic and acoustic guitars. It is a beautifully played record, with a lovely and warm recorded sound. So if you add it all up, playing, songwriting, recording, the sum is a very good record.
Apart from the zydeco kickoff, Cuddy presents songs in a number of styles. "The Beginning of the End" sounds like a standard, with a 30s feel. "Henry Morgan the Pirate" sounds just like, well, a pirate song! The title song is a slow waltz reminiscent of the writing of a number of Texas musicians. It tells a moving little tale, with music to support that feeling. "Just For a Thrill", "What if Frankie Doesn't Like It", are folky, "Way Out West" has a country tinge and "Two of a Kind" feels a bit European. Cuddy evens puts on a Leonard Cohen burr for this one!
Cris Cuddy? Never heard of him...before now. After come along carmelita I can't wait to hear some more!
Hear more about Cris here.
