onurblues: Calvin Russell - This Is My Life : The Story Of Calvin Russell (1997)

November 10, 2022

Calvin Russell - This Is My Life : The Story Of Calvin Russell (1997)

► Album available at the usual place...

Scarface blues

I won't go over Russell's bio. His life started in poverty, drugs, violence and several stays in jail, as much hardship written like scars on his face, and his redemption through music are documented here.

After five studio albums and a live released in just eight years, the bad Austin cowboy re-issued his best titles in this compilation, augmented with three new songs : his self-written “Texas Song” and his covers of Bobby Womack's “It’s All Over Now” and Bob Dylan's “Forever Young”.

After “This Is My Life”, judiciously chosen to open the compilation, serious things start with the iconic “Crack in Time” which was the title of both the first track and his debut album in 1990, a song that launched his career, and we understand why. Then his most famous titles follow, a unique Texan blend of folk/country-rock (“Crack in Time”, “Big Brother”, “Crossroads”, “One Meat Ball”, “Baby I Love You”, “Soldier”, “This Is Your World”, “Don't Turn Your Head”, “Trouble”, “Valley Far Below”, “Forever Young”) and blues/blues-rock (“This Is My Life”, “Crossroads”, “Rats And Roaches”, “Texas Song”, “Let the Music Play”, “It's All Over Now”). They have a name for that now : Americana, a handy jumble word where you can file all American crossover styles...

The arrangements are finely chiseled : acoustic guitars form the foundation of most of the songs illuminated by organ and sharp lightnings of electric guitars, the whole being carried by solid bass and drums. One thing with Russell is that his songs generally evolve in style from the beginning to the end. As for the lyrics they reflect Russell's social rebellion, sorrow and despair…

Just a single regret still : the absence of “Rockin' The Republicans”, actually a Rich Minus song greatly covered by Russell in his second album “Sounds From The Fourth World” and particularly topical these days...

These 16 tracks are really all worth listening, the less renowned as much as the most famous ones. If you aren't familiar with Russel's discography, if you have never listen to him, this compilation is your good luck : you will discover an artist who doesn't sound like anybody else. If you know him but didn't hear him for a good while, maybe because his CDs are packed in a box in your basement or attic, this is the occasion to re-discover him. In any case, it is certain that you won't regret it ●