Artist: Michael Ubaldini
Albums: Acoustic Rumble & Street Singin' Troubadour
Worth Buying: Yes, Both Albums
You will be interested in these albums if you are a fan of: Bruce Springsteen, Tom Petty, Bob Dylan, John Mellencamp, Brian Setzer, Johnny Cash, Roots Rock'n'Roll, Americana
Tell Me More: When Bruce Springsteen first hit the music scene there where those who called him a poor man's Bob Dylan. When John Mellencamp first hit the music scene there where those who called him the poor man's Bruce Springsteen. But when Micheal Ubaldini released Acoustic Rumble in 1999, LA Times critic Mike Bohem wrote "Better then Springsteen at probing the national soul".
As a musician working the local scene, I wasn't aware of any of this. But people would say to me "Have you heard Micheal Ubaldini?". No I would reply, figuring that I better start.
That start began with Acoustic Rumble. The title implied that this would be a stripped down acoustic album. It also implied that it would rock. It didn't dissapoint on either count. Starting with the album first track The Seventh Trumpet with it's mean rock groove and lyrics shouting out at me:
Well it's a death sentance if you have sex in the morning time You wanna be a celebrity or a hero? commit a heinous crime! Where we gonna go, yeah where we gonna go, when the 7th trumpet blows
Before this song even ended I was thinking, "This guy could be the next Bob Dylan".
Acoustic Rumble is sparse with usually just two acoustic guitars playing together, some occasional lead guitar, some subtle bass guitar, and light percussion. But it rocks. It rocks with conviction, It it rocks like a young man who is hungry and anxious to get his message out.
I am not always sure if he always intended it to be an acoustic album. Sometimes I wonder if he just didn't have the resources to record a full band album, or if he was just in a hurry to get his musical statement out and doing it acousticly was the best way to achieve that. Either way it worked. Because when I listen to Acoustic Rumble, it feels like the band is there. Rocking right alongside him.
Now almost 10 Years later (and after releasing several albums with songs ranging from Rock, Blues, Rockabilly, Country, and Roots) He appears (at first glance) to be returning to Acoustic Rumble with his latest CD Street Singing Troubadour. Like Rumble, Troubadour is an acoustic album, but the similarities end there.
Troubadour is quieter. It is the quietest album he has ever done. It is also the darkest album he has ever done, and a whole helluva lot more reflective. This time it's just one guitar, one voice, and occasionally a harmonica. If Rumble is stripped down, then Troubadour is the skeleton. For all I know, he might have recorded each one of these tracks live, and if he did, so much the better, because the performance is startling. And even though this is very much a folk album, it is still able to convey feelings of anger and outrage at society's ills, and tell stories about life, as well as any rocker could. But then Ubaldini is a Rocker, and this is his folk album in the tradditional sense of the word.
Acoustic Rumble is an acoustic album that rocks you. It rocks you physically and intellectually. Street Singin' Troubadour does not rock. But take the time out from your busy schedule to really listen to it, it will move you in quieter more subtle ways that will surprise you.
I will close out this review with first lines of lyric from the first song from Street Singin' Troubadour
Kingdoms are slowly falling The sky's fire evil and despair River waters overflow with anger Winds of Fire Burn Terrain everywhere The voice of anger is rising with the sonnets of the sage The voice of truth the four winds rage ringing out with the sound of the age Listen to (and buy) Acoustic Rumble
Listen to (and buy) Street Singin' Troubador
To order in the CD format click here
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