The Year 2023 in Music

Continuing with our year in review, Matt Lynn Digital invites you to look back at the last year in reviews of books, movies, music and television. We look at these with individual categories, one per day through Sunday. Today we share music reviews offered by Matt Lynn Digital in 2023.

(Cover art for the Weathervanes album by Jason Isbell & the 400 Unit).

Beginning with our most recent review with a guest review of the Weathervanes album by Jason Isbell & the 400 Unit, as reviewed by friend of the blog Cobra. The 2023 album presented alternative country-rock that mixed in with roots rock and southern rock to entertain their fans. Our review of the Rick Rubin book The Creative Act: A Way of Being also represented 2023 with a top notch look into how creativity works in music production and other fields as well.

(Cover art for the 2011 Tedeschi Trucks Band album Revelator).

The 2011 release of the album Revelator by the Tedeschi Trucks Band offers the first of two albums from the 2010s in our annual review. Offering a taste of American traditional rock, blues rock and roots rock from a guitar virtuoso opens an album that I can and do listen to over and over again. The 2010 A Christmas Cornucopia album by Annie Lennox also presented a more contemporary music mix.

(The biopic Walk the Line depicted aspects of the lives of Johnny Cash and June Carter).

The movie Walk the Line (2005) provided a mostly autobiographical portrayal of the musical life of country musician Johnny Cash and his second wife, June Carter. Music from both performers were featured throughout the movie, which offered a compelling movie experience of the respective lives of the couple up to the point of their marriage.

(Cover art for the R.L. Burnside album Mr. Wizard).

A modern sound for the delta blues comes to us with the 1997 album Mr. Wizard by R.L. Burnside. The music tends to more of a jam format than some of Burnside‘s earlier work with influences on musicians making music into the current day.

(Cover art for the Van Halen album OU812).

The 1988 album OU812 (Oh, you ate one too!) by Van Halen incorporates the most hard rock or pop metal sound for the three albums we reviewed for the 1980s. Both the 1986 album The Way It Is by Bruce Hornsby and the Range and the 1985 No Jacket Required album by Phil Collins delve more into the so-called adult contemporary genre with a focus on message and sound this still hit for a somewhat different audience.

(Cover art for the Christopher Cross album Christopher Cross).

We’ve taken the 1970s decade seriously with a review of nine separate albums. The self-titled 1979 album Christopher Cross by Christopher Cross continues the adult contemporary appeal before the 1974 soft rock appeal of the Jackson Browne album Late for the Sky. Second Helping by Lynyrd Skynyrd gave 1974 a more southern rock or boogie rock sound with their second album.

(Cover art for the Dr. John album In the Right Place).

The 1973 Dr. John funk and piano blues album In the Right Place gives way to the more progressive rock sounds of Pink Floyd‘s 1973 album The Dark Side of the Moon and Yes‘ 1972 album Fragile.

(Cover art for the Chuck Mangione Quartet album Alive!).

The contemporary jazz and easy listening album Alive! by Chuck Mangione Quartet from 1972 introduces the final three albums with a largely instrumental sound. The soft rock album Teaser and the Firecat by Cat Stevens stands next to the blues rock, hard rock and heavy metal sound of Led Zeppelin IV by Led Zeppelin for the music of 1971.

(Cover art for the Miles Davis album Sketches of Spain).

Jazz and rock and roll provide our 2023 soundtrack for the 1960s. Holiday music for 1968 leads us to Christmas Album by Herb Alpert & Tijuana Brass. The seventh album for The Beatles gave us the rock and roll in the form of 1966’s Revolver. The John Coltrane album Giant Steps and the album Sketches of Spain by Miles Davis round out 1960 with jazz performances that warm our heart.

Matt Lynn Digital appreciates your continued interest in the content we offer. Should you have albums that you’d like us to review, please be sure to let us know.

Matt – Friday, December 29, 2023

Dr. John and the album ‘In the Right Place’

While I see disagreement among the sources that define such things, the earliest release date that I’ve found for the most commercially successful Dr. John album was February 25th, 1973. Born in New Orleans, Louisiana, Dr. John, also known as Mac Rebennack, helped define the New Orleans R&B scene with a Piano Blues and Funk sound that had arguably its best expression for Rebennack with the album In the Right Place.

(Presented here is the album cover for the In the Right Place album by Dr. John).

Right Place, Wrong Time charted ninth in the United States, as confirmed here. As confirmed with that same Songfacts listing, the song was “a pivotal track that marries the legacy of the good doctor’s New Orleans rhythm-and-blues ancestors to the bold funk that dominated black American music at the time of the record’s release.”

(The song Right Place, Wrong Time became Dr. John‘s biggest hit single, having been released as the first single from his sixth album, In the Right Place).

Opening with an interesting instrumental beginning, Same Old Same Old tells the story of hard times making ends meet. The will to work seems to be elusive, with the heaviness of life weighing the man down emotionally and physically.

Just the Same opens with a downcast blues of the piano and organ forecasting the mood of love at risk. The song serves as a statement of sustaining romantic love against the counterpoint of a partner having her doubts. “Right or wrong my love is strong,” sings Dr. John, in making his case.

An upbeat piano riff opens Qualified, a song of the commonfolk arguing for the substance of one man’s approach to life compared to another. The argument is about the flash of money and style not making the man while sticking up for himself and everyone in his circle.

Traveling Mood presents an upbeat mood to the setback of getting one’s romantic love interest back after she’s moved out while the singer, Dr. John, slept. The determination to win her affection back takes him to seven different states in the southern United States to make the world right again.

Peace Brother Peace brings horns to play the metaphorical hymn of love while letting people live their lives. The soulful presentation is rather catchy for those looking to tap their feet.

(Dr. John is a rhythm and blues artist from New Orleans, Louisiana).

The message of life being hard and mean marks the message of the song of Life. Seeking empathy for the difficulties of feeling beaten down, sore and tired bears a resemblance to the song Iko Iko that preceded this song on the Dr. John album Dr. John’s Gumbo.

Such a Night stands out among the songs on In The Right Place, first, for commencing with lyrics right from the beginning of the song. The premise for the song is stealing the affections of a girl Dr. John fancies that, unfortunately for all, is with good friend Jim. The intention to win the lady’s affections, for if he doesn’t someone else will, genuinely made me laugh the first time I heard it.

Fusing funk with an organ sensibility, Shoo Fly Marches On musically captured my imagination from the initial listening. The feeling I take is one of freedom with the chin held high and the determination to make anything happen simply on the power of will.

I Been Hoodood blends keyboards and organ with a percussion baseline. Lyrically the song gets into being outdoors and on the run for religious practices that seemingly have gone wrong.

Cold Cold Cold tells the story of a romantic love that ended badly. The song is as mainstream as Right Place, Wrong Time, offering the bridge repetitions common to a more pop/rock sound. The way that Dr. John feels by the turn of events in how he learned of his romantic love interest entertaining the company of other gentlemen tells the story of this song well.

Musicians who performed on this album include Allen Toussaint of New Orleans, Louisiana, Gary Brown of New Orleans, Louisiana, Leo Nocentelli of New Orleans, Louisiana, Art Neville of New Orleans, Louisiana, George Porter Jr. of New Orleans, Louisiana, Ziggy Modeliste of New Orleans, Louisiana, Ralph MacDonald of New York City, New York, David Spinozza, Robbie Montgomery of Columbus, Mississippi and Jessie Smith of Clarksdale, Mississippi.

Matt – Saturday, February 25, 2023