boxmasters.com. The first release, Provi- dence, may be one of my favorite Boxmas- ters records yet, although, truth be told I love ‘em all. Providence just plain rocks. The open-
ing track, “Beautiful,” with it’s British in- vasion style guitar with vibrato is a staple of the live set on the current tour. No won- der. It is a bouncy, melodic, and very memorable tune. One of the rockingest tunes on Providence is She Looks Just Like Betty Page. I find myself envisioning The Ramones playing this one. The only difference is the squalling lead guitar, not a Ramones thing. Oh yeah, it’s a good ‘un. The next song is pretty awesome as well.
“To Watch You Bleed” is a melodic rocker about finding that simple joy in watching someone who has wronged you suffer a bit. “You’re Just Right,” “Baby Wants to Have a Ball,” and the moody “Pie in the Sky” all add to the ambiance of this essen- tial Boxmasters record. The title track, “Providence,” really
should be a radio hit. That is, if radio were a fair game, but in my opinion, it really hasn’t been honest and fair for a mighty long time. But I will save that soap box for another time. This melody will stick in your mind like peanut butter to the roof of your mouth. Once in a while, Bud Thornton’s vocals
sound a lot like Tom Petty, as in “Every Time it Rains” - and I realize I am tossing the same adjectives out over and over, but hey, these songs are melodic. Melody is important. Add to that the intelligent lyrics. I mean, they are for the most part written by a guy who has written many iconic screenplays, so he has a real gift when it comes to word play. “I Shot Him Down” is another rocker that features tight harmonies and amazing
guitar work. By the way, while Billy Bob is the front man in the live shows, he plays the drums on the albums, and they are great. This song is a prime example of Bud’s awesome drum work, rolls, rides and crashes. The next song, a slow paced “Blueberry Sky,” sounds absolutely Beatle- esque in places, especially Teddy Zig-Zag’s organ work. The final cut on the record is “American
Jail,” which kicks off with a vert Byrds-like vibe and more of that magical guitar tone that I love. By the time the album has fin- ished, I find myself just smiling as I come to realize just how big a fan I am of this band. Eight or nine years ago when I first met Billy Bob Thornton, I proclaimed to him that he was my favorite actor and screenwriter. Now it seems he and his band have also become my favorite rock and roll band. Dig it.
- Michael Buffalo Smith
Kinky Friedman The Loneliest Man I Ever Met (Avenue A/Thirty Tigers)
The one and only
Kinkster is back with his first solo album in
39 years. The Loneliest Man I Ever Met. The album kicks off with Kinky dueting with pal
Willie Nelson on “Bloody Mary Morning,” one of those classic Nelson tunes, with lots of Willie’s absolutely unique Spanish guitar. One of my favorite tracks is Kinky’s cover
of Tom Waits’ “A Christmas Card from a Hooker in Minneapolis,” a recitation/letter read over a soft piano and harp bed. The title track is pretty cool too. Typical of Kinky, the
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