George McCorkle:
Back and Better Than Ever with
"American Street"
In an interview I
did with George he was discussing this CD with me and said "Well, I'm no Doug Gray, but I think I've got something to
say". His voice may not be the instrument that Doug's is, but it
resonates with emotion and suits his songwriting perfectly. This is a killer
CD. It is one I will listen to time and time again. The man has something to say
and does so with great insight and intuitiveness. The songs are incredible
and any Tucker fan is sure to love them. It will also make you wonder what
could have been...
The CD opens full throttle with a slide guitar that grabs you and pulls you in
to the story line of "Somebody New". It immediately slows down
with "The Journey Home", an ode to Toy Caldwell. Musically it is
reminiscent of so many Tucker anthems and the lyrics are very poignant: "There's another freebird in the southern sky, Can't you see he's searchin'
for a rainbow, the sky is crying, can't you hear those guitars moan, another
midnight rider has made the journey home." There's one line in particular that gave me chills...
but not wanting to ruin the
moment for you, I'll let you hear it for yourself first on the CD.
"Fire on the Mountain" is a fairly straight forward re-make of the 1975 MTB hit, though the addition of banjo replaces Jerry's flute. "Move in a Circle" is a celebration of life and music. It is completely infectious and will be running through your head long after you've taken it out of your CD player. "American Street" is a social commentary on the disillusion of the American Dream and it cuts to the core. I think the essence of a great social song is that it makes you think about your own contributions to the solutions of the problems at hand, and this one certainly does.
An unbridled
rock'n blues song, "The Law Called This Mornin'" is a classic in the
making. It kicks off with horns and in-your-face guitar. A heavy
backbeat emphasizes the singer's predicament. A sax solo and organ fills
round out the track nicely. The next track, "Rocket Shoes" is a laid back, funky
number - again featuring horns - that is sure to make you want to
get your groove on!
The next cut is a funky tongue-in-cheek number is about the
trials and tribulations of a man finding his way, or at least trying to.
He finds himself staring straight into the dichotomy of life. The back-up singers punctuate the orator's philosophy
perfectly and a honky-tonk piano is the icing on the cake. "Crazy Molly Monroe"
is beautiful acoustic ballad about the restless souls that we all dream we are.
The piano playing is reminiscent of Paul Hornsby's from any one of a number of
classic Tucker tunes. He follows up "Crazy Molly" with a great,
great song titled "Peace Stories". It's the type of song you
want to sing your children to sleep to. If music serves to inspire the human
spirit, then this song provides the evidence.
Next George tackles the age old tale of long-lost love and the frustration
a man feels when the woman of his desires gets burned by another man in
"Drowning on Dry Land." He polishes off his CD with "Land
of the Free" - another song on the social condition. I'm not sure if
he intended for the listener to think of the millennium and the potential
for change, but I did. The song is a look back and a look
forward... very appropriate for this talented songwriter whom we have not
heard from in years. I hope this CD is a sign that he's back to stay and
that great things lie ahead.
- Craig Cumberland