Bo Diddley"/"Who Do You She Wrote the Music and Lyrics and Helped with Love." Here's Where You Find out Why Dylan the Arrangements on This, Her Second Album
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No, you have to wait until 1963 for any of Tikaram is an extremely talented musician. that, when Hawkins released the double- In addition to her singing and guitar playing, barrelled single "Bo Diddley"/"Who Do You she wrote the music and lyrics and helped with Love." Here's where you find out why Dylan the arrangements on this, her second album. wanted these kids to back him on his 1966 tour; Production is excellent, thanks to Rod Argent here's where you find out what Zimmie meant and Peter Van Hooke They know when to keep by "that thin, wild mercury sound"; compared their hands off the controls. As aresult, the with the 1959 "Hey Boba Lou," here's what's music speaks in direct, immediate, often terse meant by "development," "growth," "chops," terms. For example, "It All Came Back Today," "energy," "balls"; and here's what Robbie an elegy for lost love is simply scored for flute, meant when he said, "We had one thing on our accordian, violin, and acoustic guitar. The minds: Stomp." introspective, bittersweet tone of the song is "Who Do You Love" is an ass-kicker, mean heightened by the sensitive accompaniment. music all the way to the end of the fade, Ron- Mitch Dalton's insistent guitar forms the foun- nie & the Hawks sounding like some primeval dation on which the tale is told; the flute, violin, rock band that somebody with atape recorder and accordian add the exclamation marks. Cap- was just lucky enough to stumble on. Imean, tured in intimate sound, the song is compel- these guys sound way too tough to even bother ling and grabs your heart-strings. about anything as wimpy as recording. This is Tempo and mood change on "Sunset's some of the most vital, elemental, direct rock- Arrived." Mark Isham sits in on this one, his I've ever heard. And these two tunes, the influence unmistakable The trumpet patterns only ones on the album in glorious mono, are remind me so much of his work with Van Mor- also the only ones that sound live in the studio. rison, as does the bouncy groove. This tune Or barn. Or cave, primordial soup-kitchen, works. So does "Love Story," abass guitar/vocal whatever. Robbie's guitar is so distorted, so tor- duet. John Giblin's bass line (step aside, Rob tured on "Who Do You Love" that you can Wasserman) is stunning, the perfect accom- barely hear the pitches. But who cares about paniment to Tilcaram's wistful vocal. Sonny pitches? As some old Appalachian bluegrass Landreth's tasty bottleneck licks put the finish- banjo master once said when asked what notes ing touches on an involving performance. he was playing on a particularly tasty lick, Tilcaram pulls out the stops on "Harm In "Notes? Ain't no notes on abanjo—yjust play Your Hands," the album's closer and my favor- the damn thing." ite From the first synth notes you know you're To his everlasting credit, Ronnie Hawkins in for an epic. The song starts slowly, quietly. rises to the occasion with his best-ever re- Mark Isham's Harmon-muted trumpet weaves corded vocal on "Who Do You Love," match- in and out of the vocal tapestry, the room awash ing Dylan's future Royal Albert Hall5 "No Quartet'!" in delicate soundscapes. The atmosphere Kommandos of only three years later yell for created by this arrangement is thick enough to throat-shredding rebel yell in astone rock slice The gears shift when drum and guitar are masterpiece. Forget Hawkins's middle-aged subtly added, and what started out as amelan- camel-walk buffoonery on The Band's film/ choly tone poem is transformed into an upbeat, album The Last Waltz—this is the real thing, rollicking celebration, all involved going by apack of desperate rockers with nothing to full-tilt. lose Rock hasn't gotten any more vital than this Without a good recording, it would be ragged glory in the intervening 27 years. Worth harder to appreciate the skill with which the the price of admission for this 2:41 alone. arrangements are put together. Fortunately this Recommended? Gimme abreak. recording, one of the better popular recordings —Richard Lehoert I've heard lately (thanks to Simon Hurrell's engineering), does not disappoint. Bass is TANITA TIKARAM: The Sweet Keeper exceptional: extended, tight, and palpable Reprise 26091- I(LP), -2 (CD). Peter Van Hooke. Rod (John Giblin on "Love Story," for instance). The Argent, prods. DDA/DDD. rr: 47:37 midrange is fine (check out the Kreisler String Tanita Tilcaram's voice is husky, dark, and dis- Orchestra), the treble pristine, with instru- concerting on first hearing, seemingly alien to ments suspended on their own cushions of air. the girl peering out from behind the stone col- Soundstaging is convincing, with good depth umn on the album's cover. As you settle into the and often startling three-dimensionality (lis- music, you become more comfortable, the ten to the separation between Tilcaram and the voice fitting the persona. acoustic guitar about 3:00 into "Harm In Your Hands"). The unique quality of Tilcaram's voice 5For the record, the legendary "Royal Albert Nall" bootleg is captured well, each nuance of its sultry, was actually recorded in Manchester. throaty character revealed through the close Stereophile, December 1990 241 .