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Lee Bob Watson - Aficionado
- Lee Bob Watson’s Aficionado is an offbeat blend of country, folk and a lot of Emo all wrapped in one wacky package. Watson wrote and produced three of his solo albums and was the writer and producer on one record for the Santa Cruz Gospel Choir. On Aficionado, Watson does expound on rather funereal topics, but the beat of the songs might distract listeners from that fact and just make listeners boogie down.
The first track has methodical drum and guitar work and is about a place no one ever wants to visit and the rotten things that can occur in everyday life, as Watson croons such lyrics as, “Take me to the landfill…Gasoline spills, free refills. Take me to the landfill. Take me to the landfill. Junk mail and bills. If that don’t kill ya, I don’t know what will. Take me to the landfill. New York City, LA, no way. Well some day maybe if I can make it there…Take me to the landfill.” Watson’s voice is so glum that this opening song might depress listeners so much that they might turn off the record altogether, but then they would miss out on the hypnotic rhythm of the instruments on the track.
The second track begins with Watson talking as he says, “They call me aficionado. You remember that? Aficionado. Ain’t that showbiz.” Then, rhythmic drum and slight electronic sounds mix in with some help from a synthesizer. Watson’s voice then echoes as he sings about not focusing on the past, with such lyrics as, “Look for me on your favorite show. Listenin’ to that late night radio. Go to sleep I’ll see you in the morning…Time goes fast don’t I know. You won’t catch me livin’ in the past. The hard way, long day with no pay. Livin’ in the past just won’t do. Got to build ourselves a future get together me and you.” It seems Watson is trying to dig himself out of a rut and doesn’t want to ponder the mistakes he has made. He would rather attempt to get on with his life and make a better existence for himself and his sweetheart.
The third track does a complete 360 degree turn in terms of tempo and overall feeling. The pace of the guitar and drum play is upbeat yet Watson questions how a particular man can be so in tune with himself and the world around him, with lyrics like, “How can you be so sure of yourself? Don’t you see the world we live in? How can you be so sure of yourself?...I don’t have the tools…Sometimes I think I’d rather wonder. Find a place where maybe I can ponder. One of these days I’m gonna be a big noise.”
Aficionado, by Lee Bob Watson, is an album about the daily trials and tribulations of the common man. For a listener that is just an average Joe, knowing that Watson has gone through things like the hassle of overdue bills and thinking about the state of society might be reassuring, but it might dishearten others and cause them to cease listening to the album.
Reviewer: Sari N. Kent
new
Reviewer's Rating: 8
Reader's Rating: 0
Reader's Votes: 0
Added: 24-Jul-2007
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