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Billy Bob Thornton & The Boxmasters
The Boxmasters
(Vanguard)
First Appeared in The Music Box, June 2008, Volume 15, #6
Written by John Metzger
Tue June 24, 2008, 06:30 AM CDT
Billy Bob Thornton’s transition from film to music has not been easy. Where
most artists learn their trade in relative obscurity, Thornton has been forced,
because of his screen-star status, to find his niche within the bright and often
unforgiving glare of the public spotlight. Of course, there are those who would
envy the open access he has had to record labels and worthwhile venues. Still,
he hardly has been placed in an ideal situation. Although he immediately found
his groove as a songwriter, he undeniably has struggled as a performer.
Thornton’s albums mostly have received lukewarm responses from the press, and
when he took the stage to open for Elvis Costello in 2002, he looked downright
awkward and unsure of himself.
Six years later, it appears as if Thornton not only has done a remarkable job
at navigating these tricky waters but also that he has worked a majority of the
kinks out of his approach. His latest project is as a member of The Boxmasters.
Although he always will be the focal point of the ensemble, he has done as much
as he possibly can to recede into the anonymity of the setting provided by the
outfit. It was a wise move, one that suits him quite well. While it’s true that
Thornton serves as the band’s front man, The Boxmasters’ eponymous debut clearly
is a collaborative affair. The material on the collection is split almost evenly
between its two discs: The first half features original songs that were penned
by Thornton and J.D. Andrew, while the latter portion is comprised entirely of
cover tunes.
Thornton is not a natural vocalist, not by any means, but his pals in The
Boxmasters seem to understand this better than his previous collaborators did.
Although Thornton’s style of singing continues to be less than perfect, his
backing band does a wonderful job of framing his voice, masking his deficiencies
in the same manner that his humorous tales hide the pain and anguish of his
aching heart. Considering the familiarity that they offer, it would be easy to
gravitate initially to the collection of cover songs, which range from Michael
Nesmith’s Some of Shelley’s Blues to the Appalachian murder ballad
Knoxville Girl and from The Beatles’ I Want to Hold Your Hand to The
Who’s The Kids Are Alright. In truth, however, it’s the original material
— which lyrically owes a huge debt to John Prine, Robert Earl Keen, and Kris
Kristofferson — that fares best.
Like Thornton’s previous endeavors, The Boxmasters’ self-titled set draws
abundantly from the classic country canon, though all of its tracks also are
delivered with a feisty, rock ’n‘ roll flair. In a sense, what the group has to
offer is a crisply executed blend of Buck Owens, Merle Haggard, and Waylon
Jennings, albeit one that is performed by a hybridized version of The Knitters
and The Sadies. The collective powers its way through the snarling sentiments of
I’ll Give You a Ring as well as the Sun Studio-on-steroids fury of
That Mountain; even mid-tempo ballads like The Work of Art contain an
edge.
On each of the eponymous affair’s discs, the songs either tumble directly
into one another or are united by strange interludes. I’m Watchin’ the Game
and 20 Years Ago, for example, are separated by a blast of spooky organ,
while the conclusion of The Last Place They Would Look crosses from Pink
Floyd to an Eastern motif. There’s no doubt the effect is, at times, a little
gimmicky. Yet it also is quite effective and compelling. Essentially, this gives
the outing the aura of a very weird and freakishly psychedelic radio station. It
dutifully holds one’s interest long enough for the playful spirit of the
collection to obliterate the preconceived connotations of what a celebrity-sung
outing would sound like. To put it in the simplest of terms, Thornton and The Boxmasters are having a grand, old time, and their enthusiasm is outwardly
infectious. 
Of Further Interest...
The Crickets - The Crickets & Their Buddies
Kris Kristofferson - The Essential Kris Kristofferson
James McMurtry - Just Us Kids
The Boxmasters is available
from Amazon.com. To order, Click Here!
For Canadian orders, please
Click Here!
For UK orders, please
Click Here!
Ratings
1 Star: Pitiful
2 Stars: Listenable
3 Stars: Respectable
4 Stars: Excellent
5 Stars: Can't Live Without It!!
Copyright © 2008 The Music Box
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