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Alejandro Escovedo
Real Animal
(Back Porch/Manhattan)
John Metzger's #5 album for 2008
First Appeared in The Music Box, June 2008, Volume 15, #6
Written by John Metzger
Wed June 25, 2008, 06:30 AM CDT
Like most musicians, Alejandro Escovedo has lived a hard life. In Escovedo’s
case, the alcohol-soaked intensity of his nomadic existence nearly killed him
when, in 2003, his Hepatitis C flared up so badly that it sent him to the
hospital vomiting blood. No one expected Escovedo to survive the ordeal, though
fans and colleagues quickly rallied to his cause, providing the necessary
financial and moral support for him to escape from death’s grip.
The Boxing Mirror, Escovedo’s first foray in the wake of his illness, was
produced under the guidance of John Cale. By design, it was as confused and
woozy as the thoughts in Escovedo’s head. The set received a wealth of critical
praise, but while all of the attention was long overdue, the response also was
somewhat puzzling, considering that Escovedo’s earlier and better albums
unjustly had been ignored. Still, there is no denying that some of The Boxing
Mirror’s individual tracks were as finely crafted as any of the songs in his
canon, thus giving plenty of indications that, with time, he eventually would
regain his footing.
Not surprisingly, Real Animal, Escovedo’s latest endeavor, follows a
path that is similarly reflective. After all, how could anyone experience what
he had — which, in addition to his own illness, included the death of his father
and the blossoming of a new relationship — and not try to make sense of it all.
Real Animal is, however, an outing that is far more focused. Where The
Boxing Mirror was a missive from the middle of Escovedo’s personal
maelstrom, Real Animal was penned with the wisdom of hindsight. Its
straightforwardness provides clarity, and the result is that the outing is the
finest, most cohesive collection of material that Escovedo ever has assembled.
Of course, anyone who has followed his career — from his work with The Nuns
through his recordings for Bloodshot — knows that Escovedo always has had a
fondness for the music of Lou Reed, David Bowie, Mott the Hoople, and Iggy Pop.
With Real Animal, Escovedo indulges himself by paying tribute to his
heroes without ever losing his identity to the process. Throughout the
collection, he slyly bends his voice to capture the vocal inflections of Ian
Hunter and Mick Jagger. The arrangements that surround him shift from the
crunchy hard rock of Smoke to the chamber-folk ballad Swallows of San
Juan and from the cowpunk charge of Chip N’ Tony to the somber
acceptance of the album’s final cut Slow Down.
On a musical basis alone, Real Animal is an overwhelming success. It
is well-paced and riveting, urgent and pure. It undeniably is an old-fashioned
rock ’n‘ roll record, one that is tempered, at times, with some strikingly
lovely ballads. Peering deeper into its construction, however, reveals that Real Animal also is a power-packed, emotional roller coaster ride across the
peaks and valleys of Escovedo’s life. There are no real regrets, here, just
reminiscences as Escovedo — with help from fellow songwriter Chuck Prophet —
tries to comprehend the experiences that have made him who he is today. Each
track provides an intimate glimpse at an image that shaped his past: In Chelsea Hotel ’78, for example, he captures the New York City setting where
Sid allegedly killed Nancy, while Chip N’ Tony and Nuns Song
recall his days with Rank & File and The Nuns, respectively.
Everything about Real Animal — from the photograph by Mick Rock that
graces its cover to its glam-and-punk-imbued interior — embraces the aura of
Escovedo’s 30-year-old memories. The invincibility of his youth may have been
shattered by the realities of his life, but in rock ’n‘ roll, everything
timelessly lives on. 
Of Further Interest...
David Bowie - Young Americans
Mott the Hoople - The Best of Mott the Hoople
Lou Reed - Coney Island Baby
Real Animal is available
from Amazon. To order, Click Here!
For Canadian orders, please
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For UK orders, please
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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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