Search - Jeremy Wallace :: My Lucky Day

Bumping the Gutter

Lee Armstrong | Winterville, NC United States | 06/28/2002

(4 out of 5 stars)

"Jeremy Wallace's CD is excellent. His work is on a par, IMHO, with much of Tom Waits' work. His songs are sung from the point of view of folks whose life is a hard time, with a wry sense of humor and self-deprication. His music has such energy that even when his characters are bumping the gutter, they make you want to listen. He can string together more words that fit perfectly that you'd imagine could possibly fit into a few bars of music."Missing You This Morning" is a bluesy boozy opener, "It ain't the moonlight on her pasties; and I'm quite sure it ain't her fishnet stockings on the hardwood floor, but perhaps the smudge of makeup on my pillow...well, all I know is as each moment passes with the tap tap tapping of her false eyelashes, I found myself just missing you this morning." "See You In September" is a country weeper. A great blues progression lifts the talk-sing delivery on "$1.49," "I'm going back to Bloomfield; I got to find me someone who's not a loser or a boozer, flat broke all the time, somebody with more than $1.49." Wallace barks out the rock rave-up "Since You Left" with a Tom Waits-like growl. One of my favorite tracks is the folk ballad "Johnny" about a gal who goes back to her first lover. Wallace has a knack for stringing together a great set of lyrics, "She writes a letter to her lover still asleep beneath the covers, a leaf outside her window in the wind just kind of hovered for a moment, then just started blowing; Like that leaf, she said, 'I'm going.'" Sounding like a hoarse version of Van Morrison, Jeremy has great emotional wallop on the traditional "Saint James Infirmary," "Won't you roll out your rubber tire buggy, won't you roll out your old grey hack, ... let her go God bless her; she can search this whole world over & never find a man like me." "House Painting In America" is a naughty little talk song about an affair, "I think I could take you away, if not forever, maybe for a little holiday." "Stuck On You" has that blues boozy slow burn like Tom Waits while "Somebody Was Laughing" sounds like Highway 61-era Dylan. "Take A Ride With Me" has a scorching vocal sounding like Van Morrison singing "You Ain't Nothin' But A Hounddog," "Pardon me, I don't mean to stare, but there's a twinkle in your eye & the way you put your hair up when I look at you, [makes me] glad I'm still alive." "Blue Shoes" makes you want to reach for a hat & cane to do a little soft shoe dance. My favorite version of "Statesboro Blues" is the one Chris Smither nailed, but JW's washboard version is also quite nice. This CD is not the one you want to play when your in-laws visit, but it is a great musical and lyrical good time."

Jeremy Wallace Makes Good Eating

Leslie Warren | Moscow, Russia | 03/26/2000

(5 out of 5 stars)

"My brother brought back this CD from the states. It fed my family for 5 days! Cheers Jeremy Wallace!"

Van Ronk's Prodigy

R. J MOSS | Alice Springs, Australia | 02/20/2007

(4 out of 5 stars)

"This set comes alive with track 5,'Johnny' where Wallace seems to relax and prod his undeniable lyric sensibilty with matching voice. It is music that haunts the Tom Wait's provinces; whisky, cigarettes and faithless women in the wee hours. Not for a nanosecond am I suggesting a sound alike: just suggesting the zone. His covers of,'St James Infirmary' and 'Statesborough Blues' clue us to his learnings and leanings. These also are not dutiful imitations any more than Chris Smithers' are, as was elsewhere noted. The voice I'm reminded of is a raspy Steve Forbett with intenser energy. So, a talent to watch. Small wonder he gained an admirer in the late Dave Van Ronk, who was similarily immersed in the Blues. Arresting writing and phrasing;'Someone was Laughing' is as good as most of recent Dylan."