Richie Havens - Nobody Left to Crown (13 tracks) +Album Reviews

Men in the Shadows

Lee Armstrong | Winterville, NC United States | 09/22/2008

(3 out of 5 stars)

"Richie Havens' new CD is a welcome new offering from one of our classic singers. Of the 13 tracks, seven are originals & six are covers. Havens toured near where I live in Washington, North Carolina. I would love to give a glowing review, but the truth of the matter is that this is a rather dull set from a master musician. One of the problems is the timekeeper drumming of Shawn Pelton who lends limp support to Havens. Richie Havens' music is best when he is passionate and burning. The best track here is his version of Jackson Browne's "Lives In the Balance" from Browne's album Lawyers in Love. Browne got slammed when he put that song out for becoming political, but Richie Havens thrives on it. Derek Trucks plays slide guitar. It's also one of two tracks on which Pelton doesn't play. Havens ignites vocally, "I want to know who these men in the shadows are; I want to hear somebody asking them why; They can be counted on to tell us who our enemies are, but they're never around to fight or to die." Havens' performance on the track is breathtaking. Havens sounds pretty good on Andy Fairweather Low's "Standing on the Water" where he polishes a lovely melody into an easy listening gem, "Yet we look around us, we see trouble everywhere." Of Havens' originals, the title track is a good song that originally appeared on his 1977 album "Mirage." "Fates" also has some nice energy as Havens protests about slavery, economic & otherwise. However many of the other tracks including the "Say It Isn't So," the geriatric version of The Who's "We Won't Get Fooled Again," and Citizen Cope's "Hurricane Waters" will help you to snooze through your blues. This set is a reason to cheer because it leads us to hope for some more great new music from Richie Havens. However, he needs to get a drummer and let his passions burn. Enjoy!"

Richie Havens is back...

B. Gass | Des Moines, IA USA | 09/27/2008

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Nobody left to Crown is yet again another classic album with a modern twist. Usually it's very hard for classic artist to come out with new albums that fuse modern sound and technology, as well as their classic sound (ex. The Who's "Endless Wire" and CSNY's "Deja Vue Live" both in my opinion were awful considering the groups that put them together). "Crown" is full of new songs with Havens classic sound. With the covering of the Who's "Won't Get Fooled Again" you get the best of a classic song with a completly different sound. This album is a must own for all Havens fans, and would be a great way for new fans to discover Richie Havens classic sound and musical genius."

Extraordinary Album!

Douglas H. Bartlett | San Francisco | 08/26/2008

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Incredible album. So good to hear Richie in good voice with some terrific songs to play. I find this album like my favorite easy chair; comforting in all the right places. Very good production value, too. Pick this up and reflect on Richie's wonderful career, which is far from over, indeed!"

Thank You Richie For Giving Us A Voice

Marley | Long Island, NY | 01/07/2009

(5 out of 5 stars)

"So many great artists of the golden age of "classic rock" have continued recording through the nineties and on into the twenty first century. Artists like Paul McCartney, Mick Jagger & Keith Richards, Bob Dylan, Brian Wilson, Pete Towsend and others seemed to have slipped into the great void of irrelevancy. I'm not knocking these artist, for they surely had their day and their claim to genius is undeniable. But when was the last time any of the aforementioned delivered a solid work that put them back on the map and made the music world take notice. I certainly can't think of any. But Richie Havens has never, ever fallen out of favor with anyone who admires true originality. Yes, it's odd to consider an artist original, who made his bones covering the compositions of other songwriters. Yet wheather Richie is singing his own compositions or works by Lennon & McCartney, Leonard Cohen, Bob Dylan, Donovan or Dino Valenti he always manages to make them is own. His unique percussive rhythym guitar and vocal stylings set him apart and are instantly recognizable. That's true originality. That's great artistry.

Nobody Left To Crown follows in the footsteps of his other wonderful albums. Yes, it clearly ranks alongside Mixed Bag, Richard P Havens 1983, Alarm Clock and all his other great works. Of course he continues to cover compositions by seminal artists like Pete Townsend, Jackson Browne and Peter Yarrow. But as always, Richie knows presicely how to reinvent them. His artistic interpretations and his keen sense of style make these relevant to today's audience. So wheather we're fighting in Viet Nam or Iraq, wheather we're opposed to the policies of LBJ or W, it doesn't matter. Just as long as Richie provides us with a voice...A voice of conscience and reason. Yes, Richie is our moral compass and we look to him to guide us into this new century. Thank you Richie for so much great music and thank you for giving us a voice."

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