Search - Willie Loco Alexander :: East Main Street Suite

Willie

Meathook Williams | Warwick, Massachusetts | 02/18/2000

(4 out of 5 stars)

"Willie Alexander has been a staple of the Bay State's music scene for what seems like forever. His sixties groups The Lost and Bagatelle helped define what was then known as the "Bosstown Sound". He joined the Velvet Underground after Lou Reed's exit for a while. And what punk rocker worth his or her salt doesn't remember with great fondness his Boom-Boom Band? But only now has he recorded this tribute to his hometown, Gloucester, Massachusetts.This particular aggregation features what surely qualifies as his most unusual line-up ever, with Willie on the ivories (and the ebonies as well, for that matter), Ken Field and Mark Chenevert on saxes, and Jim Doherty on skins (and synths). Though this line-up perfunctorily recalls the late, great Morphine, it's both more adventuresome and more musically proficient. And then there's the material. Willie's never been afraid to take a chance, and, in my opinion, it's never paid off better than with this disc. Whether the signature sound of rockers like "Honeysuckle Rose" ( Fats Waller fans needn't worry about even recognizing this version), the divine absurdity of "Doll Mountain", or the avant garde "free jazz" of "People Everyday", this release is indeed a standout. My particular favorite is the incomprehensively wierd "Bagabega", one of his best ever, right up ther with his past classics like "Pup Tune". There's an ethereal paen to his sister, called, suitably enough, "For My Sister", and a modal, jazzy "Our Lady". "Who Killed Deanna" is a tremendously catchy, skanking hornfest. The sole guest here is trumpeter extrordinaire Herb Pomeroy, who imparts a delightful after hours feel to "Amber And Ebony" and "Oceans Condo #2". "WA Anyway" is Willie's survival song, lamenting the demise of Boston's Rat, the preeminent venue during the punk era, but proving that Willie's still alive and kickin'. "Bass Rocks" is a straight ahead (as close as Alexander gets, anyway) number, singing the praises of one of Gloucester's most comely spots. There's even a ditty about New York Jet's quarterback Vinny Testaverde, "Eat What You Can", though it'll most likely remind you more of Sun Ra. Although there are a couple of oddball samples (on "Begabaga"), there's no gimmickry here. Alexander's often called "Boston's Kerouac", but this is something of a misnomer. Aside from his being a huge fan of the author(his song "Kerouac" being perhaps his most well known), there's not much comparison in writing style. Among other things, Willie's material is subject to a far greater degree of whimsy. He doesn't seem to take himself quite as seriously as the author. This album's a real plateful, but more accessable than I've perhaps painted it. You needn't already be a fan to enjoy it. In fact, it ought to rope in quite a few new converts. The guy's a true original, and with each incarnation, he adds depth to his unique vision."