Floating
dr j
Independent
2000
10 tracks
It's clear that Ted Jablonski takes his music seriously. He writes lyrics, composes music, produces compilation theme albums of various artists, and created the Moaning Summit Concert Series in Calgary, Alberta. Our industry needs more individuals with that kind of enthusiasm. People like Ted Jablonski are needed to keep the music out there in desperate times when it's most needed. This column, however, is not about Ted Jablonski but his alter-ego dr j (no caps, no periods), the songwriter and performer.
With a couple of notable exceptions, the quality of Floating is consistent and demonstrates that dr j knows the nuts and bolts of songwriting, performance, and (depending on how much input he had as co-producer with Robert Walker) production. Having avoided many of the flaws and errors to be found in many first-time independent releases, Floating is a precision-built, technically well-constructed project.
Most times, it's not enough to build a practical package. What matters more is the content. If the package is the craft, then surely most of the art must come in the content. For me, the making of art in any form is a political statement, a declaration of independence, an affirmation of love, a grieving that follows personal or national loss. I prefer my art to say something with deeper meaning, if not to me then clearly to the artist. In this release, I feel that dr j is holding back, that he has built a solid box but is unable or unwilling to release the intended emotional content into that container. I'm left wanting to ask, like Peggy Lee, "Is that all there is?"
The performances here are safe, conservative, unlikely to offend anyone but also not likely to perk the listener's interest. (On the other hand, a couple of the lyrics, performed differently, are likely to offend more than a few listeners.) This performance comes across like it has not just been homogenized but pasteurized as well and then served up with the cream skimmed off to leave 1% milk. Like the 1% milk, this music is still good, but it lacks a certain richness of flavour.
I imagine that dr j would go over very well with hometown audiences in Calgary (or any other town in which he may live, for that matter). Hometown audiences are mostly forgiving of their local artists, not expecting the same depth they might expect of a better-known touring singer-songwriter or band. Across Canada, there are hundreds of hometown stars, performing in their home town and surrounding communities with a certain amount of success. Some even do well enough to quit their day jobs. This is all good. Wherever we live in Canada, we need the words and music of these artists to bring some light into our often grey lives. Much as they may want to do it, few of these big fish ever leave their small ponds for the uncertain sea beyond.
It may be possible for dr j to break into larger provincial, national or international markets. He's already done the groundwork, learning the mechanics of songwriting, performance, and production. If he can take a deep breath and just let go, he may be able to breathe into his creation the emotion necessary to bring it to life.
For some reason, the lyrics in the liner notes are not in the same sequence as the recordings. It takes a bit of thought to figure out which lyric belongs to which song on Floating. The lyrics can make an interesting read and they do hold a few surprises. For the most part, though, they tend to be unoriginal and to bring that sense of familiarity to be found in the best poems written by senior high school students who have not yet realized that it's all been said before.
Three songs do stand out from the rest.
"Raped the Virgin" appears to have been written with some conviction and certainly has some powerful images ("you've buggered the truth and sodomized the lamb and you've sodomized the virgin"). With a different arrangement and stronger, more emotional vocals, this song might have a powerful impact on the listener. This appears to be a love song couched in religious terms, but the metaphor never reaches the heights of a conceit like Donne's "Batter my Heart" (a religious sonnet couched in terms of rape desired).
"Einstein and Me" seems to have been written to offend. At root, this is just a silly song about the songwriter's aspirations to stardom. I suspect that some of the lines in the section about Hitler would make this song a hit in bars in parts of northern Alberta or southern Alabama. Several of the sung lines do not show up un the printed lyrics (for example, "that's a little piece of white arian trash"). All in all, this song is just gratuitous. On the positive side, dr j puts much more energy into this song than some of the others.
Perhaps the best song on this release, "Gimmee (the one that I seek)" has a solid blend of rock and traditional music. For different reasons, I want to compare this song to Paul Revere and the Raiders' "Indian Reservation" and Norman Greenbaum's "Spirit in the Sky" and a few other songs along this line. For some reason, I'm also reminded of Woody Guthrie's "Oklahoma Hills" with its nostalgia for a romanticized childhood on an indian reservation. More thought appears to have gone into this lyric, and there's a taughtness to the structure that reinforces the stresses or conflicts built into the phrasing. The regular tomtom beat and the backup chanting work well to enhance the message. This is the only song on this release where dr j doesn't seem to be holding something back. It's by far the strongest performance here.
With obvious abilities as a songwriter and performer, dr j comes across as not having confidence in his own ability. There is a definite sense that he is holding back, being careful only to present what is safe so as not to offend or draw negative criticism. Even within this safe haven, there are clues to what dr j might accomplish if he'd only let go. Those few clues suggest that any audience reaction might not be negative but very positive indeed.
Anyone who may be interested can find more information on dr j at the dr j website. If you click on the CD's link and then on the cover art for this release, you can also listen to clips of several tracks from this release in either RealAudio or mp3 format. If you check out the cover art, you may see why I feel that, whether by accident or intentionally, the design is in bad taste (google: Wilson Bryan Key).
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Review written: March 23, 2005
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