The Right Way On
Tim Lawson
Timberholme Music Co. Ltd.
1999
14 tracks
The fourteen songs on The Right Way On are lyrically and musically sound. The music is beautifully arranged, richly orchestrated, and flawlessly played. Lawson's voice is rich and full. The quality of the production approaches perfection. It is, over all, a thing of beauty. Yet, for all that, the music of The Right Way On puts me off.
Tim Lawson's sound is clearly Canadian. The very Canadian feel of this music becomes apparent after hearing only one or two songs. In my books, this Canuck quality is certainly a plus. On the other hand, there is also an artificial quality, a derivative sense to Lawson's music that makes me uncomfortable.
The production quality of this release is exceptional. The sound is full and rich, yet even when many instruments are playing, each can be heard. This is a full-bodied production that fills every corner of the room without leaving that feeling common to digital recordings that there is an empty space behind it all. In making this music, Lawson has gone first class all the way. And still I am not moved by this very beautiful music.
Tim Lawson is a Canadian troubador along the lines of Gordon Lightfoot. Indeed, his sound reminds me most of Lightfoot during his early middle period when he leaned toward a lushly orchestrated MOR pop sound. At times, Lawson's singing also has a David Clayton Thomas sound to it, but always without that emotional edge Thomas brought to his music. In his lyrics, Lawson sometimes wanders away from Lightfoot to sound more like Bruce Cockburn, but again with a facility that suggests the writing is more about making art than a sincere need to speak out.
While they are always firmly entrenched in lush middle of the road mode, the orchestrations often seem to want to rock out. The rock and roll moment is there then gone, backed away from so quick it feels like panic. That's a shame. The spontaneity of rock and roll, however buried in the mix, might have given some of these songs more depth and emotion.
"Losing Control" starts with a heavy "Black Velvet" blues sound that raises the listener's expectations, but within the first twenty seconds pulls back to provide a soft cushion for Lawson's mellow vocal. "I'm Just Waitin'" starts out sounding like pop rock. "Get Back" says both the instrumental backup and the vocal rhythm, and the listener hopes for some of the pop appeal of The Beatles. Instead, after the first verse, the song seems to lose heart, to pull back to something tamer.
Songs like "Goodbye East Berlin" and "The Fire of Saint Bartholomew" seem well-intentioned attempts at Bruce Cockburn style social commentary. These are well written songs with tightly structured lyrics and a solid musical base. They should work well, but again there is a sense that Lawson has captured the form without the substance. Whatever sincerity and emotion the writer may have brought to these songs is lost in the presentation.
With its safe approach and beautiful middle of the road sound, The Right Way On should have no problem getting airplay on the CBC and commercial stations across Canada and the United States. All things going well, with the right promotion and airplay, this release should sell very well. There is no denying that everything about The Right Way On is very well done. But is that enough? I would have preferred the songs here to have been recorded, as the old directors would say, "Once more, with feeling."
Those wishing to learn more about Tim Lawson, who in addition to being a competent musician is a best-selling Canadian author, can find information at Timberholme.
|
Since about February 14, 2004, |
While you're here, please take the time to check out our sponsors below and on other pages.
on Sound Bytes' Free-For-All Links page... Click Here.
Canadian.