First things first, Peter Case has had a long and distinguished career and judging by the quality of his latest releases, he shows no signs of slowing down. By last count, as a solo artist, he’s released fourteen studio albums alongside numerous compilations and live albums, as well as a handful more with his previous bands: The Nerves and The Plimsouls. Ever the troubadour, he continues to earnestly ply his trade, armed with his acoustic guitar and harmonica and a vast collection of great songs. He’s been making music for over fifty years and with every album he’s delivered, he has unfalteringly proven that he is very good at what he does.
Case’s penchant for lyrical storytelling has always been his strength, but he also has an ear for a durable melody going back to his days with The Plimsouls and which has carried over to his solo career, albeit in a less power popish, more acoustically-inclined rootsy style. His first two releases,1986’s Peter Case, followed by 1989’s The Man with the Blue Post-Modern Fragmented Neo-Traditionalist Guitar arrived fully formed and showcased his remarkable talents with a collection of extraordinary songs rich in storytelling, combined with boundless melodies; stomping roots-rock and folk balladry at its finest. Maybe, then, it was the high standard he set with those first two releases that made his next album slightly disappointing, at least to these ears.
Can’t Live With It “Six Pack of Love” 1992
Delivering first-rate albums has never been an issue for Case, but for some reason I have never been completely enamoured with 1992’s Six Pack of Love and I can’t quite put my finger on it. I suspect it’s not any one particular thing, but likely a combination of factors that together diminish the album’s appeal for me. To be fair, at the time of its release, I didn’t quite mind it. Sure, it was a little different from his first two albums in that it was an obvious attempt to expand his musical palette, but it still featured his wonderfully expressive singing and lively playing – if mostly only piano at this time – and for the most part, a fairly decent set of songs. It was only when I held it up to subsequent releases that I came to the realization that perhaps the songs on Six Pack of Love were just not quite up to his usual standards. It’s not a bad album by any means, it just doesn’t come off as strong as some of his other records.
The feel of the album differs somewhat from what had come before, and to a certain degree, what followed. Undoubtedly, Case was looking to tweak his sound a bit, maybe even seek out radio play, and I suppose the addition of Mitchell Froom was meant to facilitate this broader sonic soundscape he (or his record company) were seeking at the time. Too often, though, Froom’s production becomes more of a distraction, adding little bits of tinkering and various keyboard sounds that, more often than not, didn’t really service the songs. It certainly didn’t help that although there were a few gems like Vanishing Act and Never Coming Home there are just too many unmemorable, mediocre ones that lacked the storytelling folk-blues charm of his earlier work. Tracks like Deja Blues, Dream About You and It’s All Mine all feature a heavier, drum forward sound rounded out with various keyboards, especially Farfisa organ. Many of the melodies are indistinguishable and contain, by Case’s standards, rather generic lyrics.
Overall, the songs tend to just sort of blend together. When there is an intriguing story song, such as Wonderful 99, it comes off sounding like a take-off on The Ballad of the Green Berets. Co- written with John Prine, it may have seemed a good idea on paper, but the song just gets bogged down with a plodding arrangement and ends up going nowhere musically. In addition to Prine, several other heavyweights were brought in to write with Case, including Billy Swan, Bob Neuwirth and Tonio K, which may have contributed to the album’s inconsistency. Case may have felt the same about the album for when it came time for his next release, he left Geffen and signed with Vanguard Records, resulting in the notable Sings Like Hell, an album consisting mostly of traditional folk and blues songs performed in a less busy, acoustic style favoured on his first two releases.
Can’t Live Without It “HWY 62” 2015
Released in 2015, HWY 62 is a late career standout for a performer who has delivered many. Named after the interstate that runs through his childhood hometown, it’s a sturdy collection of well-written songs full of insightful lyrics dealing with social injustices, inequality and other contemporary issues. The convincing performances are delivered with conviction and passion in a folk-blues format fronted by Case’s 12 string acoustic and harmonica and backed admirably by a small, mostly acoustic combo. Case’s slightly weathered voice leads the charge, and he sounds completely invigorated singing songs that, as he describes, “takes the temperature of the world in 2015” but are still completely relevant today. From the driving acoustic riff and urgent vocals of Pelican Bay to infectious uptempo gems like Evicted and All Dressed Up, to a forceful cover of Bob Dylan’s Long Time Gone, the album moves from strength to strength, never sagging for a moment. If I Go Crazy is classic Case, showcasing his melodic sensibilities and lyrical directness, with some grooving musicianship, fronted by his ever present 12-string acoustic. It’s an album highlight full of lyrical gems like: “But I possess the superpowers, everybody does / Whoever helps somebody out and done it just because / Who never answers ‘later’ when asked to lend a hand/ Who never turns their eyes away when asked to understand”.
Compared to Six Pack of Love, the production here is much more sympathetic to the songs and Case’s overall performing style; intimate, but full sounding at the same time. The small combo featured on the album included the always reliable D.J. Bonebrake from X on drums and Ben Harper contributing atmospheric lead and slide guitar soundbites that provided texture more than anything, always in service to the song. Case has noted that the album is a particular favourite of his and that he still regularly plays five or six of the songs in concert. Who better to judge the album’s quality but the man himself? It’s an album I return to regularly and a favourite among favourites. Recently, Case released a wonderful companion album entitled Lost Songs & Outside Favorites, consisting of demos and outtakes for the HWY 62 album, lending further credence to the significance of this album, not only for him, but to his multitude of fans as well. Long may he troubadour.
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