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Apologies for taking so long with this album review. As you may have figured out, I'm behind on my album reviews (hopefully I will be able to do a few this coming week).
We start off with a comment from W♥M Podcast #13: Hacktone Records Part 1:
| Sixbucksamonkey wrote:
Oct 10, 200 9:34 PM
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[Hell Yeah!]
I love this record! I discovered Arthur via Ben Vaughn, whom I adore. I'm a little conflicted about buying the re-release, though... If the bonus tracks are good, let me know so I can re-invest. =]"If heartbreak had a sound, it was this voice."
~B.V. re: A.A.
6BoM, although I don't have the original album to compare to - I believe that Hacktone's Lonely Just Like Me: The Final Chapter has been remastered (plus all the extras, which I'll cover later in this article) and may sound even better.
EXTRAS
Like DVDs, it's all about the extras. In this release, we get a live set from Fresh Air with Terry Gross from 1993. Three songs were played, with interviews between the songs.
The interview is really good, he discussed why he left the music business and also how The Rolling Stones and The Beatles got into his music (he talks about Radio Luxemburg).
There's also "The Hotel Demos" which are rare recordings (some are demos and some have never been recorded in the studio). Although the quality is what it is, they did clean up the audio so it's still listenable.
It's followed by "Anna" live at The Bottom Line in 1991. This song is listed here because it's really the first time that he played live again after so many years away from the industry. This is also referenced on Fresh Air as "A Bunch of Songwriters Sitting Around Singing" in New York.
The final song is a hidden track: "Glory Road". The hidden track is possibly from the Hotel Demos. There are no music, but Alexander carries the song very well with just his voice.
PACKAGE
I've often told people that whenever I buy music, I make sure to get the Limited Edition or if the packaging is cool (I've often contemplate about buy music based on the package - I know, I know, that saying about judging a book by its cover...)
If you had a chance to listen to our podcast, David Gorman explained that he designed this package as if it was a box full of wonderful clipping from Arthur Alexander's life. They are basically individual replicas including: Funeral Program, Production Program (for the new re-release), Original album note (an essay written by Ben Sandmel), Ben Vaughn's five page article on Alexander, a hand-written production note (possibly by Alexander), the original press release for Lonely Just Like Me, and 4 photographs (from press photos to personal photos).
I've a lot of favorite songs off this album, but I'm going to let famous music artists do the talking through their covers. Did you know that Alexander is the only artist that was covered by Bob Dylan, The Rolling Stones, and the Beatles!??
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Ry Cooder covered "Go Home Girl". This song probably best sums up Arthur Alexander's music. He basically is in love with his best friend's girlfriend. Like many of Alexander's songs, there is a flaw in his character that is preventing a total happiness of the character. Does he betray his best friend and live with the guilt - or does he go on living with his heartache? I love it! |
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"Sally Sue Brown" was covered by Bob Dylan. It's pretty easy to see why Dylan chosed this song. It's basically about a sleazy girl, but he loves her just the same. Dylan made it more soulful, complete with backup singers. |
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The Beatles covered "Anna (Go to Him)". I believe John Lennon is singing on this song. I think the Beatles may have other Alexander covers (but I'm too lazy to check for you). I thought I read somewhere that Lennon was a pretty big Alexander fan and it's through him that convinced the rest of the Beatles to cover his songs. |
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The Rolling Stones' first two EPs (Five by Five and The Rolling Stones EP) were all based on R&B songs. I actually really loved their early songs and have a newfound appreciation for Mick Jagger. Again, this song is a typical Alexander song, which really comes down to that money doesn't buy love. |
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Pearl Jam's cover of "Soldier of Love (Lay Down Your Arms)" is in the same vein as their cover of Last Kiss. It's a live track and also from the No Boundaries, it's fitting for the wartorn country of Kosovar. |
All these songs (with the exception of "Soldier of Love") appears in one form or another on Hacktone's Lonely Just Like Me: The Final Chapter, which was released October 9th. These covers really should give you an understanding how influential Alexander's music were to major artists.
11/04/2007 09:15:34 vu 
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