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Mose Allison - I've Been Doin Some Thinkin Audio CD

A fair review of the Mose Allison "I've Been Doin Some Thinkin" Audio CD. Please note that the below review is the views of the authors, and authors only. You can get a complete list of all Mose Allison reviews here, or go back to the Mose Allison tabs.

Mose Allison Band: Mose Allison
Title: I've Been Doin Some Thinkin
Rating:
Release Date: 2002-08-27
Media: Audio CD

Tracks: 1: Jus Like Livin' 2: City Home 3: If You're Goin' To The City 4: Now You See It 5: You Are My Sunshine 6: Your Molecular Structure 7: Look What You Made Me Do 8: If You Really Loved Me 9: Everybody Cryin' Mercy 10: Feel So Good 11: Let It Come Down 12: Back On The Corner

Mose, when not PC, is great
But I love him still. Too much of Mose Allison's lyrics are misanthopic, even when extremely clever and funny. Like, why does he pit justice against business? That's conventional BS. (He loves business, after all, given his prolific output on widely selling albums. But he does it all very well, too, so what's the trouble?) Anyway, I've been a Mose Allison fan since I first heard his version of "Since I Fell for You" on "Mose Alive. " I've heard/seen him in person over the years, most recently at the Los Angeles Museum of Modern Art but first in Santa Barbara, the at Harry's Bar. He never disappoints. My favorite of his songs is (I think called) "Almost famous. ".


A rare find - finally back in print!
Songs like City Home, Now You See It, Look What You Mad Me Do and Feel So Good are virtual unknowns - but they're terrific. There are several solid collections of Mose's best known works, but no one album has as many great songs as this album. Mose's wry humor, stunning piano and blues influence make his jazz wear very well, indeed. Even if you have all of Mose Allison's other albums, this is worth the price.


The Word from Mose, a jazz / blues giant
Let me briefly explain. You must own this record. . .

Mose is a hip cool jazz voice, a blend of Chet Baker and Hoagy Carmichael. This LP is definitely his career peak, an 'all killer no filler' collection of singer-songwriter jazz/blues gems.

The songs are neat, hip, funny, philosphical and defiant, right rom the jaunty opening gambit:

I've been doing some thinkin',
'Bout the nature of the universe,
Turns out things are geting better,
It's just people that are getting worse

Among the gems are reflections on his journey from the Deep South to New York and a wry glances into the many predicaments and philosophical conundums of our human race - with some sublime piano playing attached.

The most beautiful song by far is:

Every body cryin' mercy
When they don't know the meaning of the word

which goes through a number of wry variations including:

Every body cryin' justice
Just as long as there's business first

It's a subdued but sharp and elemental piece, with no piano flourishes. As Mose says of his songs, 'it's funny though it hurts a bit'. Mercy has been covered successfully by the likes of Bonnie Raitt and Elvis Costello, but none come near Mose's definitive sparse, weary and amused take.

Buy this album, it will stay with you through thick and thin. Mose said once 'the only compensation is that there is no compensation'. The album's closer 'Let it Come Down' is compensation enough sometimes:

Frettin' 'bout what you're going through

Regrettin' the things you didn't do
Relying on compensations you've found
That won't get you any place
Won't excuse you from the race
When you meet your dstiny face to face
There'll be no more wrong or right
And no more 'wish I might'
If there's gonna be rain tonight
Let it come down.


You can see a complete list of all Mose Allison discography, or go back to the Mose Allison tabs. There is also a good guide on how to read guitar tabs here.

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