Audio CD review:
Paul Kelly - Words & Music

Paul Kelly - Words & Music

Band: Paul Kelly Title: Words & Music Rating: Release Date: 19 May, 1998 Media: Audio CD Tracks: 1: Little Kings 2: I'll Be Your Lover 3: Nothing On My Mind 4: Words And Music 5: How To Make Gravy 6: Gutless Wonder 7: Tease Me 8: I'd Rather Go Blind 9: She Answers The Sun (Lazybones) 10: Beat Of Your Heart 11: It Started With A Kiss 12: Glory Be To God 13: Saturday Night And Sunday Morning 14: Charlie Owen's Slide Guitar 15: Melting

Customer Reviews Aussie from down under arrives at the top It starts with "Little Kings," possibly Kelly's best hit, and never dies down. Words and Music is an awsome CD. "Glory be to God" is a song that is bound to be hit once people start buying this CD. Paul Kelly and his band show that people really can put together a hit rock group from a bunch of unheard of musicians. 15 gems That would have been a great loss. If it wasn't for my brother , who lives down under ,I would have never heard of Paul Kelly. Thanks Denis. This cd took time to grow on me ,like all truely great cd's. Each track paints a picture of a time and place and then takes me there. I never jump ahead to any track,I just put it on and enjoy. If you love good music and lyrics you'll love Words and Music. Get it!!. An ambitious album of intelligence and wit The music is more complex and varied, as are the subjects covered by the clever, touching and often funny lyrics. This album has more ambition than its predecessor, 1995's Deeper Water. Indeed, the key to this album's success is that it has re-found the sense of fun that inhabits much of Kelly's best work (listen out for a lovely nod to the Beatles in the title track). This is not, however, a collection of comic songs or light weight pop; rather, here is a mature song writer who is able to find the humour in life despite, or maybe because of, it's darker side. It is full of "big subjects" - love, loss, sex, politics, growing up - but all rendered in subtle and original ways. These songs are full of the intimate, personal portraits that are Kelly's speciality (such as in How To Make Gravy), often containing deliciously humorous insights (Tease Me; I'd Rather Go Blind), sometimes spiced up with a certain undercurrent of suburban menace (Nothing On My Mind; Gutless Wonder). Throughout the album a wonderful way with words is exhibited (the subtle criticism inherent in the term little king; the lovely juxtaposition of clichés that makes them sound fresh again in I'll Be Your Lover). Musically the album moves effortlessly through rock, pop, bits of country and funk, and even hints of bluesy gospel on Glory Be To God (a track that would not be out of place on a Nick Cave album). It is full of magical musical touches embellishing the strong tunes - the bassline when it hits it's stride a minute into Melting; the persistent chant that opens Tease Me; the saxophone break on Gutless Wonder; Renee Geyer's almost orgasmic wail half-way through Beat Of Your Heart. And Kelly's vocal delivery is assured throughout, even adventurously exploring new territory on the wonderful opener Little Kings. This album is Paul Kelly working on a big canvas, and exhibits much of what makes his music so great. While not quite reaching the peak of his seminal work, 1986's Gossip, this is nevertheless an excellent album and perhaps more accessible to an international audience as it lacks the parochial references of most of Kelly's earlier work. This is the album that finally won Paul Kelly the well overdue award of best song-writer at the Australian music awards, and I recommend it to any fan of good music. . You can see a complete list of all Paul Kelly discography, or go back to the Paul Kelly tabs