'Rotgut' took me by surprise a
little bit, to be honest. I am very familiar with Dee's
work as frontman with the legendary Iron Man and, of course, After Therapy
before that. So I know what a fantastic singer he is. Despite hearing through
the grapevine that his solo debut was going to be acoustic, it still was not
what I anticipated. Metal, doom and cajun music mixed together with Romantic
Movement poetry might not sound like the perfect match but when Dee is orchestrating the proceedings everything comes
together perfectly and the end result is beyond words. 'Rotgut' is a
barnburner of the highest pedigree and others contemplating a solo album,
follow Dee's formula...do exactly what you
want to. That, if anything, brings out the best results by far.
As outstanding as ‘Rotgut’ is, there are a six songs that
stand out and represent Dee in full. ‘Unapologetic’, which is co-written with
Al Morris from Iron Man, is true to it’s name, as it doesn’t apologize for
anything. Blunt and naked, Dee makes no bones
about who he is and what he has done. Those metal riffs played on an acoustic
guitar are amazing, by the way. What a song the title track is! Sleazy, filthy
down and out, and then some. A swamp song from the deepest recesses of Louisiana’s bayous, if
there ever was one. The pain and suffering is so palpable you can cut it with a
knife, especially with Dee belting out the
lyrics with so much venom and spite.
Different in approach and
performance, ‘Little ‘Houn, Daddy ‘Houn’
is a duet between Dee and his son Rob. Musically it’s more upbeat than the
rest, and albeit a love from a father to a son, there is still a sense of fear.
As much as you want to see your kid grow up and lead his own life, it also
scares you to see him becoming an adult. Eerie, angry and to the point, in ‘Backstabbed In Backwater’ Mr. Calhoun
purges his disgust about being fucked over by your hometown and your love. This
is the song for anyone who is, or
have been, in a similar situation, as it will lift you above and away from the
crap you’re going through.
Aided only by the
escalating sound of a snowstorm, Dee
sing/speaks the words to Robert Burns’ 1781 poem, ‘Winter: A Dirge’. And what a performance it is! Apart from being a
fantastic singer, Mr. Calhoun is a great narrator which he so emphatically
shows here. ‘A Long Day’s End’ is a
fitting end to a great album. And it also works perfectly as a continuation to ‘Winter: A Dirge’, both musically and
lyrically. It follows the way Burns wrote and with the added instrumentation,
it is a one of a kind wonder piece.
To return to the
beginning, Dee’s magic, apart from his amazing voice and songwriting skills, is
the way he takes different styles and tie them together, making everything
cohesive and move with an even flow. So many times in the past when a musician
steps out from his/her band to make a solo album, it is all over the place
making their efforts bland and uninteresting. Mr. Calhoun is on the other end
of this spectra. With ‘Rotgut’ he has
created a great work of art, while cementing his name as a top class artist
even further. As mentioned before: established and fledgling musicians alike,
study Dee’s creation and learn from him how to
best make a lasting impression.
-Swedebeast
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