The
Mavericks Release ‘In Time’ (just in time)
Mavericks Release ‘In Time’ (just in time)
By Philip Crabtree
After more than a
decade, The Mavericks released their first new studio album on March
26 on The Valory Music Company label (Big Machine Label Group). They
stopped playing and touring together in 2003 after decent showings in
the UK but missed any lasting chart success in the U.S. following a
string of successes, which included:
decade, The Mavericks released their first new studio album on March
26 on The Valory Music Company label (Big Machine Label Group). They
stopped playing and touring together in 2003 after decent showings in
the UK but missed any lasting chart success in the U.S. following a
string of successes, which included:
-
3 Academy of Country Music Awards
(Top New Vocal Group 1994 and Top Vocal Group 1994 and 1995), -
2 Country Music Association Awards
(Vocal Group of the Year 1995 and 1996), and -
a Grammy for Best Country
Performance by a Duo or Group With Vocal (1995)
If you recall how
unique their album ‘What a Crying Shame’ was in 1994, you may
have the same sentiment about their career. It was a shame that they
broke up in 2003, and it was a shame that more effort and resources
were not put behind them to promote their music in the late 90s in
America. What you might be missing if you came late to the party,
though, is that their successes in the UK drove them to platinum
record selling status and broadened their fan base internationally.
For a country band, they have never been easy to pigeonhole, and this
album does not make it any easier.
unique their album ‘What a Crying Shame’ was in 1994, you may
have the same sentiment about their career. It was a shame that they
broke up in 2003, and it was a shame that more effort and resources
were not put behind them to promote their music in the late 90s in
America. What you might be missing if you came late to the party,
though, is that their successes in the UK drove them to platinum
record selling status and broadened their fan base internationally.
For a country band, they have never been easy to pigeonhole, and this
album does not make it any easier.
I first saw The
Mavericks perform at a party in one of the suites at the Opryland
Hotel following a day of exhibits and seminars at Country Radio
Seminar in 1994. That performance was a watershed moment for me,
because I had just started delving into the country genre several
months before. At the time, I was a young college student, pursuing
a degree in the music business at nearby MTSU, and didn’t know my
“Indian Outlaws” from my “Boot Scootin’ Boogies”. But in
the living room of that suite, I witnessed THE band that would make
me a country fan for life—The Mavericks.
Mavericks perform at a party in one of the suites at the Opryland
Hotel following a day of exhibits and seminars at Country Radio
Seminar in 1994. That performance was a watershed moment for me,
because I had just started delving into the country genre several
months before. At the time, I was a young college student, pursuing
a degree in the music business at nearby MTSU, and didn’t know my
“Indian Outlaws” from my “Boot Scootin’ Boogies”. But in
the living room of that suite, I witnessed THE band that would make
me a country fan for life—The Mavericks.
The Mavericks
bring to country music what Will Ferrell brought to SNL—a little
more cowbell. In an industry full of creative peaks and valleys, it
takes a band like The Mavericks to remind music fans and country
music itself that the genre is not the same across the board. ‘In
Time’ and 2013 will prove to be critical to country music following
years of artists singing about Mexico and beer as if they represent
the Dos Equis and Republic of Mexico Tourism Board. We’ve got it
already! We should all kick our shoes off and head to Mexico for
some longnecks. We don’t need the message to be reinforced
anymore.
bring to country music what Will Ferrell brought to SNL—a little
more cowbell. In an industry full of creative peaks and valleys, it
takes a band like The Mavericks to remind music fans and country
music itself that the genre is not the same across the board. ‘In
Time’ and 2013 will prove to be critical to country music following
years of artists singing about Mexico and beer as if they represent
the Dos Equis and Republic of Mexico Tourism Board. We’ve got it
already! We should all kick our shoes off and head to Mexico for
some longnecks. We don’t need the message to be reinforced
anymore.
If you want
something different, if you want something creative, if you want
something that reminds you that being an American is about more than
making an international beer run, ‘In Time’ by The Mavericks is
for you. Just as we appreciate diversity in the U.S., The Mavericks
incorporate it into their music. ‘In Time” is kind of a paradox
when it comes to country music and to those who do not call
themselves fans of the genre. Take “Born to be Blue”, for
example.
something different, if you want something creative, if you want
something that reminds you that being an American is about more than
making an international beer run, ‘In Time’ by The Mavericks is
for you. Just as we appreciate diversity in the U.S., The Mavericks
incorporate it into their music. ‘In Time” is kind of a paradox
when it comes to country music and to those who do not call
themselves fans of the genre. Take “Born to be Blue”, for
example.
“Born to be
Blue” is the third cut on the album and tells the story about a
heartbroken lover. What makes it a paradox is that the tempo comes
in at about 92 beats per minute. That’s not exactly a somber,
heart-wrenching tale that drives a cowboy into a drinking binge. On
the contrary, the song is bright and seems almost celebratory in the
fact that the lover’s heart may be broken but how lucky he was to
have been touched by such a woman.
Blue” is the third cut on the album and tells the story about a
heartbroken lover. What makes it a paradox is that the tempo comes
in at about 92 beats per minute. That’s not exactly a somber,
heart-wrenching tale that drives a cowboy into a drinking binge. On
the contrary, the song is bright and seems almost celebratory in the
fact that the lover’s heart may be broken but how lucky he was to
have been touched by such a woman.
“Come Unto Me” immediately follows at cut number four and is
repeated in a Spanish language version entitled “Ven Haci Mi” at
the end of the album. The opening guitar riff is not what you expect
to find in country music unless you ever thought of putting Elvis,
Quentin Tarantino, and a rose-biting bullfighter into a cocktail
shaker to mix a concoction called The Mavericks. As the percussion
joins in the second bar, smooth is exactly what you get. Mix in
horns and a Cuban music feel, and the music transports you to your
own scene of “Pulp Fiction” proportions with a seductive melody
that compels you to tango.
These two cuts are
only scratching the surface of what ‘In Time’ has to offer. The
album is a combination of music styles blended with country. Have
you ever heard ska and country together? You’ll hear it here on
“All Over Again”. There’s also jazz, salsa, big band, and
rockabilly. Eddie Perez’s penetrating guitar combined with Paul
Deakin’s driving backbeat on drums, Jerry Dale McFadden’s
keyboard musicianship, and Robert Reynolds’ versatility set the
stage for what will undoubtedly be 2013’s “greatest show on
earth”.
only scratching the surface of what ‘In Time’ has to offer. The
album is a combination of music styles blended with country. Have
you ever heard ska and country together? You’ll hear it here on
“All Over Again”. There’s also jazz, salsa, big band, and
rockabilly. Eddie Perez’s penetrating guitar combined with Paul
Deakin’s driving backbeat on drums, Jerry Dale McFadden’s
keyboard musicianship, and Robert Reynolds’ versatility set the
stage for what will undoubtedly be 2013’s “greatest show on
earth”.
The Mavericks are
back, and their sound is as strong as ever. This is definitely not a
repeat performance of past albums although they bring back something
familiar and missed. So, grab your martini shakers, your wayfarers
and your lounge shirts, because The Mavericks just brought style back
to country music.
back, and their sound is as strong as ever. This is definitely not a
repeat performance of past albums although they bring back something
familiar and missed. So, grab your martini shakers, your wayfarers
and your lounge shirts, because The Mavericks just brought style back
to country music.
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