Tuesday, June 07, 2005
Lord Knows I Failed...
O.V. Wright - A Nickel And A Nail
First up, I sat down with the intention of writing about Animal Collective but I can't get this man's voice out of my head at the moment so O.V. it is.
One of the great Southern Soul voices, less of a legend than Otis but to my ears the better singer, a personal life on par with ODB (RIP), Jesus, these words mean nothing. Just listen. This is great art. How many times do you believe a singer when they tell you they've failed? Not often. Just words, something to pass the time on the way to the chorus. Here's the hook, buy the record, thank you very much.
This works because it goes way, way back into the music: the old blues would say "Just as soon as my pocket book book was empty, not a friend on earth to be found." O.V. is trying to hold on by fooling the world that he has some money left, perhaps trying to fool himself away from the truth.
Too bleak. Perhaps I should have stuck to Animal Collective.
Buy - O.V. Wright - The Soul of...
Visit - O.V. Wright by Bill Pollak
Mike.