A couple of weeks ago, I managed to see roots rocker Alejandro Escovedo perform an acoustic set in Santa Cruz. It was an awesome show and you can see some video and photos I took from that event. Many of the songs from that gig were from Escovedo's latest CD "Real Animal" which chronicles his 30 year musical career and upbringing listening to classic rock and punk music. You can hear the echoes of Mott the Hoople, David Bowie, Velvet Underground, Iggy Pop and the Stooges filtered through the lifetime of a seasoned rock musician.
There are rough-edged rockers like "Smoke," "Chelsea Hotel '78," and "Real As An Animal" as well as more mainstream songs like "Always a Friend," "Sister Lost Soul" and "Golden Bear." Songs like "Chip n' Tony" and "Nuns Song" harken back to Escovedo's earlier bands Rank and File and The Nuns.
The CD is also important coming after Escovedo's collapse and near death from Hepatitis-C in 2003. He returned with the CD "The Boxing Mirror" in 2006 and now "Real Animal" an upbeat and pop-infused tribute to the musical experiences that shaped Escovedo. This is one of the best albums I've heard in a long time.
Here's a clip from YouTube when Escovedo got up on stage to perform the song "Always a Friend" wtih Bruce Springsteen and the E Street band.
- Alejandro Escovedo: Official Site, Tour, MySpace, Wikipedia
- Amazon: Alejandro Escovedo
, Real Animal
- B&W City Paper: Alajendro Escovedo: Back to Life
- Photos & Video: PicasaWeb, YouTube
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