Wreckless Eric and Amy Rigby
Two Solo SingerSongwriters Combine Their Music and Their Lives
Mar 30, 2009
There's a whole history of rock music that says that great musicians working together will always create great results. From such acts as the Everly Brothers and Simon and Garfunkel (on yet another reunion tour in 2008, just to underline the point) to the great songwriting teams like Lennon and McCartney, Jagger and Richard, Tilbrook and Difford of Squeeze, and many more.
Into that history comes Wreckless Eric and Amy Rigby, two longtime solo musicians who came together to release an eponymous duet album in the latter part of 2008.
Eric, last name Goulden, made his name in the 70s punk rock revolution, recording for the iconic Stiff label and starring on the initial Live Stiffs tour with Elvis Costello, Nick Lowe and Ian Dury. His best-known song, "Whole Wide World," was covered by numerous performers but got its widest exposure when Will Ferrell sang it during the film Stranger than Fiction in 2006.
Rigby, formerly married to the dB's drummer Will Rigby, played in such bands as The Shams and Last Roundup before going solo in 1996 with the well-regarded debut CD Diary of a Mod Housewife. She had five solo discs and an anthology collection under her belt when she hooked up with Wreckless Eric, both romantically and creatively.
Duet Album
The current album featuring the pair has 10 original tunes, three co-writes, five by Amy and two by Eric, plus a cover of Johnny Cash's "I Still Miss Someone." The two performers play all the guitars and keyboards, using an old-school electronic rhythm box to keep time. It's an endearingly low-fi approach, but unfortunately it results in an almost monotonous sound when extended across the entire CD.
Which is a shame, because Amy and Eric are good songwriters who deserve a better showcase for their melodies and lyrics. In this case, two distinct tastes end up being presented as leftover stew.
Eric's style has always been slapdash and spunky, sacrificing precision for a tug at the listener's rock 'n roll heartstrings. Amy, by contrast, has set her witty songs in precise arrangements that run the gamut from modern folk-rock and Americana sounds to retro-rock settings, topped off with her country-tinged voice.
Good Qualities in Evidence on New CD
Many of those qualities are in evidence on this CD, even if the low-budget production doesn't set them off to good advantage. Eric's "Another Drive-In Saturday" shows off his rock chops nicely, though real drums would have helped out both this song and his humorous confessional "The Downside of Being a F*&%-Up."
Amy's wit shines through on "First Mate Rigby," an ode to moving, and "Men in Sandals," in which she goes all Tyra Banks on the poor guys in the title. "Astrovan," her tribute to the vehicle that took her to many a live show, shows off her talent for making listeners find something in common with the mundane details of her own life.
Despite the weak production, this album has more than its fair share of good songs. But it's also an invitation to dig deeper into these two performers' pasts, where even better treasures await a committed listener.
 |
