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May 9, 2004 Covering The Covers I remember after a particularly wonderful Reckless Kelly show, going up to Willy and just shaking him by the shoulders. It was a wordless exchange, but I knew by the smile on his face that he understood what I was trying to say by my excited, demonstrative action. There are times when words just won’t convey all the things you need them to…. the awe, the appreciation, the wonder, the excitement. It was at a show at Antone’s in April of 2003 that it all came together for me as a fan of RK’s, and in particular, a fan of their cover repertoire. What convinced me of RK’s depth and ultimately their appreciation of others’ work are the cover songs they have included in their live sets. Reckless Kelly played a slew of covers that night and the experience left pretty much everyone there breathless. It was an awesome display, of not only musical prowess, but complete musical class. That night they covered Jackson Browne’s “Redneck Friend” and Son Volt’s “Drown” . They covered Alejandro Escovedo’s “Castenets” and two Beatles songs: “Revolution” and “Helter Skelter” and they played a superb version of Nick Lowe’s “Peace, Love and Understanding”. I’ll break it down in order. Cody sang lead vocals on both “Redneck friend” and “Drown”. You can tell by listening to how Cody harmonizes with Willy, that he has a truly great voice. It’s really nothing like Willy’s as far as tonal quality or sheer force are concerned, but it is a voice that is distinctive and powerful none the less. Cody leaves an indelible mark on all the songs he sings lead on from “Wild Western Windblown Band” to “Hottest thing in Town”, and he always manages to take center stage. It sure must be nice to have a singin’ fiddle player in your band. It took all of two notes for me to figure out RK was beginning to play the Beatles “Helter Skelter” and the first thing I thought about upon this realization was “Holy crap! I can’t believe they’re playing this song!” The second thing I thought was how connected to the Beatles they are. Can you imagine how fortunate the people who got see the Beatles in the early years were? Seeing the Beatles in Liverpool at the Cavern Club or in Hamburg was probably a musical experience of a lifetime for those who were there. I don’t think I’m overstating this, but I have a pretty good idea how those people felt. I feel the same way when I’m in the audience of a Reckless Kelly show. It’s a feeling that is totally transcendent. I know I’m experiencing something important and I truly feel like I’m in the presence of musical greatness when RK is playing in front of me. In fact, I know it. So if you can imagine how amazing it must have been for those people that got to see the Beatles in a club setting, then you know how I feel about Reckless Kelly. Willy is all spit and vinegar when he sings the Beatles “Revolution”. I have always taken this song to heart in a very spiritual and political way, much the same as with “(What’s So Funny ‘Bout) Peace, Love and Understanding”, the latter being a tour de force. “Revolution”, not only epitomizes the bands’ musical ethics, it also summarizes the times we, as a country, find ourselves in again. As Willy begins to sing “you say you want a revolution” I think that there aren’t many bands that can pull off a Beatles cover and add their own inimitable style…but RK can and does. Yeah, “we all want to change the world” are lyrics from one of the great songwriting partnerships, and RK doesn’t perform them with mere lip service, they are changing the world with hard work, practice, discerning tastes, perseverance and a relentless optimism. This particular RK show was a mixture of old and new, as most of their live shows are. I would never hesitate in recommending RK to those who have never seen them live. I can almost guarantee you will have the same joyful feeling I always have. But, when the gig is over and you want to say “howdy” to the guys or you want to say “thanks for such a great show” please don’t shake Willy…reckless abandon is my department.
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