{"id":342,"date":"2019-10-16T18:53:12","date_gmt":"2019-10-16T18:53:12","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/mikedeangelis.com\/2019\/?page_id=342"},"modified":"2019-10-16T19:22:33","modified_gmt":"2019-10-16T19:22:33","slug":"jim-basnight-not-changing","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/mikedeangelis.com\/2019\/jim-basnight-not-changing\/","title":{"rendered":"Jim Basnight: Not Changing"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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Purchase Not Changing on Amazon Music<\/a><\/strong> & Power Popaholic<\/a><\/strong>, or stream it on Spotify<\/a><\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Follow Jim on Facebook<\/a><\/strong> and Twitter<\/strong><\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The musicians: Jim Basnight<\/strong> (Lead & backing vocals, electric & acoustic guitars)<\/em>, Steve Aliment<\/strong> (Backing Vocals)<\/em>, Dave Warburton<\/strong> (Drums)<\/em>, Garey Shelton<\/strong> (Bass)<\/em>, Bruce Hazen<\/strong> (Electric Guitar, tracks 1, 3, 4, 5 & 9)<\/em>, and Jay Phillips<\/strong> (Spoken intro on track 14)<\/em>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This was easily one of the most challenging reviews I’ve written to date…and I mean that in a good<\/em> way…because I listened to the CD four times before I wrote a word, and the nuances kept revealing themselves. Jim is a chameleon, a master alchemist whose craft is the result of decades’ worth of writing, recording, and relentless gigging.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

You can’t readily categorize the sound of this album, because it’s not “one” thing. Power Pop?<\/strong> YES. British Invasion?<\/strong> YES. Does Lou Reed<\/strong> show up for a visit? YES<\/strong>. But what about David Bowie<\/strong> and Marc Bolan<\/strong>? YES<\/strong>, and YES<\/strong>, and that just scratches the surface\/ There is a staggering originality and restless energy that prevents Jim from standing in one place for too long, but the album still holds together as an album.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In short, this boy runs with scissors, and no one’s gonna stop him. This is a jaw-dropping work of art from a seasoned musician who is firing on all cylinders.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

“Not Changing,”<\/strong> track by track:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

“Code To Live By”<\/em><\/strong> opens with a little Flamenco \/ Spanish guitar figure and a sound that harkens back to Doug Sahm<\/strong>\u2026“Sitting in your velvet cage, lookin’ for a war to wage\u2026”<\/em> The song feels like a great lost gem from the Sir Douglas Quintet<\/strong>, the whole Tex \/ Mex essence. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

“Not Changing,”<\/em><\/strong> from the spoken intro to the song itself, feels like Lou Reed<\/strong> circa the Velvets’<\/strong> third, eponymous album. “I don’t want wanna be another tommyrocker, makin’ money finding flags to wave\u2026”<\/em> Jim’s lyrics go far beyond the usual rock cliches, a mix of introspection and defiance, closing with an A Capella manifesto\u2026“If I had another life to live, I would not change a thing\u2026”<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

“Big Bang”<\/strong> is Jim’s Bowie \/ Bolan<\/strong> explosion of metaphors, a glam-drenched revelry of distorted, snarling guitars and the repeated “Big bang, big bang”<\/em> refrain. It brilliantly taps into a major “secret ingredient” of that genre, bemused detachment and an air of ennui in the vortex of larger-than-life experiences. The somewhat languid vocal as all hell’s breaking loose\u2026Jim “gets” what many musicians overlook when delving into this genre.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

“Avenue Of The Star”<\/em><\/strong>\u2026Hello, Seattle. The city’s sound is loud and proud on this track. Drums once again reminiscent of the V.U.’s Mo Tucker<\/strong> intertwine with the ghost of Layne Staley<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

“Making Love For A Living”<\/strong>\u2026a lively, rollicking bluesy roadhouse take on the things most of us would rather do instead of working in a factory. “I could start by waxing your Rolls Silver Shadow Royce”<\/em> made me laugh out loud\u2026“Rolling Truck Stones Thing,”<\/em> anyone? The bridge morphs into a funk shuffle before a full-throttle guitar solo kicks in.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

“Suicide Evening”<\/strong>\u2026Interesting combo of influences here\u2026Lou Reed<\/strong> meets Eric Burdon<\/strong> meets Mick Jagger<\/strong> meets Eddie Vedder<\/strong>, and he makes it work. A couple of guitar solos worthy of Television’s Richard Lloyd<\/strong>. I could also imagine The New York Dolls’ David Johannsen<\/strong> strutting and preening through this one in grand fashion. Another spoken interlude, which Jim uses to great effect.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

“Best Lover In The World”<\/em><\/strong>\u2026Twangy roots rock \/ Americana \/ Heartland Rock, in the best Petty \/ Mellencamp<\/strong> style. Jim knows the exact setting on the simplicity \/ complexity dial for each song. He can effortlessly shift from deep and moody to upbeat pop star without breaking a sweat.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

“Kurt Cobain”<\/em><\/strong>\u2026reminiscent of Lou Reed’s<\/strong> elegy to Andy Warhol<\/strong>, “Dime Story Mystery.”<\/em><\/strong> Nice reference to Nirvana’s<\/strong> cover of Bowie’s<\/strong> “Man Who Sold The World.”<\/strong><\/em> “I hope that somewhere in the stars you hear my song\u2026I hope you can understand the words and sing along\u2026”<\/em> GENIUS, because show of hands\u2026and be honest\u2026how many of you knew all of the words to “Smells Like Teen Spirit”<\/em><\/strong> without a lyric sheet?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

“Never Get Lost”<\/em><\/strong>\u2026amazing, booming, bass-anchored riff opens this one, harmony vocals play a key role, and it sounds like a great, lost Badfinger<\/strong> track, from the killer bridge to the lyrics to the Beatle<\/strong>-y guitars. It’s like Jim had a seance with the late Pete Ham<\/strong> and said “Show me everything in your trick bag,” and Pete said “OK,” and did. If I were a DJ, I’d have this one in heavy rotation until I was told to stop, but I wouldn’t. I’d keep playing it endlessly, it’s that damned good.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

“Second Street”<\/strong>\u2026a twangy stroll through the bad part of town with drugs, guns, Cuban stores and “luscious girls.” A guitar worthy of Al Perkins<\/strong> in the Flying Burrito Brothers<\/strong>. An amphetamine Norman Greenbaum<\/strong> “Spirit In The Sky”<\/em><\/strong> riff barrels under the closing section, and\u2026a STRING SCRAPE. Bonus points are ALWAYS awarded for string scrapes, because they DEFINE BADASSED.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

“Saturday Dream”<\/em><\/strong>\u2026The repeated refrain “Saturday Dream, the best it can be”<\/em> in a song that sounds like a somber elegy. Irony is another tool in Jim’s box that’s used to great effect. “We’ll go down to the lake and see if we can make a little love before this evening’s gone”<\/em>\u2026 spiraling guitar fills are the backdrop, the lyrics becoming a hypnotic mantra.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

“You Never Cease To Amaze”<\/em><\/strong>\u2026Power Pop, Raspberries echos, tight and alright.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

“Having Fun”<\/strong>\u2026Fab Four<\/em> revisited, circa “Rubber Soul,”<\/em><\/strong> more intricately crafted pop simplicity. He makes it look easy, but trust me, it isn’t. This is what skill and talent sounds like.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

“Living The Way I Want”<\/em><\/strong>\u2026I’d pair this with “Never Get Lost”<\/em><\/strong> for the “Double A-Side Single” of the century. Big late-60s British Invasion textures all over this one. Beatles, Who, Kinks,<\/strong> and also the feel of how those bands found their way into Tom Petty’s <\/strong>sound. An album closer that’ll knock your socks off. Jim’s havin’ a rave-up, and you’re all invited.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Purchase Not Changing on Amazon Music & Power Popaholic, or stream it on Spotify. Follow Jim on Facebook and Twitter. The musicians: Jim Basnight (Lead & backing vocals, electric & acoustic guitars), Steve Aliment (Backing Vocals), Dave Warburton (Drums), Garey Shelton (Bass), Bruce Hazen (Electric Guitar, tracks 1, 3, 4, 5 & 9), and Jay… <\/p>\n

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