Why isn't this guy a huge star? I suppose if he applied to "American Idol" or "America's Got
Talent," it would be no contest -- truth is, he's so far above any of that, it would be an insult to his talent and a waste of time to even try. Michael Kelsey is a phenom, a prodigy. If you're a musician, you wonder how anybody can be that good. If you're in the audience of one of his shows, you can't help but to feel the power of his passion. He makes love to his guitar as if it was the first time he's made love to his true love after a season's worth of soap opera denial. Damn, you can't help but be a little envious of that passion. He does to his guitar what Tiger Woods does to a golf ball; what Michael Jordan did to a basketball; what Spielberg has done to movie direction; what Shakespeare did to words. Here's the thing: buy one of his CDs and you'll probably love it; go see him perform and you'll want to have his baby. Or if you're a normal male heterosexual musician such as myself ... you'll just wonder why you still keep playing at a talent level of five or six (on a scale from 1-10), when Kelsey plays at a level 12. Yes, the music is unique and ear-catching, but it's nothing like witnessing a performance. Check out the videos at michaelkelsey.com, and you'll see what I mean. I will check his website regularly to see where Michael Kelsey is playing, and each time I am able to travel to see him, I will take a musician friend with me. They need to know what I know. As I started out my rant, why isn't this guy a star? Such a travesty. I'm rooting for Michael. He should be a superstar.
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“The Way It Rolls” is a throwback to the way LPs used to be produced with its integrated sounds and themes. All the songs speak to the irony of a life lived down along the black snake road—angst mixed with wonder. Michael Kelsey is an excellent musical producer as evidenced by the stylistic tightness of this CD.
As a long time fan of Kelsey, I was struck by the difference between “The Way It Rolls” and his earlier CDs: “Gruvency,” “Michael Kelsey,” “Falling into Place,” and “November.” Every great artist works toward a discernable style—the best move through multiple styles—Ben Harper, the Beatles, Raphael, or Picasso. Ben Harper talks explicitly about trying to move towards another level of mastery. Previous Kelsey releases had multiple styles captured within the tracks of each CD. Mike’s live shows can have that same patchwork feel, but a live performance has a different shifting dynamic, so the style changes aren’t distracting to the listener. Unlike Kelsey’s earlier four CDs this one has a consistent style, one which is instantly recognizable as the Acoustic Guitar Wizard from Lafayette, Indiana.
Musical diversity is a virtue, but to capture new fans and a broader recognition any artist has to have a brand feel and sound for marketing. Once that is achieved, great artists go back to experimenting and growing stylistically. Hanging on to that recognizable voice in music, painting, or writing, might feel like a creative plateau, but it’s not; it’s a chance for your fans to catch up with your artistic development. I can keep up with Kelsey on this CD because he has found his stylistic voice and himself as we do when we find our own style. In his previous instrumentals, Kelsey always showed us the depth of his emotions, but he kept them out of his voice. Throughout the CD, “The Way It Rolls,” Mike opens up and gives us the man behind the guitar. Both “Hey Elaine” and “The Right Thing” ache with the concern we feel when we see our friends making emotional mistakes and we can’t help them.
Kelsey is well known for his remarkable otherworldly sense of rhythm. On this CD, his complete command of complex rhythms takes on a new seductive tone not present in his previous work. This is part of his stylistic development and is directly linked to his willingness to open up to his audience.
“Crawlin” and “Slow Movin’ Train contain such intriguing guitar passages, I wanted to strip out the vocals and just listen to Kelsey’s guitar. Like Leo Kottke, Kelsey’s guitar work and compositional skills tend to upstage his vocals. Unlike Kottke, Kelsey is a superb vocalist capable of singing any kind of music be it blues, skat singing, or ballads. Mike’s artistic cross to bear will always be that his guitar work is so masterful that he makes his own voice pale in comparison no matter how well he sings. As much I find significant meaning in his lyrics, I still feel that the only instrumental, “Wanderlust,” is the superior track on this CD.
Under repeated listening, “Old Guitar” became a favorite as my ear got familiar with the layers of nuanced sounds. The sophistication and texture of his music, places Kelsey next to Australia’s “Dead Can Dance” for durability of musical enjoyment. Like Lisa Gerrard, Kelsey can effortlessly blend his voice with the instruments creating a seamless transcendental sound.
The edginess of this CD makes for great cross country travelin’ music. Buy it, gas up your car, load the dog, and roll further down your life’s winding road to the aggressive progressive acoustic genius of Indiana’s Michael Kelsey.
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