Below is a review of this album by Chas Pike
Courtesy of The Lance Monthly
OTTO STIMULATION
Mailbox music. My favorite. I love music that throws
itself into the postal stream, and is hand carried by agents
of the federal government, right to my giant, oversized
mailbox. Most days I make the long trek out to the end of
the drive way and come back with the usual; dominos pizza
coupons, auto glass replacement offers, and notifications
that my mortgage has been sold to higher interest charging
fiscal entities. But every once in a while, For-tuna
spins her cosmic platter, and a silver disc or two will
crash land in my postal hangar, and suddenly the house is
invaded again by music.
It was a good day, a few weeks back,
when I threw caution to the wind, put on my pants and crocs,
and made the trek down the driveway. The neighborhood cats
were delighted to see me, and formed a feline conga line
behind me as I passed the Tercel and headed to the box. A
few bills, a few past due notices, half a turkey sandwich
( I have kids), disconnect notices, and a little brown
envelope postmarked "Clackamas County, Oregon",
with the hand written phrase I so love: "caution: c.d.
enclosed". Hot damn!
The Peacemakers first c.d.,
"Goodbye Free Love" was a breath of fresh air when
it was released back in the dark and gloomy days of 2004. We
were four years into a cultural assault that had profound
effects across the globe, and it was becoming apparent that
the world was never going to be the same again.
"Goodbye Free Love" was a refreshing blast of
good old fashioned anger and rage, jam packed with 17
songs about broken relationships, tarnished icons, dying
heroes and days gone by.
Songs like "The Weight of The
World" , "Let The Wild Horse Run"
"Vietnam Foreign Correspondent" and
"Where's The Sniper Now", evoked the passing
of a simpler time, when there were heroes in a changing
world, and they all still lived by a code. It was a
modestly produced c.d. with a xeroxed cover, but once it was
inserted into the laser powered post modern victrola, it
proved to be a lyrical and musical powerhouse.
Then The Peacemakers disappeared into
the woodwork. Dropped off the face of the earth, never to
be heard from again. Time had all but erased them from my
memory, when suddenly the package arrived.
A skimpier c.d. case, the same low
tech, low res xerox style cover, the c.d. said, The
Peacemakers Band "Hello Free World". I stuck it
into my computer, and my cats and I settled down to some
coffee and Jams.
The Peacemakers Band "Hello Free
World" is a smaller, more personal work. The songs
seem less concerned with the world going to hell, and
instead casts an internal eye on the workings of the mind of
an aging rock and roll generation. "50 Year Old
Quarterback" "The Doctor Said" and
"The Last Troubadour" give us the caustic self
examination of dreams deferred, dreams denied, and the
crushing realization that youth has slipped away.
There are a few good rockers,
"Buddy Rocks" is a great salute to Buddy Holly,
whose presence casts its shadow across much of lead
singer/songwriter Tim Otto's career, in fact Tim has the
honor/onus of being the last artist Holly's legendary
producer, Norman Petty, ever recorded. Chris Charles takes
lead vocals in another Holly/Petty influenced ditty,
"Words".
One song on "Hello Free World"
has begun to build up a cult status, "Bury Me In My
Car", which has even found itself featured on National
Public Radio's "CAR TALK". Hmm, from
Clackamas to Click and Clack. The last song on the c.d.,
"I'm No Hipper Than you" has the tongue and
cheek self realization: " Grow up and get real, reality
can be harsh, but there is no escaping it", I played
that one twice for my cats, and told them to pay
attention.
The result from this Peacemakers Band
c.d., is a joyous celebration of the creative process, pop
iconography, and simple western influenced rhythms. A
great listen for a Sunday afternoon when football season is
over, and grass cutting time has yet begun.
I had intended to end my review here, but I
enjoyed the c.d. so much, I thought I would hunt the band
down, and get a little interview for ya,, you know? Sorta
put their words into your head, instead of the voices I hear
in my head:
--
grace and peace
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