The Westerner

Many years after X, John Doe keeps making great music. Here we have ten new songs, and while short, it's another strong, twangy album, coming close on the heels of his solo retrospective The Best Of John Doe: This Far (2014). (Doe's best solo album in my opinion is still Freedom Is... (2000)).X featured Doe with Exene Cervenka on vocals, and he still likes to duet with women singers. Here that includes Cindy Wasserman on "Sunlight" and "Drink of Water," Chan Marshall on "A Little Help," and Debbie Harry on "Go Baby Go." The poignant "Alone in Arizona" is an Exene song, and "Drink of Water" is co-authored by Exene and Doe.There are three rockin' songs -- "My Darling, Blue Skies," "Go Baby Go," and "Drink of Water" -- that keep the rockabilly element alive. "A Little Help" and "The Other Shoe" feature beautiful steel guitar. The album gets better as it goes along, and the last half is uniformly strong. The last song, "Rising Son," sounds like a mescaline vision:"....as he walked into the sunstanding at the edge of the worldtasting the ocean as it rushes instanding at the edge of the worldfeet in the sand waiting on the rising sunin his dreams, he still fliesin his dreams, he still dreams..."The excellent core band is:Howe Gelb -- electric & Spanish guitar, acoustic pianoEric Heywood -- pedal steel guitarVal McCallum -- electric and Spanish guitarJamie Muhoberac -- keyboardsRyan Feves -- electric & upright bassStuart Johnson -- drums & percussion*** *** ***The Westerner was produced by Howe Gelb, Dave Way, and John Doe, and recorded in Tucson, Hollywood, and Brooklyn. The stunning 16-page booklet includes all the lyrics as well as black-and-white photos of the singer in a Western landscape, some on horseback.

The very prolific John Doe has given us another very good LP with this, his 12th studio album, counting 1 with The Knitters! Doe was a member of the LA punk-rock group X, who burst out nearly 40 years ago! Here we have 10 new tunes, clocking in at approximately 35 minutes! Short, heartfelt, dusty, and twangy. John has never written or performed a bad or even bland tune for my ears and he continues to expand his songwriting to even greater heights with this release. As with X, however, he seems to resonate best while collaborating with other artists. All tracks are quite strong with no clunkers to be found here. My favorites included on this release include "Sunlight", with vocal help by Cindy Wasserman, where John proclaims "all he ever wanted was a little patch of Sunlight", "A Little Help", with added vocals by Chan Marshall, aka Cat Power, where John proclaims "everybody needs a little help/ not all the time or everyday/ just need a little help today". More favorites include "Go Baby Go", where John is joined by Debbie Harry, and sings, "we laugh like it was years ago", "Alone In Arizona" was written by John's former X member, Exene Cervenka, and is a heartbreaking tune that refrains "my hearts in California, I'm alone in Arizona". "Sweet Reward" might pull at the heartstrings with "the world kept spinning all the time he was gone but he couldn't see how it had changed". "Drink Of Water", which is my #1 favorite, was penned by both John & Exene, and is the LP's most uplifting tunes, as well as it's hardest rocker. The final track, "Rising Sun", sums the LP's overall feeling with "standing at the edge of the world/tasting the ocean as it rushes in/standing at the edge of the world/feet in the sand and waiting on the rising sun". Struggle, heartbreak and total redemption are main motifs in this world, as painted by John. The production is also very good, and a host of musicians contribute some excellent sounds of Spanish guitar, electric guitar, upright bass, and pedal steel guitar. The mix blends them all together seamlessly. All music listeners who have enjoyed John's solo LP's, as well as even Country Music fans who prefer that old Bakersfield twang to their tunes, might even bump this solid release up to 5 stars. No argument here on that extra star. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED! SMRZ!

Excellent, well-crafted songs beautifully arranged and delivered. Sort of alt country influenced Americana though if you listen for it you can hear the punk roots. I love the duets with his various collaborators. This goes great with Bob Weir's latest album Blue Mountain and a peaceful evening on the patio or driving across the Middle somewhere.

John doe's the westerner is a modern classic and a recording I cant stop buying as gifts for friends. I can almost hear another John sitting around a campfire, strumming a guitar and saying "boy did you hear that new John doe record? " because in my image of heaven they let you sit next to johnny cash for all eternity. From the train track sound of "get on board" to the anthemic climax of "rising sun" John Doe not only shows he has something to say, but also something you need to hear.

Loved the opening number, a sort of gospel rave-up called Get On Board, but then things sort of settled into a slow folk thang for most of the rest of the record. I've loved John's voice since 1979 and he is still in great voice here, and the songs are very good, just not quite great.

My like of John Doe is one where I forget about him, then every once in a while I find an album like this one remember how great he is. Love the country vibe and the music and lyrics are top notch. If you need something for a long drive, put this one on and revel in some great tunes.

What a shame that the rank and file will never hear this incredible album by X front-man, John Doe. A brilliant recording and miles ahead of the crap that passes for popular music these days.

Very solid album from the always great John Doe. I only wish there was a bit more diversity, as the songs started to sound the same after awhile. But that is a minor point for a very enjoyable album.

Great album with guest spots too. Country folk garage. Well put together, running order perfect.

Quality Americana

Il ritorno dell'indimenticato leader dei seminali X coincide con un disco intimo, aspro e asciutto come il caldo sole dell'Arizona, spesso evocato nelle tracce di The Westerner.Tutto l'album è caratterizzato da sonorità acustiche che ben si prestano ad accompagnare i testi disillusi, ciondolanti tra le roventi e polverose stradine delle prossimità desertiche americane, fino ad invocare con veemenza "a drink of water" nella omonima traccia.E' un Doe tutto sommato pacificato, che anche grazie all'aiuto del prezioso Howe Gelb, specialista della materia, trova la quadratura del suo personale capolavorocapolavoro imbevuto della migliore tradizione roots di frontiera, quello stato dell'anima che tanto piace ai cultori della musica piu' genuina e vera.The Westerner è un album da metabolizzare con pazienza e passione, la stessa che l'autore ha sempre messo nel corso della sua carriera, fino ad entrarne in sintonia ed apprezzarne a fondo le notevoli qualità.Molto buona la qualità di incisione del vinile.

パンク、ハードコアバンド、XのメンバーだったJohn Doe、ソロ名義では5年ぶり、9作目。タイトル通り、米南西部色強いフォーク＆ロックンロール。カントリー、ゴスペル、ブルース込み、ペダルスティールやスパニッシュギター響く、アリゾナの地を思い描かせる渇いたルーツロックサウンド。Giant SandのHowe Gelbがプロデューサーとして参加、の影響もありそう。他、BlondieのDebbie HarryやCat PowerことChan Marshall、Eric Heywood等がゲスト参加。ベテランロッカーらしい渋いルーツィなサウンド、ポエティックな言葉、哀愁あるストーリーと語り。かなりの名作。

He's second best album!

Stunning solo from the X man