CD REVIEW: DIESEL – Americana

Shane | 11 October 2016 | Reply

CD REVIEW: DIESEL – Americana
Liberation
1 July, 2016
Reviewed by Shane Pinnegar
8/10

There ain’t nothin’ more pointless on this green earth than an album of cover versions which are virtual carbon copies of the originals. Why bother!

Conversely, an artist stamping their own talented personality over the tunes which shaped their own musical and life journey can be pure joy when done right.

Diesel does just that on this homage to not only the songs that first burrowed into his psyche from his parents’ record collection, but also to the country of his birth.

Tackling Johnny Cash’s classic Ring Of Fire, Bruce Springsteen’s epic Born To Run or John Fogerty’s evocative Born On The Bayou would be a daunting prospect for any musician, but Diesel plays and sings all with a perfect balance of respect and deference to the original, and his own interpretive voice. The passion Diesel has for these songs is obvious, but he never lets that interfere with him tackling the tracks as best he can in his own style.

With crack shot players Lee Moloney (drums & percussion) and Richie Vez (bass & percussion) on board, and horns courtesy of Mike and Brian Lizotte, Diesel handles everything else, keeping it simple and rocking throughout.

Buddy Holly’s Rave On is reinvented as if it were Diesel’s own, Joni Mitchell’s Circle Game is wonderful, again recasting the fragile beauty of the original in his inimitable style, The Band’s Rag Mama Rag is a joy to behold, and James Taylor’s Fire And Rain supercharged.

A short instrumental original called Hank’s Dream in the style of The Shadows opens the collection, marking the first new music Diesel has released in a few years. It serves as a fine intro to this collection which has obviously been a labour of love for Mr Lizotte.