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Michael McAdam
A Million Miles
Permanent Records
Review
by: Kent Harrison
Michael McAdam, now a Nashville-based songwriter and a session
guitarist extraordinaire who has been called on by no less than
Steve Earle, Mary Chapin Carpenter, Charlie and Bruce Robison
and more to help flesh out their albums, once spent some time
around R-Town in Virginia. I probably only arrived on the fringes
of Mr. McAdam's period in the Capital City, so I won't profess
to know what/who he played with here. I do think that he probably
was in the version of The Good Humor Band that played in VCU's
now-defunct Shafer Court stage, or perhaps in a number of other
clubs, including Good Times. Anyhoo, Michael McAdam has spent
the past couple of decades contributing to a considerable amount
of intelligent country and Americana music. Over the past few
years he has also been assembling some of his original tunes,
and carefully has made a remarkable debut solo record. A MILLION
MILES is an impressive survey of well-placed guitar licks, finely
tuned instrumental backing, and some heart-felt, tugging, memorable
lyrics. Before you read on and skip this review, let me drop
some names of whom McAdam's premiere record reminds me of: Stephen
Bruton, Bill Lloyd, Steve Earle, Marshall Crenshaw, John Hiatt,
Tom Petty, to name a few. If you aren't into any of these guys,
please press fast forward. Examples? How's about "Thanks
A Lot," a Hammond organ drenched bitter kiss off to those
stuffy "friends" with money, shiny cars, and "sushi
dinners;" and the Crenshaw-like "One Good Day,"
whereby the singer, like any addict, exclaims "all I ask
for is one good day." The mandolin-framed acoustic "Paper
Thin," with Kim Richey's perfectly placed harmonies, is
probably the closest to country/folk McAdam gets on A MILLION
MILES. This line says it all: "We walk on ice that's paper
thin/We live a lie we live a sin." McAdam does his best
to demonstrate that he ain't a one trick pony on A MILLION MILES.
He dabbles with cocktail jazz with the Bacharach-ish "Suzannne,"
treads close to RUBBER SOUL territory on the acoustic love song
"Little Things," and takes a shot at pure pop in "Right
Before Your Eyes," a very hummable tune which gets extra
points from this reviewer for including references to "the
rumble seat of your daddy's Dodge." "Eden Avenue"
is stalker-ish ("Seven rows behind you, a theater dark
as coal/I carefully plan my exit before the credits roll")
and has a hauntingly beautiful slide guitar ending. "You
Know I Will," a cool little song closest in vein to McAdam's
times with Steve Earle, is probably the most frank, lyrically
wise ("And I've been lonesome and been misused, But I never
seen the likes of a woman like you"). The tune is eerily
similar to John Prine's "All The Best." Of course,
a musician with Mike McAdam's talent is expected to showcase
some chops on his first album, and he gives us a few, tasty,
and satisfying morsels on A MILLION MILES. Proof is in "Stratisfaction,"
a hot Fender-bending, string-melting road song, with Richmond's
Mike Lucas contributing electric rhythm; and in the mind-bending
version of the Tokens' classic "The Lion Sleeps Tonight."
McAdam's interpretation includes wah-wah guitars, Hawaiian Steel,
pedal steel, and cleverly placed lead guitars taking on the
traditional vocal parts, and gives the song depth with perfectly
timed percussion and "Hup-Hup" chants. So, go look
in Plan 9's Local Music section to find this CD. If it sells,
then perhaps someone will take notice of Michael McAdam's skills
beyond the fret board and give him a chance to share more of
his songwriting.
Available online
at CDBaby
or at Plan
9 Records and Tower Records in Richmond, VA |
