REVIEW: Jules Shear, Healing Bones (Polygram)
- Dan Enright
I was first introduced to Jules songwriting on the Jules and the Polarbears albums. Jules has been writing and recording since the mid 70s yet he never gets airplay or rack space. This is a shame because he is a strong songwriter whose songs have been recorded and performed by other (more well known) musicians while he has remained in the shadows. I think it reasonable to compare him to Paul Weller, John Hiatt, and Bruce Tunkle - not stylisticaly, but as unknown by most except their peers.
This disc finds Jules working with a very talented and established group of musicians - Tony Levin on bass (King Crimson/Peter Gabriel), Elliot Easton on guitar (Cars), Rod Argent on keyboards (Zombies/Argent), and Jerry Marotta on drums (countless studio sessions). Rod is also the producer and his touch is evident throughout the session. The production is fairly lighthanded though the lowkey structure of the arrangements allows it to be heard (not distractingly - like is sometimes the case) especially on "By and By" and (the only cover on the album, the Walker Brothers' hit) "The Sun Ain't Gonna Shine Anymore."
The songs themselves are slower in tempo than most contemporary music, showcasing Jules' lyrical composition and capturing a mid 60's pop style - which Jules claims as a major influence. I really liked the acoustic guitar/vocal song "Heaven/Hell" with the lyrics: 'I know a place/Where the poets/Have no words to sell/Is it heaven/Or is it hell - I know a place/Where words can't/Conjure up a spell/Is it heaven/Or is it hell.' The song "Two Friends" which is about having two polar personalities 'They both tell me/What the other one means/Two friends inside of me' that are always at war. Even though it is held in check on the album, I suspect that it is a hard rocker live. That is the overall impression about these songs; slow and smooth, but the potential is there for them to kick loose. They are all strong tunes and it is really hard to pick any - they all stand out.
If you like songwriters then check this disc out. If you like rockers then wait and see him perform live, hopefully with this line-up.
