REVIEW: G. Love & Special Sauce, Philadelphonic (Okeh/550 Music)
- Matthew Carlin
G. Love and Special Sauce never used to get any props from music critics - which really isn't much of a surprise. Because while silly, funky songs like "Baby's Got Sauce" and "Cold Beverage" do get the chicks' booties shaking on the college circuit, crusty old critics usually don't go in for such whimsy - especially when the blues is invoked. In fact, after those minor hits from G. Love's major label debut, radio programmers and the like have also pretty much forgotten about poor Garrett Dutton, the white rapping blues man from Philadelphia. But not unlike a handful of other hard-working bands who constantly tour (moe., Widespread Panic, Strangefolk, etc.), G. and his crew have achieved a modest level of success completely removed from the world of big light shows, MTV and opening up for big arena acts.
Now, for whatever reason, critics are giving G. some of the love he deserves. Multiple scribes have even referenced Beck in their reviews for Philadelphonic, which in the great elementary school of music writers is like a gold star from your kindergarten teacher. How anyone would reach such a conclusion about a guy who favors the sounds of jazzy upright basses, vintage drums and smooth vocal harmonies over moog synthesizers certainly defies logic. But I suppose any white guy who likes hip-hop as much as the blues is automatically subject to such comparison. I digress...
Even though critics are right in giving G. his due respect, truth be told, G. & company haven't changed their formula since their last, and better, release Yeah, it's That Easy. Which doesn't mean Philadelphonic isn't worth a listen, after all G. Love's tunes are always pleasant and, well, tuneful. The grooves are always driving without being overpowering, and G.'s guitar and harmonica playing is always tasteful and sincere. Special Sauce, with Jimi "Jazz" Prescott on bass and Jeffrey "Houseman" Clemens on drums, swing better than any zoot-suit-wearing swing bands on the scene today. Basically, G. Love & Special Sauce provide good time music that defies heady analysis. The swooning girls at their concerts can attest to that.
High points on Philadelphonic include the cow-bell-driven go-go beat that pushes the self-explanatory "Rock N' Roll (Shouts Out Back to the Rappers)" beyond a laundry list of rappers G. admires, and the mid-tempo hip-hop of "Friday Night (Hundred Dollar Bill)." G. Love achieves the impossible on "Friday Night" with a Slick Rick imitation that doesn't fail miserably.
The real stand-out track is "Do it for Free," which starts with a bossa nova-ish beat that gives way to the trademark vocal harmonies and funky guitar parts G. Love shines best at. The kitchen-sink-inclusive song rolls into what the press kit accurately describes as a "sort of D.C. go-go meets New Orleans second line" groove, which builds to some syncopated guitar and bass lines before winding back into the go-go/second line beat. The entertaining lyrics lay out G. Love's deal pretty concisely as well: "The place is filled with smoke and women/You told me that the music really couldn't be much phatter/I said I got a girlfriend/You said it didn't matter/She started pressing up/And I was getting kind of heated/The pressure's building up/And release is what I needed."
To make a long story short, the young lady begs and pleads, G. coyly leaves his response open to interpretation, proclaims his overwhelming love for some (other?) girl and talks some more about love that lasts forever and how good it is. As with all his lyrics and music, despite a certain level of cheesiness, G. Love is so sincere you have to like the guy. Thrilled to put a chicken in the pot by playing music, glad to reveal his influences and content to preach to the comfortable number of converted, G. Love seems to fully enjoy life. It comes through on disc and it's best to not think about it too much.
