22 November 2006

P.W. Long's Reelfoot: We Didn't See You On Sunday


BIOGRAPHY P. W. began his musical journey in Wig, back in 1989. After two years as their singer, P.W. decided to take things in his own direction and formed Mule with Kevin Monro and Jim Kimball. Mule's first, self-titled record was released on Quarterstick Records in 1992, followed by the Wrung EP. Mule was a live band to be reckoned with, and earned a reputation around the States as a three-man behemoth.
After the release of If I Don't Six in 1994 P. W. disbanded Mule to do his own thing as a solo artist. That didn't last long, however. After touring around doing acoustic shows on his own, he soon found himself hooking up with a new rhythm section (former Jesus Lizard drummer Mac McNeilly and a bassist by the name of Dan Maister) and bringing a whole new aesthetic to his performances. He would very often begin the set on his own, playing some songs solo, only to be joined on stage by Mac and Dan for a full-on assault. The trio (now christened P. W. Long's Reelfoot) recorded We Didn't See You On Sunday, a collection of songs that documented P. W.'s penchant for both the acoustic and electric sides of music, which was released on Touch and Go Records in 1997.
1998 saw the release of Push Me Again, a new collection of songs that found P. W. and Reelfoot dropping the quieter side of things in favor of a full- out assault. Reelfoot as a band had jelled, and with the addition of Mark Boyce's keys, they had never been tighter. P. W. even said that he felt that record was the closest he'd ever come to getting on tape what he had envisioned.
After touring and eventually ending their run as Reelfoot, P. W. disappeared for a while, only to emerge in 2001 to play as part of the Shellac-curated All Tomorrow's Parties in Camber Sands, England. His performances that weekend captivated the audiences and sparked a fire in P. W. that lead him to record his latest effort, Remembered. Recorded in Texas, Remembered finds P. W. softening the rougher edges of Reelfoot and exploring a more melodic side of his songwriting. P. W.'s music has always come from the heart, and on Remembered, the blood pours. The lyrics resonate with the voice of someone who knows he's made mistakes, but underneath it all, there's a faint hope of redemption.

We Didn't See You On Sunday

Dan Maister played bass
Mac McNelly played drums and sang some too
Jeremy Jacobsen played organ
Casey Driessen played fiddle
Recorded by Steve Albini and Josh Kramer
Mixed by Steve Albini

No comments: