Search - Martha Davis :: ...So the Story Goes

FINALLY!! Martha Davis Returns, More Engrossing Than Ever!

Jef Fazekas | Newport Beach, California United States | 04/08/2005

(4 out of 5 stars)

"Upon my initial listen of ...SO THE STORY GOES, Martha Davis' first release of all-new studio material since her 1987 solo debut POLICY, I was a little shocked...gone was the sultry chanteuse I'd come to love over the last 25 years. Instead, in her place was a caustic, angry woman who's dissonant edginess was more akin to Courtney Love and Joan Jett than the former frontwoman of the Motels. However, after numerous additional spins of the disc, it hit me - maybe the Martha Davis we thought we knew was just a product of the various producers she had worked with. Maybe THIS was the one, true Martha Davis. Taking things into that context, I was better able to appreciate the challenging nature of ...SO THE STORY GOES and enjoy this album for what it is...thoughtful, uncompromising, raw and intelligent. Opening the disc is "Into Your Arms", an in-your-face rocker that grabs you by the throat, pushes you up against the wall and doesn't let go. The guitars are crunchy, the backbeat unrelenting and the lead vocal honest and unaffected. "True Love" is full of nervous energy, all twitchy and intense. Davis' vocal is almost a howl, and it's brilliantly augmented by Jim Fitting's spot-on harmonica playing. "Angel" is classic Davis...not exactly a ballad, but not really a rocker either. With an economical arrangement, heartfelt vocals and tender lyrics ("And the door moves/Like a slow tune/Letting moon light/In the room/And the shadows/Dance with the halos/That round your head/In the gloom"), this is the type of song that's allowed Davis to stand out as both a vocalist and a lyricist for almost three decades now. "By The Fire" is haunting, hypnotic and, ultimately, slightly disturbing. Davis' voice is alternately warm and chilling, while the arrangement is superb - crashing guitars here, a little percussion there, a touch of acoustic guitar when needed, or a delicate keyboard fill...amazing! And then there's the title track, by far my favorite cut on STSG. Between Paul III's pulsating bassline, Dana Colley's wailing horns and Shon Sullivan's barroom boogie piano from Hell, you have one of the best instrumental tracks of the last decade. Add a gutsy vocal and clever lyrics ("The hardest part as/Everybody knows/Is that God is watchin'/And there's nothin' he don't know") and you have an instant classic. Things continue at breakneck speed with "Sweet Love", a funky rocker with rockabilly undercurrents. Davis delivers the song in a playful, coy vocal, and Dan Colley's sax work proves, once and for all, that Martha Davis' music is absolutely enhanced by horns. The song also proves...once again!...that Davis is second to no one when it comes to clever lyrics: "Ya know love is as sweet/As the icing on cake/But sweets they can kill ya/Make no mistake/Here is a lesson I learned on the way/Be cautious with sweets/They can lead to your grave." Another real gem! "Crazy" is another favorite cut. With it's "Tragic Surf" meets moody swamp boogie vibe, Davis' vocal just oozes out of the speaker, while Clint Walsh's lead guitar playing is simply stunning. It's funny, but every time I hear the song I think "This is like an A#1 Chris Isaak song...from the female perspective!" Awesome! "Where Are You Now" is atmospheric and intoxicating, with an understated, gentle vocal. Mind you, I said understated, not under sung; Davis' vocal phrasing is inventive and fresh throughout, and she hits every note right...when...and where!...she needs to. Definitely one of STSG's best lead vocals! Things get a little bumpy at this point...I find "How It Has To Be" a bit plodding and overblown (though, in all fairness, it has some pretty strong lyrics), and, no matter how hard I try, I still can't get into "Torture Me" - the instrumental track is just noisy for noise's sake, Davis' vocal is weak at it's best, affected at it's worst, and there's just an overall poseur, angry art for art's sake, feel to the track. Things rebound nicely, though, with "You Been Cut", one of Davis' strongest songs to date. This gorgeous cut, with it's muted instrumentation, sweeping vocal and biting lyrics ("The deepest cut is/The thinnist blade/The more severe the less the pain") could be a love song. It could be a political commentary. Heck, it could be a stab at the music industry! It COULD be many things. What it IS is brilliant! Things are wrapped up ever so sweetly with the jaunty "Green Valley." Only Davis could end a record full of so many emotional highs and lows, so much raw intensity, with something so...bouncy! As she ends the song with the repeated line of "And I feel so pretty pleased", the listener can't help but feel that Davis is pleased...with the CD, with herself, with being a survivor (in many ways!). And all I can say is, good for her! If you're tired of the cookie cutter pop and mindless rap 'n' soul that seems to be the norm in today's music, pick up ...SO THE STORY GOES - Martha Davis has created an intelligent, challenging piece of work, and I think the best part is it's only the first paragraph in the second chapter of her musical novel (As with all my 2004 release reviews, I'm giving the disc an extra half a star for including the lyrics)."

No Compromising with Martha Davis......

J. Bilby | Kingston, New Hampshire United States | 06/20/2005

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Dark, moody, haunting, rocking and all Martha Davis. This voice

is still impressive, still hits all the right emotions, the

notes, chills.

Martha gives us a

new vision, its been way too long but thankfully this lady still

can deliver and more. Its also nice she produces this gem and

isn't one bit interested in trying to fit in. Music has changed

so much over the past 15 or more years. Having been

brought up on this style of rock/pop expression its especially cool in

light of the emptiness I find in music anymore. Hardly anyone

sticks their neck out to give us a reminder of the classic

music from the 70's. Slightly harder

edged in places Martha has some interesting stories left to tell.

It will take many listens to pick out my favorites but all

12 songs are unique, I definetely hear

some earlier Motels in there for sure. It would be great

to see Martha and her band on the road again."

This one's a Keeper!

R. Simcox | Los Angeles, CA | 06/08/2005

(5 out of 5 stars)

"I think it's funny that one reviewer was upset that this was not the POP album he expected... THANK GOD! This album sounds more like the Motels first album than any of her later works. It's raw, edgy, haunting and explosive', all rolled into one disk. After more than 15 years since her last new songs were recorded this is a work of art. And heck... there are 2 more albums in the bullpen likely to be released soon.



Take advantage and get this disk and listen to it a few times. I don't know where Martha gets the inspiration to pen such rockers as "True Love" and "Torture Me", or more haunting visions such as "Angel" or the wonderful "Crazy", but I hope it never stops. This one is a big KEEPER!



RS"