'Round The Dial
1/23/09
By: Tom Hallett

Barry Thomas Goldberg
The Creek
2009
HIJ Recordings

Local alternative/folk-rock stalwart Barry Thomas Goldberg has made a name for himself among the current generation as an outspoken, fearless political commentator and a musician who can adapt to a bevy of different styles, but he has, in fact, been playing and writing his original brand of protest songs for over 4 decades. You can check out his early work (An absolute must-have for collectors of sixties-era Twin Cities bands, much of which is psychadelic-inspired garage rock that's reminiscent of artists ranging from The early Who to Buffalo Springfield to Frank Zappa And The Mothers and CCR) by visiting www.ironweeds.com or CD Baby and picking up the album The Batch: Transistor- The Lost Basement Recordings, 1968-1971.

The Creek was originally intended to capture live the raw essence of some of his most memorable past compositions, but during rehearsals, Goldberg found that he could not refrain from penning new material and making some of the boldest statements of his career. That, it turns out, is a very good thing, considering that although we've finally voted into office some apparently honest and empathetic politicians, we'll be dealing with the last administration's fall-out for decades to come.

Barry's illustrious catalog gives new credence to the old adage, "The more things change, the more they stay the same." His first songs came to fruition during the height of the Vietnam War, and today's social, political, and economic climate is a stark reflection of those tumultuous times. Goldberg was right to avoid making some grand, final statement just as the world needs his brand of raw, gutsy folk rock the most. This album is an amazing amalgam of musical approaches with a common thread- the world around us- even though the subject matter may not be exactly what the average club-going party animal might want to hear.

Goldberg's voice is a curious melding of Warren Zevon's smart-aleck howl, Elvis Costello's inscrutable, dry vocal tease, and Springsteen's devil-may-care holler. Not exactly what you'd think of when picturing a modern folk-rocker, but that's where the "alternative" derivation comes in. This isn't the stuffy, collegiate folk so common in coffee houses and on open stages, but a decidedly ballsier, more brash musical statement barely held in check by a time-wise pen. Simply put, it's music for the people made by a person, nothing more, nothing less.

Whether he's yelping indignantly about the state of the economy ("Hard Times,") musing on the effects of the real estate melt-down ("The Creek,") or growling along with gritty rhythm and sobbing slide guitars ("My Honeybee,") Goldberg undeniably makes each cut his own personal rock n' roll stump from which to impart his hard-won personal philosophies. His staunch backing band (Gary Paulak on guitar, slide, bass and backing vox, Marc Partridge on lead guitar, Jim Steinworth on organ and accordian, Gregg Kubera and Larry Hofmann on bass, and Scott Homan and Steve Thielges on drums) is obviously at home in the studio and onstage with him, and judging from the sound thrashing they give their instruments here, are in complete agreement with his earthy, pro-Democracy stance.

"Afghanistan" is ablaze with righteous anger, guitars sizzling and snare positively cracking along with a timely tale of one of the several wars the U.S. is currently involved in, and rings out a hard truth with lines like, "I wonder where I am/I must be in Afghanistan/Get me home, get me home right now/I got a wife and a child I love/I was answering freedom's call/Get me home, get me home right now..." "Propaganda" tumbles out on a funky drum beat and gleefully off-kilter keyboards, coming off like an alternate-galaxy blending of The Minutemen and The Monks.

The whole package wraps up with the outraged rant "Big Oil," (which was picked by the prestigious Brit rock mag NME as a "Best New YouTube Video" the week of its release) a self-explanatory slice of contemporary commentary that covers not only its stated topic but also homes in on many of the rotting super-structures that are supported by it.

Bottom line, Barry Thomas Goldberg is to today's fearless, all-American folk-rock movement what past heroes such as Pete Seeger and Woody Guthrie were to theirs- he's just a hell of a lot louder and more world-weary than they were. A fierce, undeniable call to attention for a new generation from a guy who's been there and back and isn't ready to hang up his guitar until either he or fascism have taken leave of this planet. Available now on CD Baby.

That about wraps up this installment of the 'Dial...we'll be back soon with more local reviews and a peek at some new national releases, including the latest from The Alternate Routes and American Laundromat Records' Tribute To The Cure. Keep the knob locked in right here, and until we meet again- make yer own damn news.