There's a misperception among music fans that the material a player is most commonly associated with is also the stuff that sums up who he/she is. It's a reasonable enough assumption to make; in every other line of work, if you sign your name to something, you're supporting the decisions made and are responsible for it right? That's a very two-dimensional way of looking at it though. Members of the arts community in general (but musicians in particular) work at a job that other people consume for entertainment. That's their livelihood and it's fun, but it's still work and, like the division between every other life and job, there are things that musicians do to pay the bills and things they do to make them happy and find fulfillment. Take guitarist Rusty Anderson for example; for the last eight years, he's been playing guitar in Paul McCartney's band and (presumably) turning a good living at it. He's done it for years – how long have you worked at the same job? As is the case in your life, being Paul McCartney's guitarist is not all that Anderson is about and not all he wants to do – in fact, his debut solo album illustrates that he has a greater musical palette than that which he employs with the former Beatle.
Even with that assertion made though, there's little doubt that the uninitiated will be taken by surprise by Anderson's new album, Born On Earth. From note one of the monster riffing title track, the guitarist cuts loose and shows listeners what he likes to do for fun. “Born On Earth” is a marvel of composition in that it flows neatly and seamlessly between its equal parts of Alice Cooper/Stooges guitar meltdown and string-enhanced pop gem without even flinching.
The complete about-face from the bombast of “Born On Earth” happens as “Timed Exposure” warms up. With gentle but very ornate acoustic guitars and a vocal tenor so far removed from the previous track as to be confused with a different singer, Anderson shifts to an able and believable singer/songwriter stance that will further shock listeners that were still adjusting to the 'wolf in sheep's clothing' impression left by the comparison of the previous track versus the guitarist's previous work with Paul McCartney.
When the gears shift again on “Baggage Claim” into a more celestial sort of classic rock form, the design behind Born On Earth makes itself apparent; while he's been making music professionally for years, this is indeed Rusty Anderson's own album (his second solo effort) so, for these eleven tracks, the guitarist is going to try on every shoe at hand and see which fits best.
If one uses that understanding as a guide, Born On Earth begins to flow a little easier. By turns, Anderson plays out some surprisingly believable Peter Frampton chops (“Private Moon Dancer”) before serenading Julia Roberts (“Julia Roberts”), aping Don Henley (“Under A White Star”), and unearthing some No Depression joy on “Where Would We Go?” In each case, Anderson presents these songs as being forgotten classics from a parallel universe – albeit slightly more modern given the unexpected electronic touchings – and listeners find themselves seeing that as a genuine possibility given the caliber of them.
In the end, as the quizzically entitled “Intro” leads the record out on some transcendent alt-rock vibes, listeners will find themselves at a loss for what exactly they just heard. Born On Earth successfully touches every corner of the guitar rock universe in its run-time, but leaves no impression of which quadrant Rusty Anderson calls home; he's played them all here and done so with no obvious stylistic gaffes or unfortunately chosen paths. Born On Earth successfully solidifies a new, wildly adaptable voice from guitarist Rusty Anderson – it'll be interesting to see where he goes next or if he settles in any one of the places expressed here.
Artist:
www.rustyanderson.com/
www.myspace.com/rustyandersonmusic
Album:
Born On Earth is available exclusively through Amazon. Buy it here.
