CD Review

by Bob McKillop

(for a profile of Garnet Rogers on MaineFolkMusic.com, go HERE)

“Get a Witness” is a live album, recorded at The Black Sheep in Wakefield, P.Q. at the end of July 2007.  That fact distinguishes this disc from other Garnet Rogers records in several ways.  You will notice the instrumentation immediately –  Dave Matheson’s electric guitar, David Woodhead’s bass, and Cheryl Reid’s drums give this disc a much more aggressive, rock-oriented feel than Rogers’ studio releases.  The songs are much longer, which is to be expected for a live recording.  The mix is raw, and the band is reacting to the crowd as well as to each other.

But Garnet’s earnest, passionate, resonate voice, and his lyrical focus on social justice and the sanctity of the natural world, are the familiar turf that kept me grounded throughout the record.  There is no doubt as to the identity of this artist, and what is important to him.

The song sequence of the actual live performances are not known to us, but on the record, Rogers walks us through his anger, then fear, across his gratitude and wonder, through his wistfulness, and finally, leaves us with his pain, love, and memories.  It is a long, emotional journey, and one that should not be taken lightly.

 

“Junior” opens the record, and it is Rogers’ self-therapeutic rant against George W. Bush.  Rock-infused power chords, pounding drums, taunting chic singers in harmony – it’s all here.  Some of the lyrics are a little thread bare – we’ve heard this all before – but several lines are clever and potent, and hit the target dead on:

In Washington there's 50,000 names on the wall

You can't name one of them

You were drunk and AWOL

And we're supposed to come when you call –

You don’t speak for me

“Empty Glass” is a finely crafted story about an old country and western songwriter and performer who is singing his last refrain.  It is mythical, mystical, and extremely imaginative, and my favorite cut on the album.  There is a sidebar commentary on the state of country music that is just so well done, and the symbolism in the outcome of the story is poetic.  Very nicely done.

The final four tracks on the album are an extended tribute to his brother Stan.  Garnet starts the set with the Springsteen tune “Blood Brothers”, with finger style guitar and solo vocals; the band comes in after a verse, lending melancholy and tension to the performance.  David Woodhead contributes an electric bass guitar solo that moves the band across to Garnet’s love song to Stan – “Night Drive”.  This live performance is inspired; the band moves into some altered state and brings home an emotional and symbiotic musical canvas for Garnet’s loving and haunting painting of his lasting connection with Stan.  Rogers then segues into Stan’s “Northwest Passage” to finish the record.

Indeed, this record might be too intense and deep for an extended focused listen from beginning to end.  At a concert venue, each member of the audience becomes part of a holistic experience, and part of the magic.  Listening to this album alone might require some other intellectual activity – reading a novel, for instance – as a backdrop for the depth and range of the themes. 

Catch Garnet Rogers at One Longfellow Square on Saturday, March 29th, at 8:00 PM.  You are sure to be affected by this master songwriter and performer, whose music has inspired a generation of folk music fans.