As the saying goes, every dog has his day. Or in the case of
TOM WILSON, DOG YEARS.
On this his second solo album, the well-traveled troubadour has come up
with a gem of a record that surely confirms him as one of Canada’s most
compelling singer/songwriters.
There is no over-arching concept or grand mandate behind DOG YEARS.
“This is just a collection of songs I’ve written over the last couple
of years,” explains Tom. Nothing more elaborate than that was required,
given the strength of this material.
Over the course of a career that now spans three decades, Tom Wilson
has put together a body of work impressive in both quantity and
quality. Beat Music, his first full album, was recorded in 1986 with
The Florida Razors, a popular band on the Hamilton scene.
Tom struck Canadian rock gold in the ‘90s as the leader of the much loved
Junkhouse, and then found a whole new audience as a crucial component of roots-rock super-group
Blackie and the Rodeo Kings, with whom he now shares a label home in
True North Records. He found time to release a solo debut,
Planet Love, in 2001, while last year’s collaboration with Bob Lanois,
The Shack Recordings, Vol. 1., was critically acclaimed.
Wilson is now in top form, personally and creatively. As he explains
with typical candour, “For years I was in love with music and in love
with a lot of my life, but I was completely destructive. In the last
little while, I have been productive, and I am figuring out how to be
happy.” That is reflected in the optimistic and positive spirit of many
of the tunes on
DOG YEARS, while others prove his ability as a storyteller and social satirist remains undiminished.
To call DOG YEARS a solo album is something of a misnomer. Tom Wilson
thrives on collaboration and creative interaction, and the benefits of
that process are well in evidence here. A varied group of co-writers
was recruited, and the A-list musicians corralled by producer
Colin Linden further spurred Wilson on to greater heights.
Award-winning producer and musical renaissance man Linden is, of course, a fellow member of
Blackie and the Rodeo Kings.
He and Tom first met when they were playing folk festivals in their
teens, and their deep musical and personal empathy shines through the
grooves of DOG YEARS.
“I trust Colin so much,” states Wilson. “It is startling to be involved
with someone whose love for your music even goes beyond your own. It
makes you respect what you do more, because someone is putting so much
time and love into it.”
Linden’s idea of bringing Wilson down to his Nashville base to record
was an inspired one. “I wanted to take Tom out of his natural habitat
for some of the recording,” he notes. “I wanted to see him with some
musicians who didn’t know him. I knew they’d be knocked out by Tom’s
songs, singing and musicality, and I knew Tom would rise to the
occasion.”
The core of Dog Years was recorded in just three days at The Rendering
Plant, a studio in Nashville favoured by Shelby Lynne. Tom and Colin
later added some backing vocals and guitar parts at Linden’s home, but
the essential spontaneity of the sessions remained.
Lending their talent are such legendary players as Funk Brother
Bob Babbitt,
Gary Tallent of The E Street Band, and bassist
David Roe
(Johnny Cash), while Colin Linden adds characteristically fluent
guitar. Their approach complements Wilson’s musical mission. “The whole
point of making music to me is to communicate,” he stresses.
Tom communicates via a voice best seen as a force of nature. Seemingly
spawned from the mud of the Mississippi Delta, it is steeped in the
spirit of the blues. It also reflects Tom’s beloved hometown, Hamilton,
Ontario. It is raw, honest and unpretentious, primal and a little
dirty, but possessing its own unique grace. If Steeltown could sing,
chances are it would sound a lot like Tom Wilson.
That voice is a natural resource that Wilson has both mined and gently
honed over the years. As The Shack Recording showed, it is now capable
of a real subtle delicacy and soulful expressiveness. On the disc DOG
YEARS, that is exemplified by songs like Talk Of The Town a haunting,
honky-tonk duet with the wonderful
Roseanne Cash.
Then there is Dreamland, a classic-sounding ballad with a cinematic
feel. He can still rock out righteously, as on the gloriously raucous
opening cut
Super Sun Natural and
Little Domino.
A colourful cast of characters assist with co-writes on DOG YEARS. They include Englishman
Stephan Starbuck (The Verve), American
David Ricketts (Sheryl Crow, David & David), and such ace Canadian songwriters as
Josh Finlayson (Skydiggers),
Craig Northey (Northey Venenzuela, Odds), and
Tawgs (Edwin, Kazzer). Top comedienne
Cathy Jones (This Hour Has 22 Minutes) proves herself a real musical talent with
Keep On Grinning penned with real-life partner Wilson.
Not that the prolific Wilson requires help in the writing department.
After all, his compositions have been covered by the likes of
Murray McLauchlan,
Billy Ray Cyrus,
Edwin, and
Colin James and
Mavis Staples.
“I just like writing with other people because I’m interested in their
perspective,” explains Tom. This eclectic ensemble of co-writers helps
account for the refreshing diversity of DOG YEARS. The album is given
coherence via Wilson’s distinctive voice, Linden’s sympathetic
production, and the topnotch playing.
2006 promises to be another hectic and creative year for a rejuvenated
Tom Wilson. He intends to tour extensively with DOG YEARS, prior to
hitting the road once more with Blackie and the Rodeo Kings, their
much-anticipated fourth release is finished and is scheduled for the
fall. With talk of another Shack Recording as well, there is clearly no
rest on the horizon.
“My goal is to always be making records, to keep productive,” insists Tom. For that, we can be very grateful.