Walt Wilkins - Plenty

Walt Wilkins is a visionary in the Texas songwriting world. Using just the right mix of Country, Folk, Americana and Soul, Walt can take you to a place you've never been and make you feel at home.  This album stands up with the other great WW albums like Mustang Island, Rivertown and Hopewell. Every track on this album just feels right. A collection of 12 songs and I don't skip any of them. Picking a favorite song from this collection would be impossible. However, one of my favorites is "Between Midnight and Day". This song includes the line "This life that I live is mostly a gift from these songs I play, and they've been fine companions between midnight and day". Perfection Walt, pure perfection.

 Now, go do yourself a favor and head on over to iTunes or Amazon and buy this album.  While you're there, I recommend taking a preview of some of the other stuff.  Especially the "Rivertown" album.  One of my favorites.

I'd like to mention the coolest thing about this guy.  He's just a great human being.  I suggest you check out this project he and his band The Mystiqueros worked on called "Vigil"...  Great story.  Get yourself some great music and help a great cause in the process.

I cannot wait to see Walt live.  We may be planning our next vacation around his shows in Texas!  I love Texas anyway, so why not take in a great show and hopefully meet a hero!

Dusting Off The Keyboard

Wow!  It's been a long time since I've been on here. I'm gonna be getting back in the swing of things and doing more reviews.  Mostly focusing on music.  More specifically indie or at least away from the main stream of music.  First up will be Walt Wilkins.  You guys are gonna love this cat.  Hope to keep this thing going a little more frequently.  Maybe once a week or so.  So if you know anybody who would be interested, send them my way!

Take care out there!

John

Clutch - Strange Cousins From the West

This is a little behind, but I like to get a real good feel for certain albums before I review them. Remember, I review not critique. For starters if you are not a fan of Clutch (you should be), just kidding, it's not for everybody, but I'm a country guy and I love their groove, so check it out on youtube or something. Anyway. This is the follow up to Beale Street to Oblivion. And the band said it would be a more stripped down, straight forward rock without so much jamming. This is true, but the first thing I noticed there doesn't seem to be the presence of the organ on this album. I really liked that sound in the past.

That being said... This is still one of their best albums. I think it is a strong dose of Clutchness that any fan would love to own. I also feel the need to say this about the packaging... The way they packaged this CD is the reason I buy CDs and not download all my music. It is another element of the project, that you just can't get from the net. Also, I did a pre-order from newburrycomics.com and got an extra insert that was autographed by the band. You really can't beat that.

Now to the music, the bread and butter of it all. Sequencing is a big thing to me. I like to see how they order the tracks and the flow of this album is very good. Starting off with "Motherless Child", "Struck Down", "50,000 Unstoppable Watts", and "Abraham Lincoln". I would go on, and almost feel I should mention every track, because they are all that good. However, I will leave you with that for now. 11 tracks total, and a bonus download online that holds up to the rest of them wonderfully.

Now for the best news... I am going to see CLUTCH in KC on Oct 1st!!!! I can't wait to see these songs live. I haven't seen them since before Beale Street came out. So I'm pretty excited. Go drop $15 on this CD... *Mackey's promise, you won't be disappointed. I give it 4/5 Stars.

*Mackey's promise in no way stands up to a warranty or guarantee of any kind, and Mackey's Music Review is not accountable to any disappointed consumer who takes the advice of Mackey. Furthermore $15 is only an assumption of Mackey on the price of the CD and is not the MSRP. LOL!!! I hope you all enjoy that nonsense.

Jamey Johnson

Hey everybody! So I know it's been some time. I'm sorry about that. Well, I just gotta rave about this cat for a bit.

Jamey Johnson got his artist career going with a major label a couple years ago. You might remember a song called "The Dollar" about a father always working and the son giving him $1 to help out so he wouldn't have to spend so much time at work. Well, shortly after that the label dropped a few new artists and Jamey was one of them. Could have been a really sad day for country music...

However, get this after that, Jamey Johnson went on to write or co-write a string of songs that were getting recorded by singers like George Strait. Most of us would kill for talent like Jamey's. It wasn't "all good" after the drop though. The same day the label dropped him, his girlfriend left him. Talk about a day that makes you question loyalty. And the next year was pretty dark.

He is now with a new label and has a new album called "That Lonesome Song". WOW, it is one of the greatest albums in a long time. Look him up on myspace or youtube to hear some of these great songs: "In Color", "That Lonesome Song", "High Cost of Living", "Back to Caroline". There are so many more. Just take my word for it. If you are a fan of Walon Jennings, or if you have any real taste at all, you will Love Jamey Johnson.


Thanks,
John

Pat Green - What I'm For

Ok, so it seems like forever since I've posted a review. Well, I was waiting for a couple albums to come out. Things seem to have been kinda slow in the music world, but on Jan. 27th, there were two releases that I was waiting for all summer and fall long. One of them was Bruce Springsteen's Working on a Dream. I will review that one next. But first let's talk about Pat Green's What I'm For.


The first single off of this album "Let Me" is now well into the top 20 and rising. However, it came out in June, so I'm looking for another release soon. I love this CD, it has everything I look for in a great mix of songs. Some fun, some deep, and something that makes a statement about the artists view point of the world. The song selections they did for this project exceeded my expectations on this front.

"Footsteps of our Fathers" I think would make a great single. And I'd like to see it live as well. It kinda talks about how the constant of our actions, and how what we do today, could carry on to our children and to their children and from a son and a father standpoint this one hits home with me.

"What I'm For" is really just like it says. These are the things that the writer and artist can tell you that they are for. This is the song that makes THE STATEMENT on this record and therefore I understand why it got the "title track" vote.

"Lucky" just sums up my life right now. There was a time I thought, "Man if I could just get a band and go to Nashville and make it big and have the cars, the money the fame..." you know how it goes. But now as a husband, father, son, friend, I have everything I really want in life. Now it's just what I make of it. Plus this is one of those fun ones that you can just crank up and go!

"Feeling Pretty Good Tonight". This one was written by Pat and Bobby Pinson. I have loved Bobby's stuff since I first heard him. He has a "special" way of looking at things and I'm always excited to hear what he comes up with. This is one of those fun songs that you just turn up an sing along and you don't care what the person next to you at the light thinks, because they don't have the pleasure you have getting to hear such great sounds from your speakers.

"In This World". This one had to grow on me. The first time I listened I thoght, "Oh that's a nice little acoustic song to put on there to tone it back a little." But now that I've listened to it a few times, it takes on a deeper meaning. It seems to be more about the human race and the persistance of trying to find a place in the world were we all belong and can come to an understanding.

"Carry On". Now this has been on a couple other PG albums, but this is a little different version. At first I wasn't sure about this, but it was nice to see how it has changed and kinda grown up in Pat's mind.

"In the Middle of the Night". This song is truley great. I think it will stand the test of time. In 10 years I will look back at Pat's entire career and I think this song will stand up there with "Carry On", "If I had a Million", or "Southbound 35".

I'd also like to say, when it comes to Pat Green along with many singer/songwriters who are more underground, I am very torn between trying to promote them so others can enjoy it as much as I have and keeping all the good stuff to myself. Letting the other "Country music fans" be content with the mainstream, believing that that is all there is. But I can't help but to promote such good music. I believe that is why I'm here to help the lost souls find what they are looking for through music. So go buy Pat Green's "What I'm For". I give it 5/5 Stars!

Album Review: AC/DC - Black Ice

OK, so it's been a while since I did a review so I hope people are still reading this blog. Got this CD for Christmas. I had heard all the hype, "It is vintage AC/DC", "It sounds just like the old stuff". Well, while digital technology and the evolving mindset of an artist, makes 30 years of music sound very different, I was pleasantly surprised at the simplicity of it. Straight forward rhythm driven rock with simple lyrics. Much like the old stuff. I know some fans like the old stuff and refuse to even listen to new stuff because they are stuck in the past. Or they are so afraid of getting old, if they never hear new stuff it's like it never happened. Bad news for you, Black Ice just happened. And you're getting old! Who cares, old means something. It means you made it. You survived a lot of crap that was thrown at you and you now have some scars as reminders, but you lived it. Brian Johnson, Angus Young, Malcolm Young, Cliff Williams and Phil Rudd understand that. They just want you to come to the party and enjoy it.

So 15 songs. I'd say 7 really good ones, 5 decent ones and a couple I'll probably skip over. I think you'll agree, but if you can't spare the price of 2 movie tickets to own 13 good rock songs, then you weren't a fan to begin with. Just speaking in the attitude of rock. Oh yeah I almost forgot 4/5 stars.

Thanks.

Jersey Girl - Movie Review

This is a very good movie. Starring Ben Afleck, George Carlin, Liv Tyler and Raquel Castro. I must say with some of the movies Ben Afleck has done, and with George Carlin being in a more serious role, I was sceptical, but the trailor was so good I wanted to see it. I was not disapointed. Written by Kevin Smith, (Clerks, Jay and Silent Bob), this stepped into a more serious and mature theme. 5/5 Stars.

George Strait music video for Troubadour

I saw George Strait's video for Troubadour. I already loved the song. The video takes kind of a nostalgic look at his career. I think I had already seen all the photos they used, but it was cool seeing it put in this video. Since we have moved back to Maryville, I have been taking lots of memory lane trips lately so this video makes a lot of since to me right now. And George is just so cool. 5/5 Stars

Bruce Springsteen - Live in KC

As a lot of you know, I am a huge Springsteen fan. I had a chance to go in 2001 and didn't. I've regretted it since. So when this time came around, I scraped up the $$$ and got 2 tickets. I went with my father-in-law, who also is a big BOSS fan. He hasn't been to many concerts. Not many tours go through Farm Town, Iowa. So I think the experience was pretty cool for him too.

Show start time was 7:30. We got there at 7:20 and about 1000 or so fans were still trying to get in. Security was pretty tight and not very well organized. We grabbed a T-Shirt and got to our seats by 7:45 or so. They were still working on setting up stage and lights. No explanation was ever given for the delay, but at 8:50 the show finally started. I know they usually play for about 3 hours, so I knew it would be a late night. He started off with a string of some new stuff, I had never heard. They were OK, what I could understand of it. Then broke into Hungry Heart. The set list was pretty diverse. After 30 years, it would be hard to pick 20 songs to do. So he did about 30 or so. Some of the best I thought were "Out in the Streets", "Badlands", "Youngstown", "The Promised Land", "No Surrender" and "Tenth Avenue Freeze-out". He dedicated "Devils & Dust" to the troops. The first Encore, had the best moments though. "Born to Run" was tops for the night, and "Rosalita" was pretty cool. The second encore had "Dancin' in the Dark" and some others, I can't remember. Max even sang a song for the first time EVER!!! Since this was the first tour without Danny Federici, they did "Sandy" in memory of Danny. Very cool.

They were still playing at 12:00 when we left. We both had to be up early the next morning and with a 2 hour drive ahead of us, that wasn't looking good. I really wanted to see "Thunder Road", "Jungleland" and "Born in the USA". But we got our money worth.

Because of the late start, and some of the new songs were just ok, I give this show a 4.5/5 stars.

Batman - The Dark Knight

WOW! I know everybody is saying that Heath Ledger should win the Oscar... and he should. This was not only the best comic book movie I've seen, but one of the best movies period. My only complaint was that they could have cut the last 20 minutes or so out, and put that in the next movie. Anyway, I can't wait for it to come out on DVD so I can buy it. I loved it. 5/5 Stars

Re-Review: Bruce Springsteen - Magic

Well, if you have read my reviews you know, I really came down hard on The Boss' new album "Magic". Well, since I am finally going to get to see him live in Aug. I decided to dig out the new stuff and get real familiure with it. I want to be able to follow all the songs he does. So after listening to this album again about 3 times, I have to re-rate it.

If you listen to rock radio, you have probably already heard "Radio Nowhere". Like that song, many of the others had to grow on me first. That is unusual for a Springsteen album. However, it is refreshing that he isn't afraid to try something new. He doesn't just release the same music with different names and places referenced. The good thing is this is still an E. Street Band record as well. I am just as much a fan of the band as I am of Bruce. Anyway, so if you like the Born in the USA album and if you liked new stuff like The Rising, you should go get Magic. However don't judge it on just 1 spin. Remember, let it grow on you. I now give this album 3.5/5 Stars.

Nerd Test

So my wife took a nerd test and got like a 38%. She made me take it to since I work on computers. I got a 63% rating which means I am a Nerd, but low on the totem pole of nerds. If you would like to try it yourself click the link below...

Dead Man's Bounty

Ok, from the best movie in a long time, to the worst movie EVER. I was so excited to see a western on the movie selection. What a disgrace. I was so disappointed, I may not rent a Lionsgate film for a long time. The music was terrible, the script made me want to puke and the acting was so bad, I couldn't even watch the damn thing. Fast forwarded it to the last 10 minutes after 20 minutes of crap, to find that the rest of he movie was crap as well. This movie could have been made by 12 year olds and been better. I don't normally bash writers and actors, but this was sooooo bad, it should never have been released. Maybe we could use it for our torture tactics in Iraq... 0/5 Stars.

The Bucket List

I have to say, this was one of the best movies I've ever seen. Jack Nicholson and Morgan Freeman are great together. Two completely different characters, who find common ground in the fact that they both have been given months to live. They create a list of things to do before they kick he bucket...

I loved it. After renting it, I will now be buying it. Go get it today!!! 5/5 stars.

Pat Green new single "Let Me"

Wow!!! I love this song. The first spin it was just pretty good. Now I've listened to it about 15 times in the last few hours... This will be on Pat Greens new CD due out this fall (title TBD).

Let Me is a mellow song that lovers will fall in love to again. I really can't wait to see it live!!!

It was released to major markets yesterday. But has been played by some stations for a couple weeks. If you can't get it in your area, you can wait or just join Pat's fan club (The Dancehall - $29/yr) and listen to it as often as you like.

Thanks,
John

Bruce Springsteen - Magic

I am a huge Springsteen fan. However, If you like 70's - 80's Springsteen, I wouldn't recommend this one to you. It gets a little too political for a guy who says "I will never be in politics". There are a couple songs that I would listen to more than once. Other than that, I was very disappointed. If you want some newer sounding music from the Boss that lives up the the old stuff, I would suggest The Rising. I give The Rising 4/5 stars. On the other hand Magic would have to be 2.5/5 stars.

Eagles - Long Road Out of Eden

This is a 2 disc set that includes 20 all new songs. Some of the songs have the traditional Eagles sound such as "How Long". Some have a purely Don Henley feel and some have the Joe Walsh sound all over them. Now this being 2008 and not 1974, corporate execs have their hands in on this now. And you can hear it on some tracks. "What do I do with my Heart" has a early 80's Chicago feel to it, but almost sounds boy band from the Eagles. Still a good track though. So if you are an Eagles/Henley/Walsh fan, this is a good pick for you. 4/5 stars. $12 @ Wal-Mart.

Movie Review - Hell Town (John Wayne)

Released in 1937, Hell Town featured a young John Wayne playing the role of a smooth talking man on the run named Dare Rudd. He finds his way to Wyoming where his cousin, who is a big time cattleman/banker, is hesitant to help him out. However he promised Dare's father he would make an honest cattleman out of his cousin.

Dare, also self proclaimed "best poker player west of the Miss.", isn't interested in the honest work until he starts to fall for is cousins girl. With his newfound integrity, he sets out with a team on a drive. However after cattle thieves fail to get the cattle during the drive, they try to lure Dare back into his old habits beating him at his own game. It would take some miracle to rescue him and prove himself to his cousin and his new lady...

This movie is included in a DVD package available at Wal-Mart for around $10. It includes 20 movies mostly from the 30s. More to come...

Introduction to Mackey's Music Review & more

I am a 26 year old musician/song writer. I am above all a country music fan. However, my interest span a wide variety including, classic rock, big band, blues, some hip-hop and some modern rock. When I say country music, that is pretty broad though. I lump modern country, bluegrass, western swing and Texas country all in there (...and yes there is a difference between Texas country and what most of us hear on the radio).

I also love movies. Mostly action, comedy and drama. I will also be reviewing some movies. You may even see a book review or two. Who knows, I might get nuts and start suggesting restaurants to you as well. You never know.

So sit back, pop a top and prepare to be informed or, I hope, at least entertained. Don't take it too seriously. I don't take myself seriously too often, so I don't expect you to.

Thanks for stopping in.

John