Fremont
John – Contrarian (Independent)
Fremont John earned his spurs touring the Midwest,
singing and playing electric guitar / keyboards with his band InnerVision -
supporting major artists like Rush and Styx, before a career in banking and
then his own environmental business began to demand more of his time. However,
the music bug isn’t so easy to kick, and in the early ‘90s he returned to the
stage with InnerVision drummer Michael Carden, and together they formed Alias,
a popular classic rock outfit that gigged extensively throughout the decade.
Simultaneously, Fremont John began to perform solo, acoustic shows, which he
enjoyed as much as his audiences, and in 1999 he sold his business, relocated
to Key West, and decided to properly re-launch his music career.
There, he’s become something of an institution
amongst local fans, with monthly tours and a succession of acclaimed records
under his belt. An extremely gifted acoustic guitarist, he’s well known for
re-inventing well-known and classic songs, and there are four of them on
“Contrarian”. Indeed, his take on The Allman Brothers’ “Melissa” is revelatory,
with his comfortable vocal combining with his guitar, and neither dominating
the space. Equally, the Isley’s “Summer Breeze” is relieved of its languid
electric solo and is replaced with something earthier and innate. It’s a great
version.
Of course, there’s no shortage of original material
to be found amongst the dozen tracks on “Contrarian”, and the fact that they
happily co-exist alongside genre-defining songs is worth emphasizing. “Back in the Game” makes an impact straight away. It’s
urgent and vital with a perfect riff and a chorus that sticks like musical
glue. “My Momma, She Really Loved to Dance” is
jazzy and lyrically reminds of the sort of thing Ray Davies might have come up
with as a sequel to “Come Dancing”. The title track brings things to a
conclusion with a statement of being, that might have been better placed at the
beginning - which means I’d better play the whole thing again.
Phil S.
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