Freedy Johnston has quietly emerged as one of the most important songwriters of
our generation. His brilliant wordplay deftly captures the people and places of
an alienated world, never letting the demands of narrative or style eclipse the
shadows cast by the characters that inhabit his stories.
The songs, though often
fatalistic, never fail to lull the listener into making their own interpretation,
with Johnston filling in just enough blanks to intrigue us about the storyteller
himself. But like all the greatest songwriters, he makes these stories our own by
patiently finding the essence of each song and distilling it to its simplest
truth.
His last album, This Perfect World, went a long way in sealing Johnston's place
as one of the most significant songwriters of this decade. Propelled by the hit
single "Bad Reputation," Johnston scored with fans and critics alike, with
Rolling Stone bestowing the ultimate halo, naming him their songwriter of the
year, and crowning him, "an American original." Has all the praise put more
pressure on Johnston and his soon to be released album, Never Home?
"I think the record came out really well. I hope it will win me some new fans.
It's fairly direct and song-driven. From the start, Kootch (noted producer Danny
Kortchmar) and I tried to keep the recording simple and uncluttered. I wasn't
going to make some big concept album," says Johnston. "I was pretty hard on the
songs from the start. I made them stand up for themselves, like bad children."
Johnston admits to being his own harshest critic. It just may be his midwestern
work ethic, which saw Johnston go from a middle class Kansas upbringing to the
uncharted waters of New York in 1985 with nothing but guitar in hand and the
desire to work towards what he calls "that elusive goal of becoming successful in
a music career."
Johnston showed tremendous focus in his songwriting from the start. From his
earliest work, wry melodies layered over shards of wordplay that reveal
incredible depth, he displayed a confident, bare-bulbed approach to his music. "I
got my first guitar when I was 16," he says. 'But I was a very slow learner, by
the time I got to New York I figured I could play well enough to at least
accompany my own songs," he says, half-jokingly.
Johnston has always been a great admirer of the work-a-day writers and musicians
who have also paid their dues. As he says: "I meet a lot of musicians on the
road, realizing this is my 'club,' the community I'm in. But I started out
working totally alone. The four track machine was how I got my start. I hadn't
yet learned how to work and jam with other musicians. All the songs went from my
head to the four track. Slowly, through live playing and recording I fell into a
groove of working and playing and being comfortable with other musicians. Now I
realize that a great part of the process is working with a great cast of people."
From these beginnings as a musical loner, Johnston eventually put a band together
and in 1990 released The Trouble Tree, on the plucky Hoboken label, Bar None
Records. It was well received in Holland and Belgium, but his second LP, 1992's
Can You Fly, (co-produced by legendary bassist Graham Maby, who appears on Never
Home) made many of the year end Top Ten Lists, including: Spin, People and The
New York Times. Tours with Soul Asylum, The Lemonheads, and Matthew Sweet, among
others, sealed his live reputation as well.
1994's This Perfect World, produced by Butch Vig (Nirvana, Smashing Pumpkins),
debuted a more crafted sound for Johnston. The lush production and soaring
melodies were an ironic setting for his melancholy, often despairing lyrics.
Never Home finds him following a more straightforward, band-influenced
production, and a few of the lyrics are even (gasp!) upbeat. He worked with
producer Danny Kortchmar (he produced Don Henley, Neil Young, and The Spin
Doctors, among others), who is a guitarist and songwriter himself. "Kootch played
guitar on Tapestry, and a lot of '70's LA stuff,'" says Johnston. "He has a lot
of experience. He instinctively knew when a 'take' was going to happen."
Legendary drummer Stan Lynch (Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers) also appears on
the album. "Stan made over a dozen records with Tom. He has a very solid
signature sound. It was just what the songs needed. Plus he's hilarious to have
around." The above-mentioned bassist Graham Maby, who has appeared on previous
Johnston efforts, again displays his talent on Never Home. Renowned Hoboken
guitarist Dave Schramm (of The Schramms) also joins Johnston on the LP, as does
cellist Jane Scarpantoni (Natalie Merchant, Bob Mould). It's a relatively small
cast that gels so well with Kortchmar and Johnston on this cohesive,
well-recorded album.
From the simple rocker, "On The Way Out," to the uncharacteristic glee of "I'm
Not Hypnotized," to the ominous subject matter of "Gone to See The Fire," (one of
the few songs about an arsonist you're ever likely to catch yourself singing), to
the textural ballads "Western Sky," and "You Get Me Lost," Johnston reaches us in
a way few songwriters can. Still somewhat reluctant to talk about his own songs,
he does admit to enjoying the revelations of other songwriters. "I like it when
songwriters reveal the background of a particular song. It helps me understand
all of their songs better," he says. "It's not necessary, just an added insight.
Tom Waits or Elvis Costello can create a world with a little melody and a one
lyric line. You shouldn't have to add much if you've done your work." Besides the
above-mentioned artists, Johnston cites Tom Petty and Paul Westerberg as other
singer/songwriters who have influenced his work.
"I'm continually surprised by the power of music," he says. "Songs can help you
through a tough time, they can accentuate a good time. People I don't even know
come up to me and say 'Thanks for that song.' Fans take your songs and paste them
to their own lives. I can't imagine a more gratifying thing than that."
|
