Charmed Life

"Southwest" Tucson desert sound, singer songwriter compositions that inevitably will draw analogies to Calexico, Giant Sand/Howe Gelb. Naturally because "Billy Sed" grew up with all those guys, Naked Prey, Green on Red, Sandworms people down in Tucson and was a pivotal vocalist in the town's most early punk bands (Pedestrians, Serfers, ca. 1978). Unlike the others, Sed's life took some serious bad turns (all his fault, like any genuine downtrodden soul will admit). But he has pulled himself up now. On first listen I assumed he had enlisted an all star Tucson cast of old friends from the aforementioned popular bands (nope). Its just his sound: Spanish guitars, mourning pedal steel, mariachi trumpets, strings and tape effects. Heres the thing though about this CD: Calexico gets all the credit for the "southwest/tucson sound" but their's is a caricature of what non-Tucsonans imagine what it should sound like and becomes trite after 5 minutes (makes sense cuz they arent Tucson natives). Howe Gelb/Giant Sand, who gets the rest of the credit, is so talented and so prolific that its natural to get a little burnt out on him. In my opinion, Sed has captured Tucson, flowers warts and all, in a familiar yet fresh manner. Songs about the desert, the state prison, drug running, easy women. Pretty much all you need. Forget Calexico with their shiny faces on Letterman. Heres the real deal. If youre ever down in Tucson, enjoy the desert and beware of the cops.

1)* (5:30) classic americana feel, words about waitresses, upbeat soaring classic feel with mourning pedal steel
2) (5:10) slower spanish ballad, Calexico feel
3) (3:10) barritone guitar belies a certain smarmy Baccharach feel to this upbeat one
4)* (4:10) slower sadder ballad, cool lyrics about the beautiful dangerous desert, with kick ass tape sounds
5)* (4:09) slow sad sad western about the goddamned state prison up the highway, vocals are spoken word, captures the feel of the ex-con that he cant deny is his bygone past
6) (4:40) slow dark spanish bolero sung in simple spanish
7) (2:57) ballady rock, cool tape effects
8) (4:09) waltzy with a nice strings and organ bridge, solos
9) (3:12) somewhat upbeat epic soaring tune
10) (4:20) slow dark
11) (3:50) solo, guitar+vocals ballad 12)* (5:18) sad western flare, "Tucson Kills" - autobiographical story telling, drops stalwart names)