Upfront and Down Low: A Review by Dan Schorr

Upfront and Down Low is singer-songwriter Teddy Thompson's album of country songs from the 50's and 60's, along with one original...

The songs of country music's classic era are maddeningly difficult for contemporary performers to interpret. Our ways of musical thought and practice often work against our efforts to perform the music of Lefty Frizzell, Merle Haggard, and other country songwriters of the 40's, 50's, 60's, and (to some degree) the 70's. Their songs just don't come naturally to people from our time, even to that steadfast group of musicians that is devoted to preserving and protecting classic country music from the depredations of modern musical culture, especially as exemplified by "Nashville".

Teddy Thompson is famously the son of Richard Thompson, but he is a truly talented perfomer in his own right. His voice is rich-timbred, confident -- I wish my own voice had the supple richness of Teddy Thompson's. He obviously loves this music and is well versed in it: he has chosen very well known songs, as well as more obscure gems.

I'm not sure what his goal was in making this album. However, I see two possibilities: one, he wanted to expose his own fans, and maybe the larger base of modern folk listeners as well to classic country songwriting; two, he thought he had an interpretation of this music that could stand up to the originals, and was worth devoting an album to.

He might well be able to succeed in the first aim. Stylistically, the arrangements are a bridge between the originals and contemporary singer-songwriter practice. Many of the tracks feature chamber-style string arrangements -- on his version of "She Thinks I Still Care", he is accompanied only by a string quartet. I don't know if listeners to such radio stations as WFUV in New York City and WXPN in Philadelphia would appreciate these songs as much if they were performed with more conventional country arrangements.

To listeners such as myself who are already familiar with the work of the original performers, this record is harder to enjoy. In the hands of a Lefty Frizzell or George Jones, the narrator of these songs is a completely credible character whose plight is existential. As strong as Thompson's voice may be, it does not inhabit the songs; it presents them, as it were, academically, with none of the panache of the original singers who performed them. A certain amount of self-consciousness seems almost unavoidable in an effort such as Upfront And Down Low, and Thompson's renditions do strike me as a bit self-conscious at times.

I don't regard the original versions of "All My Friends Are Gonna Be Strangers", "The Worst Is Yet To Come" (a great album track from Merle Haggard's second album on Capitol Records), and others from Upfront as sacred, as some people no doubt do. I just can't help noticing that they were much more spontaneous and fun -- lighter -- than Thompson's versions; the original singers did not strive so hard for authenticity, and they would never have dreamed of taking themselves too seriously. I don't think Thompson is taking himself with excessive seriousness either, but there is an atmosphere of reverence on this album that is a bit alien to the original spirit of the songs he is performing.

I don't want to single Thompson out for condemnation here. Again, this record and others like it could do much to open classic country music to a broader audience -- currently, it is something of a cult music. The brilliant songwriting of country music's classic era ought indeed to be exposed to the general public. Also, most contemporary bluegrass and alternative country singers don't fare a great deal better with this body of music, in my opinion. It is impossible to turn back the clock musically and be convincing, though many have tried and will continue to do so. Thompson also deserves credit for trying a more creative approach, as he does on many of the tracks -- most notably, on "She Thinks I Still Care". I believe artists should always be acknowledged for trying a new angle on old songs.

If I know one thing about making records as a solo performer, it is that there is no predicting how well your backing musicians will cohere. Much of the dissatisfaction I felt while listening to Upfront I had to attribute to the rhythm section, not to the singer. The bassist and drummer play over-interpretively, as if the fragility of the individual notes and beats had to be protected. I have never found this approach to work in country music -- the music should be played with drive and even a kind of force, if it is to be played at all. I know that I just praised the use of strings as an idea (and I emphasize that on this count, my opinion is not the one that matters, for the string arrangements are perhaps the one thing above all that would create a broader audience for this CD). But to my ears, the strings lend an irony to the songs, however unintended. In country music, humor is a great tool, in the right measure. But irony should be avoided, if possible.

I confess I miss the world that brought the original versions of the songs from Upfront and Down Low into being. I know many others do as well, and try to recreate the past of country music, in various ways. I don't believe Teddy Thompson was trying merely to recreate the past -- he had higher ambitions. But the mixed result of his effort is a reminder of how unamenable some popular music is to reinterpretation.