Greg
Johnson
Here Comes The Caviar
reviewed by Gary Glauber www.popmatters.com
Revered as a pop star in his native New Zealand, singer/songwriter/pianist/trumpeter
Greg Johnson still remains something of a well-kept secret in
the United States. After the release of his phenomenal Sea Breeze
Motel in 2000 failed to generate big numbers sales-wise, Johnson
thought it might be time to move on. Literally. With a new manager
and a new independent record label deal lined up (with the man
who produced several of Fleetwood Mac's greatest hits), Johnson
took the plunge and moved to Los Angeles (along with manager
Michelle Bakker and guitarist Ted Brown) about two years ago.
After six months of hard work, both in the studio, playing local
clubs and making connections,
Johnson was released from the label when it hit a financial
downturn. Suddenly it was just three ex-pat New Zealanders in
sunny Santa Monica without a means to survive.
But given lemons, the optimist Johnson and company made lemonade.
Through their almost record deal, they'd met Dandy Warhols'
producer Clark Stiles, who agreed to produce the new album and
allowed it to be recorded in his home studio. With the help
of Minibar's Sid Jordan on bass and Malcolm Cross on drums,
two years of hard work resulted in the reality that became Here
Comes The Caviar.
All the while, Johnson continues to play clubs, slowly but steadily
building a following (he was granted a performance visa that
allows him to
get paid legally in the U.S.). He and Brown play
a regular Sunday night gig at Renne's club and a monthly deal
at Hollywood's The Hotel Café. Surviving on brown rice, red
wine, tips, dinner and drinks, Johnson's chosen album title
is ironic (and like him, ever hopeful).
The good news is that on his sixth album (there's also a "best
of" collection that was released in 2001), Johnson's songwriting
is as strong as ever. His change of scenery hasn't changed his
abilities or his attitude. The good news is that it's the same
Greg Johnson we've always known. If anything, the new material
shows a bit more maturity and a refreshing streak of hopeful
optimism, along with a lyrical penchant for the word "pearl."
These ten songs are assured and confident; continuing the affable,
offhand intimate storytelling manner Johnson has made his very
own.
"It's Been So Long" opens the CD on a positive note,
urging a friend to return to form, a reminder
to go out and have fun: "It's been so long since you were
smiling / You've got to let a little bit of it out / Don't be
unsure, just take a step / Don't let yourself get caught up
in this desert of doubt / You've got to let it out." This
sweet tune will have you smiling, as Johnson assures us that
"sometimes it's good to end up on the floor."
"Standing Under Starlight" is one of two songs co-written
with guitarist Ted Brown. This pleasant ditty discusses the
"city of angels" and the struggle inherent in keeping
it all together under those blue skies: "Sometimes I'm
nine dollars short of ten / And I lose the run of myself now
and then / But I'm hanging on to hope as if she's mine / Even
though she fakes it half the time / There must be an angel somewhere
in this lonely town / who's not already found." Rami Jaffee
(The Wallflowers) guests on piano accordion.
The album's first single, "Save Yourself" is the strongest
track by far. This ultra-catchy piano-and organ-driven ballad
(featuring some wonderful Hammond organ by Jeff Young) is the
creative result of relationship gone sour. Johnson gives us
the exploring metaphor for what appears to be his one-sided
love: "I'm a great believer in believing in you / But I
don't have a compass, no plans for pushing through / I guess
I'm pinned down, bad weather's on the way / I need your shelter
now
but / first you save yourself / then you save the world."
For the uninformed, Greg Johnson prides himself
on his strong appetites for food and for women.
His lover's persona often exudes a sort of boyish charm - and
that's on display in the equally charming "Love In The
Air." Here, amidst casually politic statements like "down
with the war" and "good luck to the ones who speak
out against the guns" is the constant of love. If you don't
smile when you hear the contrasting statements "off with
the machines / off with your pale blue jeans," you don't
get the humor that helps keep Johnson sane in an often crazy
town.
Johnson has a gift of casual ease in his storytelling, and his
Auckland accent draws you in further. Such is the case in the
song "Don't Be The One," where Johnson is looking
for a true friend in a world full of traitors, seeking reassurance
after "yelling at robots all day." The philosophy
is simple enough, and true: "Love is the one thing that
stops life from turning to shit."
Another endearing love song is the synth-accented "Kiss
Me" (co-written with Brown). Here Johnson is the bad boy,
'fessing up to his drinking and fighting yet still seeking advice
and a lover's kiss. The piano ballad "Lose You Girl"
captures the feel of a live lounge performance, a sad reminisce
about regrets for a relationship already lost. We get a taste
of Johnson's trumpet work here.
Piano and vocals are the bare-bones accompaniment to "Handles
of Pearl," yet Johnson turns it into a haunting examination
of what dueling men have done for the love of a girl: "Where
do you run to when you've got no one to believe in? / Have you
been dreaming the bullets back into the
gun?"
Johnson has a knack for creating sweet melodic
love
ballads that dwindle between the realms of confession, bragging
and apology. Such is the case with the gorgeous "If You
Think It's Over," wherein he delivers the wonderful line:
"You're in my DNA." This dulcet tune is enhanced by
Jeff Young's Hammond and Ted Brown's harmonies, and this lyrical
level-headed assessment: "Baby you are crazy if you think
it's over / it hasn't been all clover, but it hasn't all been
bad."
The closer "No Love Wasted" shows Johnson's philosophical
bent. He's all full of questions here, urging us to keep our
hearts true and singing this truism: "There is no love
wasted on the lonely / There is no love wasted in the sun /
If you want
me you can always hold me / If you don't then,
you can always run."
Johnson serves up ten melodic winners with a wistful yet optimistic
attitude, hope amid the troubles that surround him in his adopted
home. There is warmth and intimacy abounding, preserved well
by Clark Stiles' production work. Johnson and Brown weave keyboards
and guitars well, a result of their friendship and experience
playing together.
Here Comes The Caviar is a tasty, more mature musical sampler
of Johnson's premium
songwriting abilities. It expresses ease and charm and confidence,
even as he's moved across the world in search of a larger audience.
If you're in the Los Angeles area, go and hear Johnson play
live. He's an intelligent man who
still believes that love conquers all, and can back up his assertions
in captivating melodic songs. You may not know Greg Johnson
now - but his accomplished sixth album proves he's going to
be around for a long time to come.
