Mark Kozelek
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Mark Kozelek Mark Kozelek, the primary creative force behind Red House Painters and Sun Kil Moon, is one of the most gifted singer/songwriters of the past fifteen years. Expressing a sincerity and nakedness of emotion through a voice so fragile yet captivating over songs of elegant simplicity reflecting the delicate nature of human feeling and frailty of life, Kozelek has achieved what so rarely is discovered in modern artistic communication: an acceptance and embracing of the aching of existence as equally essential to the journey of life as any joy or comfort, and representing this love for the wholeness of experience in a purity of expression as only the honesty towards one’s inner truth can allow. Following the demise of Red House Painters, Kozelek produced his first solo works, the first of which is Rock ‘N’ Roll Singer, a collection of songs including three originals, three AC/DC tunes interpreted through acoustic/folk arrangements, and a John Denver cover. Of the three original songs, "Ruth Marie" is the most moving and memorable. Sung in Kozelek’s genuine tone from the perspective of a ninety year old woman spending her last days in a home for the elderly, the song is deeply touching in its reflections of a long life and the coming to terms with its ending through painful, slow guitar chords that move like the slight breeze of late spring evenings. Mark’s astounding talent for finding the most direct, yet poetic and sincere words for his songs is displayed here in one of his most shining moments: "When my eyes shut The other two originals, "Find Me, Ruben Olivares" and "Metropol 47", both portray the beauty of simple pleasures through yearnings for lost friends and the warm comfort of intimate companionship, wonderfully blending heartache with the joy of lighthearted moments as a completeness to appreciating what it is to be human, to live a life in this world and to know both pain and pleasure, loving both in the realization that one can never truly know the one without the other. Mark Kozelek has certainly made no secrets about the influence John Denver has had on his music and as a person, and his version of Denver’s "Around And Around" is perhaps the most appropriate choice for Kozelek, as the sentiments expressed within this song parallel those common to his own. Though, it is the AC/DC interpretations that are most striking. It may seem a bizarre concept to apply such crude hard rock lyrics to heartfelt acoustic folk arrangements, but that is exactly what Kozelek has done here, and to startlingly positive results. The three songs are taken from AC/DC’s Bon Scott-era, in the form of "Rock ‘N’ Roll Singer", "You Ain’t Got A Hold On Me", and "Bad Boy Boogie", and each are delivered in Kozelek’s typically downcast-yet-hopeful mode of expression which provides an interesting and strangely fitting perception to these rebellious, raunchy lyrics. The very idea that such a concept proves successful is testament to Mark Kozelek’s genius as a musical visionary, and the comfort that these songs find amongst his original numbers reflects the emotional truth that the man has established through the entirety of his musical career. 7/9/06 Tracklisting: 1. Find Me, Ruben Olivares Mark Kozelek Expanding on the concept of applying Bon Scott-era AC/DC lyrics to acoustic/folk-rock arrangements, Mark Kozelek’s What’s Next To The Moon offers ten such interpretations which make up the whole of the disc. Mark’s solo debut effort, Rock ‘N’ Roll Singer, featured three of these songs, namely "Rock ‘N’ Roll Singer", "You Ain’t Got A Hold On Me", and "Bad Boy Boogie", all of which have been re-recorded for What’s Next To The Moon, and display a more confident approach as to where to take the songs vocally and in the more fleshed out arrangements which accommodate the stronger emotional presence of Kozelek’s singing on these versions. Highlights include the poignant simplicity of "Walk All Over You", Kozelek’s brightness of tone on "You Ain’t Got A Hold On Me", and the charming "Bad Boy Boogie", yet each track offers something in the way of emotional captivation or a fresh perspective on what are essentially rough and tough hard rock lyrics as presented through stripped down folk ballads. The genius of this work is in Kozelek’s ability to portray these words in such a way that they speak to the eternal spark of youthful dreams and yearnings, emphasizing their adolescent innocence and sprinkling them with a little heartfelt sadness. This appeals to the dreamer in all of us, and illustrates how rowdy rebelliousness can be interpreted as youthful frustrations with a world that seems to never run out of obstacles to discourage the realization of something larger than daily living. Mark Kozelek is a master of balancing life’s darkness and light, and with these endearing renditions of some of hard rock’s most rambunctious lyrics into lighthearted songs of acoustic guitars and delicate singing, he has produced yet another example of how both sides of life can and should be embraced in the efforts of comprehending the whole of life. 7/9/06 Tracklisting: 1. Up To My Neck In You Mark Discography: with Red House Painters Down Colorful Hill
(4AD, 1992) Mark Kozelek (solo) Rock ‘N’ Roll Singer
(Badman, 2000) with Sun Kil Moon Ghosts Of The Great Highway
(Jet Set, 2003)
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