CD Review: Ben Vaughn Combo "Beautiful Thing" (Noble Rot)
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Vaughn has always been more widely heard for his songs than his own
records. Fans of Marshall Crenshaw's "Downtown" LP will know Vaughn as
the writer of "I'm Sorry (But So Is Brenda Lee)," and those hip to The
Morells' debut find Vaughn's "The Man Who Has Everything" as a
centerpiece. His behind-the-scenes production work with Charlie
Feathers and on Arthur Alexander's last-ever sessions won him
additional critical kudos if not widespread popular fame. Vaughn's
showed himself to be a man in love with music every step of the way,
and his own releases have been no different.
This 1987 LP was Vaughn's second, combining his love of British
Invasion rock 'n' roll, Brill Building pop, Memphis soul, and above
all else, an arch sense of humor. Opening with "Jerry Lewis in
France," Vaughn turns the Gaul's love of America's clown into a
touching love song that equates his top-of-the-world emotions with
Lewis, JFK and Phil Spector at their individual peaks. He evokes Stax
and Muscle Shoals with the horn chart on "Clothes Don't Make the Man,"
and his signature "Shingaling With Me" is as good an early-60s New
York pop-soul tune as has been written since, well, New York in the
early '60s.
Vaughn's vocals are often half-spoken in the manner of Lou Reed, but
with a smile, tear or a helping of tongue-in-cheek sarcasm. His low-
key delivery is effective whether pining over lost love ("Big House
With a Yard"), providing sage advice ("On the Rebound") or confessing
his sins ("The Apology Line"), buoyed by the craft of his lyrics and
his deftly arranged echoes of musical influences. He steps upbeat for
the punchy rock 'n' blues "Gimme Gimme Gimme," swings into side two
with the beat-heavy sing-along "She's a Real Scream" and twangs a surf
guitar for the instrumental "Desert Boots."
Vaughn re-recorded several of this album's songs for 1992's "Mood
Swings," and while some of the later versions actually improve upon
the originals (and the entirety of "Mood Swings" is a must-have), it's
great to have these originals back in print! [(c)2008 redtunictroll at
hotmail dot com]