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| Popmatters |
 Good music for a good cause? The idea of having a variety of artists get together and play for a worthy cause predates rock and roll itself. This has become a staple of the modern music industry ever since Monterey Pop. The soundtrack albums from these events have featured some legendary performances, but more often than not the chemistry of the live event somehow manages to escape the recording process and leaves the second-hand audience cold. Most of the time a person would be better off just giving the money to the charity itself and leaving the record on the shelf.That’s why T Bone Burnett Presents the Speaking Clock Revue is such a pleasant surprise. This is one of the few albums compiled of selected live concert performances for a cause (benefiting arts education) that actually can stand on its own as a solid compilation disc. The shows themselves took place over two nights at the Beacon Theater in New York City in October of last year. The album includes 11 performances by a notable mix of performers, which includes Elton John and Leon Russell, John Mellencamp, Yim Yames, Elvis Costello, and others. What many of these individuals share in common is a past association with the event’s organizer—producer/musician T Bone Burnett. Burnett found inspiration to host the shows from two separate sources. He was inspired by the documentary about the troubles state of public education Waiting for Superman, and he wanted to create the type of collaborative live feel of his first tour as guitarist in Bob Dylan’s Rolling Thunder Revue. The two concerns mesh well here. The house band, led by music director and guitarist Marc Ribot, provides the varied artists with a solid foundation from which to express themselves. In particular, they know when to get out of the way and just let the spotlight performer do his or her thing. The album is full of highlights, as varied as Ralph Stanley’s acoustic gospel hymn, “Lift Him Up That’s All” and the spooky, Doors-like rock of Karen Elson’s “The Truth is in the Dirt”. The two songs are opposite in their existential search. For Elson one has to descent to ascend, while Stanley takes a more direct approach to reach the heavens. But their shared concern for finding meaning in the material world and making it a better place fit’s the occasion well....full text |
| Honesttune |
| When T-Bone Burnett throws a party and invites friends and colleagues to attend, it is sure to be a rollicking time. The producer, who has helmed albums for everyone from The Bodeans to Robert Plant, did just that in October 2010 to benefit arts and music education in public schools. Dubbed the Speaking Clock Revue, Burnett and a collection of high profile artists took the stage at New York City’s Beacon Theatre, and from these performances comes T Bone Burnett Presents The Speaking Clock Revue – Live From The Beacon Theatre. The performances culled for this release are well-defined and succinct, and the arrangement and backing exude a professional polish that you would expect from Burnett and his cohorts. This works well at times, particularly on Elvis Costello’s energized opener “Jimmie Standing in the Rain,” Yim Yames’ smoky reading of “Wonderful (The Way I Feel),” and John Mellencamp’s “Troubled Land.” However, others struggle with the format, and Gregg Allman’s “Midnight Rider” and Neko Case’s “Hold On, Hold On” feel truncated; the compositions begin and end in the blink of an eye. Under the direction of Marc Ribot, the artists sound warm and in the present, and the collective of backing musicians clearly hone in on the texture and nuance of the compositions that they support. Musically, this is where The Speaking Clock Revue shines; however, the real stand-out on this compilation is the cause. In a time when arts programs are crumbling beneath budget cuts, Burnett’s efforts are admirable and his host of talented friends is put to good use raising money and bringing recognition to the unquestionable need for music education for children. T Bone Burnett Presents The Speaking Clock Revue – Live From The Beacon Theatre is out now on Shout! Factory....full text |
| Pastemagazine |
| Culled from two separate 2010 performances—Oct. 16 and 20, to be precise—T Bone Burnett Presents the Speaking Clock Revue features 11 highlights of renowned country/blues producer T Bone Burnett’s special star-studded event. Modeled after Bob Dylan’s Rolling Thunder Revue from 1975, Burnett has said his goal in hosting the Speaking Clock Revue was to display the magic of a collaborative live performance. The whole collection sounds unmistakably curated by Burnett—indeed, nearly all his chosen artists to play he’s had some prior hand in recording. He’s long been celebrated for his smoky, skeletal production qualities in the studio, and his penchant for this sort of atmosphere permeates throughout pretty much the entire revolving lineup. And what a lineup it is, showcasing performances by legendary musicians Gregg Allman, John Mellencamp, Elvis Costello and Elton John alongside those of lesser-known rising stars like the Punch Brothers, Karen Elson and the Secret Sisters. As is to be expected with any concert-best-of album, there’s no weak link—every song is flawlessly executed and more than a just little inspired— but the energies of a few tracks do sound more immediate on record than others. Allman’s slow-burning, moody interpretation of the Bros. classic “Midnight Rider” is an obvious highlight, featuring gorgeous harmonies from Neko Case. Case’s own “Hold On, Hold On” places her snow-pure vocals in the foreground atop her characteristically lively country-folk. After some intimate banter about his father and the importance of music, Costello effectively sets the mood with “Jimmie Standing in the Rain,” a sparse, gloomy shuffle in the vein of Tom Waits, and you can practically feel the reverent hush that My Morning Jacket’s Jim James (aka Yim Yames) casts over the room during his stripped-down, wonderfully understated rendition of “Wonderful (The Way I Feel).”...full text |
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