Pilgrimage is a
journey worth taking.
Pilgrimage
Artist: Steve Bell (www.stevebell.com)
Label: Signpost Music
Length: Four CDs
How do you commemorate 25 years as a solo artist in the
music industry? If you are Canadian musician Steve Bell you create a four disc
box set of new songs plus old ones reinterpreted by yourself and friends.
Pilgrimage by
Steve Bell is one of the finest releases of the year. It’s not just the
quantity of music and the outstanding packaging that includes a 152 page book. The
new collection of songs may be Bell’s best release to date.
If he were to give them a subtitle, it would be From Lent to Love. A number of these
tracks were originally intended for an album with that theme. They convey the
idea of being off-course and the corresponding need to return. Far from being
guilt-inducing and condemning, this encourages that step towards becoming
whole.
The music is generally mid-tempo, like being on a relaxed
journey toward a desired destination. Interplay of finger-picking on a variety
of instruments, including banjo, provides a roots music type of experience.
Violin player, Hugh Marsh, a past collaborator, weaves his distinctive playing
into several tracks. A touch of mournful pedal steel suggests a rural, even
desert landscape. The sounds vary but one constant is expert craftsmanship in
lyric and performance.
Maturity is evident. I don’t hear youthful angst.
Thoughts expressed are full of gentle wisdom.
“Mercy Now,” a Mary Gauthier song, adapted to fit Bell’s
own situation, may be the most moving example. This should resonate with those
who have aging parents. If ever a song could move to compassion, this is it.
It’s sung with such sincerity and tenderness. As it progresses the scope widens
beyond family relations: “Every living thing could use a little mercy now/Only
the hand of grace could stay the pace/Of nature’s rage against us now.” It
makes for some sublime moments.
In contrast, a joyful sound is heard on the opening,
“Think About That.” The banjo reminds me of early Sufjan Stevens. This has a
cheerful melody with uncluttered production.
Bell fully intended to write verses to the simple but
profound lyric: “Whoever loves God loves all that God loves/Think about
that/Think about that.” When the producer heard the words in demo form he said,
“It’s done. Leave it alone, there’s nothing else that needs to be said …” No
need to distract from the powerful thought.
Hugh Marsh’s electric violin adds to the magic. It’s a
brilliant way to start this commemoration project.
“Big Mistake,” the next song, is a rarity in that it deals
with the subject of disillusion. Israel is pictured as a bride that has eloped
with her husband. The vocal inflections match the change from honeymoon
euphoria to uncomfortable distress. How like the Christian life, especially if
we have imagined it as the beginning of bliss with little hardship.
“Wayfaring Stranger,” the classic hymn, has always
resonated due in part to the sense of longing. Once again the production is perfect,
being on the quiet side with Bell singing softly. It enables me to experience
the familiar in a new way.
This first disc, titled Pilgrimage, which contains the new songs, may be destined to become
my favorite of all Bell’s releases. In every way it’s rich in beauty and
meaning.
If that isn’t enough, the other three discs are all
excellent. Disc 2, Unadorned, is Bell
and his guitar, revisiting fan and personal favorites. It adds timelessness to
a selection of his best songs and highlights Bell’s skill on his instrument of
choice.
On Disc 3, Good
Company, friends and collaborators like Carolyn Arends and Bob Bennett,
cover Bell’s songs. This has a wide variety of arrangements, and the fresh takes
make me appreciate the songwriting. These songs shine once again through the
talents of these admirers.
Lastly, Disc 4, Landscapes,
holds up surprisingly well with songs stripped of the vocals. Instrumentals
take you to different places, and in this case, if a listener is familiar with
Bell’s past work, they are reminded of places they have been.
In this life, we can easily become satiated with the
wrong things, lesser things, or perhaps, the things that are not best. When I started playing this album it sounded so delightful that I thought why am I listening to anything else? But
if unlike me, someone does not take to it immediately, I want to say, learn to like it. Give yourself a chance
to discover how much pleasure can come from what initially might not grab
attention. It seems like so many of us are impatient when it comes to
experiencing art.
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