Album Review

Dave Stewart – The Ringmaster General

• 31st Aug 2012

Dave Stewart’s 2011 release The Blackbird Diaries was one of my favourite albums of the year, and so I was eager to get my hands on the follow up. The Ringmaster General has many of the same hallmarks – it was recorded in the Blackbird Studios in Nashville, it features several great duets with fine female singers and it uses many of the same musicians to create a mix of rock, blues and country music as a colourful backdrop to Stewart’s powerful voice.

I don’t think The Ringmaster General quite makes it to the heights of The Blackbird Diaries – but it is still a very good album. Joss Stone and Alison Krauss are amongst the guest vocalists and guitarist Orianthi, who has worked with the likes of Michael Jackson and Alice Cooper, adds some typically fiery solos.

The album opens with I Got Love, which sees Stewart in soulful mood, ably assisted by Joss Stone. The meaty feedback heavy guitar riffs in the background added to Stewart’s distorted vocals gives a dynamic sound and Stone is typically passionate. Stewart changes partners for the country rocker Just Another Fall, which sees American singer Diane Birch helping him along the way in a tuneful track featuring some lovely organ sounds. The fine start to the album continues with A Different Man Now, a slower song that sees Stewart in reflective mood. A former lover is in town and he wonders what might have been, over backing that features beautiful touches of pedal steel guitar.

Drowning In The Blues is one of the highlights of the album, featuring the unmistakable voice of Alison Krauss. The vocals are lush and passionate, and the backing tender and plaintive as the combination of the male and female voices gives a lovely tone to a great song. There is a fine guitar solo that segues into a violin part too.

The album dips a little in the middle, with three five minute sings that all feel a little overlong. Girl In A Catsuit is saved by the superb guitar work of Orianthi, her typically fluid and dynamic work standing out. But both Slow Motion Addict Number 2 and You Took My Love might have benefitted from being shorter and more focused. They are not bad songs by any means, but tend to be a little repetitive.

Things pick up rather nicely once again in the final section of the album though. God Only Knows You Now features Jesse Baylin in a ballad that tugs at the heartstrings with its lovely harmonies. Then the title track with its expected circus theme takes things to another level with a sprawling epic track that excites. At over six minutes long this one doesn’t drag at all and it is full of great instrumentation, including some great bass work, to back Stewart’s vocals.

The album ends with a pair of very good songs. Story Of Success is a lovely uptempo track with a bluesy feel and some great female backing vocals. This one is perhaps the track that would have fitted best on The Blackbird Diaries, having a similar feel to many of its songs. And A New Song For Nashville is a joyous country track that feels like Stewart is reflecting on the whole album and very much liking what he has created.

This is another fine Dave Stewart album. His use of excellent musicians and the duets with very talented female vocalists add a lot to his own undoubted talents. The songwriting skills that Stewart has honed through his musical career are put to good use here and his own warm tones are well suited by the fine work he has created.