Dean143 - Each Man For Yourself

Hear The Track Here

This is billed as a James/Dean collaboration, not the late actor, but obviously Dean143 with a friend called James. See, easy when you can work it out isn't it? Besides, I think the real James Dean would have other things to do if - for some reason - he were catapulted back into the land of the living. Roads, cars, women - all the main food groups. So, as you may have gathered by now, Dean143 (and his mates) are a completely new name to me, hence the floundering around for things to say. Although he's billed as an acoustic musician, some of the instruments in play here are electric but that's by the by because the overriding initial impression of this musician you get is fairly typical - but the music for sure isn't typical. At least, not in this particular context.

When I was a snippet of a boy, I discovered a band called Buffalo Springfield (this would be 1966 or so), two of the members of this band would become my all time favourite acoustic musicians; Neil Young and Stephen Stills. Neil Young is obviously still at the top of his game but, sadly, Stephen Stills no longer seems to play which is a crying shame as he is one of the very best acoustic players I have ever heard - and what a voice... The reason I am waxing lyrical here is because Each Man For Yourself is absolutely drenched with the kind of folky sunshine made famous by (amongst others) Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young (Ooohh THAT Stephen Stills!), The Eagles and a million other copyists. West Coast soft rock for the masses and - for the most part - we lapped it up by the bucketload.

But that was then, and this is now...

Personally, at the time, I hated the Eagles - this is what the track most strongly reminds me of - but I don't hate this, not in the slightest. See, as much as I disliked The Eagles, I couldn't fault their professionalism or their God given talent, and I can't with this track either. Certainly, it put me in a relaxed West Coast mind but with an edge that the vocalists bring to the party, as the man says, ******* awesome dude!! Seriously, I am a big, long term fan of close harmony vocals and Each Man For Yourself features a beautiful set, but that isn't that star turn, as much as you might think so. Nope, what creeps up on you slowly as you digest the vocal meat is just how juicy the music beneath it really is. I don't get to say this often enough - about as good as it ever gets. Imagine a cross between CSN&Y and The Band, this would fit perfectly

MUST HAVE West Coast pop rock.