Inhabiting the Ball

Inhabiting the Ball

Editorial Reviews
Amazon.com
Jim Roll is not only a literate singer-songwriter, he's plainly an expert networker. His previous collaboration with producer Walter Salas-Humara lent Roll's songs the sound of Salas-Humara's band, the Silos. Here he enlists a couple of unlikely songwriting partners, novelists Denis Johnson and Rick Moody. Both are music fans, and the results are all over the artistic map. As framed by Roll, Johnson's contributions tend toward traditional balladry--banjo-driven narratives of blood and betrayal that would fit fine on Harry Smith's Anthology of American Folk Music. ("Handsome Daniel" could be a musical cousin of "Long Black Veil.") The collaborations with Moody are more eclectic, with "Killjoy" recalling the industrial-strength distortion of Nine Inch Nails, "In Flight Magazines" splitting the difference between the Rolling Stones and the Velvet Underground, and "Blue Guitar" sounding like a whiny Eagles parody. Roll also wrote five of the 13 songs on his own, and he shows as much narrative command on "Eddie Rode the Orphan Train" as his songwriting partners. With a little less help, he might seem more like an artist who has his own distinct imprint, and less like a fan with great taste in music and books. --Don McLeese

Tracks:

Inhabiting the Ball
Bonnie and Clyde
You
Killjoy
Kicking at the Traces
Blue Guitar
Handsome Daniel
Eddie Rode the Orphan Train
Curious One
In Flight Magazines
Heartbreak Song
Deperado in the Parking Lot
To Be Alarmed

Amazon.com

Jim Roll is not only a literate singer-songwriter, he's plainly an expert networker. His previous collaboration with producer Walter Salas-Humara lent Roll's songs the sound of Salas-Humara's band, the Silos. Here he enlists a couple of unlikely songwriting partners, novelists Denis Johnson and Rick Moody. Both are music fans, and the results are all over the artistic map. As framed by Roll, Johnson's contributions tend toward traditional balladry--banjo-driven narratives of blood and betrayal that would fit fine on Harry Smith's Anthology of American Folk Music. ("Handsome Daniel" could be a musical cousin of "Long Black Veil.") The collaborations with Moody are more eclectic, with "Killjoy" recalling the industrial-strength distortion of Nine Inch Nails, "In Flight Magazines" splitting the difference between the Rolling Stones and the Velvet Underground, and "Blue Guitar" sounding like a whiny Eagles parody. Roll also wrote five of the 13 songs on his own, and he shows as much narrative command on "Eddie Rode the Orphan Train" as his songwriting partners. With a little less help, he might seem more like an artist who has his own distinct imprint, and less like a fan with great taste in music and books. --Don McLeese

Customer Reviews:

Amazing.......2004-10-18

My first inclination when hearing about the use of the two authors contributing lyrics to this project was that this is probably a recipe for disaster. Surprisingly, Mr Roll pulls this off very nicely and most of the songs end up sounding much more complete than his previous efforts. Highlights are "Blue Guitar" and "Eddie Rode The Orphan Train".

Musically this is also very different than his last album, 'Lunette'. Roll relies mostly on his own banjo and acoustic guitar and the help of Jon Williams and Brian Deck. It is much more true to his bluegrass roots but as always he has some interesting departures such as "Curious One" another favorite of mine featuring some brilliant organ work.

It took me several listens to really like this record but now all I can say is wow! This guy is pretty amazing and I can hardly wait to see what he comes out with next.

Good Stuff!.......2002-09-04

The heart and soul of "Inhabiting the Ball" is much less post-modern than Jim Roll might have wanted his audience to believe. Consciously artsy little noises and effects pop up at beginnings and ends of songs and decorate the CD cover in the same way. But this sort of stylish mood dressing is the least of what Jim Roll has to offer. At his best he is a rootsy interpreter of others songs, and an honest songwriter himself with a knack, generally, of letting his considerable rhythmic guitar and banjo playing lay down hypnotic grooves so that his smooth vocals can deliver a devastating story. Fortunately, In habiting the Ball is finally dominated by Jim's basic music instincts rather than the afterthought approach of "by the way this is artsy huh?" The result: a CD of great music jam-packed with devastating stories.

Jim's basic love for classic rock pop music comes out in "Bonnie and Clyde," a song centered on an infectious Badfinger like melodic hook and a great minimalist, tasty drum part. Rock and roll 101 takes center stage again on the rollicking "Blue Guitar" featuring a classic chorus that makes one want to sing along despite the songs exceedingly sober lyrics.

The bulk of the lyrics on the CD come from Jim's collaboration with writers Denis Johnson and Rick Moody. Jim's quiet approach to Denis Johnson's lyrics on "You," again reflect that straightforward tone that seems to bring out the best in Jim Roll, musically: "I don't dance and laugh in that terrible style with every stranger/But you are no stranger"-- Jim sings Johnson's lyrics to a hauntingly beautiful yet simple melody and acoustic guitar accompaniment that makes one realize, viscerally, there's a whole lot going on beneath the surface between the singer and the one he's singing to.

Johnson's quirky lyrics work well again in "Desperado in the Parking Lot" a song which features dynamic, rhythmic, syncopated banjo playing by Jim, though the song, not the banjo, finally takes center stage.

"To be Alarmed," the last song on the CD, again features Jim's strengths: basic but catchy melody, disarmingly simple yet profound lyrics (Jim wrote the lyrics for this one too), and Jim's smooth vocal on top delivering, matter of factly, a terribly immediate message. Never mind the packing on the CD (musically or physically), the gist here is honest, good old rock and roll spirit, and the peak moments here are as good as anything you'll hear these days.

Relaxed and Confident, a Beautiful Effort.......2002-04-29

An absolutely joyous listen. I mean the subject matter ranges from Denis Johnson's lyrical effort "Desperado in the Parking Lot" a dark murderous love song dressed in waves resembling digital monks and banjo, to the rollicking pop of Roll's own bittersweet ode to Faye Dunaway - "Bonnie and Clyde", to Rick Moody's twisted East Coast suburban imagery . . . not necessarily a walk in the park thematically; but the joy is in the presentation - the assured writing - the intoxicating melodies. If you like the new Wilco, the Band, Richard Buckner, Bob Dylan, Neil Young. etc. then do yourself a favor and check out this disc . . . warning, the first song is a bit of an awkward collage -- don't be deceived, this record is VERY accessable.

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