Kris Kristofferson - Closer To The Bone

Singer/songwriter Kris Kristofferson is one of the few "outlaws" left from the 1970s movement yet here the gifted writer is with his latest album.  While 'stripped down,' does the recording match Kristofferson's classic catalog?

When Kristofferson is great, however, he doesn’t need no stinkin’ band. I saw him live recently, and when he sang “Sunday Mornin’ Comin’ Down”, accompanied by only his acoustic guitar, it chilled me, well, to the bone. And while the songwriting is good here, it’s certainly not “Sunday Mornin’ Comin’ Down”, great. Therefore, whenever the lyrics don’t make your head turn – which is far too often during this release, I’m afraid -- Kristofferson’s sandpaper voice and rudimentary guitar skills begin to grate on the nerves.

On the plus side, autobiographical works, such as “Sister Sinead” and “Good Morning John”, give the listener a little added insight into Kristofferson’s storied world. “Sister Sinead” is, of course, about Sinead O’Connor. (How many other “Sineads” do you know?) Kristofferson once came to O’Connor’s rescue, you may recall, when she was being booed for her political/religious beliefs at a concert. This song is Kristofferson’s way, once again, to remind the songstress not to let the bastards get her down. “Good Morning John” is a song Kristofferson wrote for Johnny Cash, who had been Kris’s mentor and friend, as well as his hero.

Another highlight is “From Here to Forever” (listen here), which Kristofferson co-wrote with Stephen Bruton and Glen Clark. It is a tender love song for his children, and he even gives his beloved offspring a spoken word dedication before singing it. It’s not uncommon for songwriters to express their amazement at having little ones running around the house. It’s quite another thing to hear an experienced songsmith praise grown children, as happens here.

Nevertheless, when the songs aren’t as compelling as these three aforementioned highlights are, this recording is just not so easy on the ears. And while Kristofferson isn’t blessed with the best vocal cords, he can still be quite listenable when surrounded by fine instrumentalists. The same goes for folks like Bob Dylan and Neil Young. Of course, Young is also a better guitarist than Kristofferson, and Dylan’s a better lyricist than everybody, which gives each artist distinct natural advantages over Kristofferson.

It wouldn’t have taken a whole lot to fix these tracks, by the way. Much like an older house -- which merely needs repairs and a few coats of paint -- these songs could have been improved upon with a little extra studio shine. Some mandolin, fiddle, and perhaps a bit of twang-y electric guitar would have added color inside these primarily black and white lines. As it is, however, this is just plain Jane dull, too much of the time.

If the lyrics to Closer to the Bone were as good as “Sunday Mornin’ Comin’ Down” -- and few of Kristofferson’s other songs is that good – we wouldn’t be finding as much fault with this set of tunes. But Kristofferson’s words are relatively straight ahead this time out, rather than poetic, which makes them far too easy to ignore or accept. This bone thin effort doesn’t diminish my respect for Kristofferson’s art; it only makes me long for a more full-bodied project next time. Don’t for get to bone up on the good stuff, Kris.

You can support Kris Kristofferson by purchasing this single at iTunes icon| Amazon.

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