NEWS/FEATURESARAB TIMES, SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 4, 2018

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Calexico apocalyptic

Timberlake a manlost in the Woods

By Mesfin Fekadu

Justin Timberlake, “Man of the Woods” (RCA Records)

Dare I say it — but Justin Timberlake, you have failed us.

The superstar singer produced epic solo albums with 2002’s “Justified,” 2006’s “FutureSex/Love-Sounds” and 2013’s “The 20/20 Experience.” And though he tripped over his own disco ball on the sec-ond part of “20/20,” released seven months after the

original, he rebounded with “Can’t Stop the Feeling!” — a song that can still put you in a good mood.

Unfortunately, though, Tim-berlake not only missteps on “Man of the Woods,” he crash-es and burns. He’s a singer lost in the woods.

While some of the 16 songs are enjoyable, some feel like leftover efforts from “FutureSex” or “20/20,” in-

cluding “Midnight Summer Jam” and “Breeze Off the Pond.” It’s almost like he rushed an album to sell around his Super Bowl halftime show — prob-ably the best platform to help push new music for an artist with more than 100 million viewers watch-ing closely.

Listening to the disappointing project is a hard pill to swallow since Timberlake was once an idol on the level of Beyonce, launching hit after hit and working the stage like a passionate veteran, all while expand-ing and growing his overall sound.

But there’s no way to justify “Man of the Woods” — the saddest part about the album is that some tracks are painful: The title track is unbearable, while “Flan-nel” is almost as bad — coming off like an awful lul-laby.

Timberlake recruited The Neptunes to produce most of the project, but clearly Pharrell was too fo-cused on producing movies and film scores because he doesn’t bring the right heat. Timbaland is part of the album, like Timberlake’s last three albums, finding success on some of the songs. But he’s not always on point: First single “Filthy” still sounds like a hot mess.

Timberlake does have some good tunes here, thanks to country superstar Chris Stapleton. The Grammy-winning singer-songwriter co-wrote the album’s best songs — the Alicia Keys-featured “Morning Light” and “Say Something,” where Stapleton also provides vocals.

But Timberlake’s problem on “Man of the Woods” is he’s trying to craft a rootsy sound like Stapleton’s AND keep you on the dance floor. But instead of rock-ing your body, you’ll want to cry yourself a river.

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Beth Hart & Joe Bonamassa, “Black Coffee” (J&R Adventures)

Beth Hart and Joe Bonamassa’s third studio album of mostly soul and blues sticks to the formula of “if it’s not broken, don’t fix it,” and it serves them well.

Hart, a powerful singer also capable of nuance, is a good fit with Bonamassa, a guitar whiz with a wide range of sounds. They are bonded by their shared intensity, and the well-chosen repertoire, including many lesser-known tunes, gives them 10 opportuni-ties to realize their potential.

Etta James songs are a staple of the duo and here they take on “Damn Your Eyes,” from 1989’s “Seven Year Itch,” one of James’ multiple “come-back” albums across the years. R&B diva Lavern Baker gets two nods, “Soul on Fire” and “Saved,” while “Lullaby of the Leaves,” a ballad with a scorching Bonamassa solo a la Gary Moore, dates back to the early 1930s.

Other songs include “Joy” from Lucinda Williams, Kansas Joe McCoy’s “Why Don’t You Do Right,” and the title track, Ike & Tina Turner via Steve Marriott.

ExcellentHorn arrangements from Lee Thornburg, tasteful

backing vocals and excellent keyboard parts from Reese Wynans, who used to play with Stevie Ray Vaughan, all help “Black Coffee” percolate into a tasty brew.

Album closer “Addicted” is a real gem, origi-nally released in 2007 by Austria’s Waldeck. It has elements of a James Bond theme, shades of the tango and, unsuprisingly, a certain European vibe. Hart imbues it with passion, as do the Bonamassa and Wynans solos.

The world is full of little underappreciated trea-sures. If Hart & Bonamassa and producer Kevin Shir-ley can keep finding them, there’s a bright future in the grooves for more albums like this truly fine effort.

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Calexico, “The Thread That Keeps Us” (Anti-Records)

If the atomic scientists were listening to music when they recently moved the Doomsday Clock up to just two minutes to midnight, it may well have been Calexico’s “The Thread That Keeps Us.” Poignantly apocalyptic in places but with glimmers of hope and romance, the album would also be ideal for moving the hands of the clock a few minutes farther from di-saster, hopefully soon.

Now a septet, the Tucson-based Calexico recorded their ninth studio album in northern California and the change has done them good. Singer/guitarist Joey Burns says “there’s a little more chaos and noise in the mix” but, if anything, those elements help consolidate the harmony among the sounds.

Opener and first single “End of the World With You” starts like a 1987 U2 song with a touch of The Replacements and sets the tone with mentions of “the age of extremes.” The next couple of tracks, “Voices in the Field” and “Bridge to Nowhere” ap-pear to reference the California fires, while the slouching, funky “Under the Wheels” is even dark-er, worried about “the war machine/always some-one else’s scheme.”

The Latin influences stay close to the surface on several tunes but rise up on “Flores Y Tamales,” a bit-tersweet tale in Spanish about love and dreams dif-ficult to fulfill. Three brief instrumentals keep with the mood — “Shortboard” is the most effective and “Unconditional Waltz” the most melodic.

Some tracks toward the end sound a bit scattered but emotional closer “Music Box” synthesizes the sentiments expressed across the rest of the album — “When the world goes dark/I’ll always be close by.”

Calexico taps into the calamity of the times on “The Thread That Keeps Us,” but finds that not all of the tapestry is in tatters. (AP)

Timberlake

Loggins to be honored

Spice Girls confirm reunionLONDON, Feb 3, (Agencies): The Spice Girls have confirmed plans to work together for the first time in six years, though details of the projects remain undisclosed.

Photos released Friday showed a meeting of Victoria “Posh Spice” Beckham, Melanie “Sporty Spice” Chisholm, Emma “Baby Spice” Bun-ton, Melanie “Scary Spice” Brown and Geri “Ginger Spice” Horner.

Publicist Jo Milloy later released a statement saying “the time now feels right to explore some incred-ible new opportunities together.”

It said new projects would “em-brace the original essence of the Spice Girls, while reinforcing our message of female empowerment for future generations.” The Sun newspaper says projects could include a TV tal-ent show, though it said Saturday a live tour isn’t planned.

The Spice Girls were a 1990s phenomenon, and last reunited at the 2012 London Olympics.

The British 1990s pop phenom-enon — Victoria Beckham, Melanie Brown, Emma Bunton, Melanie Ch-isholm and Geri Horner — reunited at Horner’s house north of London, along with their former manager Si-mon Fuller.

The best-selling female group ever released photographs of the gathering.

“We have enjoyed a wonderful afternoon catching up and reminisc-ing about the amazing times we have spent together,” they said in a state-ment via their publicist.

“We are always overwhelmed at how much interest there is across the whole world for The Spice Girls. “The time now feels right to explore some incredible new opportunities together.

“We all agree that there are many exciting possibilities that will once again embrace the original essence of The Spice Girls, while reinforcing our message of feminine empower-ment for future generations.”

On their social media accounts, Bunton promised the “future is look-

ing spicy”, while Horner said Girl Power was “alive and well”.

The girl group have sold 85 million albums worldwide. Only two of their 11 singles failed to reach number one on the British charts, while their first three singles all hit the US top five.

DealsThe Sun newspaper reported that

they were considering television proj-ects in China, a new TV talent show, endorsement deals and a compilation album celebrating their greatest hits.

The five-piece, which formed in 1994, split in 2000 but reunited for a world tour in 2007-2008.

They got together again to per-form at the London 2012 Olympics closing ceremony and were last all in the same room later that year for the launch of the Spice Girls musical “Viva Forever!”.

An expected comeback in 2016 with Brown, Bunton and Horner failed to materialise.

Also:LOS ANGELES: Kenny Loggins will receive the Icon Award at the Guild of Music Supervisors Awards on Feb 8 at Los Angeles’ Theater at Ace Ho-tel. It is the first time the Guild is be-stowing the honor, which recognizes outstanding achievements in film, television, and soundtracks.

Loggins, whose songs have been featured in such hit films as “Cad-dyshack” (“I’m Alright”), “Top Gun” (“Danger Zone”) and “Footloose,” will also perform a medley of at the ceremony.

Said Thomas Golubic, president of the Guild of Music Supervisors: “‘Caddyshack,’ ‘Footloose,’ ‘Top Gun.’ It was the Kenny Loggins songs that sealed the deal on those movies becoming part of our collec-tive experience of the 1980s. You re-member the first time you saw those films and how you felt when the cred-its rolled. We are so thrilled to have Kenny Loggins accept our inaugural year in celebrating the great Icons of music in media.”

Country artist Luke Combs performs at the Ryman auditorium on Feb 2 in

Nashville, Tennessee. (AFP)

In this Feb 1, 2018 file photo, Justin Timberlake answers questions during a news conference for the NFL Super Bowl 52 football game halftime in show in Minneapolis. (AP)

Pink performs at The Armory on Feb 2 in Minneapolis. (AP)

Lady Gaga Rae

LONDON: Lady Gaga has canceled 10 concerts in Europe and South America because of severe pain, the tour’s promoter said Saturday.

The musician is “suffering from severe pain that has materially impacted her ability to perform live,” according to Live Nation.

In a statement posted on social media, Lady Gaga said she’s “devastated” to disappoint her fans. She said her medical team “is supporting the decision for me to recover at home.”

The singer had been due to play Sunday at London’s O2 Arena, followed by other concerts in Manchester, Zurich, Cologne, Stockholm, Copenhagen, Paris, Berlin and Rio de Janeiro as part of her Joanne World Tour.

Lady Gaga previously postponed her European shows in September after being hospitalized in Rio suffering from “severe physical pain.” (AP)

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MINNEAPOLIS: Issa Rae says she feels that women’s voices have been amplified in film and television, and she’s happy to be part of the group leading the change and opening doors for others.

The Golden Globe-nominated actress says she thinks “there’s a renaissance in so many different ways.” She spoke Friday at NFL’s Women’s Summit in Minneapolis.

She says women have “a newly redis-covered power.” (AP)

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LOS ANGELES: Lupita Nyong’o is hail-ing the “public, intimate conversation” about sexual misconduct in Hollywood and elsewhere.

The 34-year-old actress who wrote an essay in October detailing her experi-ences with Harvey Weinstein said she’s been happy to see the growth since then of the #MeToo and Time’s Up move-ments.

“It feels like the public story right now is very, very intimate. So whether or not it’s a phone call that I’m receiving, I feel like the most important thing is the public, intimate conversation that is happening,” Nyong’o said Wednesday at the press jun-ket for Marvel’s superhero movie “Black Panther.” (AP)

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CAMBRIDGE, Mass.: Actor and screenwriter Paul Rudd picked up his 2018 Man of the Year award from the nation’s oldest collegiate theatrical organization at Harvard University on Friday night.

Rudd received the Hasty Pudding honor during a black-tie event. The Boston Globe reported the actor was celebrated in a roast

that targeted his “dad face” and his past as a bar mitzvah DJ.

Hasty Pudding said it chose the “Ant-Man” star because his career has spanned many genres, from indies to mainstream films, from heartfelt comedies to superhe-roes.

He plays the lead in the upcoming “The Catcher Was a Spy,” the real-life story of Ivy Leaguer and major league ballplayer

Moe Berg, a spy with the forerunner of the CIA during World War II. (AP)

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OTTAWA: Canadians will soon be singing a new tune after parliament passed a bill to change the lyrics of the national anthem to make it gender neutral.

Only one line in O Canada was amended, from “True patriot love in all thy sons command” to “True patriot love in all of us command.”

But it has caused quite a stir.“It’s about two words,” Senator Frances

Lankin told reporters. “But it’s huge in terms of one of our major national symbols, the anthem we sing with pride about our country.”

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau called the move “another positive step towards gender equality,” while feminist author Margaret Atwood, who has been pressing for this since the 1980s, tweeted her thanks to lawmakers. (AFP)

Variety

Obit

Temptations singer

Motown legend‘Edwards’ deadNEW YORK, Feb 3, (Agencies): Dennis Edwards, who brought a fresh voice to Motown legends The Temptations in 1968 and led classic songs such as “Papa Was a Rolling Stone,” died Friday. He was 74.

A representative for his manage-ment company, 21st Century Art-ists, confirmed his death without providing details.

Baritone Otis Williams — The Temptations’ sole surviving origi-nal member, who had at times clashed with Edwards — said he was “very sad” at the passing of “our brother.”

“We ac-knowledge his extraordinary contribution to The Tempta-tions legacy, which lives on in the music. Temptations Forever,” Wil-liams wrote on Facebook.

By the time Edwards joined in 1968, The Temptations were al-ready major stars with hits such as “My Girl,” and were known for layered vocal harmonies as well as their finely choreographed stage moves in their dapper suits.

But original frontman David Ruf-fin was increasingly annoying his bandmates and management with his lavish lifestyle, including insist-ing on limousines and developing an addiction to cocaine — which would later contribute to his death in 1991.

RecalledEdwards, who had gained notice

as the singer of another Motown group, The Contours, recalled that Ruffin, a friend, knocked on his door at 4:00 am and asked him to replace him.

“I was like, ‘Wow, replace you?’ It was quite the conversation we had. I thought he was joking. He was a little tipsy,” Edwards recalled in a 2013 interview with the St. Louis Post-Dispatch.

Edwards said he initially did not believe he could keep up with The Temptations’ fast footwork.

“But once I got into the group, I learned it was timing and practice, and choreography to make it look like it was really difficult,” he said.

Edwards, whose voice possessed a similar wide range but was gruff compared with Ruffin’s silkier tex-ture, initially was quite literally in the shadow of his predecessor.

Ruffin would show up unan-nounced at Temptations concerts and jump on stage to join, leading the band to alert security to keep him away.

Along with “Papa Was a Rolling Stone,” Edwards led The Tempta-tions on hits such as “Ball of Con-fusion (That’s What the World Is Today)” and “I Can’t Get Next to You.”

ExperimentStarting with “Cloud Nine,” Ed-

wards’ first single with The Temp-tations, the Motown band began to experiment, bringing in some of the psychedelic soul and funk of rising bands such as Sly and the Family Stone.

Frictions again rose as producers pushed Edwards’ voice to the fore-front of the group. He left in 1977 but returned three years later. He also pursued a solo career but with-out reaching the same stardom as with The Temptations.

Also:NEW YORK: Tony Award-nominat-ed actor Louis Zorich, who played a grumpy Greek diner owner in “The Muppets Take Manhattan” and the father of Paul Reiser’s character on the NBC sitcom “Mad About You,” has died. He was 93.

Jonathan Mason, a representa-tive at the Buchwald talent agent said Zorich died Tuesday at his home in New York.

Zorich made his Broadway de-but in “Becket” in 1960 and his credits include “The Odd Couple,” the 2001 revival of Stephen Sond-heim’s “Follies,” the 1993 re-vival of “She Loves Me” and “Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom” in 2003. He earned a Tony nomination for “Hadrian VII” in 1969.

But he was perhaps best known as sporting goods salesman Burt Bu-chman on “Mad About You” from 1992-1999. “It’s me, Burt! Burt Buch-man — your father!” he was known to trumpet when he entered the home of his son, played by Reiser.

“Believe me when I say there has never been a more joyful and deli-cious human being to see every morn-ing when you show up for work,” Reiser said in a tweet. “Louis had the heartiest laugh and the biggest heart. I will miss him dearly.”

Zorich also had a memorable turn as Greek restaurateur Pete in “The Muppets Take Manhattan,” giving a confused Kermit the frog this mem-orable advice: “Peoples is peoples.”

His film roles included “Fiddler on the Roof” opposite Topol, “City of Hope,” ‘’Joe the King” and as a millionaire in “Dirty Rotten Scoun-drels” with Steve Martin.

Edwards

Music

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