MP3 D.B.Morris - Past / Present

An eclectic mix of hard rock and acoustic blues. If you dig Dylan, Waits or Lou Reed, you'll find several tracks to dig on this.

12 MP3 Songs in this album (63:54) !
Related styles: ROCK: Adult Alternative Pop/Rock, BLUES: Blues-Rock

People who are interested in Bob Dylan Tom Waits Lou Reed should consider this download.


Details:
Derek Savage
Reviewing the Arts
3/7/07


Review of D.B. Morrisâ âPast/Presentâ

It isnât rare to see an artist of any kind change medias mid life and produce something that wouldnât be considered the norm. The same can be held true for D.B. Morris and his debut rock album âPast/Presentâ. David Burton Morris, the name he directs under, is an acclaimed film director and writer of both television and film and has taken the transition from one medium to another to a whole new level with the creation of âPast/Presentâ.

D.B. Morris was born in Kansas City, Missouri, but spent most of his adolescent and teenage years in the streets of St. Paul, where his gritty and grimy teenage years influenced his artistic vision and drive in both music and cinema. Winning multiple awards for his cinematic vision behind the scenes, he shot up through the ranks of Hollywoodâs âWhoâs Whoâ, his television work garnering twenty five nominations, including seven Emmy nominations and a DGA award. His first commercially released film, âPurple Hazeâ, won the Grand Prize at Sundance. His follow up, âPatti Rocksâ, won the Coup De Couer at the Deauville International Film Festival, Criticâs Week at the Venice International Film Festival, and was also nominated for five Independent Spirit Awards.

D.B.âs recording style is unconventional in the sense that he didn't use a proper recording studio. Transforming his carriage house/ office into a Mac based makeshift studio, he created an album that not only speaks his language, but also speaks to himself and the people that know him.

His low, smoke filled voice just oozes through the speakers and hits you square in the nuts, and follows with an uppercut to the jaw when his screaming electric or acoustic guitar fills the air. With help from a few friends, Charlie Pett, Mike Nayman, Andrew DeLisi and Jim Marazzo, and with the influences of Richard Thompson, Leonard Cohen and Bruce Springsteen, he transforms your audio system to a temple of rock worship where you would be a fool to disobey the gods.

In a song like âPole Driverâ which, at its core, is about forcing oneâs self on a woman for the simple act of getting off, makes you feel evil and exhilarated in the same moment. His âBad Grammarâ and âMade in the USAâ tracks speak to both the old and new rhythms of life. His fast, almost rap like lyrics cruise over the track in a somewhat comical way, but the message is clear âTheyâre all talkinâ bad grammar; Thinkinâ thatâll set âem free; But theyâre all wasting their breath; As far as I can see.â

With such angry lyrics, itâs a surprise to find ballads such as âBusted and Brokenâ and âDonât You Cryâ on the same album. This holds true to the title of the album âPast/Presentâ. He has both sides of his life in a balance. This evil, twisted, and angry side that meshes and blends beautifully with the sweet and simplistic side of the man. Both sides of the album make it attractive to either sex. Though not many women can relate to âPole Driverâ, it can be assumed that at times we all have wanted to force ourselves onto anything just to feel some sort of exhilaration.

Then there are songs like âEndangered Speciesâ and âBilly in the Lowlandsâ. With upbeat tracks and smooth, strong lyrics, he creates a comfortable setting for you to view your own execution. As it is throughout the album, the lyrics are for the most place dark and violent, and the guitar riffs and beats challenge you to take as much noise violence as you can before submitting.

Heâs powerful and dangerous, and proves it in his tracks such as âBig Dogâ and âWest Coastâ. Here, he explores and exploits the magic and funk a harmonica can bring to any song. And with a surgeonâs precision, he dissects his way into your top play list with instant gratification and admiration. His ear for the perfect rock tone is on display, and one would be a fool to deny him entry into your aural senses.

If youâre looking for a love-induced album about the wonders of the world and a perfect life of boy meeting girl, look elsewhere. If youâre looking for an album that will make you beg for mercy, yet want more, this is the album for your tastes. The instrumental and vocal balance is powerful throughout, and brings to the table a new and distinct style of rock and roll. So put on your nut cup and make sure your momâs not listening, because this album is guaranteed to rock your socks off.

EMAIL FROM FELLOW MUSICIANS BELOW

Hi again,

I was listening to Past and Present again today. And again I really enjoyed it. Busted and Broken and Hurt so Bad are both so moving. They are really honest and gut turning songs. A whole record of that would be just too much too take, in that they are so strong they just leave you wanting something a little 'lighter', so that's where the other songs balance it out well. I really enjoyed West Coast, Billy in the Lowlands, Don't you Cry, and Endangered Species.

I hope you're proud of that record. If I had made that record, I'd be proud of it.

Lou


Hi David,

Thanks
so much for sending
us your record. My measure
of whether I really
like a record
is if I can put it on when I'm cleaning
the house
or doing
some
other thing around
the house,
and it radiates
a good energy
into the
place
and makes
me feel good. And your record
definitely
does
that. Some
people
have started off trying to sing
like Dylan
or Jagger,
and have come
up with their own unique
sound (the list is endless,
but Mark
Knopfler,
Jim
McGuinn,
Tom Petty, T Bone
Burnett come to mind right away);
and that is
what you have done. Of course,
the Dylan
and Jagger
influences
are all over
the place,
but there is definitely
a David Burton
Morris
vibe that comes
through,
and that is another
measure
of good music. You should
be proud
of it; I
don't think of it as a vanity project (especially
because
I've spent a lot
of time doing similar
recording),
I think of it as a different art form.
Just because
you probably
won't make
any money
from it doesn't mean
it isn't
art. And you have clearly
put a lot of your soul into it, because
it
radiates
a good 'soul' feeling,
if you know what I mean.
I like a bunch
of the songs;
I'm more partial
to the slower
ones,
because
you let your vulnerable
side show more on those songs,
and that side of you
is very endearing
and honest. BILLY IN THE LOWLANDS
is a lot of fun; sort
of like your version
of Queen's
long song, or Stairway
to Heaven:
D.B.'s
rock opera;
it moves
around
a lot in an interesting
way. I like WHAT'CHA GONNA DO
for the same
reason;
lots of interesting
musical
stuff. POLE DRIVER has a very nice groove and is fun to bop along to.
DON'T YOU CRY
is like a really
good Stones
ballad. I like all of those. But there are two
that really
grab me: HURT SO BAD
and my favorite BUSTED AND BROKEN;
they
both have
a ton of feeling
(love that line
about a 'ton of emotional
debt'
in Hurt so bad); they also both remind
me, in feel, of one of my favorite
records
of all time, which is the Pat Garrett Dylan
album;
that record has a
wonderful
relaxed
and deep feel to it, and those two songs have a very
similar
emotional
feel. To me, HURT SO BAD and
BUSTED AND BROKEN
are as
good as anything
Dylan
has done in recent years,
and that is praise
indeed,
because
I like all of Dylan's
last three records;
I suppose
in feel they fit
most with the TIME OUT OF MIND
atmosphere,
because
they have
that sweet
nostalgic
feel to them. Anyway,
I really
like both of those songs. Could
you e-mail
me the lyrics
to BUSTED AND BROKEN?
I can't quite get all the
words (my rock and roll hearing),
and I'd love to sing that song myself.
You have captured
the DB Morris
feel very well on this record, I think,
and that is really
cool. I hope you feel good about it.
Have
a great Christmas,
and say hi to Victoria for me.

Peace,
Lou'


Jeez, man,

I almost tossed that thing. I'm in the media
btz so I get a lot of crap and I was, who is DB Morris?
Then I figured it out and listened to it right away.
David, I have to tell you, it gave me such
heart. I love the thought of you up there in Minnesota
still singing and writing and recording and just generally
making art.

And I love the pissed off grungy dirty rock sound of so much of it - and the
thought that your angry fire is completely
undimmed. Like I said, it gave me heart. Especially in these grim fucking
times with a government that makes Nixon look like Gandhi.
But the song that knocked me out was the sixth one (l think), the ballad
where you talk about saying everything's ok and you hope your friends
will see through it and "christ, they don't even ask." That sent a shiver up
my spine - and sends it up again as I type this.

I immediately came home and tried to play it for Kathy and her friends who were at the house, but they were talking and I took it off because I wanted them to really listen. Then we had a party and the thing got lost in a
stack and l just found it again. So it's on my desk, and I'm going
to listen to it some more, but I wanted to write to you now when I have
the chance - because the way my life goes, l'll be deep in some
deadline soon and I might forget.

Anyway, thanks, David. You and Vicky are the only people from "Hollywood" that I ever really became friends with, and hearing this makes me think that it made sense then and makes sense now.

Love to Vicky too. And rock on!
-john

ps. I'm still playing too, still getting better, and my band is due
here in about an hour.