Party For Joey: A Sweet Relief Tribute To Joey Spampinato
True North, 2021
10/10
Listen to Party For Joey: A Sweet Relief Tribute To Joey Spampinato
A very impressive roster of stars come together here to help out the NRBQ founding member and bassist Joey Spampinato, whose current health issues are accruing significant costs, and they’re doing it by reinterpreting 14 of Spampinato’s own songs.
Al Anderson starts the listen with a buzzing and upbeat version of thick country rock, where sturdy guitar and wild piano add much to the loud delivery of “You Can’t Hide”, and Los Lobos follows with their distinct rhythm guiding the melodic and retro-rock fun of “Every Boy Every Girl”.
Down the line, Peter Case’s “Don’t Knock At My Door” swaggers with some classic rock spirit that’s both gritty and tuneful, while She & Him’s “How Can I Make You Love Me” gets dreamy in its very pretty and calm climate. The always impressive Buddy Miller contributes the breezy and bouncy “How Will I Know”, where his guitar acrobatics impress us, and Jim Lauderdale’s portions won’t go unnoticed, either.
Close to the end, Penn & Teller offer a very rugged, even raspy tune, where plucked strings and quick keys fuel the quirky “Plenty Of Somethin’”, and Kami Lyle’s “First Crush” exits the listen on a romantic note as the gentle duet welcomes soulful horns, where Lyle, who is Spampinato’s wife, and Joey himself both emit a romantic presence.
In addition to all the above, The Minus 5, Bonnie Raitt, Ben Harper, Deer Tick, Steve Forbert, Robbie Fulks and The Nils & Chris Spedding all contribute tracks, too, making this quite possibly the best compilation album of the year in terms of both quality of the music and importance of the cause.
Travels well with: Robbie Fulks & Linda Gail Lewis- Wild! Wild! Wild!; Buddy & Julie Miller- Breakdown On 20th Ave. South