Greetings,
A couple of weeks ago, I did a post centered on one of my most favorite people in all the land, Christian Kane. It got A LOT of hits. I was actually pleasantly surprised and quite happy about that. And, always willing to give the people what they want, I have decided to talk about something that I mentioned in that post. That thing would be Christian's album The House Rules.
Okay, as I mentioned before, most people know Christian Kane as an actor. From Angel to Leverage and all that came in between, that is how he has gotten the majority of his exposure. But he is also a great musician, something that has been given its greatest amount of attention with the 2010 release of his album, The House Rules. Though Christian has been pulled into the world of Hollywood, he is a country boy at heart. The good kind of country boy, FYI. So, needless to say, this is basically a country album, but, like with most things that have come out of that genre in the last twenty years or so, it is also infused with rock and even a little bit of (gasp!) pop. Again, the good kind. So, let's start getting specific.
The album starts off very strongly with the title track. It is your classic country, party song, which means it celebrates the two things that these songs always celebrate when coming from the boys - loose women and booze! Just kidding! Well, a little. I mean, if you want to go deeper, it's just about having fun after a hard day at work. And believe or not, yes, there are still some people in this country who work hard for the money they make. I must say, though, it is one of those songs that would be perfect to listen to while you're getting ready for your night out on the town. Not that I know much about that, but I do love those kinds of songs. Added plus: the video was directed by Timothy Hutton. Holla! Or Yee-haw! Whatever. I've actually mentioned this befoere, but it bears repeating. It's that good.
Speaking of Mr. Hutton and what connects him to our featured artist, let's move on to the song that has probably had the most exposure. It's called "Thinking of You", and it is a beautiful love song. Christian actually performed this on the Leverage episode "The Studio Job", and as a special treat, we also got to hear Mr. John Schneider sing it as well. This was a big deal for Christian because I have heard him refer to John Schneider as one of his idols. Okay, I think he actually said "Bo Duke" but I see what he was grabbing for. So he got to fight his idol and have him sing a song he wrote. I'm going to go out on a limb here, but I'd wager this was Christian's favorite episode to make. Moving on.
There is a very interesting song on here called "Let's Take a Drive" If my interpretation is correct, it's about a guy who wants to take a girl on a road trip to make her remember the person who she used to be. And who she used to be, before some other man came along and made her life boring, was someone who lived to the fullest and beyond. Far beyond, judging by some of the lyrics. Yeah, look, songwriters. I'm all for this guy wanting to help this girl to feel alive again by reminding her of all the things they once did together, but when this list of past experiences was being made, we could have skipped the "I lit your hair on fire" memory. I really hope that's a metaphor for something else, because if it's not . . . Well, let's just say, if reminding your ex of how great your life was together involves violating a restraining order, it may not be the best of ideas. Still, I am not one to insult anyone for having creative lyrics, since I usually praise them for that. I'll just say, good song, and leave it at that. So, yeah. Good song!
Let's get to my favorite song on the album, "Let Me Go" Okay, now I have mentioned before that we ladies love a "project". This is what attracts us to the "bad boys with (hopefully) good hearts" That's right. We do not want the guy with a degree and money and a future. How boring! We want the brooding, hot guy with a crappy job, the car that's older than he is, and an apartment where his only roommates are small and have between four and eight legs, depending on what time of year it is. The guy who, if we marry him, we can use to torture our parents for all eternity. This song is from the perspective of that dude. He's trying to convince his girlfriend to let him go so she can find something better for herself. Of course, she's not having it, and we girls always get our way. This song actually reminds me of the classic by Trisha Yearwood "She's in Love with the Boy", since the subject matter is quite similar. But even if it didn't, it is so beautiful that it easily has been dubbed my favorite. Did I say easily? Okay, maybe it had a bit of competition, and a part of me wishes the other song would have won out since, unlike this one, it was written by Christian. I wasn't crazy about the fact that my favorite is one he did not write, but sometimes one little thing can cause points to be lost. Let me explain.
There is a song here called "Making Circles" and it is gorgeous. The melody is fantastic and the lyrics . . . well, they're good, too, except for that aforementioned 'one little thing'. Someone thought it prudent to drop an 'F bomb' right smack dab in the middle of the chorus. Why? I mean, I never really understand the logic of using that word, but I especially don't in this song. If it was something hard and driving and angry, I guess I could see why it would be used, but this is a slow, gentle, ballad type song. So, I don't see the necessity. It is a wonderful song, though, and it's his song and his album, so I'll let him do what he wants. But, to quote Winnie the Pooh and his own brand of swearing...oh, bother!
Now let me end with the ending song. It is a cover, and it proves that if you put something I hate into the hands of someone I love, they can turn it into something that I don't hate that much anymore. Okay, I have always hated the song "Fast Car" by Tracy Chapman. Don't know why; that's just the way it is. But here it is covered by Christian, and it's not so bad anymore. I don't know if I can full on say I like the song, but you know how it is. He could sing the phone book to me, etc., etc. I guess I just wished he would have picked a different song to cover. Again, though, his album, his decision, and he made it better.
Besides the songs I highlighted, there is a lot of good music here. I know I may have sounded a bit critical, but it was all in fun and possibly even constructive. Yes, I'm certain he'll take all my notes for his next project, as I am a genius. Right. Look, in all seriousness, the album has barely any weak spots, which is always good, and if you like the type of manly country music that gets around these days, you'll probably like this. If you're a fan of Christian's, I would say definitely check this out if you haven't already. Personally, I loved this because I liked having him share a different passion of his with his fans than the one he normally does. He's not pretending to be someone else here, as actors tend to do, because it's their job, but, here, we just get Christian Kane and a little peak into his heart and soul. Couldn't really ask for more.
Love and full moons,
Becky the Writer
