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April 30, 2010 It Is What It Is A Songwriter’s Tour de Force from Michael Brewer by Michael Cochran From the first words on Michael Brewer’s recently released solo CD, It Is What It Is, you recognize the unique tenor voice that was the signature of Brewer & Shipley, the iconic folk-rock duo whose musically expressed political commentary helped reshape social consciousness in the late 1960s and early ‘70s. While "One Toke Over The Line", the monster hit that shot them to the top in 1971, doesn’t reflect the serious body of work the two singer-songwriters forged through a series of albums from 1968 through 1978, it did open the door to international popularity and steady touring that continued until they disbanded in 1980. They regrouped in 1987 and continue to perform to this day. Brewer’s second solo album, Retro Man, was preceded by Beauty Lies, the latter featuring multiple instruments and an A-list of musicians including Linda Ronstadt, J. D. Souther and Dan Fogleberg. It Is What It Is is just the opposite. The 13 tracks, all Brewer originals, are presented with no orchestral arrangements, vocal harmonies or studio enhancements. What you hear instead is a gifted singer and his acoustic guitar delivering a tour de force of finely crafted songs about things that matter to all generations, not just his own. Compared to the youthful passion with which he and partner Tom Shipley sang about spiritual awakening, social injustice and shredding the political veil, Brewer’s 21st Century tone reflects a more contemplative, compassionate perspective. His lyrics still take on the sins of war, ideological oppression and cultural hypocrisy, but he voices them now with a quiet conviction bespeaking a deeper understanding that life, love and hope will prevail no matter what we human beings do to ourselves. In "Red El Camino" he sings about the loneliness a man feels seeing the woman he loves driving away, then flips the coin with "One More Day", an almost child-like take on the joy of heading home after being long gone himself. "Bringin ‘em Back Alive" laments the all too real consequences of war and how its survivors must learn to cope with the madness, to live with the curse. "Romans In Jerusalem" compares the militant arrogance of America’s foreign policy to the Roman Empire, warning everyone knows what happened to them, while "Everything Has Changed" describes the cultural erosions within our own borders. "Winds of Change" and "Safe from The World" are finely penned songs describing the uncertain state of our declining world, both of which leave you to consider your own life against the background of humanity’s karmic dues. The remaining tracks are like chapters from the autobiography of a trusted friend. "Dying Young" confronts what every member of the "don’t trust anyone over 30" generation now faces: growing old. "All Over Again" is about those haunting personal regrets that keep coming back, "Scarlett" a touchingly tender love ballad written to his wife, and "Tumbleweeds" a heartfelt thanks to his parents for setting his moral compass early in life. Every note rings pitch-perfect with a purity and level of control that comforts the ear. Music lovers who value songs as works of art will find much to appreciate in this album, and it should also function as a beacon to the hordes of contemporary performers in dire need of meaningful material. Few songwriters can match the depth of Brewer’s insight, and the songs are melodically beautiful to boot. A favorite track for many, as it is for this writer, will surely be "The River Runs", a shimmering overview of mortal existence that weaves strands of meaning from the other songs into a tapestry of summation:
The river still flows / the river still runs It’s there in the blood and the folks we came from; It moves through our veins / it winds through our hearts As the babies are born and the old folks depart… As it ends it’s only begun As life goes on and the river runs… Amen, Brother Brewer. It is what it is. It Is What It Is is available at villagerecords.com or through brewerandshipley.com. Writer of the authorized biographies of Chet Atkins and Les Paul, Michael Cochran is now at work on the life story of singer-songwriter Don McLean. Mobile Unit Music
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