Spotlight Album Review: Tom Rush "Gardens Old, Flowers New"
TOM RUSH – GARDENS OLD, FLOWERS NEW
At the age of 83, Tom Rush’s powers are undiminished: as a singer, a guitarist, an onstage performer, and judging by his new album, Gardens Old, Flowers New, as a songwriter. Because he’s known for burnishing the careers of Joni Mitchell, Jackson Browne, James Taylor, et al, he is sometimes underrated as a writer himself. Thanks to the prodding of his frequent sideman, the multi-talented Matt Nakoa, he’s come up with 14 new songs that feel fresh and inspired. Delivered in his warm voice, they feel intimate, as if sharing secrets from his experience.
Significantly, the album leads off with an invitation: “Come on, let’s go sailing.” Drawing on a talented musical crew in the studio, Nakoa makes each song feel fleshed out, without being overproduced. In the case of “Sailing,” Abbie Gardner’s dobro adds a tasty accent. Like so many others, the song has understated nuggets of wisdom (“love’s the boat and life’s the sea”) and is one of four with a nautical theme. “Toy Boat Song,” which benefits from Monica Rizzio’s harmonies and Dave Eggers cello, contains a benediction (“May rocks and rapids set you free/And far away on a distant day, you may sail the sea”). “The Harbor” has echoes of “Sea Fever,” John Masefield’s famous poem. “Take me on down to the sea/Take me on down to where the waters run free,” Tom sings, with a chorus supporting his vocals.
The fourth song with a nautical bent, “One More Time Around the Sun,” is right in the middle of the album, a sea shanty that deals with life’s journey (“It’s once more, boys, around the sun/We’ll sail the breeze that blows/And pray these breeze will bring us safely home”), the inevitability of loss and uncertainty (“the lookout cannot tell what’s in store”) – things for an octogenarian to ponder.
The overall tone of Gardens Old, Flowers New is upbeat, laid out in the tracks that follow “Sailing.” “Glory Road” is a song about rambling, reflecting the life of a troubadour, which Tom truly is. “Gimme Some of It” is an ebullient reworking of a traditional blues, driven by Matt Nakoa’s piano and Joe Kerney’s mouth harp, with lyrics that speak of man’s carnal and financial appetites. “Nothing But a Man” completes the invigorating run, with Tom’s slide guitar backed by Matt’s slide trombone and Jay’s sax.
The album pauses for the quiet “If You Will Love Me,” one of several love songs. Another is “To See My Baby Smile,” a paean to enduring love:
Gardens old, flowers new
Love will grow and love will bloom
When I’m lost, you’ll lead me down to love again
Another quiet one, “Siena’s Song,” shares the wonder of a child’s world from a parent’s point of view. On the other hand, “It All Comes Down to Love” is a rocker with a backbeat.
The last couple of songs could be farewells, but take them with a grain of salt. On “Won’t Be Back At All” Tom sings:
The only way is up
I am clear right out of down
I’ve got to pick and pack me up
And run clear out of town
He adds a little “tee-hee” in his vocals to suggest not to take him seriously. That’s also true of the rollicking finale (“That’s it, I quit”), a honky tonk powered by Matt’s piano and trombone, with a sly reference to one of his signature songs, Joni Mitchell’s “Urge for Going.”
We can only hope that Tom’s health and commitment continue indefinitely. The flowers in this garden show no sign of fading.