FDR...The New Deal

About 3 weeks ago a good friend of mine handed me a beautifully packaged three disc set by FDR called 'The New Deal'. Towards the end of 2005, FDR wrote, produced and recorded 50 songs in 50 days. Maybe not as ambitious as Sufjan Steven's 50 Albums for 50 states project but ambitious nonetheless. I have found two major differences between Sufjan and FDR, other then their sounds. First being that sufjan has made 2 of the 50 and FDR has made 50 of the 50. The second being that Sufjan is 50/50 in my book. 'Greetings from Michigan' was OK, 'Come on feel the Illinois' was breathtaking. FDR has sold me on almost all 32 songs that made it into the trilogy that is 'The New Deal'. The 3rd disc falls just a bit short for me. By that I mean that only 6 of the 11 songs blow my mind unlike the 1st and 2nd disc in which every song hits me hard. I haven't been so interested in a album since my girlfriend introduced me to Bright Eye's Lifted or the story is in the soil...

I was fortunate enough to see him perform an all too short set at Arlene's grocery last night. My good friend is actually a good friend of his, or so they say they are working on that part. So after the show I was able to have a few beers with him and his friends along with my friend Jason and my girlfriend Laura.

Here is a unauthorized video I took last night of him performing 'One More Summer In the Sun (Willie Nelson)'.