COUNTRY ROCK DEBUT FOR JEFF BRIDGES A WILDLY ECCENTRIC BLEND LIKE THE MAN HIMSELF

https://youtu.be/zPUruNFEds0?si=aAb8TaF-2OeHs6wp

Today at the music shop curiosity did get the better of me and I bought Jeff Bridges` new album, his first one ever, at the grand age of 60 something. 

Yes, I am referring to the actor Jeff Bridges, that left of centre mostly weirdo actor who has a habit of getting all the weird roles that no one else is capable of pulling off successfully. 

Bridges is nonetheless a brilliant actor, eccentric to the max, definitely way out there most of the time, but an incredibly talented man. He has always been very selective in what movie roles he takes on, never been one to star in a movie just for the sake of doing so.

His most recent role which grabbed my attention, which goes back a few years, is his classic portrayal of the villain Obidiah Stane in the very first IRON MAN movie, the way in which he says Tony-yyyyyyy, when talking to Tony Stark the Iron Man, played to animated proportions by Robert Downey Jr, cracks me up every time I watch the movie. Lots of holes in the plot but man I still think it`s a great movie.

Now about his first ever music record, it`s
better than what you may expect, certainly Bridges proves his biggest influences in
the music stakes is country. 

The front cover shot of him, complete with a grey bushy beard, looks uncannily like Kris Kristofferson. 

I am quite sure I am not the first person to see the resemblance between the two. Putting it bluntly, Jeff Bridges can not sing too well, a few of the songs are pleasant, even mainstream like, while a few others, including the two which he wrote, are very self indulgent and nothing to rave about. 

The one thing which Bridges had going for him here to make the jump from Hollywood to music is a very well renowned music producer and session guitarist, T Bone Burnett. 

He was the one who produced Robert Plant
and Alison Kraus for their duet album a few years back. Backing him up is a what you might call `fusion country`assemble who on a few tracks put on a blistering country blues rock performance which makes up somewhat for Bridges` rather weak vocals.

SLOW BOAT is weird as but the manner in which T Bone Burnett and his side kick guitarist John Ribot tears into the song from half way through makes you forget about what Jeff Bridges is mumbling about. 

Bridges co-wrote this song, I take it he supplied the lyrics because it is really `different`, that is being diplomatic. 

It`s a gem of a song anyway. WHAT A LITTLE BIT OF LOVE CAN DO opens the set and it`s a fairly straightforward country rocker, and reasonably well sung by Bridges to be fair. 

BLUE CAR is a bit like blues funk, if that makes any sense, Bridges narrates his way through the song more than singing it, but he gells much better with his backing band on this number than the two he wrote - FALLING SHORT and TUMBLING VINE, which you`d have to put in the self indulgent weird bracket. Just not up to par.

MAYBE I MISSED THE POINT is a fairly
confident and robust vocal effort on the part of Bridges, the final track, THE QUEST is where he does sound the most like Kris Kristofferson instead of just looking like him. 

The best song on this self titled debut album is EVERYTHING BUT LOVE, a song written by John Goodwin, who also contributed other songs here for Bridges to sing. 

Unlike what the front cover suggests, having
Bridges holding a Greisch guitar, it appears judging by the album credits that he didn`t actually play one, at least in the studio.

He is an actor, I wouldn`t say it is a lemon but if I was Bridges I wouldn`t give up my day job altogether. Very interesting listen!