Ray's Vast Basement "Starvation Under Orange Trees" (Howells Transmitter 2007)

Steinbeck: from dustbowl to orange grove via stage and studio

“ … a homeless hungry man, driving the roads with his wife beside him and his thin children in the back seat …… in the south he saw the golden oranges hanging on the trees, the little golden oranges on the dark green trees; and guards with shotguns patrolling the lines so a man might not pick an orange for a thin child, oranges to be dumped if the price was low.” (Steinbeck, Grapes of Wrath p. 274/5)

I love the idea of this album, a ‘suite’ of songs based on the stories and characters of John Steinbeck that grew from an invitation, to mainman Jon Bernsen, to compose and perform the music for a production of ‘Of Mice and Men’ by the Actors Theatre of San Francisco. Only four songs remain of the original project but they’re joined here by ten more that are inspired by The Grapes of Wrath, Tortilla Flat, East of Eden or Cannery Row.

RVB is Benson joined by a fairly large group of guests (including Nate Query of The Decembrists playing bass on 3 tracks) who together have put together a strange set that veers between warm, entrancing nu-folk and, at times, arty experimentalism. Of course it’s the former that works best in this context. Steinbeck’s stories themselves are very earthy and organic, depicting the fear, abuse, hunger and humiliation that dogged people from the dustbowls of Oklahoma to the rich (unfulfilled) promise of California.

There’s nothing on the album that quite captures the times and experiences in the way that Woody Guthrie’s music does but it’s a fine listen anyway. Songs like ‘California’s Gone’, ‘Not Just Mine’ or ‘White Land Pink Land’ are soft and dreamy, and simmering with wistful regret – calling to mind Tweedy at his most thoughtful and reserved. But it’s the two centre-pieces ‘Black Cotton’ and ‘Work Song’ that provide the album’s highlights. The former a tale of prize-fighting with rattling drums and mournful trumpet that grind the protagonist's pride into the canvas, along with his bloody and beaten face. ‘Work Song’ is as slow and as ponderous as tired arms hauling bales onto the back of a truck and it swirls with dizzying repetition towards a cacophonic finale.

Ok so it doesn’t quite match expectations but perhaps they were too high anyway? It does have some superb moments and as a collection of songs it’s more than worthy and given the opportunity it’ll pitch up camp in your head and refuse to leave.

Date review added:  Friday, June 15, 2007
Reviewer:  Chris Stevens
Reviewers Rating:
Related web link:  Artist website