Dutchess of The Words: Rickie Lee Jones and The Sermon on Exposition Boulevard
Rickie Lee Lones: The Sermon on Exposition Boulevard (New West, 2007)
For
the record, Rickie Lee Jones could fart on an album and I would buy
it and love it. From the first time that I heard my mother play
Jones’s self-titled first album to this latest release, I have been
in love with this artist—one who has always pushed the envelope with
a unique experimentation and nonchalant nonconformity that always
seems to spit directly into pop’s proverbial eye. Only Jones
could successfully derive inspiration from Lee Cantelon's book The
Words and create an awe inspiring thematic work based on Cantelon’s
modern rendering of the words of Christ. Using The Words as
a simple invisible hand to guide her, Jones has created a phenomenal
recording that celebrates both humanity and the overall belief that
we are guided by a higher power—a higher power void of the monotheism
and hypocrisy that seems to permeate and dominate modern day Christianity.
Despite
its source and after a few listens, it is obvious that there is no
religious-affiliated agenda. Jones merely provides her listeners with
well thought opinions and boldly honest observations, all set to a
much more rocking style than her past projects. It is yet another
reason why those of us who have a great respect for her work love
her music. She never ceases to amaze or challenge the discernible
ear of her fan base, no matter how small or large.
The Sermon on Exposition Boulevard unveils a holy quartet of spirits. Reaching into her bag of tricks, Jones manages to intertwine the moralities
and immoralities found in the creative, holy, revolutionary, and human
spirit. It is within these sacred and profane battles that Jones
is able to reveal the true essences and nuances of the human soul
with her music and lyrics. To say this recording teems with
religious convictions is an understatement, but they are not your
traditional religious convictions. These convictions come from
a whole different paradigm: one that is based not on guilt and money—you
won’t find these convictions in the sermons from your neighborhood
church. And unlike your hypocritical preacher/priest/rabbi/elder,
Jones is able to somehow deliver these new interpretations without
being preachy, heavy-handed, or lightweight, and that is a beautiful
balance. Jones has never been known to be predictable, and that
is the benefit of being a fan, like me, who is in it for the long
haul. You never know what you will get on the next recording.
