To whom it may concern, Lisa Marie Presley's back at the Belly Up
Like Sean Lennon and Jakob Dylan, Lisa Marie Presley will never be able to escape the huge shadow cast, in perpetuity, by her famous father. That's not to say she doesn't have a lot of prime songwriting inspiration – anyone who was married to Nicholas Cage and Michael Jackson doesn't lack for emotional fuel.
But Presley, whose second album (the aptly titled “Now What”) quickly came and went last year, faces an especially tough challenge. As the sole heir to her father's estate, she has never had any need to work. She quietly started writing songs when she was 22, but was so unsure of herself she waited another 13 years to release her first album.
Now 38 and a devoted mother of two, Presley has avoided the pitfalls of fame once removed. So far as I know, she's never been in rehab, appeared on a TV “reality” show or written a tacky tell-all book.
What she also hasn't done, alas, is make a memorable album. Her 2003 debut, “To Whom It May Concern,” attracted attention more for her name than her music. “Now What,” which features a number of collaborations with San Diego-bred producer-songwriter Linda Perry, was more accomplished and less self-conscious. But neither album is very distinguished, vocally or compositionally, and she too often gets swallowed up by her band.
Presley can sing far better than, say, Kelly Osbourne, but that's kind of like saying you can type better than Paris Hilton. She's capable and determined, but not yet compelling. And while I believed Presley when she told me in a 2003 interview that music is cathartic for her, her songs don't sound cathartic, at least not yet. I expect her to have a slick, note-perfect band when she performs here at the Belly Up in Solana Beach on Wednesday, but I'd rather hear her alone, with just an acoustic guitar, pouring her heart out.
His imitation of the Traveling Wilburys is priceless
Want to have fun at your next party? Then play one of the first two songs from Dan Bern's latest album, “Breathe,” and have your friends guess what prime period Bob Dylan rarity you have unearthed. Then play “Tongue-Tied” from the same album, and watch them wonder why they've never heard this George Harrison gem before. (Heck, “Breathe's” cover illustration even evokes Dylan's 1970 “Self Portrait.”)
But Bern, whose 1997 debut album distinguished him as a young artist of note, is much more than a gifted mimic. And while parts of “Breathe” pay unerring homage to his idols, he has crafted songs uniquely his own, be it such witty ditties as “Tiger Woods” and “Chick Singers” (from his 1998 album “Fifty Eggs”) or the lacerating “Fascist in Me” and “God Said No” (both from 2001's “New American Language”).
A fearless troubadour, Bern took on U.S. foreign policy before it became fashionable. Witness his 2002 release, “The Swastika E.P.,” which includes such withering songs as “Talkin' Al Kida Blues” (sample lyric: Why do they hate us? 'Cause we're free / Free to round up dark-skinned bearded guys).
Bern and his band will perform Sunday at Brick By Brick for a cult audience that should be considerably larger. Some of his songs may make you (and him) uncomfortable, but, well, that's the point.
Also of note
The quandary: Joan Jett and the Blackhearts perform Monday at House of Blues, the same night the New York Dolls play at the Belly Up Tavern. The solution: See the fierce-rocking Jett next time around. At 48, she's a spring chicken – well, almost – compared to Dolls singer David Johansen (56) and guitarist Sylvain Sylvain (53). They are the only two surviving members of the Dolls' original five-man lineup and sounded surprisingly sharp when the revamped band performed at Street Scene this summer.
The Belly Up is also the place to be Tuesday when Adrian Belew performs with his latest band. A superb guitarist whose résumé includes work with King Crimson, David Bowie, Talking Heads, Frank Zappa and more, Belew can do amazing things with six strings. He also has the taste and maturity that separates masters from mere virtuosos.
George Varga: (619) 293-2253;
george.varga@uniontrib.com
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