Howe Gelb wants you to know that he's too fucking cool. As he starts to sing Marty Robbins' "El Paso," his voice barely lifts above a whisper; the acoustic guitar strums lightly, poignantly behind him. You sense that drummer Joe Convertino is wearing a suit, and that it looks really sharp. The melodrama of this gunfighter ballad comes through, but suavely, and even when Gelb stops in the middle to shred through Neil Young's "Out on the Weekend," it still sounds bad-ass.
Giant Sand is Howe Gelb's one-man-band, plus guests. Operating out of Tucson, Arizona, Giant Sand has been performing original material since the mid-80s that loosely sits in the camps of rock and alt-country. Their latest album, Cover Magazine, is a cover album of classic (and kitschy) country and rock songs. This kind of record is usually dismissed as a second-tier project-- just like live albums, and for basically the same reason: going in, you're not expecting a major, original statement. It's true that Gelb never sounds like he's breaking a sweat here, but there's invention and heart in these tunes, and the range is impressive-- stretching from Marty Robbins and Johnny Cash to P.J. Harvey and Goldfrapp.
The biggest selling point here is the cover of Black Sabbath's "Iron Man," which Gelb reworks into a conga-padded lounge number. His understated and dead serious vocals make the lyrics sound extra bizarre ("Heavy boots of lead/ Fill his victims full of dread"), and the hook is catchy on piano. The second most entertaining cover is Sonny and Cher's "The Beat Goes On," his take on which seems particularly "knowing." This version is slicker and has a better rhythm than the original, thanks largely to Joe Burns' bass; Gelb's wife Sofia-- dig the parallel?-- adds wry backup vocals.
Gelb tackles most of the instruments himself, but he's joined by some impressive guests. On X's "Johnny Hit and Run Pauline" his guitar goes from a tense quiet to a blaring fury, and P.J. Harvey sings on the chorus, her wail dripping with blood. Gelb also covers one of Harvey's songs, a bluesy performance of "Plants and Rags"; the untreated electric guitar sounds like it was recorded out in the garage. Most of the songs use the rhythm section of Burns on upright bass and Convertino on drums, and they're terrific: Burns' bassline on "King of the Road" is big and easy-going on this only mildly down-and-out version of the classic.
Although the performance of Johnny Cash's "I'm Leaving Now (Adios)" is too casual-- this is the only song where the vocals drop from impromptu to half-assed-- Burns and Convertino still sound like they rolled right out of Sun Studio. The last two numbers (not counting a silly reprise of "The Beat Goes On") are live recordings with members of Grandaddy. These tunes cover more familiar territory for Gelb: former Giant Sand member Rainer Ptacek's "The Inner Flame," and an expanded version of Gelb's "Blue Marble Girl" that's sprawling and gorgeous, riding on his keyboards and Jim Fairchild's massive guitar.
Cover Magazine is a diverse album that holds together well. The sound quality is solid, and some of the recordings have a vast atmosphere, particularly that dead-of-night desert setting for "El Paso." The record never escapes being a "cover album," mainly because Gelb takes most of the songs so easily. But the point of the album seems to be to let him play entertainer-- from the raw but theatrical "Johnny Hit and Run Pauline" to that piano line on "Iron Man" that'll be stuck in your head for days. Not bad for what could as easily have been just another throwaway vanity release.
