Shine Eyed Mister Zen

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Editorial reviews

Amazon.co.uk Review
It's great--Kelly Joe Phelps has all of the earnestness of a singer-songwriter without the overbearing holier-than-thou-ness that infests so many of them. It's a testament to his skill as a musician that he lets the music speak for itself; sure, there are message lyrics on Shine Eyed Mister Zen, but one needn't spend hours perusing them to appreciate Phelps's deft guitar work or strong but unassuming vocals. His cover of the Leadbelly classic "Goodnight Irene" is as bittersweet as one could hope for, and he infuses his own arrangements of traditional numbers like "The House Carpenter" and "Dock Boggs Country Blues" with his distinctive touch without in any way disrespecting the songs themselves. His own songs stand up well to the covers, too; "River Rat Jimmy" is a ballad in the traditional sense, with a tense moodiness that draws the listener in, and the slow shuffle of "Piece by Piece" (with harmonica from Dave Mathis) is equally evocative. True, it's not straight blues--there are elements of folk, country, and bluegrass here as well. But those genres share a great deal in terms of origin, and Phelps explores these connections superbly. --Genevieve Williams

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Customer reviews

review by: date: 2001-05-10 rating:
I woke up when I heard this!!!!
A chance encounter at a record fair talking to a guy about Richard Thompson and Sonny Landreth. He suggested KJP as the equal of the above! What impertinence! HE WAS RIGHT. Sheer brilliance. "River Rat Jimmy" is one of those haunting songs that live with you - surely, surely.

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review by: date: 2001-05-03 rating:
This is not just another folk blues album
Half listening to "Late Junction" on Radio 3 late one night, I was rooted to the spot by a beautiful piece of slide guitar. The tune revealed itself as "The Old One Hundredth" - the tune for "All People that on Earth Do Dwell" - but I missed the credit. Resorting to the Radio 3 website I discovered that it was "Doxology" by one Kelly Joe Phelps, a new name to me, and immediately ordered the album, "Roll Away the Stone" from Amazon.co.uk.

Reading the blurb on the CD I spotted big names - Robert Johnson, Blind Willie Johnson . . . - but the strong impression I got when I put on the disc was of late sixties Soho and not the Missippi Delta.

I first heard Robert Johnson in the mid sixties, being a blues fan, and, in a strange way, the experience diminished my interest in country blues. What Robert Johnson achieved within the genre was so massive and extraordinary that there did not seem to be much for anyone else to do. Listening to the classic recordings was such an exciting experience. Robert Johnson's performance was something like watching a powerful train at full speed approaching a dodgy curve. Would it stay on the tracks? You know that Kelly Joe Phelps' train is never in any danger, however tricky the track becomes.

Loving "Roll Away the Stone", I ordered "Shine Eyed Mr. Zen". This is a superb recording which moves the music on from "Roll Away the Stone". The performance is passionate yet controlled. It has the same restrained power of a Glenn Gould Bach recording. The playing sounds so easy. This is a deceptive impression. Perhaps the word "zen" in the title of this album is a clue. There is some amazing guitar playing going on on this disc. That is not to say that the singing is any less important. In fact the beautiful way that the guitar and voice are blended is one of the glories of this recording. Kelly Joe has moved a long away along from country blues in spite of the superficial similarities of the sound of the slide guitar. Completely unconfined by any one genre, the music ranges through some strange landscapes whilst remaining truthful to the spirit of the material, both traditional and original songs conjuring strong atmospheres that you can almost breathe; a world you could step into peopled by folks whose hands you could grasp and eyes you could peer into if you were feeling brave. In this respect he is ploughing the same furrow as Bob Dylan with his recordings of "folk songs". No violation is done to the spirit of the original but there is something intensely personal in there. In this he is related to Robert Johnson but also other inspired performers of traditional music. Irish fiddler, Tommy Peoples, comes to mind. There is a handful of musicians who find the balance between being submerged in the music and still retaining sufficient air for essentially personal expression and, when this happens, it is very rare and special. The result is stunning as is the case with Kelly Joe Phelps. How do you take on a song like Leadbelly's "Goodnight Irene", which he must have heard a million times, and produce such a totally new and personal piece which is yet still recognisable?

In my mind's eye I could see Kelly Joe hanging out around Soho in the sixties with musicians like Bert Jansch, Davy Graham and John Renbourn. Their explorations of the areas between traditional, blues and jazz seasoned with dashes of baroque and near eastern music were the closest musical correspondences that came to mind. Have a look at Kelly Joe's website. He actually appeared with Bert Jansch in a television documentary last year. I'm feeling pretty smug about that!

Buy this album. It's unique and its totally great. It's brilliant that a record company (congrats Ryko!) is still prepared to promote "real" music; just a guy with a guitar and no technological interventions. With artists like Kelly Joe and Pierce Turner around perhaps we haven't come to the end of civilization as we know it . . . yet!

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review by: date: 2001-04-20 rating:
!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I listen to a lot of music, much of it is very good but, although my love for such artists as Grandaddy, The Flaming Lips, John Martyn and other great performers and inovators knows no bounds, KJP has created the only modern record which I can confidently describe as genius. When I first saw him playing live I was transfixed by the whirlwind of guitar playing action that he became, and such a wonderful, heartfelt voice he has. Although a CD can't really contain the raw energy that he possesses as a live artist it still eclipses everything else I have ever bought. Buy this and be swept off your feet.

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review by: date: 2001-04-08 rating:
Kelly Joe Phelps?
I had never heard of Kelly Joe Phelps until he appeared on the Jools Holland show Later: on November 4th 2000. I knew right away that I needed some Kelly Joe Phelps material. After buying Shine eyed Mister Zen I am dissapointed that I hadn't heard of this absolute genius earlier, i feel that i have missed out! Quite simply go out and buy this album you will not regret it. Kelly Joe Phelps doesn't just play or sing the blues, he is the blues.


review by: date: 2000-11-03 rating:
haunting blues that seeps through yer brain
Fans of Kelly Joe will hear no surprises but safety in the knowledge of having some more beautiful music to listen to again and again. For the novice this is an under writen about muso that should not be left to sink into obscurity like so many before. Pick it and be broadened beyond the thought of traditional country/blues.

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