Vince Bell: One Man's Music
Texas Songwriter Survives Car Accident, Records Luke Warm Album
Sep 2, 2009
Vince Bell, the Texas singer-songwriter who has overcome incredible adversities to return to music, has released a companion album to his autobiography and one-man play, all three named One Man’s Music. On One Man’s Music, Vince Bell re-imagines many of his older works. Unfortunately, the results are mostly mediocre.
Promising Singer-Songwriter Bell Recovers From Massive Brain Injuries to Return to Music
Vince Bell’s biography is an extraordinary one. Already a regular on the Texas singer-songwriter circuit in the 70s, he was broadsided by a drunk driver in 1982. According to his newly released autobiography, One Man’s Music, Bell suffered massive injuries, including a mangled forearm, lacerated liver, broken ribs, and most devastating, severe traumatic brain injuries.
Vince Bell was comatose for a month after the accident. His brain damage was extensive, and afterwards had to relearn basic day to day activities. “Bell embarked on a courageous, decade-long journey to reclaim his identity, his music, and his career (Vincebell's web page)”
Eventually Bell was able to release an album, 1994’s Phoenix. Vince Bell’s songwriting finally received the acclaim it deserved. He followed Phoenix with Texas Plates (1999), Live In Texas (2001), and Recado (2007).
Vince Bell’s Songs Hit or Miss on One Man’s Music
Vince Bell’s new album, One Man’s Music, is the companion piece to his autobiography of the same name. It features mostly previously released material with new arrangements. Bell said on his website “I knew if I was going to release previously recorded material it needed to be with a novel arrangement unlike any I had offered before.” Unfortunately, these new arrangements do not do justice to the songs.
It should be stated that Vince Bell is a fantastic songwriter. His lyrics read like poetry, rather than so much of the doggerel that passes as moving lyrics these days (or any days). When his songs have been covered, (for example, Lyle Lovett covered “I’ve Had Enough” on his album Step Inside This House), the songs have sparkled.
Awkward Arrangements of Classic Vince Bell Songs on One Man’s Music
On One Man’s Music, the songs lack that sparkle mentioned above. Much of that can be attributed to the arrangements, but some of the fault lies with Bell himself. Bell is very pitchy at times, and in an attempt to make the songs different from the originals, he puts his voice through gymnastics in pitch and phrasing that it just can not handle.
An example is the opening track “One Hundred Miles From Mexico.” It is stripped down from the original on Texas Plates, and puts his voice at the forefront. To be honest, his voice is not strong enough to be put in the spotlight that way. His voice needs a strong accompaniment to keep the song together.
This is not to say that all the songs are mediocre versions of the originals. “I’ve Had Enough” holds up pretty well, and “The Beast” stands out on One Man’s Music. But for every beautifully rendered song like “Sun and Moon and Stars” there’s a “The Other Side,” whose semi-spoken word piece at the end “C’mon, say it, I love you,” is practically cringe-worthy.
Texas Plates, Recado, Better Examples of Vince Bell’s Music
Fans of Americana and singer-songwriters should certainly be turned on to Vince Bell. He is a talent, and lyrically in the upper echelon of guitar wielding troubadours. However, One Man’s Music is not the album to do it on. Listen instead to the criminally ignored Texas Plates, Recado, or if you can find it, Phoenix.
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