Dave Mason--The Ultimate Rock 'N Roll Journeyman

The musical credentials of Dave Mason are almost unbelievable--as an eighteen year old musician, he founded the eclectic fusion group Traffic, combining with Steve Winwood and Jim Capaldi to create a style of music that bridged the gap between several musical genres. When he was nineteen years old, he wrote Feelin' Alright, one of the most widely covered songs in the history of rock 'n roll music--at last count, over 300 different artists had interpreted this tune. After a two-year stint with Traffic, Mason began a solo career that lasted until 1993, when he joined Fleetwood Mac and toured with the band for two years. During his solo career, he made guest appearances on albums by artists such as The Rolling Stones, Paul McCartney, George Harrison, Jimi Hendrix, and Cass Elliot, just to mention a few. After leaving Fleetwood Mac, he resumed his solo career and later formed The Dave Mason Band, which toured here in the states extensively last year.

During his career, Dave Mason has earned the reputation of being a great songwriter, talented instrumentalist, and a studio production wizard. While he's not exactly a household name today, he's garnered the respect of his peers, as evidenced by his many guest appearances on albums and by the number of his compositions that have been covered by other artists.

Very Best Of Dave Mason is just that--a collection of what I think is some of his best, most representative music. The album only has ten tracks, and it's heavily weighted towards his earlier work, but I think it gives the listener a great idea of what Dave Mason was all about. The person unfamiliar with Dave Mason will probably be surprised to learn that he is the author of some of the songs on this collection.

It's All About The Music, Now Isn't It?

Only You Know And I Know uses an acoustic guitar as its musical focus, adorned by some neat electric guitar licks. Bonnie & Delaney And Friends (with Eric Clapton) covered this freewheeling rock-blues tune in the early seventies, but that version differs very little from Mason's original version. Pearly Queen features a jazzy organ in a song about a gypsy woman who could "drink more wine than I had ever seen" (This one sounds live, but the audience at the beginning may have just been edited on). Just A Song has a languid acoustic guitar intro, a banjo lick and a melody that's faintly reminiscient of We Just Disagree, another song Mason performed that inexplicably failed to make this collection. World In Changes uses traditional instruments like the acoustic guitar and mandolin to balance a bluesy organ and create a nice blend of styles, while Sad And Deep As You is a beautiful ballad that contrasts the acoustic guitar and a gorgeous piano to build a sense of stark restraint.

Shouldn't Have Took More Than You Gave brings the banjo together with the piano and acoustic guitar in a song that mildly castigates a former lover for her selfishness. Can't Stop Worrying, Can't Stop Loving is another restrained acoustic ballad with a lovely melody that has a distinct sixties coffeehouse feel, while Headkeeper presents a fusion of jazz and rock with some interesting time changes and an imaginative piano line. Waitin' On You, with its barrelhouse piano, bluesy guitar and backing female vocals, is a rowdy, raucous exercise that reminds me of a smoky roadhouse and chicken-wire guarded bandstand. Finally, there's the song that Mason will always be remembered for, the bluesy, jazz-inflected Feelin' Alright, the ultimate obligatory cover song for bands of the seventies.

Very Best Of Dave Mason is a fine look at the music of one of the most respected musicians of our generation. His work has been covered by countless musicians, and you never know where he'll pop up. Next time you listen to Jimi Hendrix's Electric Ladyland, listen real closely and check the album credits--Dave Mason is in there somewhere, I promise.

This is a great collection by the ultimate rock 'n roll journeyman--check it out if you will.

Thanks for reading.