John Doe

Forever Hasn't Happened Yet

2005-03-22

John Doe is something of a renaissance man.
As a beat poet; actor in more than 25 films; former bassist for the punk band X; and singer/songwriter, Doe has remained a cult figure for more than 25 years.

He builds on this reputation with this, his 5th solo recording. Now, please don't lump John in as being Waits-ian just because he's an actor and has a dark, interesting personality. Rather, think of Bruce Cockburn. Smart as a whip, adventurous, genre-bending, and somehow equally optimistic and pessimistic. That must mean he's seen the world.

On the new disc, Doe paints a dusty American scene with help from the likes of Dave Alvin, Grant Lee Phillips, Neko Case and Kristin Hersh. Though these are somewhat Big Name artists, they make no attempt to re-write the songs in their image. Instead, they seem to be augmenting John's best batch of songs yet out of humble respect.

It'd be easy to say there's something here for everyone - rockers, acoustic performances, electronically-enhanced tunes... it's a winner.
Linus.

Quick Links:

• Doe - Music Entry
• Doe - Film Entry
• Yep Roc Records