Smithereens’ lead singer mourns Buddy Holly
The warmth of Pat DiNizio’s voice is such a perfect fit to Buddy Holly’s “Words of Love†that it makes you feel as if you’re hearing Holly’s original and John Lennon’s cover at the same time. Taken at a slower tempo than either of these earlier versions, without the propulsive handclaps of the Beatles, and with an added string arrangement, this opening track signals the musical eulogy that fills out the rest of the eleven covers. Aside from the doo-wop a cappella closer “That’ll Be the Day,†DiNizio is supported by drums, bass, guitar and the Encore Chamber String Quartet arrangements of Charles Calello.
Holly stretched into strings at the end of his tragically shortened career, with “True Love Ways†and “Guess It Doesn’t Matter Anymore,†but DiNizio takes these ideas and aims them backwards through Holly’s catalog. The results are a great deal heavier than the pizzicato of Holly’s original “It Doesn’t Matter Anymore†or the gentle accompaniment of “True Love Ways.†DiNizio’s version of the former is dominated by the storm clouds of a cello, and the latter is transformed from Holly’s lilting dream of a vocal to a low sob ornately filigreed with violins. “Listen to Me†manages to crack a smile amidst its low vocal and strings, and “Raining in My Heart†is more contemplative than distraught.
Holly’s songs have retained their effervescence, and his spirit informed the wry memories of Don McLean’s “American Pie†and inspired the chiming rock ‘n’ roll of the Smithereens. DiNizio directly displayed his affinity early on with 1989’s “Maria Elena†and subsequently with the Smithereens live version of “Well Alright,†but confronting Holly’s absence head-on seems to have made him profoundly sad. Even Calello’s powerful string arrangements can’t rescue DiNizio from his funk as he transforms Holly’s “Everyday†from a lyric of longing to a mournful ode.
Having expected a buoyant celebration of Buddy Holly’s spirit, it was difficult, at first, to adjust to the slowed tempos, brooding vocals and heavy strings. But as the fiftieth anniversary of Holly’s death passes by, and with his hopeful originals readily available on CD, DiNizio’s red-rimmed interpretations provide a moving statement of faith in the enduring importance of Buddy Holly and the emotional wallop his songs still pack to this day. [©2009 hyperbolium dot com] 