Lee Hazlewood - Cake or Death

  by Anthony Strutt

published: 24 / 1 / 2007

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Sadly this will be the great Lee Hazelwood's last recorded album as he is dying of cancer. For his farewell the 77 year old has chosen to record some new songs and also to revisit a few classics. 'Nothing Smooth' is a classy jazz based number with an easy listening groove performed by Lee as a duet with a lady called Lula. The first part is sung in a foreign language and just oozes sex. 'Baghdad Knights' is the first single from this and another classy Hazelwood song. 'Please Come to Boston'is also sung as a duet,this time with Ann Kristin Hedmark, who is Scandinavia's best lady jazz singer. 'She's Gonna Break Some Heart Tonight' is sung by Lee's friend, Tommy Parsons. It is classic middle of the road stuff, the sort you thing you find on BBC1 most nights of the week, but with a salsa flavour. 'Sacrifice' sounds like Leonard Cohen and features a masterful vocal from Lee. 'Fred Freud' has a jolly feel, which reminds you of old romantic movies, and tells a great tale perfectly. 'The First Song of the Day' has a spaghetti western 60's retro feel to it and is sung by Lee in German. 'It's Nothing to Me' is lush and lovely. You can see on this why Tindersticks worship him. 'Anthem' is a fun number which while very political is done in a jolly fashion. 'White People Thing' is a spoken word tale, full of twang which Lee invented back in the 50's. 'Boots (Original Melody)' is 'These Boots Are Made for Walking' played with old friend Duane Eddy. It is jazzy in tone and was written for Nancy Sinatra, as was the next song, his finest ever number, 'Some Velvet Morning'. This is sung by 'Grandpa' Lee with granddaughter Phaedra, a character who appeared in the song and whom his daughter named her daughter after who in turn thought the song was written for her. It is short and sweet with the 7 year old Phaedra singing it as a tribute to her Grandpa. 'T.O.M.(The Old Man)' is the B side to 'Bagdhad Knights'. It is not written about Lee's current life but it may well have been. It is a very sad song about a man whom is dying, Needless to say every time I hear the last two songs on this record they reduce me to tears. It is a stunning last album.

Track Listing:-

1 Nothing
2 Baghdad Knights
3 Please Come To Boston
4 She’s Gonna Break Some Heart Tonight
5 Sacrifice
6 Fred Freud
7 The First Song Of The Day
8 It’s Nothing To Me
9 Anthem
10 White People Thing
11 Boots (Original Melody)
12 Some Velvet Morning
13 T.O.M. (The Old Man)

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