A friend once asked what motivated me to spend years penning my first novel. I told him that the book I ended up writing was one I’d desperately wanted to read but couldn’t until someone finally wrote it.
Such may be the case with Freebo, a top-echelon sideman (playing bass and tuba for the likes of Bonnie Raitt and Ringo Starr) who eventually made the transition to lead singer/songwriter. I suspect he wanted to hear the kinds of songs that just weren’t going to get written or recorded unless he took charge from inception to fruition.
Exhibit A is “Dog People,” his collection of songs exploring the human/canine connection. Who else has devoted an entire album to our furry friends? We can all be glad he took the trouble. This must-have CD for dog lovers delivers sensitive, passionate, and often humorous treatments of our mysterious multi-faceted bond with canines.
“Shaggy” looks at the relationship through the eyes of a dog. “I’ve got all these things to do/Just for me and not for you/But I’ll always be your puppy when you call.” Shaggy obeys the urges of his curiosity, wanderlust (and sometimes just plain lust), but his devotion to his beloved human is paramount. It’s a happy-go-lucky ditty that rings true. “My Dog Has Fleas” is a hip send-up of an itchy problem shared by all dogs and their owners, from the mean streets to the penthouse suites. It’s driven by an infectious funk beat given additional heft by a Muscle Shoals-style horn section. “She’s My D.O.G.” compares and contrasts the relationship of two human lovers to that of a man and his significant rover. It’s another good-hearted toe tapper.
This CD is a full-spectrum look at dogs and their people, painful parts included. In “Lester” we feel the chilly brush with fate when the singer’s pooch is almost killed by a car. “Old Shep” eavesdrops on the heart-wrenching final exchange between a man and a dog who both understand that the end of the life they have cherished together is mere moments away.
Perhaps the most profound song in the mix is a ballad called “More Like You.” “To face my troubles, know what’s true/To treat each day like it’s brand new/I know that’s what you would do.” The lyrics make us realize that to get through this sometimes trying life we need a good dose of the unconditional love and in-the-moment acceptance that come naturally to our four-legged friends – a message as fitting at the positive music festival where I recently heard Freebo as it is at the humane fundraisers he sometimes plays.
“Dog People” is no quirky, off-the-cuff concept album. It offers exceptional production values and great session players, spearheaded by the legendary guitarist from Ten Years After and Emmilou Harris’s Hot Band, Albert Lee. It’s a one-of-a-kind gem. Order your copy at www.freebomusic.com/FreeboMusic/html.
Tad Toomay is an East Bay writer and performer/composer.
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