>> Lee Hazelwood
bio: For over half a century, LEE HAZLEWOOD has proven himself to be one of the most ingenious, inspired and impressively stubborn sons-of-a-bitch the music industry has ever seen. His career – a word that HAZLEWOOD himself would scorn – has seen him take on almost every aspect of the music industry – a word that HAZLEWOOD himself would choke on – and come out on top every time. CAKE OR DEATH – a reference to HAZLEWOOD’s comic hero Eddie Izzard - is the title of what HAZLEWOOD has declared will be his swan song, one last album that he wishes to bequeath to the world before he returns to the shadows out of which he was dragged in the ‘90s, following his rediscovery by an extraordinary range of contemporary artists such as Beck, Pulp, Sonic Youth and Nick Cave. His music has continued to become more and more fashionable, regularly turning up in films as diverse as The Dukes Of Hazzard – which saw Jessica Simpson perform These Boots Were Made For Walking for the title track – and the arthouse flick Morvern Callar – which used Some Velvet Morning to great effect.
Like all of his albums, CAKE OR DEATH – which is released in December by BPX1992 everywhere except Australia and Japan (where it is released by Ever Records) and the USA (where it is released in late January, also by Ever Records) – refuses to compromise HAZLEWOOD’s own musical choices for any reason, and the result is an exceptional record that draws together various strands of his life in a magical, unforgettable way. Rather than pull together a self indulgent list of admirers with whom to collaborate, HAZLEWOOD has assembled a cast of musicians with whom he has previously worked, promised to work, or wanted to work. Full of HAZLEWOOD’s trademark drama, sentiment, lyrical trickery, subtle politics (check the incredible Baghdad Knights and the wry Anthem), ribald roguery, dry wit and unforgettable melodies it’s a fabulous curtain call that, with its final song T.O.M. (The Old Man), will not leave a dry eye in the house.
CAKE OR DEATH sees HAZLEWOOD record the original, far spookier version (as much as he remembers, he jokes) of These Boots Were Made For Walking with Duane Eddy and Richard Bennett (Neil Diamond’s guitarist); he co-writes two songs with Al Casey, an old pal who has recorded with The Beach Boys, The Carpenters, Frank & Nancy Sinatra, Dean Martin, Duane Eddy and HAZLEWOOD himself (to name but a few); he’s joined by Scandinavia’s number one jazz singer Ann Kristin Hedmark – “I like him and he’s funny”, she jokes in her defence; lifelong friend Tommy Parsons is given the spotlight on his own She’s Gonna Break Some Heart – “he literally saved my life some time ago,” Lee explains, “so this is a promise given and a promise kept”; and Some Velvet Morning is reprised memorably by none other than Hazlewood’s grand daughter Phaedra Dawn Stewart – “Who says nepotism is dead?”, Lee insists. And there’s more. A trip to Berlin led to two further collaborations: Bela B, renowned actor and member of Germany’s legendary Die Ärtzte, fulfilled a lifetime’s ambition with his contribution Lee Hazlewood & The Last Song Of The Day – “there is a studio god,” Lee believes, “and his name is Bela B”. Bela in turn introduced Lee to the more secretive Lula, whose charming vocals were perfect for Nothing.
Naturally, though, at the heart of the entire album lies LEE HAZLEWOOD, displaying all of the charm and talent that has made him one of the most namechecked and influential artists in rock and roll history. It’s one hell of a swansong. The man has never done things by halves.
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