Charles McClure
Charles McClure
Independent
1994
6 tracks
Usually, I won't review a homemade compact disc for this column. To be reviewed in Sound Bytes the product should be of professional quality and be available for sale to the public. Most homemade discs fail to meet one or the other qualification. Once in a while, though, I receive an exception to the rule. Charles McClure's quirky self-titled release falls into this category.
It's clear from the way he packages his product for reviewers that McClure's objective is to sell his music, not just at home but around the world. Pasted to his plain brown envelope is enough bright computer-printed promotional material to make it look like a world-traveller's trunk. In part, this material lists 24 countries in which McClure receives airplay and sixteen magazines where he's been reviewed. The press material inside contains dozens of reviews and testimonials. Quite impressive.
The music is another story. It's clear McClure has a great deal of talent. It's also clear he may be trying to do too much on his own. McClure and his music would benefit greatly from the input of both a professional producer and a good editor.
If this release had been intended as only a demo... but it hasn't. As a commercial release, it has a few problems.The first is that it is overproduced. The sound is thick and muggy, blurring the instrumental lines and making the lyrics hard to make out. Besides overproduction, part of this problem seems to be the result of over-use of compression technology, dumbing down any sense of sharpness the music may once have had. What is wanted here is the objective ear and firm control of a producer who is not the artist.
While McClure appears to have above average talent as a lyricist, another weakness of this release is that the quality of writing is uneven, ranging from mediocre to quite good. An objective editor might have chosen to leave out at least one of these songs and possibly send McClure back for rewrites on some of the others. McClure shows the potential to shine, but does not yet show the necessary polish as a writer.
Melodically, many of McClure's songs sound quite similar. Outstanding in this regard is "Left or Right," which tends to be an up-tempo version of the song before it, "My Personality."
McLure has a sweet, soulful voice, sounding very much like Dickie Lee at his best. This similarity is especially evident in "My Personality," in which McClure's voice echoes Lee's in his hit, "Patches."
Even given the deficiencies in this release, thanks to the multi-talented artist who shines through, Charles McClures music grows on the listener. Given a good editor, an experienced producer, a real band, and a proper recording studio, McClure's music could take off.
Writer, arranger, producer, singer, multi-instrumentalist, promoter: Charles McClure may be able to fill any of these roles with style and accomplishment. To attempt to do all at once is at best risky and at worst an invitation to disaster. That McClure has attempted this is commendable but has, in my opinion, seriously degraded the quality of his product.
Anyone who wants to learn more about Charles McClure can visit his home page.
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Review Written: March 19, 2000
Page Last modified: February 14, 2004
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