Music Reviews
By The Con Curmudgeon
That Great Big Way
Out There (Random Factors 1009) But the music on his other recordings
certainly appeals to filkers - whether
he's singing about the SCA, Appalachian
Folk Tales (see my review of his wonderful
"Who Fears the Devil" in the last
issue), ancient English folk tales or what
have you.
But this time out, Joe has actually
recorded an album that you could
definitely call his "filk" album. And a
damn good CD it is!
That Great Big Way Out There is a
concept album, in that you start on Terra
Firma, then take off and never come
back, as the songs move you further and
further through the void of space.
We start our journey about 100 years
ago, with Bethancourt's delightful cover
of Nancy Freeman's "Overland Stage,"
a song which is reprised in a very
futuristic way at the end of the album.
Let me say right here - and I know
that Joe agrees with me - that "Overland
Stage" is one of the best songs you'll ever
hear by an Arizona songwriter.
Bethancourt's version is performed
slowly, dreamily, in a very story-telling
style that makes you wonder what's next.
Well, then the traveler starts to dream
about what might lie out there (the title
cut). Then things get weird ("Fishing for
Chickens" - okay, it doesn't really fit,
but Joe gets requests for this one all the
time so it HAD to be on the CD!).
But once we're in the air, we're
treated to songs by Bethancourt and a
host of other great songwriters, including
Cat Faber, Ralph McTell, Leslie Fish
and many others.
So with his first "legitimate" filk
foray, Mr. B. definitely hits the stratosphere.
Check out "The Great Big Way
Out There" for yourself. It's available
from the Random Factors website or from
Joe at his gigs, and they oughta make it
available at CD stores across the universe.
Joe Bethancourt
Joe Bethancourt is pretty much
considered a filk staple, even though up
to this point you'd be hard pressed to say
that he's ever recorded what you might
call a "filk" album.
Highlights: "Big Ty's Ride," an outer
space tall tale; "Benson, Az" the song
from the movie "Dark Star"; and the
musical question: "Will We Still Have
Country Music Out In Space?"
- Tom Tuerff
