WILLIAMS, ANDRE - Life

Andre Williams began a very prolific and creative phase of his life when he finally got off booze and drugs. His intake of various substances was excessive, unrelenting, and dated back to at least the 1960's, when he was working extensively with Ike Turner. Reflecting on his very first drug-and-alcohol-free studio session in 2009, Andre says, "It was traumatic. It was like someone shot me out in space and I woke up on Pluto!" Andre Williams' new album "Life" was recorded this past winter in Detroit, the city where his musical career first began in the 1950's. Andre's new songs are his latest experiments and explorations outside of the garage-soul bag that he's often associated with. Produced by Matthew Smith, the album's sonic palette recalls the work of Norman Whitfield's Motown productions, 70's Rolling Stones, Can, Bill Withers, Serge Gainsbourg, as well as Andre's own doo-wop and funk history. "Life" finds Andre in a pretty upbeat mood, whether he's singing about people beªing rude and impatient ("But'n"), or laying down a political commentary ("Blame it on Obama"), reciting a children's bedtime stoªry ("Ty the Fly"), singing a simple love song ("Stuck in the Middle", "It's Only You That I Love"), or conjuring a nocturnal fetish-sex-groove ("Heels"). The album also includes his own definitive rocking version of the standard he wrote and produced for the Five Du-Tones in 1963, "Shake a Tail Feather". It's a remind-er that Andre Williams is one of the original guys who invented rock n' roll. Style: Garage Rock