Reviews

Robb Johnson
Album: Souvenir
Label: Irregular
Tracks: 13
Website: https://www.robbjohnson.co.uk/

There are various ways in which people celebrate so-called significiant birthdays, but for December 25th born troubadour Robb Johnson there was only ever going to be one way in which he was going to mark his 70th year on the planet, with a series of different gigs, one of which has now been released on his own Irregular Records label as issue IRR134.

Aided and abetted by the superb musicianship of Jenny Carr on piano and accordion, bassist John Forrester and drummer/percussionist Arvin Johnson, this latest album was recorded live at Crazy Coq's, Zedel's Brasserie, Soho on January 24th this year. The album's clever, appropriate title 'Souvenir' works on several levels, not least because the album comprises a collection of Robb's English Chanson material, covering the period from 1995 to 2026.

Derived from the Frech term for song, 'chanson' a form which prioritises storytelling, clear melodies, dramatic nuances and emotional delivery, as exemplified by artists such as Jacques Brel and Edith Piaf, this form of music does indeed exist in the UK, as illustrated, for example, by a previous Irregular Record album, '9x2: English Contemporary Chanson'. As with this 2002 release, the 13 songs on 'Souvenir' trade the traditional romanticism of French chanson for gritty, literate, and distinctly British perspectives.

Opening with song which in the past Robb has described as "a song I like, that is more or less an autobiography, 'A True History Of Couscous' is very much in the narrative story telling tradition and can so readily be imagined as being played out in a grainy black and white film, moving from telling the story of a twenty-year old, lost in Paris on a New Year's Day with a guitar and girlfriend as companions, drinking red wine and eating couscous, to a scenarion many years later where the same man, now married, takes his wife to Paris, where, despite having map in hand and being unable to rediscover the previous locations, is nevertheless partially appeased by more couscous. Not your regular subject matter, but then this is one of the enduring allures of chanson. This version, delvered as an unaccompanied solo by Robb, kicks proceedings off in fine style.

A clutch of live reworkings of tracks from his 'Europtopia' releases, (The 9 track vinyl & 13 track CD came with only 4 common tracks), are given a welcome airing here, and readily fulfill the function of appealing both to owners of 'Eurotopia', who should revel in the alternative arrangements, and new listeners coming to the songs fresh. These tracks offer a wonderful glimpse imto Robb's exploration of European travel, memories and elements of political commentary relating to borders and cultural connections.

'The Carnival Song', upbeat, with a rousing German Schlager-like chorus, is ostensibly another short story, written the day after attending the 2019 Ilmenau Carnival, which marked the final day of his "Before They Close The Borders" Tour in Thüringen, Germany, he seamlessly melds images of free sausages, beer, women in tractors with more beer, alongside ruminations of how Jesus would have entered the desert for 40 days and nights before heading into Jerusalem.

A change of mood, as Paris again provides the background with 'My Last Night In Montmartre'. Written in 2026, following the disastrous result of the Brexit Referendum, whilst writing a book about education in a small Air B'n'B appartment in Rue Nicolet, whilst there are fond memories, a wonderful perfomance o an Ionesc play at the Theatre des Hachettes, an all night party, wife Meeta visiting for a weekend and even a Springsteen concert, the sparse, guitar-led offering, with polished rhythm accompaniment from Arvin and John, reflects the feeling that this was not a good farewell.

'Tram Number 22' transports the listener to Prague on a route that passes both the National Theatre and Castle, although the music here is the sort of smoky jazz that would permeate one of the caveaux in Saint-Germain-des-Prés, whilst 'Stalingrad' melds actual historical events with political diatribe, reminding us where the alleged "strong leaders", (for which I read Hitler & Johnson), end up taking us. Arrogance, Ignorance & Greed anyone?

The geographical location for 'Coincidents On The Circle Line' is not difficult to discern, even without the knowledge that the lyrics to the song had their origins in gel-pen notes made whilst Robb was standing on Kensington High Street Tube Station on an early spring day. To these I will return. As for the music, fast forward a couple of weeks and, following last orders at the pub, Robb hears some Gil Scot Heron music playing, which inspires him return home and pick up his J45 and begin putting chord patterns together. Happy with his creative musical efforts he needs words, and returns to the aforementioned notes. References to the Circle Line train, fluttering pigeons, a small dog standing up on its hind legs, buying a really cool afghan coat from Kensington market, the Clash doing a cassette interview on the Circle Line. This is one of my favourite compositions from Robb's entire canon to date. Given the European context, and Robb's deep and erudite Francophile knowledge, surely this excellent song is also a nod to one of France's, (indeed the World's), greatest pieces of literature, 'Exercices de style' by Raymond Queneau?

A new live rendition of 'Old Magicians' concludes the selection from 'Eurotopia'.

This nostalgic song, in which the Old Magicians is a thinly veiled metaphor, which explores the theme of the reality of lifestyle of travelling musicians who spend their lives playing in local pubs and bars across Europe, notably Belgium, and its beer, is delivered with an arrestingly delicate precision, each instrument worknig in perfect harmony to create an impeccable, smbiotic tapestry of sound.

The tender strains of 'The Beautiful Dark', an excellently emotive piece written in 2004 in Thuringen, 'The Night Café', with Jenny Carr's gentle, lilting piano, together with 2020's rocking, upbeat 'You & This City, replete with thundering bass runs from John, and more sublime piano from Jenny on 'The Big Wheel', a respectful paean to Edith Piaf most notably Piaf's iconic 1936 song "Mon manège à moi" (My Merry-Go-Round), which similarly uses a carnival ride as a metaphor for a giddy, fateful romance, and the mellow 'Au Depart', with wonderfully understated accordion, a song of which Robb once wistfully said "it probably wasn't broken hearts really, more likely broken baguettes", all ooze class.

The album's closing track, and the most recent song in this set, written on New Year's Day this year, 'Full Moon Over Aubervilliers' is a stunner, and pretty unusual in that it has a participatory chorus, an invitation that was obviously eagerly accepted by those present.

Souvenir is a masterclass in understated elegance, delivering an exceptionally accomplished yet deeply inviting listening experience, the album makes for a perfect evening's soundtrack whilst drinking a glass of Westvleteren 12, or elderflower cordial, whatever takes yor fancy.

David Pratt

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