Paul Pena - New Train

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Music reviews of New Train

Music Review: It Took 27 Years, But the Train is Finally Here
Rating: 5 Stars

Secondly, this album serves as a time capsule of what was going on musically in the early 1970's. It's a synthesis of several musical genres. One can hear a marvelous blend of rock, country, reggae, blues and R&B throughout the album.

The ten track CD gets off to a fine start with "Gonna Move." This soulful number (with wonderful background vocals by the Persuasions) will have you snapping your feet and/or tapping your toes in no time. It has a wonderful loose feeling like a jam session that is so refreshing to hear. The title track follows and keeps a nice pace going. Pena's rocking pre-Steve Miller version of "Jet Airliner" quickens the pace a bit. "Wait on What You Want" then takes the listener into a more psychedelic mode.

Things mellow slightly with "Venutian Lady," then move back into the psychedelic mode with "Cosmic Mirror," before settling down into "Let's Move and Groove Together." The latter is a cover of Johnny Nash's Number 4 R&B hit of 1965. It's one of only two songs on the album not entirely written by Pena.

"Indian Boy" follows in fine form followed by "A Bit of All Right." In the latter reggae influenced song, one gets to experience Pena's piano playing (he sings and plays guitar on all tracks).

The set closes with the country flavored "Taking Your Love Down" (a/k/a "Bringing My Love Down"). It'll make you want to tap your feet also. At just under three minutes, it's the shortest track on the CD. It leaves you wanting more.

Pena is a gifted vocalist with a warm, somewhat raspy tone. His singing possesses a feeling of emotion so rarely heard in contemporary popular music. Also, he's a fine songwriter with lyrics that stay with you. As a footnote, both "Venutian Lady" and "New Train" feature Jerry Garcia on steel guitar.

In short, NEW TRAIN is a CD for people who like music. Not homogenized pop fodder, but music with texture, feeling and depth. The kind of music that was heard everyday in the 1970's. In other words, real music played by real musicians.

Hopefully, there won't be as long a wait for Pena's next album. In the meantime, check him out in the very entertaining documentary, GENGHIS BLUES.

Description of New Train

Blues CDs

• Music > Styles
• Pop
• R&B
• Rock