Shooter Jennings - Countach (for Giorgio)
by Kevin Wierzbicki
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Jennings throws a delightful curve to fans here, turning in a set inspired by the work of synth/pop kingpin Giorgio Moroder, and like one of Moroder's 12" remix platters of days gone by, the album's first three songs segue together into one continuous groove. Lest you forget who you're listening to here, the medley begins with "Loading�," a funky reimagining of dad Waylon's "Don't You Think This Outlaw Bit's Done Got Out of Hand" before morphing into the trippy instrumental dance floor burner of "Countach" and eventually into "From Here to Eternity" where Jennings deals out a chorus that's so sweet and catchy that it's instantly stuck in your head. Jennings has not hired sidemen to get the synth sounds down; he plays all the keyboards and handles the programming throughout. The country chestnut "I'm Left, You're Right, She's Gone," famously covered by Elvis, has never sounded quite as good as it does here set to an arrangement that recalls the Alan Parsons Project, with its only nod to hillbilly being a brief fiddle break. Jennings takes a break from the synth to get down to some real country for "Born to Die" with guest Steve Young but it's back to keyboards for the rest of the album, which closes strong with the pure pop of "The Never Ending Story" sung by Brandi Carlile and a take on the David Bowie/Giorgio Moroder co-write "Cat People" featuring vocals by Marilyn Manson. Jennings demonstrated a long time ago that he wasn't going to be pigeonholed into any one genre; here he continues to prove it in spades.
Shooter Jennings - Countach (for Giorgio)
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