Howe Gelb is a daunting man, and I'm not even talking about his formidable physical appearance. It is just that whenever I look at his discography (which includes around seven hundred albums by Giant Sand, some band with an unlikely name or him on his own), I feel overwhelmed. And I tell myself - not just now.
Still, he does make an occasional appearance in my life - like he did that first time, in 2003, when I bought an issue of Uncut with a free CD of Byrds covers and Byrds inspired tunes. Among quite a few classics (not least "The Little Black Egg" by The Nightcrawlers), the CD contained Giant Sand's beautifully sloppy rendition of "Change Is Now". And while I was not exactly hooked, the name of the band stuck - so that years later, when I saw a review of The Coincidentalist by Howe Gelb (of 'Giant Sand'), I knew this should be good.
It was, too. The Coincidentalist remains an absolute classic, and "Picacho Peak" is still the best song of all time.
And now I get to meet Howe Gelb for the third time. Technically, Giant Sand Returns to Valley of Rain is not even a new LP - it's a rerecording of the band's debut Valley of Rain from 1985. But it's not like I've heard a better album in August 2018.
I can actually see why Howe Gelb would do this record 33 years later. This time, there is no rush (Valley of Rain took a day and a half to cut) and there is a chance to make the songs more complete... and fledged-out (I think it's a concept many bands would find interesting). Which is what you get here: something more than Frank Black-esque vocals and rudimentary, though charming, production; a rearranged song list and a song that was not part of the original LP.
The songs are good. Loose, driving, intense, with a sloppy edge of country punk. They are more than capable of an elegant ballad (the title song is still the standout), but mostly it's "Tumble and Tear" all the way through. Speaking of which, I'm especially fond of "Barrio", "Death Dying and Channel 5" and the closing "Black Venetian Blind". Occasionally, the melodies tend to get lost in the barrage of Crazy Horse-styled guitars, but overall Valley of Rain II is a fascinating listen. Not any less so - I strongly suspect - than it was in 1985.
Howe Gelb. Daunting as hell - but I know we shall meet again.
