Kenny Vance & The Planotones' "Looking For An Echo" Movie Soundtrack CD |
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Review by Steve Feinberg
When I first listened to this soundtrack CD I hadn't yet seen the movie, Looking For An Echo, nor have I been able to see it as of this writing. I assumed the disc would be filled with traditional doo wop, but I was wrong. Some of it is, and some of it isn't. Kenny Vance & The Planotones are an unusual group, perhaps in a class of their own. They seem to fill a niche that goes beyond the confines of any single oldies group. Rather than being a revival or latter generation of a former group, as many on the current circuit are, they have emerged as a post doo wop era ensemble that personifies both the sound and spirit of early rock 'n' roll. Their act symbolizes its golden age. You could say they are spokesmen in song. As a unit, they never had a hit record to cling to because they didn't exist in the music's heyday. Their allegiance is not to any particular set of personal hit recordings but to the entire span of the genre. As a more or less retrospective act, in the grandest sense, they enjoy a freedom of expression that is vast and virtually unrivalled. Their stage presence is out of the ordinary but their faith in the music is devout. It's not difficult to think of them as the bad boys of doo wop simply because they often do the songs their way. And they do them well. |
What I did expect of this CD, and got, were knockout, uptempo, street corner
numbers like "Sh-Boom" - with a most impressive bass - and both a fully
accompanied then acappella version of "I'm So Happy" and "Please Say You Want
Me" as part of their "Doo -Wop Medley." Very nice for those of us who demand
the original arrangements. On the soft side, their tempered offerings of "Hushabye," "This I Swear," "Please Say You Want Me," "This Magic Moment," and a most sincere "Your Way," reveals a progressive style of doo wop that is relaxed and introspective without being overly sentimental. It's as if the foursome are a group of holy men reflecting on the music's heart and soul, rather than just performing it. Kenny's effective lead voice often lingers with the songs, delicately interpreting them, extracting their purest message, even re-inventing them to some extent, and in so doing, giving them new meaning. If I'm not mistaken, this is Kenny's ode to where he came from and what the music means to him. The result: we get a creative, insightful, and thoroughly satisfying take on many of our old R&B favorites. Other songs on the CD include "Bridge Prelude," "I Want To," "Life Is But A Dream," "Wisdom Of A Fool," "Hard To Say Goodbye," a very nice acappella rendition of "It's Alright," and of course their signature song and title of the movie, "Looking For An Echo." This song, written some years ago, has been embraced by Kenny as a tribute to his younger life and times, and to ours too for that matter. This song is a kind of anthem. It celebrates, both literally and figuratively, the passionate quest of all who once roamed the planet of echoes in search of the perfect chord. |
