It doesn’t have to be the fourth of July to celebrate all things Americana. In fact what better way to soak it up than by listening to the new album from Diesel, his 15th career album ‘Americana’.
It’s music that draws from America’s roots, from country, folk, bluegrass, R&B, the blues … But to Mark Lizotte, the musician known and loved as Diesel, Americana is the very core of his being. It’s the music of his childhood and, as an artist born in America and raised in Australia, a link back to the land he’d left behind.
On this new album Americana, Diesel pays tribute to the artists that inspired the musician he would become – one of our nation’s most lauded, accomplished and hard-working rock guitarists and singers – by putting his own unique stamp on a collection of classic songs.
‘Ring Of Fire’ by Johnny Cash; ‘Rave On’ by Buddy Holly; ‘Born To Run’ by Bruce Springsteen & The E Street Band; ‘Circle Game’ by Joni Mitchell; ‘Here Comes My Girl’ by Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers; ‘Queen Jane Approximately’ by Bob Dylan; ‘Angel From Montgomery’ by Bonnie Raitt; ‘Fire And Rain’ by James Taylor; ‘Born On The Bayou’ by Creedence Clearwater Revival; ‘Don’t Let It Bring You’ Neil Young & Crazy Horse; ‘Rag Mama Rag’ by The Band and ‘Scarlett Ribbons’ by Jo Stafford. You can watch Diesel’s reinterpretation of ‘Angel From Montgomery’ here.
Each song a veritable classic and each requiring the care and attention so as not to tread on the toes of musical history but equally to add Diesel’s own new spin and interpretation.
His approach was to pluck a song from one artist, then throw it into another realm. “OK, you’re from Nashville? I’m gonna take you to New York.” Or in the case of Fire and Rain: “I’ve taken James Taylor and shoved him into a Memphis studio with Al Green.”
The selection process was tortuous – “It’s such a deep well; how far back do you go? I literally went: OK, I’ve got five minutes, grab the most essential things out of your house before the house burns down!’”
The doorway into Americana, however, is a creation all Diesel’s own. Hank’s Dream was a melody that circled his head during three sleepless nights in New York last year and its title refers to the spark that brought the Lizottes to Australia all those years ago: Dad Hank’s dream of a different life on the other side of the world.
Uncannily, around the same time, one of the Lizotte boys stumbled upon a photo from Hank and Theresa’s wedding album. “It’s this incredible black and white photo of them in front of this ridiculously big old 1936 Chevrolet that they borrowed – they got married on a shoestring and borrowed a car from the Navy,” Diesel says. “There they are, in front of it, all dressed up … that’s classic Americana to me. So when this album happened I was like, ‘There’s my album cover’.”
So now, 27 years after he busted out of the garage and into the Australian psyche with Don’t Need Love and Soul Revival, it’s time for fans to circle back and hear the songs that made the man, as he circles the country on his Americana National Tour
AMERICANA NATIONAL TOUR
Tickets on sale now
Sat 3rd Sept THE FACTORY THEATRE, SYDNEY NSW
Tickets from www.factorytheatre.com.au Ph: 02 9550 3666
Fri 9th Sept THE CORNER, MELBOURNE VIC
Tickets from www.cornerhotel.com Ph: 1300 724 867
Sat 10th Sept REVESBY WORKERS CLUB – THE WHITLAM THEATRE, REVESBY NSW
Tickets from www.ticketek.com.au Ph: 1300 795 012
Thu 15th Sept FRIENDS RESTAURANT, PERTH *solo show WA
Tickets from www.friendsrestaurant.com.au Ph: 08 9221 0885
Fri 16th Sept RAVENSWOOD HOTEL, RAVENSWOOD WA
Tickets from www.ticketmaster.com.au Ph: 136 100
Sat 17th Sept CHARLES HOTEL, PERTH WA
Tickets from www.ticketmaster.com.au Ph: 136 100
Fri 23rd Sep ROOTY HILL RSL – TIVOLI SHOWROOM, ROOTY HILL NSW
Tickets from www.rootyhillrsl.com.au Ph: 02 9625 5500
Sat 24th Sept THE GOVERNOR HINDMARSH, ADELAIDE SA
Tickets from www.otix.com.au Ph: 1300 762 545
Fri 30th Sept SOL BAR, MAROOCHYDORE QLD
Tickets from www.otix.com.au Ph: 1300 762 545
Sat 1st Oct THE TRIFFID, BRISBANE QLD
Tickets from www.otix.com.au Ph: 1300 762 545
