Heroes, Villains, Losers and Winners
Such are the ingredients of Ron Christopher's music. Desperate lives, topless dancers, cowboys and Indians, unrequited love, natural disasters, Christmas -- his songs range across the cultural landscape. Lyric poems set to melodies pretty or rough, soft or insistent, according to the demands of each. And all very hard to tuck into a genre. It's country, but it isn't. Folkie, but not really. Bluesy, but only sometimes. Rock elements, for sure, but it's not rock. Some of it can be called Western music. some of it definitely can't. Whatever it is, it's invariably good, Created by strong, thoughtfully crafted lyrics, clothed in music that fits just right.
These qualities shine through on Ron's new release, Silver Screen Heroes And Other Legends (Dualtone Music Group, 2008), 13 songs that explore and celebrate America's image of the cowboy and the traditions of the West -- and, more broadly, the cultural allure of the hero's struggle. If you're old enough to remember the great champions of justice who enthralled film and television audiences of all ages in the 1950's, you'll appreciate the message right away, because these are songs about themes that influenced your own life. Yet these aren't a bunch of songs for the old folks. They have a lot to say about the forces that shaped a generation and that, even today, convey a certain image of America to the rest of the world. But really, you can forget all that if you like, because, putting everything else aside, it's just good music.
Ron was born in St. Petersburg, Florida, but he's lived in Los Angeles long enough to call himself a Californian. He worked extensively as a solo act before forming his own band, performing in clubs from New York to Nashville to the West Coast.
