The Rock ‘N’ Roll Philosopher is the latest album from legendary rock and roller Dion, and a companion to his same-titled book, co-authored with Adam Jablin.
Available now through KTBA Records both digitally and on CD. It’s the label, founded by Joe Bonamassa and Roy Weisman, that has released his recent string of much lauded collaborative albums including Blues With Friends (2020), Stomping Ground (2021) and last year’s Girl Friends.
Also out now, and taken from the album, is his latest single, ‘Abraham, Martin and John‘ an oldier-but-goodie reinterprated for the modern age.
50 years strong, the much covered Dick Holler-penned ‘Abraham, Martin and John‘ remains a powerful reminder of the importance of social justice. Dion’s original version was considered a change in musical focus for the wanderer, but in hindsight its pop-orchestrated arrangment was of its time. This new version cascades in acoustical folk ambiance, Dion’s voice now measured by age adding poignant gravitas.
It’s sad we still need songs like this – and that they remain unhijacked by those with unseemly agendas – fortunately, in song and spirit, Dion leads us towards a brighter path.
Dion discussed his vision for the album with Billboard’s Gary Graff recently, noting “I thought I would just let it run like a concert. That was my vision; if I had to do a set with a band, I’m gonna do these 16 songs in this order,” adding, “It’s the perfect concert.”
Like the book, The Rock ‘n’ Roll Philosopher album is a reflection of Dion’s life journey. In the album notes he explains, “I pulled together some of the songs I discussed in the book and some of them I changed.” He describes the book as “a wide-ranging memoir in which I talk about music, addiction, recovery, friendships, God, creativity, relationships and all the important things in life from which I’ve learned important lessons.”
The new album has been described as “meticulously curated combination of newly written and recorded songs, reimagined versions of several Dion classics as well as a representation of newer material recorded over the last decade”.
Like the book, The Rock ‘N’ Roll Philosopher album is a reflection of Dion’s life’s journey. In the album notes, he explains, “I pulled together some of the songs I discussed in the book and some of them I changed.” He describes the book as “a wide-ranging memoir in which I talk about music, addiction, recovery, friendships, God, creativity, relationships and all the important things in life from which I’ve learned important lessons.”
Among the album’s tracks are collaborations with Sonny Landreth, Joe Bonamassa, Mark Knopfler and Eric Clapton, the latter of whom also contributing a 600-word forward to the album in which he calls Dion “one of a kind, unparalleled in his achievement and stature. He is a genius singer, writer, musician, and healer.” He also wrote, “He is the perfect example of how you can do what you love to do and still be available to the lives of others.” Clapton, long an admirer of Dion, also contributed the prologue to the book version of The Rock ‘N’ Roll Philosopher and is heard on ‘If You Wanna Rock And Roll’, a song written by Dion that’s part of the new album.
Among the album’s highlights are ‘New York Minute’, one of the Dion-Acquilina co-writes that debuted earlier this year as well as a new version of ‘New York Is My Home’, produced by Jimmy Vivino. It’s one of two selections on the album in which the late Scott Kempner, co-founder of punk rock’s Dictators and Del-Lords, had a hand. Kempner was co-writer of ‘In A Heartbeat Of Time’. There’s an updated live recording on The Rock ‘N’ Roll Philosopher that documents the time in the mid-90s when Dion fronted Little Kings, the hard rocking band that had been put together by Kempner. The version of ‘King Of The New York Streets’ was, likewise, originally recorded with Little Kings at that same Mercury Lounge gig in April of 1996 and the subject of recent audio enhancement.
There’s also ‘Serenade/Come To the Cross’, an adaptation of the Tom Waits song ‘San Diego Serenade’, now melded with one of Dion’s songs of faith. Dion classics, sourced from the 2003 New Masters collection, include ‘Ruby Baby’, ‘Runaround Sue’ and ‘The Wanderer’, each a career touchstone for Dion as was the later ‘Abraham, Martin And John’. The version included in The Rock ‘N’ Roll Philosopher is a new recording about which Dion wrote, “I decided to record an intimate version of the song. Over the last fifty-seven years I’ve recorded dozens of versions of that song with everybody from Phil Spector and Cher to Aaron Neville and Bob Dylan. This one is now my favourite.”
The album also includes comprehensive album notes by music historian, journalist and longtime Dion intimate Gene Sculatti that are based on a recent conversation. He told Sculatti that the songs heard on The Rock ’N’ Roll Philosopher are, in essence, “an ideal set list. the songs that I’d most like to play, all together in the perfect concert.”
The Rock ‘N’ Roll Philosopher’s tracks are: ‘I’m Your Gangster Of Love’*, ‘New York Minute’*, ‘Ruby Baby’, ‘ Take It Back’ featuring Joe Bonamassa, ‘New York Is My Home’*, ‘Cryin’ Shame’ featuring Sonny Landreth, ‘Dancing Girl’ featuring Mark Knopfler, ‘In A Heartbeat of Time’*, ‘Serenade/Come To The Cross’*, ‘If You Wanna Rock and Roll’ featuring Eric Clapton), ‘Ride With You’, ‘Abraham, Martin And John’*, ‘King Of The New York Streets’*, ‘Runaround Sue’, ‘The Wanderer’ and ‘Mother And Son*
*Indicates new recordings.The Rock ‘N’ Roll Philosopher can be ordered here, the singles can be streamed here and you can check out the videos here at RAMzine.
The new album’s first single – still available through all streaming services – was ‘I’m Your Gangster of Love’, a brand-new recording and one of six songs on the album written by Dion and Mike Aquilina. Also out is a video for the song that recalls the gangland-themed movies of the ‘30s and ‘40s.
“Baby, I ain’t the mob, baby, I got no racket – I’m a man out doing a job,” sings Dion on ‘I’m Your Gangster of Love’. A pimped-up stomping blues, evocative in its crime noir setting with a sassy New York groove and some suitably wailing late-night guitar howling courtesy of Wayne Hood.
