Everlast Gets Serious on New CD
Tackles Current Affairs On "Love, War, and the Ghost of Whitey Ford"
Nov 17, 2008
Erik Schrody, better known to music fans as Everlast, has undergone a metamorphosis since his days as the frontman for House of Pain. The days of jumping around have been replaced by songs about life, love, and the blues from a more introspective artist.
Whitey Ford Sings (More of) the Blues
This change is evident in Everlast's fifth album, Love, War, and the Ghost of Whitey Ford. The disc reveals the musician's awareness of the world around him and his anger at its injustices and hypocrisies.
The disc opens with "Kill the Emperor," in which Everlast cleverly attacks the complacency of the masses: "Americans, they live in fifty states of denial / Have a coke and a smile / Or some crack in a vial / You can even buy a pill to keep you hard for a while / For these girls gone wild." The accompanying sample -- from the obscure Paris track "Arrest the President" -- is a valuable addition to the track, an example of sampling at its most appropriate.
The not-so-subtle jab at President Bush is not the only one to be found on Love, War, and the Ghost of Whitey Ford. "Naked" employs the metaphor (albeit an overused one) of an emperor with no clothes to decry the actions of the current lame duck commander-in-chief.
Another example of excellence in sampling comes on the disc's second track, an otherwise unmemorable cover of Johnny Cash's "Folsom County Blues" that is saved by a samples from Cypress Hill's "Insane in the Brain."
Whitey Ford Addresses Love and War
War is a prominent theme on the album. In "Stone in My Hand," Everlast dares to consider current American military involvement from the viewpoints of non-Americans. The result is a song that is passionate and provocative. The war is also placed at front and center in "Letters Home from the Garden of Stone."
In a notewworthy departure from the remainder of the disc, Everlast's romantic side is on display in "Anyone," one of his best ballads ever. This compensates for the misstep he makes on "Die in Yer Arms," a mediocre attempt at a declaration of love and lust.
Professor Arrington's Grade: Whitey Ford Earns a B
Love, War, and the Ghost of Whitey Ford might not be Everlast's magnum opus; Whitey Ford Sings the Blues and Eat at Whitey's are stronger hip-hop albums. White Trash Beautiful is more of a hybrid rap/rock effort. On Everlast's latest release, the singer/rapper/guitarist seems intent on enhancing his credibility as a rock musician. The result is a sound marked by dense musical arrangements that occasionally obscure the songs' lyrics and melodies. Despite that shortcoming, Whitey Ford earns a B for his latest effort.
