Medieval France!

Rodney Anonymous vs. The World

by Rodney Anonymous

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Published: Apr 20, 2010

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"I'ma get medieval on your ass." —Marsellus Wallace

Don't you just hate it when you break out your favorite poison pen and prepare to go all Kitty Kelley on some poor schlep's artistic efforts only to discover that you actually enjoy the thing?

Producer Robert Sadin's Art of Love: Music of Machaut has all the ingredients of a musical disaster on par with Justin Bieber Sings the Songs of Besse Smith: Medieval melodies, jazz and a guest appearance by aural kiss-of-death Natalie Merchant. The only thing the CD cover is missing is a large red warning, reading "Caution: May Cause Rectal Bleeding."

The good news is that Art of Love turns out to be a collection of truly inspired reworkings (perhaps "rebuildings" would be a better word, as the tunes are completely restructured from the ground up with sparse piano and Afro-Brazilian percussion) of the songs of Guillaume de Machaut.

"What?" you say, "Not THE Guillaume de Machaut; the brilliant 14th-century French poet and composer? The same Guillaume de Machaut who wrote the 'Messe de Nostre Dame'? The Guillaume de Machaut who played the role of Benson on the TV comedy Soap, and later starred in the series named after the character?" Yes! Yes! And, no, dick-freckle; that was Robert Guillaume.

Verdict:

For the completely mad concept behind Art of Love: Music of Machaut, a contemporary reimagining of the works of a 14th-century genius, Robert Sadin deserves our respect. Anyone can cover a song, but it takes a true visionary to bring a song back to life.

(r_anonymous@citypaper.net)

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