Half Notes: Marc Ribot – Rootless Cosmopolitans (2006)

by Mark Saleski

One of my favorite guitar players, Ribot defines ‘angular.’ While some of his finest stuff has happened as a sideman (good gawd, he’s all over the fricken place on Tom Waits’ Rain Dogs … and now that I think of it, he applies extra twangosity on Elvis Costello’s “Let Him Dangle” from Spike), Ribot has put out an impressive collection of solo work. Cosmopolitans has Ribot making funny with some justabout sacred rock tunes including a complete bastardization of Jimi Hendrix’ “Wind Cries Mary” and a busted, detuned version of George Harrison’s “While My Guitar Gently Weeps.” Plus, how can you not like a guy who names his band ‘The Prosthetic Cubans?’

‘Half Notes’ are quick-take thoughts on music from Something Else! Reviews, presented whenever the mood strikes us.

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Mark Saleski

Mark Saleski is a writer and music obsessive based out of the woods of central New Hampshire. A past contributor to Jazz.com, Blogcritics.org and Salon, he originated several of our weekly features including the Friday Morning Listen, (Cross the) Heartland, WTF! Wednesday, and Sparks Fly on E Street. Follow him on Twitter: @msaleski. Contact Something Else! at [email protected].

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