Various Artists – Highway Butterfly: The Songs of Neal Casal
Royal Potato Family – 12 November 2021
Neal Casal’s reach far exceeded his album sales; that much is clear from the list of artists who appear on Highway Butterfly: The Songs of Neal Casal. Over the course of five LPs or 3 CDs, you find a huge array of artists covering the material he wrote and recorded over the space of his life. Those 14 albums, released between 1995 and 2011, only tell part of the story. His work as a guitarist and singer led to his becoming a member of Ryan Adams and the Cardinals, the Chris Robinson Brotherhood and bands ranging from the Beachwood Sparks and GospelbeacH, Circles Around the Sun, Hard Working Americans and Skiffle Players.
Despite a boyish smile to go along with the voice of an angel and a heart as big as all outdoors, he also suffered from despair that led to him taking his own life in 2019. Rather than that being an end, Gary Waldman first put in motion a benefit concert, followed by establishing the Neal Casal Music Foundation, using the $25,000 raised by the concert to provide music lessons and instruments for students in New York and New Jersey schools.
The amount of people that Casal touched during his fifty years is truly impressive; they are a who’s who of the music world, Susan Tedeschi and Derek Trucks, Vetiver, Hiss Golden Messenger, Fruit Bats, Warren Haynes, Phil Lesh and Bob Weir, the Allman Betts Band, the list goes on and on. They all appear on Highway Butterfly, rearranging and recreating songs that are part of the legacy of Neal Casal.
With so many artists choosing what to play is the largest part of the problem. Jonathan Wilson and Hannah Cohen provide a gently rocking version of “Detroit or Buffalo,” an ode to an old girlfriend. Slide guitar and organ provide the basis for a great guitar solo by Wilson. On the other hand, Tedeschi and Trucks use two acoustic guitars to recreate “Day in the Sun.” Sometimes less is more than enough.
Vetiver uses the full band yet offers a comforting, homey touch to “White Fence Round House.” Yet this is no simple song of domesticity; instead, it offers insight into how hard things can be for the itinerant musician. Those with an affinity for “the Dead” can tune into Bob Weir’s rendition of “Time and Trouble,” featuring a nice little solo as the song fades out. Roaring into the next track, J Mascis takes “Death of a Dream” by the throat and refuses to let go.
A spacy intro by Warren Haynes leads into a more raucous “Free to Go,” where there‘s organ aplenty to go along with Haynes’ sensational six-string work. Smoothing out some of the rough edges, Steve Earle and the Dukes take on “Highway Butterfly”, creating something less wild than some of their usual work, bringing a slightly different style into focus. As Puss and Boots, Norah Jones, Sasha Dobson and Catherine Popper put a beautiful spin on “These Days With You.”
Tearing into “Raining Straight Down” as if there is no tomorrow, The Allman Betts Band provide a guitar/organ workout for the ages. In a completely different way, Jason Crosby uses his skills as a piano player to fashion a remarkable reading of “Pray Me Home.” Again and again, you find songs and artists playing to honour a remarkably talented artist who left us too soon. Highway Butterfly: The Music of Neal Casal gives us a new look at music that should never have been taken quite so casually; it’s a legacy that deserves to be heard over and over again.
Available via Bandcamp and Records Store: https://nealcasalmusic.bandcamp.com/album/highway-butterfly-the-songs-of-neal-casal
All proceeds from sales/streams of the album will benefit the Neal Casal Music Foundation, a 501c3 non-profit which provides instruments to students in schools around where Neal grew up, as well as grants to mental health organizations supporting musicians, including MusiCares and Backline.
Photo Credit: Kevin Wells