Throughout the years, Larry “Ratso” Sloman has been a collaborator, creator and first-hand spectator of emerging music scenes. Not only did he report and transcribe Bob Dylan’s Rolling Thunder Revue leg tour in 1975 into the book “On The Road With Bob Dylan” from personal and very descriptive diary entries, but he also released “Scar Tissue” alongside Red Hot Chili Peppers front man Anthony Kiedis, co-wrote both Mike Tyson’s books, and has penned and collaborated with Howard Stern in various mediums.
Now the New York-based author is set to premiere his debut album Stubborn Heart in April. The first listen comes with “Our Lady Of Light”, a romantic and powerful ballad filled with dreamy backing vocals and the accompanying voice of none-other than Nick Cave, whose baritone melodies and conviction threads between Ratso’s monotone whispered but enchanting authority. The orchestra background and simple percussion is dramatic, with its own simplicity, and borderline melancholy.
“Maybe I can be the Jewish Susan Boyle,” Ratso, age 70, said of the album in a statement. “The oldest, best, new artist ever and if that doesn’t pan out, I can always perform on subway platforms. Hey, I can get in for half-price!” His sense of humor is contagious, “Everything about this project was fun. And it was always about the songs. They had been lying dormant since 1984. They deserved a life.” It’s kind of hard to believed that he was nicknamed by legendary folk singer, Joan Baez, by his appearance on tour. It’s clear that was then, and this is now, a time where Ratso is all lush and class! A demonstration that art never stops evolving, and Ratso has nothing to lose but to transcribe his own words and musical cogitations rather than others, even his peers.
The LP is set to have 8-tracks, a few co-wrote with John Cale (Velvet Underground), Warren Ellis, Sharon Robinson (Leonard Cohen’s co-writer), Yasmine Hamdan and Imani Coppolla.
Listen to ‘Our Lady Of Light’ below. Stubborn Heart, produced by Vin Cacchione (Soft Black and Caged Animals), is out April 5 via Lucky Number. Pre-order it here.
Track listing:
- I Want Everything (ft. Yasmine Hamdan)
- Our Lady of Light (ft. Nick Cave)
- Caribbean Sunset (ft. Imani Coppola & Paul Shapiro)
- Dying On The Vine
- Living In Moonlight
- Matching Scars
- Listen Little Man
- Stubborn Heart
- Sad Eyed Lady of the Lowlands
