Luther Russell’s 12-string Rickenbacker gets a serious workout on “Right Way.” The latest single from the esteemed rock journeyman is a vibey, ’60s-soaked flower-power anthem for the post-everything era.
“I guess the sentiment is one of accepting love—never the easiest thing to do for most people,” says Russell. “First, it describes this process in terms of a relationship between two partners. Then it expounds on letting in a more spiritual love—a much more difficult task. The song goes on to relate how easily a broken dream can derail that acceptance of love, causing one to devolve into darkness and despair. To put a finer point on that, I referenced the debauched Australian cult film Wake In Fright.”
“Right Way” is one of 10 tracks on Happiness For Beginners (Curation), Russell’s seventh solo album, out January 17. For the past decade or so, the Grammy-nominated songwriter has been stirring up trouble with his pal Jody Stephens—Big Star’s drummer and lone surviving member—as Those Pretty Wrongs. Russell has mostly set aside that project’s quirky folk-pop leanings for Happiness, a more rock-focused affair that employs the considerable talents of bassist/engineer Jason Hiller, drummer Ben Lecourt and modern-day power-pop icon Jason Falkner.
Russell’s connection to Falkner goes back more than three decades. “We’ve been old friends since he was in Jellyfish,” says Russell. “Funnily enough, we’ve never recorded anything together except for the odd demo session. This time around, I knew the material was perfect for his musical touch. He played keyboards on the title track, a really special solo on ‘Downtown Girls’ and great guitar leads and vocal harmonies on ‘Wanna Be Your Lover.’”
Russell and Hiller have been close since their time together in the Freewheelers, a soul- and booze-drenched rock quintet that had a brief major-label tussle in the early ’90s. “Jason (Hiller) recorded these sessions to eight-track tape with a Rickenbacker bass,” says Russell. “We know each other so well musically that he didn’t need much rehearsal or direction to nail it. He got an incredible sound on this one.”
We’re proud to premiere Luther Russell’s “Right Way.”
—Hobart Rowland
