Album Review – Roger Alan Wade’s “Deguello Motel”
Every once in a while an album comes along that you can tell the extra effort was put out to make it right. It’s far beyond just a collection of songs, it unfolds like a story, with all the songs together becoming stronger than the sum of their parts. Its an album that shows patience and wisdom. There’s a grand vision, and more importantly, that vision is realized in the final cut. Deguello Motel is one of those albums.
The inspiration for Deguello Motel may have been thirty years of hard living, but the approach was a sober one. The first challenge was for Roger Alan Wade to get sober. The second challenge was to see if he could write a song that way. But that wasn’t enough for Wade. He had something to prove. “He was good till he kicked the drinking and drugs” is how the cliche goes. Years of prejudice and misguided notions were waiting to be quashed. Wade quashed them, and then kept moving. He wasn’t satisfied proving the notions wrong, he wanted to prove that the opposite was right.
Wade is a high caliber journeyman songwriter, whose penned a #1 hit for Hank Jr., as well as songs for Willie, Waylon, George Jones, and others. His personal career however has been mostly songs with irreverent humor. Deguello Motel catches people looking the other way. You keep waiting for the next song to be the goofy one, and it never comes, adding gravity to the songs, making you perk up and pay attention, saying to yourself, “This is serious stuff.”
I will put the songwriting of this album up against any. Bring your classic 70’s Texas songwriters, bring the best from BMI’s stables. It starts off with the title track that keeps impressing you with its wit at every turn.
There’s an old Mexican dirge, this place is named after. And I heard it once in a box office disaster. The duke told his boys, said it means “leave or die.” I don’t know much Spanish, but John Wayne don’t lie.
And I live in a room with a green radio, curled in the womb of a 29 year low. Four walls from heaven and one sin from hell. In room 17 at Deguello Motel.
The next song “Rock, Powder, Pills,” keeps it going, with a biting soul, and an edginess that would appeal to street rappers just as much as cocaine cowboys or heroine sheiks. That’s right. What, did you think all this sober talk meant that this album didn’t have an edge? On the contrary. The “I Saw The Light” stuff might be coming from Wade, but for now, it is fighting fire with fire, and telling the hard, cold, ugly truth, with a poet’s wit and wisdom. This album is like a catharsis, with the lyrics like toxins being purged out in all their candid rawness.
Morning breaking on the street. Baby’s sick on potted meat. Sally’s begging John for more. Tired of licking specks up off the floor. Neighbor look like Dr. Dre. He says “Tough guy you wanna play?” John digs out a wad of bills. Rock powder pills. SHOOT. Rock powder pills.
Yeah rock crushes powder, powder covers pills, pills cut the rock till it’s time to burn to kill.
As impressive as the first two songs are, my favorite of the album is “Ruins of Paradise” where Wade bears all, singing with such emotion, such conviction you wonder if he can hold it together till the end, with deep breaths punctuating the pain in lyrics not afraid to bear weakness. It also shows Wade’s adeptness with chords and changes to create the mood; a trait of Roger’s music that can be overlooked because of the mesmerizing nature of the words.
The heart of the album is restless, with lots of movement and lost love, and running from past mistakes. Themes and characters are introduced and revisited. Songs like “Dequello Lullaby,” an addiction-infused nursery rhyme that does an excellent job of painting the absolute submersion that a life of sin endures, reminds you this is all taking place in the “leave or die” atmosphere of addiction.
One thing that could have improved this album would be fleshing out a few songs with a full band. That might have helped sell the concept even more. But even just with Roger and his guitar, Deguello never gets boring like some acoustic solo albums can. And that’s the fun of being a songwriter: you create the skeleton, and then other performers can come in and elaborate.
In the final song “3rd Chance Blues,” Wade cans all the indirect language and illustrations, and spells it out cold. Something he pointed out to me when I interviewed him in April was that he never uses curse words in his songs. You think he would with songs like “Poontang” and “Butt Ugly Slut,” but like Seinfeld, he felt cursing was the easy way out. With the final song he breaks this tradition, to say what he needs to say.
I had to give up what I was good at, and get back down to good things. I quit that shit before it killed me, but not before it made me not wanna bend them guitar strings.
This simple life it suits me, my dreams are wild, my mind is strong and clear. Truth is I just got sick of dying, ain’t no telling what kind of shit you’re gonna hear.
I wouldn’t walk away with the impression that this album is preachy. Wade may preach to himself, or about himself, but you’re too busy enjoying the album to feel like he’s preaching to you, or trying to. He is singing about his experiences, and songs like “Honkey Tonk Rose” and “Old Dixie Highway” are just good old country songs that only follow the recovery theme loosely.
Deguello Motel is THE album from Roger Alan Wade, the one that brings him out of the shadow of being Johnny Knoxville’s cousin or a writer of silly songs, and puts him in the company of people like Guy Clark and Townes Van Zandt as a premier songwriter.
It may have taken Wade 30 years to get here, but however long it was going to take, Wade, and the world, are better for it.
Two guns up. Five stars. 9.7 on a 10 scale.
Listen to samples and/or purchase Roger Alan Wade’s Deguello Motel.
October 9, 2010 @ 5:30 pm
Some great songs there. I’am kinda like you on this when you say, “… a full band might have helped sell the concept even more”. Is there a cd release date for this album?
October 9, 2010 @ 5:51 pm
At the moment it is only available digitally. The release date was September 26th.
More so than most albums, I would caution trying to draw conclusions about this album from the previews. Sometimes the preview can give you the main guitar riff and let you know if its your speed or not, but with a lyrically important album like this, previews are pretty unhelpful.
October 9, 2010 @ 6:28 pm
Shit, I am not equipped for digital music! I hope he does a cd and/or vinyl release.
October 9, 2010 @ 6:50 pm
I’m looking in to see if/when they plan to release this on CD.
October 9, 2010 @ 7:23 pm
it’s very good and he got a raving review from you…well written.
#6 Deguello Motel reminds me of John Prine style…
October 10, 2010 @ 7:46 am
Yeah, this album reminds me of all those top notch songwriters, Prine included.
October 10, 2010 @ 7:49 am
Just found out that they are planning to release this on CD “ASAP.” They wanted to release it as quickly as they could because they wanted it to be out when the new Jackass movie came out. I guess there’s some cross promotion between the two, and they didn’t have time to send it to print. As soon as hard copies are available, I will try to let everyone know.
October 10, 2010 @ 8:56 am
to me this is a classic, been listening to it for bout a week now and i just love it. song writing on another level to most of what you hear these days. dixie highway and ruins of paradise are amazing but even those two are better taken as parts of the whole. if you got time to listen from one end to the other its worth your time. an album worth talkin about, wouldn’t of changed a thing.
October 10, 2010 @ 9:31 am
As a critic, it is my job to find bad things and point them out, even in an album that I really like. Only thing I could think of here was maybe adding some additional instrumentation to some songs. But even then, it might have changed the mood and energy of the project. If I was Roger, even if my plan was to add some bass and drums here and there, after listening to this when I was done laying down all the tracks I probably would have said, “Screw it. Don’t touch a thing.”
October 10, 2010 @ 1:10 pm
oh yeah brother, i get what yer meaning was, i understand. how about the first line of ruins of paradise for lyric of the year?
October 10, 2010 @ 2:26 pm
Ha Crook, I wasn’t trying to justify myself, I was trying to agree with you. Sometimes I say too much, and get confusing.
And yeah man, I totally agree. That line is just unbelievable. I kept racking the song up over and over again, just to listen to that line. And its not just the words, its how he delivers it.
Deep in the Garden of Eden, the bleeding Jackal cries. Over the slaves of temptation, the tombstone raven flies.
Some hostile Pentecostal profit, shakes a God-forsaken snake in my face. The Pagan says man just get off it, blames it all on a God he don’t believe in anyway.
Everybody’s begging for mercy. And me I’m begging twice. Hold me darlin’ I’m thirsty. I just blew in from the ruins of paradise.
October 10, 2010 @ 8:51 pm
hell yeah man, a deep album throughout but that bit stuck with me. always good to know others feel it the same way.
October 10, 2010 @ 9:10 am
I just reviewed this on the latest episode too. It’s an album of the year candidate in my mind.
October 10, 2010 @ 10:32 am
Will check that out!
October 10, 2010 @ 1:02 pm
Here is a storyteller I like. Uh, I really really like. Alot. Great blog Triggerman.
“And the dish ran away with the fork”
October 12, 2010 @ 11:09 am
I have known Roger for several years and have a large collection of his studio and live cuts. This album is by far some of the best material that he has released. He is a truly gifted writer/poet and I am proud to be able to call him a friend. This album has already landed a spot in my top 10 of all time.
October 24, 2010 @ 5:37 pm
Wow – I heard this song on Outlaw Country today and instantly thought it was a masterpiece. Thanks to Sirius for bringing good music where we otherwise wouldn’t have it!
November 8, 2010 @ 6:46 pm
I’ve only heard the one song on Outlaw Country. My favorite line is “I’m sinking like a pearl in a bottle of Prell, in Room 17 of the Deguello Hotel.” I’m going to get the CD first chance I get.
December 3, 2010 @ 10:27 am
I grew up listening to only country music and loved it. I am no longer impressed with it, can’t tell you anything about any performers on the radio today. I listen ONLY to a classic country station or nothing at all.
I have went to some live performances from Roger Alan Wade and it doesn’t get any more pure country than he is. A true down home, laid back, friendly guy who is by all means one of the best songwriters and voices the country music world has had.
This album is by all means one of the best I’ve heard in years. Every song on here is an incredible story. They are NOT some commercial attempt to be self indulgent, they are songs about life. They are songs that bring your memories back, things you’ve been through, and can relate to by living life not watching a chick flick like most so called music is now.
If you can possibly have the opportunity to be at a live performance, if you don’t go, you have just missed one of the greatest opportunities you’ll ever have to listen to real music. This album is just off the charts amazing, and so is one of the greatest voices to sing a song and one of the greatest writers to even pen a song. By all means a perfect 100 on a scale of 1-10. It’s that good. Miss this one and you’ve missed the best.
December 3, 2010 @ 12:50 pm
Another great CD from a master of the craft! If you don’t own it go NOW and get it. Get his other CD’s as well, you will not be disappointed! Only thing I can’t figure out is why this music is not in heavy rotation on every radio station in the country.
December 3, 2010 @ 1:15 pm
Just to let all y’all know, Deguello Motel was nominated for Saving Country Music’s Album of the year:
https://savingcountrymusic.com/nominees-for-2010-scm-album-of-the-year
December 4, 2010 @ 3:34 pm
I had the pleasure of listening to over 2 hours of the great Roger Alan Wade at a show last night. He did all the cuts from this album, and man, I could have listened to those songs over and over. The guy has a voice that’s destiny has to be PURE music, not some trained sissy stuff, but the inborn gift of singing. And those lyrics……wow! Incredible poetry stemmed from the wisdom gained from hard living. He can write and sing these songs because he has lived it.
I do have to give a differing opinion about the music in his performances. One of the things I love about his music is the fact that he doesn’t lose the translation of the lyrics in the noise of a band. Yeah, musical instruments are pretty much a given for most artists, but in some cases, I think the words, voice, and acoustic sound give the message that’s important. He can entertain and enlighten at the same time, without all the distractions one tends to get lost in sometimes with a band. Simply my opinion, but I think to sit and hear this guy sing in his down home, relaxed, storytelling style is plenty enough. No band needed for me, they would just get in the way of the man and his music.
December 4, 2010 @ 9:23 pm
@ THE TRIGGERMAN……”DEGUELLO MOTEL” WAS NOMINATED FOR SAVING COUNTRY MUSIC’S ALBUM OF THE YEAR? IN MY VERY HUMBLE OPINION, ROGER ALAN WADE’S NEW ALBUM SETS THE BAR FOR THOSE WHO ASPIRE TO SAVE COUNTRY MUSIC. THIS ALBUM MUST WIN….OR COUNTRY’S AS GOOD AS DEAD.
December 5, 2010 @ 12:23 am
hehe, well Sully, that is a big burden to bear. I was told earlier this year that if I didn’t name Jamey Johnson’s The Guitar Song the best album ever, then my site would be labeled a complete sham and have to be shut down. The lights are still on luckily!
I hear what you’re saying, but this has been one amazing year for music, and the idea behind nominating four albums is to allow them ALL to get a big spotlight for a while, because they all deserve it. On any other year, this would probably be the winner hands down. And it still may win this year!
December 5, 2010 @ 11:51 am
RIGHT ON TRIGGERMAN! KEEP UP THE GOOD WORK BROTHER!!!
December 7, 2010 @ 8:47 am
HEY BROTHER TRIGGERMAN…….I REALIZE YOU HAVE QUITE THE “BURDEN TO BEAR.” I’LL BEAR YOUR BURDER WITH YOU ANYTIME …….THAT’S WHAT WE’RE ALL SUPPOSED TO DO ANYWAYS. THANK YOU FOR THE GREAT JOB YOU ARE DOING WITH YOUR WEBSITE, AND MAY IT CONTINUE TO GROW LIKE THE ” WILD ROSE LIKE THOSE THAT GROWS ALONG THE ROAD.” HINT…..HINT…..HINT. I ENCOURAGE YOU TO KEEP UP THE GOOD WORK MY FRIEND. SULLY.
December 7, 2010 @ 7:17 pm
How has the world missed this guy? Pure, RAW emotion! Gotta’, gotta’, listen to this! Over and over! LOving it!
December 10, 2010 @ 9:39 am
I wish they would hurry up and release a hard copy! I loved this album and I really wanted to give this cd for Christmas. I figure if Im gonna buy the cd, i want the actual cd and not just some mp3s.
February 3, 2011 @ 9:36 am
i just listend to the title track from deguello motel after seeing it has won your album of the year…holy hell…this is as true as it gets…cant wait to hear the rest. outstanding lyrics and a voice thats done its share of living. i love finding new things to get excited about. thnks.