Dion has set the release of The Rock ‘n’ Roll Philosopher, an album companion to his book, co-authored with Adam Jablin, of the same title for October 24 through KTBA Records both digitally and on CD. It’s the label, founded by Joe Bonamassa and Roy Weisman that has released his recent string of much lauded collaborative albums including Blues With Friends (2020), Stomping Ground (2021) and last year’s Girl Friends. The new album is preceded by today’s release through all streaming services of “I’m Your Gangster of Love,” a brand-new recording and one of six songs on the album written by Dion and Mike Aquilina. Also debuting today is a video for the song that recalls the gangland-themed movies of the ‘30s and ‘40s.
The new album is a meticulously curated combination of newly written and recorded songs, reimagined versions of several Dion classics as well as a representation of newer material recorded over the last decade. Like the book, The Rock ‘n’ Roll Philosopher album is a reflection of Dion’s life’s journey. In the album notes, he explains, “I pulled together some of the songs I discussed in the book and some of them I changed.” He describes the book as “a wide-ranging memoir in which I talk about music, addiction, recovery, friendships, God, creativity, relationships and all the important things in life from which I’ve learned important lessons.”
Among the album’s tracks are collaborations with Sonny Landreth, Joe Bonamassa, Mark Knopfler and Eric Clapton, the latter of whom also contributing a 600-word forward to the album in which he calls Dion “one of a kind, unparalleled in his achievement and stature. He is a genius singer, writer, musician, and healer.” He also wrote, “He is the perfect example of how you can do what you love to do and still be available to the lives of others.” Clapton, long an admirer of Dion, also contributed the prologue to the book version of The Rock ‘n’ Roll Philosopher and is heard on “If You Wanna Rock and Roll,” a song written by Dion that’s part of the new album.
Among the album’s highlights are “New York Minute,” one of the Dion-Acquilina co-writes that debuted earlier this year as well as a new version of “New York Is My Home,” produced by Jimmy Vivino. It’s one of two selections on the album in which the late Scott Kempner, co-founder of punk rock’s Dictators and Del-Lords, had a hand. Kempner was cowriter of “In A Heartbeat of Time.” There’s an updated live recording on The Rock ‘n’ Roll Philosopher that documents the time in the mid-90s when Dion fronted Little Kings, the hard rocking band that had been put together by Kempner. The version of “King of the New York Streets” was, likewise, originally recorded with Little Kings at that same Mercury Lounge gig in April of 1996 and the subject of recent audio enhancement.
There’s also “Serenade/Come To the Cross, an adaptation of the Tom Waits song “San Diego Serenade,” now melded with one of Dion’s songs of faith. Dion classics, sourced from the 2003 New Masters collection, include “Ruby Baby,” “Runaround Sue” and “The Wanderer,” each a career touchstone for Dion as was the later “Abraham, Martin and John.” The version included in The Rock ‘n’ Roll Philosopher is a new recording about which Dion writes, “I decided to record an intimate version of the song. Over the last fifty-seven years I’ve recorded dozens of versions of that song with everybody from Phil Spector and Cher to Aaron Neville and Bob Dylan. This one is now my favourite.”
The album also includes comprehensive album notes by music historian, journalist and longtime Dion intimate Gene Sculatti that are based on a recent conversation. He told Sculatti that the songs heard on The Rock ’N’ Roll Philosopher are, in essence, “an ideal set list. the songs that I’d most like to play, all together in the perfect concert.”The Rock ‘N’ Roll Philosopher – Tracklist
1. I’m Your Gangster of Love*
2. New York Minute*
3. Ruby Baby
4. Take It Back (featuring Joe Bonamassa)
5. New York Is My Home*
6. Cryin’ Shame (featuring Sonny Landreth)
7. Dancing Girl (featuring Mark Knopfler)
8. In a Heartbeat of Time*
9. Serenade/Come To The Cross*
10. If You Wanna Rock and Roll (featuring Eric Clapton)
11. Ride With You
12. Abraham, Martin and John*
13. King of the New York Streets*
14. Runaround Sue
15. The Wanderer
16. Mother and Son*
*New recording
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