A feel for music

As musicians go, Dr. Dale Haskell is not the norm. Ego doesn't drive his work, as he'll modestly play down his own guitar playing and songwriting ability. But in his music this Southeast Missouri State University English professor who has just released his second album in three years shoots straight from the heart.

As he sings, an observer can see that the words are his own poetry, very dear to him, as his eyes close and his face contorts with feeling as he strums his acoustic guitar.

During a Wednesday-night performance at the Cape Girardeau Public Library, he explains one of his musical creations with ease.

"It's like a relationship that's broken up, and it's about this guy, it's like a Mack truck hit him and he's trying to figure out what went wrong."

Haskell has just put out his second album, "Ineloquent Heart," a selection of the best of his 80 songs he's written in the past three years, and he's playing to promote the music on it. This is a different musical side of Haskell than what the singing professor showed on his 2002 offering "Small Items." "Small Items" was partially tongue-in-cheek, with some comedic tracks, whereas the songs on "Ineloquent Heart" are all focused on one theme: love, or the loss thereof.

"Actually it was my wife who suggested I do an album of love songs," Haskell said. Incidentally the new album is dedicated to his wife, Marsha, who he says loves him "more than I deserve."

But while Haskell is very happy with his relationship, many of the songs on "Ineloquent Heart" are about pain, shame and loss in relationships. There's the first track, "When She Held Me," which talks about the difficulty of overcoming feelings for an old love when faced with a new one.

On "Charmed," Haskell takes the position of someone whose heart has been broken before, desperately struggling to keep it from happening again. "Woulda-Coulda-Shoulda" deals with the regret of making a fatal mistake in an important relationship.

So how does Haskell write these songs if his personal love-life is such a happy one?

"I just imagine people in these situations," Haskell said. "I imagine a person who's in a spot trying to say something classy as he's healing from a relationship. I think about what they would say.

"I think it's just from watching people, reading, watching film and noticing how they hurt and what they need."Despite his literary background, Haskell doesn't really take inspiration from his favorite poets or authors. In terms of songwriting, he draws strength from classic folk musicians, such as John Prine, he said.

Some songs do come from his own experience, such as "Worth Remembering," where Haskell takes the point of view of a man trying to keep from fighting with his significant other.

"My parents taught me a lot about how to make sure a fight doesn't get too bad and break up a relationship. This song is from the perspective of a parent."

There are also songs with happy love themes, such as "Happy Time," which is simply a song about the carefree celebration of true love. This particular track also demonstrates some of the more mature song styling Haskell used for his second record.

"Happy Time" is a mellow bluegrass romp, and other tracks on the albums create lush melodies with keyboard, mandolin and cello.

"The songs on the last record were all three or four chords with verses and a chorus," Haskell said. "Now I've improved some in songwriting, putting in more complex chord structures and bridges. I'm still limited by my guitar playing, though."

The professor was helped out on the album by a variety of local musicians. Chief among them was Kurt Tietz, who produced the album and assisted Haskell with rewriting some songs in the studio.

"The songs sound rich and sophisticated because Kurt's a really good musician," Haskell said.

Haskell hopes this album will meet with the same modest success his previous one did locally, and he's already writing the material for the next record.

"I wrote 17 songs just this week," Haskell said. "They'll come to me when I'm taking a bike ride or doing laundry. A situation or a line will pop into my head and I'll start writing."

The next one may be an all-bluegrass or comedy record, but the professor wants to wait until he can come up with material that can stand up to the songs on "Ineloquent Heart."

Haskell's album is available at the Southeast Missouri State University Bookstore, Hastings, P-Mac Music and available online through www.cdbaby.net.

msanders@semissourian.com

335-6611, extension 182

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Want to go?

What: Party on the Patio CD kick-off for "Ineloquent Heart"

When: Wednesday

Where: University Center, Southeast Missouri State University, 11 a.m. to 1 p.m.