The portentous Jamaican adage, ‘Short cut, draw blood’ warns that taking the easy way out can offer dire consequence. It also says that the even quickest strike can also cause injury.
Both of these eventualities carry substantial thematic weight on Jim Capaldi’s 1975 album of the same title. Recently, the Jim Capaldi Estate announced a worldwide digital release of this vital album in Capaldi’s discography across numerous streaming platforms. This reassessment of the record has started with a release of the first single and title track, ‘Short Cut, Draw Blood’.
The title was brought up to Capaldi by Chris Blackwell of Island Records, who was also Bob Marley and the Wailers producer, hence the use of and familiarity with a Jamaican proverb.
The album was Capaldi's first following the disillusion
of Traffic. He had a number of former and current members of the
band he founded including his songwriting partner Steve
Winwood appear on the LP.
The subject of today’s Talk from the Rock Room ‘Take One’ feature is the title track of Capaldi’s 1975 LP. Featuring the former Muscle Shoals rhythm section of Hood, Hawkins and percussionist Rebop the song’s striding groove moves impatiently through Capaldi’s verses.
The song’s construction brings to mind Bob Dylan’s ‘Hurricane’, another melodic proclamation from 1975 that both jams and informs.
While not always fashionable in
the music industry to be globally or environmentally conscious, these were ideals held close
to Capaldi’s heart. He was a straight shooter and with this cut he hit the
mark.
The song enters with a picked acoustic lick that signals the introductory verses. Capaldi itemizes the acts being perpetrated on the Earth and its inhabitants through swirling lyrics winding around flashing keyboards and passing sonic washes.
Each verse gains momentum on jagged electric guitar, moans of Moog, before crashing into the matter fact chorus, ‘I’m telling you that a short cut is gonna draw blood, and you are gonna get you face pushed in the mud’.
Capaldi elicits a sneer when navigating the lyrics and then a sly smile on the chorus. After the third verse a guitar solo enters with
all of the various song’s elements colliding. Capaldi comes back following the solo and free forms with the
stratified guitars, adding well timed shouts and vamps on the chorus until the
fadeout.

'Well you can build a lot of buildings that you want in this
world, till a man can't see a thing. Keep on spraying the crops with your
suicide juice, till the birds no longer sing’. These acts were happening when
Capaldi composed the song in the mid 1970’s and they continue to this day.
Proof that Capaldi was on the right path of environmental consciousness and his
venomous voicing and dulcet musicality the perfect combination to distribute
his message.
Jim Capaldi’s 1975 record and track Short Cut, Draw
Blood deserves a critical reassessment and a new audience. Its messages
and musicality are just as important to listener’s ears today as they were in
in middle 1970’s. Capaldi’s talents ranged from composing, arranging, singing,
and of course drumming and his recordings need not languish is the dusty
recesses of a record store. As an
addition, please enjoy this live version of 'Short Cut, Draw Blood' and
'Goodbye Love' from the 'Old Gray Whistle Test' November 18, 1975 before you
go. Here’s to enjoying Jim Capaldi's music as well as adding a
new generation of listeners that I am sure will be hopeful recipients to his
message.
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