| CD Review |
|
|
 |
Northern California Bluegrass Society provides this CD review. You can find our most current reviews on our Message Board, where you can comment or query the author directly. Our monthly magazine, Bluegrass By the Bay also publishes them. Return to CD Reviews. |
|
| Lonesome River Band | Talkin' To Myself |
| Review by Keith Rollag | |
| Songs: Swing That Hammer Talkin' to Myself Dog Gone Shame The Place Where You Can Bury Me No One Can Love You Dear (The Way I Do) Mary Ann Are You Ashamed To Call Me Darlin' Harvest Time The Crime I Didn't Do Willow Garden Do You Want to Live In Glory I Won't Be Calling for You |
SUG-CD 3917 Personnel: |
|
If there is such a thing as a bluegrass "supergroup" these days (it does seem a bit like an oxymoron), the Lonesome River Band might lay claim to such a title, at least for the 1990's. One of the most popular and top-performing contemporary bands for the past decade, they've been crowd-pleasing regulars on festival circuits throughout the U.S. They've won numerous IBMA awards, both as a band and as individuals. However, many strict traditionalists have tended to pooh-pooh the band, regarding the group's smooth vocals, modern lyrics, and syncopated rhythm as just a little too much "country" for their taste. They often feel that the band's 1992 album "Carrying the Tradition" was the last good "bluegrass" CD that the Lonesome River Band made. But "Talkin' to Myself" may just be the CD to bring a few of the traditionalists back into the LRB fold. The group has enjoined former band members Dan Tyminski and Tim Austin to produce and record something more reminiscent of the band's earlier projects, and there are more bluegrass classics (or at least classic-sounding contemporary material) than on their last few albums. Plus they've added Rickie Simpkins to their permanent roster, a fiddler whose fluid style fits perfectly with the rest of LRB. The CD starts with a traditional-sounding, medium tempo prison song called "Swing That Hammer", followed by the title track and Ronnie Bowman original "Talkin' to Myself". Then they blast out the Ralph Stanley classic "Dog Gone Shame", and slow things down with a slower, more contemporary-sounding "The Place Where You Can Bury Me." Then it's back to a straight-ahead new tune called "No One Can Love You (The Way I Do)" that is formula LRB. The only really country-sounding song is the slow ballad "Mary Ann", which is frequently sung by Jimmy Martin so the traditionalists may actually leave it on the acceptable list. My favorite tune is "Are You Ashamed to Call Me Darlin", a fun, bouncy tune about a guy with apparently low self-esteem (I love tunes you have to sing with a smile on your face). Same with the popular "Harvest Time" - besides LRB's version, I must have heard four bands do it up at Grass Valley this year. "The Crime I Didn't Do" is a self-explanatory, dark song in minor-key, and "Willow Glen" is an traditional folk song in waltz time that sounds great in bluegrass mode. Next is an up-tempo tune in standard bluegrass gospel style (fingerstyle guitar, no banjo, etc.) called "Do You Want to Live in Glory", and the band rounds out the CD with another traditional-sounding tune "I Won't Be Calling For You". Oh, and I like the fact they published all the lyrics in the liner notes - nice touch. That's it. Longtime Lonesome River Band fans will love it, and the traditionalists will actually give it a second listen. If you like contemporary bluegrass, get this CD - you won't be disappointed. I'm not. |
|
Additions or comments: fiddler@best.com |
|