Americana

Editorial Reviews
Amazon.com
Just in time for the November 2000 presidential elections, violinist Leila Josefowicz delivers her platform based entirely on violin virtuosity and Americana. Josefowicz seems to excel on short showpieces, and this 21-track CD is full of them--lively American-themed miniatures that don't stretch over five minutes. Accompanied by pianist John Novacek, Josefowicz is in fine form, fiddling through Gershwin's Three Preludes, Porgy and Bess Suite, and "Short Story." On Charlie Chaplin's "Smile," she gets to show off her glorious tone (obscured on most of these tunes by her energetic bow attack). And, though the "Yankee Doodle" variations by Henri Vieuxtemps may test the mettle of all but the most patriotic listener, there's no denying that Josefowicz can play these pieces with the best of them. It may be lightweight fun, but it's fun nonetheless. --Jason Verlinde

Tracks:

Are You Alright?
Mama You Sweet
Learning How To Live
Fancy Funeral
Unsuffer Me
Everything Has Changed
Come On
Where Is My Love?
Rescue
What If
Wrap My Head Around That
Words
West

Amazon.com

Though the arrangements stray from Lucinda Williams's motherlode blend of blues, country, and folk, West may well be her best album. It is easily her most musically adventurous, and often her most lyrically inspired. Williams's singing has never sounded better, from the aching tenderness of "Where Is My Love?" to the ravaged catharsis of "Unsuffer Me." New York producer Hal Willner, who has worked with artists such as Marianne Faithful and Lou Reed, enlists the support of eclectic progressives like guitarist Bill Frisell, keyboardist Bob Burger, and violinist Jenny Scheinman, along with harmonies from the Jayhawks' Gary Louris, to weave a subtly rich sonic tapestry. Much of the material was inspired by the death of Williams's beloved mother ("Mama You Sweet," "Fancy Funeral") and the bitter breakup of a relationship (the jagged-edged emasculation of "Come On," the repetitive incantation of "Wrap My Head Around That"), though "Are You Alright?," "Learning How to Live," and "Everything Has Changed" could reflect the aftermath of both. Other highlights include "Rescue," with a languid subtlety and ambient pulse reminiscent of Beth Orton, and the dreamy, wistful title track. Where Williams's music has long cut close to the bone, the best of West slices right through it. --Don McLeese

Lucinda Wiliams Photos

More Lucinda Williams

Car Wheels on a Gravel Road
World Without Tears
Essence

Customer Reviews:

Gets better with age.......2007-07-22

Simply put Lucinda just paints a sound and words that rings true. She as far the wide buyind audience is unknown, very underrated as trash female artits do their stuff.

great album.......2007-07-21

i really like this album. have a few LW songs in a few of mu alt country compilation cd's and have heard an album or two that other people owned. Happy to have one of my own. i think I picked a good one. Theres one or two songs on the album that are wierd to me and slightly grating, but overall i think that this is some of her best music.

Glad I bought this.......2007-07-17

I had never listened to Lucinda Williams before and saw her performance recently on Jay Leno and liked it. I sampled the album and decided to buy it. Some of her older fans have shown disappointment in this album but I don't have anything of hers to compare it to and I love it. At first the songs sound overly simple and the lyrics seem plain. But it grows on you more and more each time you listen to it. It just gets better and better. It's a unique style, I think, a little blue grass, soft rock and blues all in one. If you saw her performance on Jay Leno and liked that, you'll like this CD and it's a bargain now at $9.99.

Lucinda Williams, Who Knew..........2007-07-12

I know a lot of people have listened to Ms. Williams for years. I had heard of her, but never listened to her music. I was definitely missing out!

This cd was incredible. I loved all of the songs.

I mostly listen to mainstream country music, and I think it's sad that people like Lucinda Williams and Alison Moorer aren't played. Their music is amazing.

I have since bought two more of her cds, and plan to buy more!

It's nice to listen to songs that actually have something to say.

Please Don't Say "This Is Her Best".......2007-07-10

Disclaimer: I am new to Lucinda's own albums, so maybe I shouldn't be reviewing this just yet before hearing a few more. But it does seem like everything else has been steering me right here, with everybody telling me to proceed no further before checking this out. So now *please* tell me that West is some kind of fly in the ointment. She sounds totally rasped out, like Stevie Nicks with a really bad cold. Please tell me that she's in a songwriting slump, too. I find myself in accord with Big Jim's one-star review below - these songs don't feel like stories, let alone lyrics - there's too much line repetition to communicate much except dull emotion. If this were a blues album it would be one thing, but clearly it's not. And how can these be called melodies when all they do is hover around one or two notes in practically every song, showing off very little of her range (somebody please tell me that she displays some vocal range somewhere else).

Coming from a pretty good appreciation of lady singer/songwriter/interpreters like Emmylou Harris, Bonnie Raitt, Alison Krauss, Gillian Welch, and others with similar talents, even ones with narrow but beautiful instruments like Rickie Lee Jones, I was hoping to add a little bit of spice to the rack - but this album is a huge let-down. When I learned that Hal Willner, Bill Frisell and Jim Keltner were major contributors to West, I figured that I would at least be intrigued by *some* of the tracks - sorry - even after several listenings that's not happening. I really do like Lucinda's one track on the 2001 MJH tribute album Avalon Blues: A Tribute to the Music of Mississippi John Hurt, but then again I like ALL of that 5-star gem. Somebody *please* confirm for me that this is not the best way to be introduced to Ms. Williams on a large scale. How much longer should I listen to my trusty sources when West is what they are telling me is my next "must have".

Average customer rating:

A Songwriter's Songwriter
Nick The Nife is Back
A mature work as title implies..
Not long enough
Still the Jesus of Cool

At My Age
Nick Lowe
Manufacturer: Yep Roc Records
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Sweet Warrior
Easy Tiger
Don't Tell Columbus
Sky Blue Sky
Icky Thump

ASIN: B000Q9OD4O
Release Date: 2007-06-26

Tracks:

A Better Man
Long Limbed Girl
I Trained Her To Love Me
The Club
Hope For Us All
People Change
The Man In Love
Love's Got A Lot To Answer For
Rome Wasn't Built In a Day
Not Too Long Ago
The Other Side Of the Coin
Feel Again

Amazon.com

When he laid down 1994's The Impossible Bird--the ninth solo album in a career that already, via Rockpile, Brinsley Schwarz, Kippington Lodge, and production work for Elvis Costello, the Damned, and the Pretenders, stretched back over 25 years--Nick Lowe probably wasn't setting out to create a four-part trilogy à la Douglas Adams. But with At My Age (which is 58, incidentally, as of the album's June 2007 release), Lowe has created a fine companion to Bird, 1998's Dig My Mood, and 2001's The Convincer. Six years was a bit too long of a wait, 2004's live Untouched Takeaway notwithstanding. And given all that time, Lowe breaks no new ground: At My Age is essentially more of the same combination of blue-eyed soul and pre-Sweetheart country-rock that characterized those previous releases. But when the results are so deliciously horn-drenched and include songs like "Long Limbed Girl," "People Change," "The Club," "Not Too Long Ago," and the delightfully malicious "I Trained Her to Love Me" ("If you think that it's depraved and I should be ashamed, so what? / I'm only paying back womankind for all the grief I got"), who's complaining? Good things have indeed come to those who waited. --Benjamin Lukoff

Album Description

Blue-eyed soul? You don't even know the definition until you've heard the sweet smoke of Nick Lowe's trademark croon. Now, later in life, Lowe's rootsy, grown-up soul has risen to the surface of what was a cracked and stripped-down artistic aesthetic in the late '70s, when he produced records for Elvis Costello, the Pretenders, and influential British proto-punkers the Damned. During his years as house producer for Stiff Records Lowe's oft-copied rough-hewn production style set the stage for the DIY philosophy of the punk revolution.

Sublimely aged in a solid oak barrel, At My Age showcases Lowe's perfection of his own unique brand of soul-soaked country-pop, resulting in an album as refined and perfectly distilled as he is. Lowe's convention-breaking phrasing shines backed by gorgeous '60s Memphis-style horns and tastefully subdued guitar hooks. At My Age displays, with Nick's signature polish, the sublime, linear connection between country, rhythm and blues, and rock 'n' roll. So, grab a drink, a smoke, and hear Americana done right...by a Brit.

Customer Reviews:

A Songwriter's Songwriter.......2007-07-14

When asked about his influences, Orson Welles reportedly said "John Ford, John Ford, and John Ford."

Such is his imprint that journeyman songwriters might answer, "Nick Lowe, Nick Lowe, and Nick Lowe."

This is how it's done.

Nick The Nife is Back.......2007-07-12

Of the last four Lowe CDs, all of which stray from country to lounge to classic pop, this one is the 2nd best, trailing only the magnificent "The Impossible Bird," but much better than the uneven Dig My Mood and the hit-and-miss The Convincer. It's still a grand cry from the glory days of the late 70s--the clever phrases are still here but much of Nick's "new" music lacks melody or a musical hook that marked his rock stuff. But the the bottom line is, Nick Lowe is a true original and always has been, and if you like his style, you'll like this CD.

A mature work as title implies.........2007-07-05

I suppose that, being the major fan I am and having so many "already favorites," it's pretty hard to just sally forth with another 5 stars. I prefer it when Nick leans toward the up-tempo and, as the title implies, he's doing more crooning these days than rocking. And, as happened to me when I listened to John Prine's recent release with Mac Wiseman, I heard something different in the voice nowadays. Nick sounds "husk-ier" these days (not "husky" as in being a large man, but "husky" in that there is a little crackle there now). Oh, to be sure, this is well deserving of at least 4 stars, big fan or no. Nice full accompaniment with horns and backup vocals, a little more "fleshed out" soundwise than some earlier things. And there are indeed some nice up-tempo tracks like his remake of the Unique's "not Too Long Ago." Most people know that band for the tender ballad "All These Things" but I appreciate Nick covering the lesser known and, to me, better song.
A word about the 3 free downloadable songs available with the CD: while the songs themselves aren't new songs, we get a nice acoustic version of "What's So Funny About Peace Love and Understanding" and a nice live version of "12 Step Program." And also 9 other downloadable songs from the YepRoc catalog. At least at this writing.

Not long enough.......2007-07-05

As brilliant as The Convincer, but, at 33 minutes, there isn't enough of it. This album is so well produced, I, for one, would appreciate some longer pieces with more instrumental breaks. I''m grateful for the new release and am enjoying it, all the same.

Still the Jesus of Cool.......2007-07-05

The monicker that Nick Lowe earned almost three decades ago seems even more apt with each new release. His "The Convincer" was one of three CD's that helped me through a rough patch five years ago (the others were Graham Parker's "Deepcut to Nowhere" and John Hiatt's "The Tiki Bar is Open"). And "At My Age" is equally as good; slightly more upbeat, in a downbeat way. Every song's a gem.

Average customer rating:

Your Man
My first CD by Josh Turner
Josh Turner CD
love it
Old school country with a modern sound

Your Man
Josh Turner
Manufacturer: Mca Nashville
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Long Black Train
It Just Comes Natural
White Trash with Money
Time Well Wasted
Precious Memories

ASIN: B000BBOVGW
Release Date: 2006-01-24

Tracks:

Would You Go With Me
Baby's Gone Home To Mama
No Rush
Your Man
Loretta Lynn's Lincoln
White Noise
Angels Fall Sometimes
Lord Have Mercy On A Country Boy
Me And God
Gravity
Way Down South

Amazon.com

The success of his debut, Long Black Train, had folks in Nashville making bets about Josh Turner's capturing 2004's CMA Horizon Award, but then Turner, whose resonant baritone-bass will rattle the screws out of your car stereo speakers, seemed to quickly fade from sight. Now, with his sophomore album, he proves he wasn't a fluke, even if nothing here immerses itself in the baptismal fire of temptation, death, and redemption with the power of Train. His duet with Ralph Stanley, "Me and God," which Turner wrote, somehow falls short, especially since Stanley sounds so weak that he might have fallen over at the microphone. Where Turner does bring home the bacon is in moving out of the gospel area and wisely choosing four songs from the pen of the underrated Shawn Camp: "Would You Go with Me," the irresistible bluegrass invitation to forever (with lyrics that sound Biblically inspired, despite the overly romantic tone); the hilarious "Loretta Lynn's Lincoln"; the bluesy "No Rush," which walks the same sexy path as Tony Joe White and Conway Twitty; and the frustrated-husband lament "Baby's Gone Home to Mama." Turner also scores points in tipping his hat to heritage, sometimes more subtle (reworking Don Williams's "Lord Have Mercy on a Country Boy") than overt. But not always. When the South Carolinian launches into his own "Way Down South," a mandolin-and-electric-guitar paean to the geographical womb that formed him, that sound you hear in the background is the whoosh of cowboy hats, sailing through the Dixiefied stratosphere. --Alanna Nash

About the Artist

New artists dream about the kind of results Josh Turner achieved with his 2003 debut, Long Black Train. Spurred by its haunting, gospel-inflected title track, the album sold a million copies and brought Turner a pair of nominations from the influential Country Music Association, plus a Top New Artist nomination from the Academy of Country Music. That debut, however, was merely a prelude. Turner's sophomore project, Your Man, demonstrates an increased maturity, a better-honed sense of his strengths, and a more specific portrait of the singer as both an artist and a man.

"I've really learned a lot," Turner reflects. "We were listening to my first record the other day, and I couldn't believe how much my voice has matured and grown from that time."

The album covers a range of emotions--from romantic devotion to spiritual intimacy to ethereal silliness--while paying overt allegiance to many of the musical figures who inspired him. Two of his biggest influences, honky-tonker John Anderson and bluegrass pioneer Ralph Stanley, make guest appearances; a Don Williams hit, "Lord Have Mercy on a Country Boy," gets reworked; and the Coal Miner's Daughter is even referenced in the title of the inexplicably weird "Loretta Lynn's Lincoln." If that weren't enough, Turner pays tribute to Johnny Cash, Dolly Parton, Charley Pride, and even trucker-ballad specialist Red Sovine. In fact, the last notes Turner sings on the album are an unintentional tribute to a country-gospel master, as the singer recaptures the way on down line from the late J.D. Sumners performance on an Elvis Presley hit.

Born and raised in Hannah, South Carolina, Turner got his first exposure to music at the Union Baptist Church. But his introduction to country music came through his father's mom, who acquainted him with Southern gospel quartets; country stars Johnny Cash, Waylon Jennings, Roy Acuff and Ernest Tubb; and bluegrass legends the Osborne Brothers and the Stanley Brothers.

"Ralph Stanley has such a unique voice, and he's really carved a niche for himself," Turner says. "He's kept mountain music and bluegrass music alive, and introduced a lot of new fans to that kind of music, and I was one of those people from a very early age."

After his initial success, Turner was empowered on the second album. He explores more emotional avenues and utilizes the lower end of his identifiable bass/baritone range more frequently. Though it sets him apart from his contemporaries, he's careful not to turn his signature into a novelty. Instead, he's picked material in which his basement tones are a natural enhancement to the messages hes conveying. Still, Turner's voice is ultimately an instrument that communicates the deeper influences in his world. His wife, his musical heritage, and his deeper understanding of his art all make their presence felt through inspiration or expression on Your Man, an uncommonly seamless sophomore effort. It's clear that calling his award-winning first album a debut was right on the mark: It was merely an introduction to an inspired and evolving artist.

Customer Reviews:

Your Man.......2007-07-19

I had never heard of Josh Turner until I watched the CMT Awards and I was blown away. What a voice. I promptly went to Amazon and bought both of his cd's the next day. If you love country music, Josh Turner is your man, besides being good looking, the man has a super bass voice that he can bring up to Tenor when it is needed. I have listened to this cd over and over again. It is in my Itunes, on my MP3, I listen too him any chance I get. He is one of the up and coming Country Music Male stars. Plus he is so good to just sit and look at.

My first CD by Josh Turner.......2007-05-30

Really like the songs...wish the case had been intact when it arrived. I ordered 3 CDs at the same time. Two of the 3 cases were broken, so it's difficult to put them away properly.

Josh Turner CD.......2007-05-17

Love this guy's voice. I heard the song, Will You Go With Me, on the radio and ordered the CD. You don't have to be a C & W fan to love Turner's music.

love it.......2007-05-14

This CD is one of my favs! His voice is so unique. Good stuff!!

Old school country with a modern sound.......2007-05-13

This is one of my favorite country CD's. Not since Garth Brooks have I been so excited over the quality of EACH song on the CD.

Average customer rating:

Springsteen's best album ever
Get American Land Edition
Great fun, don't be turned off
Lame Record of Lame Songs
Folk Can Rock

We Shall Overcome: The Seeger Sessions
Bruce Springsteen
Manufacturer: Sony
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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All the Roadrunning
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Modern Times

ASIN: B000EU1PNC
Release Date: 2006-04-25

Tracks:

Old Dan Tucker
Jesse James
Mrs. McGrath
Oh, Mary, Don't You Weep
John Henry
Erie Canal
Jacob's Ladder
My Oklahoma Home
Eyes On The Prize
Shenandoah
Pay Me My Money Down
We Shall Overcome
Froggie Went A-Courtin'
Buffalo Gals (bonus track)
How Can I Keep From Singing (bonus track)

Amazon.com

The premise was simple. Bruce Springsteen invites a dozen or so New York City musicians--packing banjos, fiddles, accordions and the like--to his New Jersey farmhouse for a three-day hootenanny, and tape is rolling. The results are sublime, his 21st album featuring their versions of songs harvested from Springsteen's dog-eared LPs by Pete Seeger. Not all written by Seeger, the songs are how the American folk icon interpreted them, and these organic recordings, with no rehearsals or overdubs, pay tribute with the simplicity and spontaneity he intended. It's not hard to link Springsteen's dissatisfaction with American politics to the protest song "We Shall Overcome" or even the Irish ballad "Mrs. McGrath," where he alters the lyrics to read, "I'd rather have my son as he used to be/Than the King of America and his whole navy." But the beauty of these Seeger Sessions are pieces that underscore the mood of the bandleader, which borders on down-home amusement: the bluegrass outlaw ballad "Jesse James," the Dylanesque "Pay Me My Money Down" and the euphoric "Jacob's Ladder," a gumbo-and-whiskey-fueled romp that could pass for the closing hymn at the Church of Asbury Park. --Scott Holter

Album Description

VIDEO

A 40-minute film about the recording of the album with artist commentary. Includes filmed performances of:

John Henry Pay Me My Money Down Buffalo Gals Erie Canal O Mary DonÂ't You Weep JacobÂ's Ladder Froggie Went A CourtinÂ' Shenandoah

Plus four bonus live tour videos:

How Can A Poor Man Stand Such Times And Live (Bruce Springsteen Version) Bring Â'Em Home American Land Pay Me My Money Down

Customer Reviews:

Springsteen's best album ever.......2007-07-17

When this album first came out I listened to it non-stop. My favorite track: "Oh, Mary, Don't You Weep." I went to see the band when they toured to promote the album in the spring of '06. Wow. There were something like 15 musicians on the stage and their passion was palpaple. This comes through in the album, too, which was recorded live.

Get American Land Edition.......2007-07-16

This is a great album, but notwithstanding the reviews written here, you should get the American Land version of this album (We Shall Overcome: The Seeger Sessions - American Land Edition). It has all the same songs, plus four more tracks on the audio CD, including "American Land" which is one of the best songs he's done in years. There are also several additional videos. Unlike this version, the American Land edition is not a dualdisc; instread it consists of an audio CD and a DVD disc.

Buy the American Land edition instead (ASIN: B000GG4XJM).

Great fun, don't be turned off.......2007-07-08

I'm a guy with some pretty diverse musical tastes, but quite honestly, I probably never would have gotten into Pete Seeger's brand of country-folk music on my own. But as a lifelong Springsteen die-hard, I put aside any skepticism I might have had and bought the "We Shall Overcome: The Seeger Sessions" DualDisc. As his career progresses, Bruce Springsteen is a constantly changing artist, and he is always drawing influences from new and different sources. But this album is definitely different from any project he's ever done before. The banjoes, accordions, and twangy fiddles might put off some listeners at first, but give it a chance. You'll actually find that this stuff has a lot of similarities to classic rock, with the catchy hooks, instrumental solos, and song structures. Songs like "Old Dan Tucker," "Jesse James," and "Pay Me My Money Down" are upbeat, totally fun tracks. There's a few songs worth skipping on the tracklist, but overall, "We Shall Overcome" is a fun listen of folk standards and covers. I challenge Springsteen fans to go into this album with an open mind, and I think they'll enjoy it just as I have.

Lame Record of Lame Songs.......2007-06-26

If I had a hammer
I'd hammer on the hippies
I'd hammer on some commies
All over this land
I'd hammer on the peaceniks
I'd hammer on lame Jerseyites
I'd hammer out all the rotten filthy dirty draft dodgers
All over this land

Folk Can Rock.......2007-06-19

This is a fantastic album. High energy folk must suits Bruce's style so well; I can't imagine that there's anyone out there who can resist the infectious energy of this well-crafted album. This is a must-listen for those who think that folk is a quiet, downer form of music; these songs will get them out of their seats and up on their feet.

It's really one of Bruce's best albums ever.

Average customer rating:

Not a carbon copy
Walk the line CD
walk the line
Walk the Line
Great

Walk the Line
Joaquin Phoenix , Reese Witherspoon , and Original Soundtrack
Manufacturer: Wind-Up
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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At Folsom Prison
Walk the Line (Widescreen Edition)
The Essential Johnny Cash
At San Quentin
Taking The Long Way

ASIN: B000BM7YYW
Release Date: 2005-11-15

Tracks:

Get Rhythm -- Joaquin Phoenix
I Walk The Line -- Joaquin Phoenix
Wildwood Flower -- Reese Witherspoon
Lewis Boogie Blues -- Waylon Payne
Ring Of Fire -- Joaquin Phoenix
You're My Baby -- Johnathan Rice
Cry Cry Cry -- Joaquin Phoenix
Folsom Prison Blues-- Joaquin Phoenix
That's Allright Mama -- Tyler Hilton
Jukebox Blues -- Reese Witherspoon
It Aint Me Babe -- Joaquin Phoenix & Reese Witherspoon
Home of the Blues -- Joaquin Phoenix
Milkcow Blues Boogie -- Tyler Hilton
I'm A Long Way From Home -- Shooter Jennings
Cocaine Blues -- Joaquin Phoenix
Jackson -- Joaquin Phoenix & Reese Witherspoon

Amazon.com

This is not a review about Joaquin Phoenix and Reese Witherspoon's hair. However--as any self-respecting fan knows--in country music, after proving you can pluck a guitar and carry a tune, the power of the right hairstyle is not to be underestimated. Johnny Cash, in fact, was famously vain about his locks--perhaps one of the few things he was vain about--and many a guitar store employee can attest to the fact that when the Man in Black came in to buy his special brand of guitar pick, his hair was dyed a jet black more often seen on a boy of 20 than a man of 60. In any case, Phoenix and Witherspoon's performances as Johnny and June Carter Cash succeed more in the style and hair department than in their musicality. Phoenix fares better than his co-star in reinventing the Cash mystique, and his sweet, almost earnest interpretation of "Get Rhythm" is as charming as it is honest. Unfortunately, the powerful song "Ring of Fire" is flat and wholly without the narrative pull it had when Cash sang it. And Witherspoon is simply not up to the warbling task she's faced with in singing as June Carter Cash. (To be fair, it's hard to know who would be, but the estimable Loretta Lynn or Tift Merritt would have had better luck). Carter Cash's honeyed gift with melody, and the largeness of her voice, honed over decades in live performance, is hard to replicate for even a seasoned singer, and predictably, Witherspoon falls short of the mark. It's certainly seductive to imagine that playing a figure as compelling as Johnny or June would allow an actor to channel the soul and some of the talent of the artist, but the closest this record comes is in "Cry, Cry, Cry," where Phoenix's gravelly voice offers the same sustained thrill that made Johnny Cash irresistible--to June and his fans. --Megan Halverson

Customer Reviews:

Not a carbon copy.......2007-07-08

Within the liner notes of the gem of a CD, the director of the movie "Walk the Line" was quoted as saying he wasn't looking for a Johnny Cash impersonator, but for somebody who could make the legend come alive.
I personally really like Joaquin Phoenix' smooth, sexy voice. My favorites are "Get Rhythm" and "Walk the Line."

I strongly reccommend this CD.

Walk the line CD.......2007-06-13

The music was wonderful. I think Reese Witherspoon needs to do more signing. I certainly would buy her CD

walk the line.......2007-06-09

Disappointed with this CD lacked body and character music sounded thin and repetative

Walk the Line.......2007-06-01

A wonderful movie. Joaquin Phoenix was ideal as the young Johnny Cash - 19 to 37 years, The producers said they didn't want an actor and actress to portray John and June precisely and this is what I saw. The singing and guitar playing was right on. Joaquin should have won an Oscar also!

Great.......2007-05-17

I bought the cd for my husband who is a huge fan of the movie. He absolutely loves the cd! He has practically worn it out listening to it.

Average customer rating:

Very Nice Music
This gal and her music are white hot!
Good
What a great surprise!
Best work yet from an artist whose talents are blossoming so rapidly they'll need that room to grow!

Room to Grow
Adrienne Young
Manufacturer: Addie Belle
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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A Hundred Miles or More: A Collection
Plow to the End of the Row
The Art of Virtue
Translated From Love
Waterloo, Tennessee

ASIN: B000P46QBI
Release Date: 2007-05-22

Tracks:

All for Good
Sgt. Early's Dream/Maids of Castlebar
Room to Grow
Natural Bridge
In Between the Heartbeats
High Flyin' Dream
Free Man in Paris
River and a Dirt Road
Givin' Up the Fight
Dark Around the Moon
How Is This World Better Now
Once More
Leaving It Behind
Happy Ending

Amazon.com

Adrienne Young has the banjo skills to make a bluegrass disc with the best of them. But on her third album, she largely trades in the string-band sound that characterized her previous efforts for a more straightforward folk-pop approach. As the lead track proclaims, this is "All for Good," and Room to Grow turns out to be a confidently self-produced work of both personal and artistic maturity. On first listen, Young's opener might seem to be a page out of Candide, with its refrain "all that is here is for good." But the song's lyric "struggle is perfect" is a clue to Young's larger themes. Besides that of nature, most purely celebrated here by "River and a Dirt Road," the album gives an inescapable feeling, not exactly of hope or optimism, but of sweet surrender: surrender not to defeat but to the idea of fully living one's life by "relinquishing control," as Young sings in "Giving Up the Fight," and concentrating on the here and now. "All this worryin' about what's to come/Don't amount to nothin' when it's said and done," says Young in "In Between the Heartbeats," and "It's a flyin' leap from birth to death/Gotta treat each moment like a special guest." And though "we all outgrow the skin we're in," as she sings on the title track--along with "All for Good," the high point of a record that should bring Young the acclaim she richly deserves--"we can weave, we can mend/Stitch by stitch, row by row/Making sure there's room enough to grow." One does wish she and her cowriters (longtime collaborator Will Kimbrough and Mark D. Sanders--who penned, among other country #1s, Lee Ann Womack's "I Hope You Dance") had included two more originals in favor of otherwise admirable Joni Mitchell and Dusty Owens covers, as they are obviously self-sufficient. But that doesn't diminish the force of this resounding, album-length carpe diem. --Benjamin Lukoff

NOTE: The Save a Seed Fund has been "founded by Adrienne Young and AddieBelle Music, in conjunction with the American Community Garden Association, to promote continued efforts to preserve all aspects of our collective heritage. AddieBelle Music will donate a portion of the proceeds from each copy of Room to Grow sold to a seed fund which will provide non-genetically modified seeds and support for urban and community gardens throughout the United States and Canada."

Customer Reviews:

Very Nice Music.......2007-07-21

She has a very nice voice, and the songs here really showcase that. I'm a little annoyed by the juvenile seed thing though. Seems like all celebs have to have a "cause" nowadays. Anyways, I look forward to more music from this fine singer.

This gal and her music are white hot!.......2007-06-17

On June 14, 2007 two of us caught her show at Longwood Gardens in PA. All I can say is this was a treat for the ears and down right FUN. I loved everything she played and you could she that she really enjoyed what she is doing. You could feel her spirit in every song! She got so into it that after about 55 solid minutes of song she was surprised to learn that she was running out of time. All of the artist were GREAT! This was my fist exposure to Bluegrass and it won't be my last. Adrienne all we can say is YOU GO GIRL...you ROCK!

Good.......2007-06-13

I like this CD. Nearly all the songs on it are really strong lyrically compared to the other 2 albums. Musically though this is not as unique as the others. I'd like to see her do another album on the other end of the spectrum. Less commerical sounding with more old timey.

What a great surprise!.......2007-06-07

I had never heard of her prior to attending the Appel Farm Art & Music Festival on June 2, 2007. She was one of the performers at the festival. I immediately took a liking to her music. I purchased this CD at the festival and have listened to it countless times without getting tired of it. Their isn't a song on the CD I don't enjoy listening to over and over again. She puts much feeling into her music. The added plus is to see a musician with a social conscious, unlike some of the canned music coming out the music industry these days, with her Save A Seed Fund. Looking forward to seeing her play next week at Longwood Gardens!

Best work yet from an artist whose talents are blossoming so rapidly they'll need that room to grow!.......2007-05-26

While Room To Grow has much in common with Adrienne Young's earlier CDs, is a much more polished and mature effort than its predecessors. This is clearly the work of a more seasoned professional, somebody who's serious about what she's doing, somebody who's ready to play in the big leagues. The whole project, the songwriting, the performances, and the production, absolutely shine.

These songs carry the positive messages Adrienne's fans would expect, but they're tempered by an understanding that the world can and often does crush our best efforts. This acknowledgement of the struggle between good & bad, light & dark, runs throughout the album, but nowhere is that duality presented better than in the opening track, "All For Good." Where the previous CD opened with the rollicking and anthemic declaration, "Gonna start a revolution, made of action not of words," this one begins with sparse instrumentation, an almost autumnal melody, and world-weary resignation: "It's just one more day out of my life gone for good... I keep turning over in my mind, did I get it right?" It's the self-doubt of the traveler who has devoted enormous energies to making a positive impact during life's pilgrimage, but inevitably must confront the possibility that it wasn't enough, or worse still that it's all been for naught. But then out of the darkness comes a beam of light, a joyous and hopeful chorus made all the more beautiful by the contrast, justifying the effort and resolve required to forge on. The realization that "all that is here is for good" makes for an even more powerful anthem than the one that opened the last record.

Even the up-tempo, happy numbers, like the title track, are made more potent by at least a passing nod (or is it a wink?) to life's downside. Extolling the virtues of those pastures where there's "room enough to grow" implies an understanding of less enjoyable places and ways of life. Like the places that inspired "What I Wouldn't Give For a River," an aching expression of yearning for the solitude of a quieter and simpler way of life that is among Adrienne's best songwriting efforts. "Natural Bridge," the track that's racked up the most plays on my iTunes, could be the result of having finally gotten a taste of that simpler life where "my soul will dance again with my true love and all my kin." It also features some lovely dobro work from Andy Hall. The amazing Will Kimbrough, Mike Gordon from Phish, and one of my favorite bluegrass singers, Dale Ann Bradley, also make marvelous contributions to this CD. Former members of Adrienne's band (including fiddler Eric Merrill, bassist Kyle Kegerreis, and guitarist Hans Holzen) lend their considerable talents as well, and I would be remiss not to mention the wonderful work of guitarist Edward O'Day who is definately someone from whom we should expect big things.

Initially I questioned the decision to cover Joni Mitchell's "Free Man In Paris." Amazingly, it fits very comfortably smack dab in the middle of Adrienne's songs. If her originals weren't so good, Joni's tune would stick out like a sore thumb, but as it is, "Free Man" is just another great song among many and is a spirited, first-rate performance by both vocalist and band. Plus it nicely echoes the sentiments of the opening track: "you just can't win," but you do your best just the same.

"Plow to the End of the Row" and "The Art of Virtue," both of which I love, serve as the great foundation upon which "Room to Grow" and whatever may follow will stand. This is something more than what we've heard from Adrienne in the past, and something greater and more powerful than we could have expected. Here's hoping it's just one more step down a long and fruitful path.

Average customer rating:

Southern Blues-Rock with a Contemporary Twist
Great Album
louisianas answer to john mayer
Can't go a day without listening to it!
Buy This CD

Carencro
Marc Broussard
Manufacturer: Island
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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S.O.S.: Save Our Soul ( Amazon Exclusive with Bonus Track )
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Trouble

ASIN: B0002IQIG0
Release Date: 2004-08-03

Tracks:

Home
Rocksteady
The Beauty Of Who You Are
Save Me
Come Around
Where You Are
Lonely Night In Georgia
Saturday
The Wanderer
Hope For Me Yet
Let Me Leave
Silent Track 1
Silent Track 2
Silent Track 3
Silent Track 4
Silent Track 5
Silent Track 6
Silent Track 7
Silent Track 8
Silent Track 9
Silent Track 10
Silent Track 11
Bonus Track 1

Amazon.com

Carencro, named for Marc Broussard's Louisiana hometown, is at times a swamp-pop masterpiece, with leadoff track "Home" stealing the mud-crusted show. What happens in the 11 songs that follow, though, could redeem major record labels from their bullying reputations. Because instead of shoving this pop/rock/soul/R&B wunderkind in the right direction--that being the direction that center-spears his gift for channeling greats like Sam Cooke, John Hiatt, and Stevie Wonder in the space of a single song--whoever was in charge let him wander, and what resulted is a collection that, while hugely promising, fails to measure up to his big, baritoney talent. The songwriting is troublesome in spots ("I know you can break these chains/and set me free," from "Save Me"), and the genre shifts, while fun ("Saturday" is a '70s-style, horn-studded affair), can be jarring. For next go-round, fans--he will earn them, and deservedly, with this disc--should keep their fingers crossed that "Home" is where his heart is. --Tammy La Gorce

Customer Reviews:

Southern Blues-Rock with a Contemporary Twist.......2007-06-14

Love, love, love this CD. I like its southern down-home style and the raspy, bluesy voice of Marc Broussard. Just when you think it's going to be all blues, it turns into rock and roll. I've listened to it many times on the drive into work in the morning and it puts a smile on my face everytime.

Great Album.......2007-05-14

His debut album is good, but this is a Great Album. Such a big voice, real soulful. One of those albums you can leave in your cd player and just listen to over and over again.

louisianas answer to john mayer.......2007-05-06

this record starts off so amazingly strong with the first track, "home", then seems to just completely fall off from that point. as you can tell by the cover, marc broussard is louisianas answer to john mayer... the only problem is, marc broussard actually has more then just barely an ounce of talent. broussards voice is powerful, and at first listen, you would think your listening to an old, black, blues man. broussards failure to live up to his skills as a singer and a guitar player only stems from the terrible poppy faux blues songs. theres no originality, nor any thought process to the one dimensional songs that follow the first track. southern tinged blues / rock has so many bands right now actually contributing to the musical landscape, north mississippi all stars, gov't mule, the black keys, etc... that its a damn shame that this guy cant hook up with a producer who can help get the REAL music out of this guy. a lot of promise, but he still needs time to develop into a musician...

Can't go a day without listening to it!.......2007-05-06

I love this album. Everyday I change my mind about which song is my favorite. I started out being interested in the album after seeing the video for Home, but since I got the album I've found I love other songs even more. I can't decide between Let me Be what I am, and Loney Night in Georgia, Gavin's Song, etc. My husband even thinks it's the greatest, and we were hooked after just one listen. This album should be up there with some of the most well known albums, it's that good. Can't wait for a new release.

Buy This CD.......2007-02-18

I loved this CD. My friend from Baton Rouge turned me on to this soulful Louisiana boy, and I have been turning all of my friends on to him ever since. The opening cut, Home, sets a very high standard for what follows. Crank up the volume and get into it. The rest of the CD doesn't quite live up to the opener, but it's very good, nonetheless. I highly recommend Marc Broussard's Carencro.

Average customer rating:

Lustful
Lucinda Williams is my ELVIS!
Grreat Transaction - Fast
A solid 5 stars
Excellent CD from Lucinda Williams

Car Wheels on a Gravel Road
Lucinda Williams
Manufacturer: Island / Mercury
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Accessories:

Real Day

ASIN: B000007Q8J
Release Date: 1998-06-30

Tracks:

Right In Time
Car Wheels On A Gravel Road
2 Kool 2 Be 4-Gotten
Drunken Angel
Concrete And Barbed Wire
Lake Charles
Can't Let Go
I Lost It
Metal Firecracker
Greenville
Still I Long For Your Kiss
Joy
Jackson

Amazon.com's Best of 1998

Six years in the making, Car Wheels somehow lives up to its lofty expectations because of Williams's direct songwriting and her wonderfully unaffected vocals. With assistance from cohorts such as Steve Earle, Williams uses the acoustic accents of Dobros, mandolins, slide guitars, and accordions to add color to her grooves, whispers, and rumbles. Her lyrics are undisguised as she presents to us the travelogue of her memory. We can't wait for 2004! --Marc Greilsamer

Amazon.com essential recording

Lucinda Williams makes this whole music thing seem so simple: Write in plain language about the people and places that crowd your memory; add subtle flavors of a mandolin here, a Dobro there, perhaps an accordion or slide guitar; above all, sing as honestly and naturally as you can. Of course, it took her six years to achieve this simplicity, an amazing achievement considering the number of knobs that were turned. Her exquisite voice moans and groans and slips and slides--she delivers a polished tone in a coarse manner. On the superb "Concrete and Barbed Wire," soft acoustic guitars are punctuated by electric slide, accordion, mandolin, and Steve Earle's harmony. Williams's deeply personal stories are matched with bluesy rumbles, raunchy grooves, and plaintive whispers. The entire Deep South is reduced to a sleepy small town filled with ex-lovers, dive bars, and endless gravel roads. --Marc Greilsamer

Customer Reviews:

Lustful.......2007-06-09

If you're looking for a nice soothing CD to "set the mood"...then this CD album by Lucinda Williams should do the job quite nicely. There are a couple of songs that are just a bit "too country" for me...but the rest of the CD more than makes up for this minor deficiency.

Lucinda Williams is my ELVIS!.......2007-04-12

I am BLOWN AWAY by this album!

Only once or twice if you're lucky in a lifetime if you come across an artist with this level of creativity and talent.

"Too Cool to be Forgotten" - Hey Hey....this song will be remade by future generations of Rockers.

"On the way to Jackson" - A fantastic song that sounds like it's been around since pioneer days and yet it had just been CREATED by Lucinda!

"Lake Charles" - Oh my! What a DELICIOUS SONG!

I can't say ENOUGH how FANTASTIC this whole album is and I don't like writing long-winded reviews...but to give it justice - I would have to create a review as big as anyone's viewing area. Every song on this album is INCREDIBLE!

Every song...something that future generations will re-do. Way ahead of it's time in creativity and originality.

P.S. I've read a lot of people comparing Lucinda Williams with Patty Griffin. Hands down. No contest. Lucinda RULES though I also love Patty Griffin incredibly well.

Grreat Transaction - Fast.......2007-02-14

Recommend this seller highly - quick delivery and CD was perfect.

A solid 5 stars.......2007-01-20

This has become one of my desert island CDs - right along with Joni Mitchell's "Hejira", Bob Dylan's "Desire", Stevie Wonder's "(well, ALL of his 1970's music), Emmylou Harris' "Wrecking Ball", Neil Young's Crazy Horse stuff... The song that really gets me is "2 Kool 2 Be 4-Gotten" - for that incredibly liquid guitar sound. It's not my favorite song on the CD - that is "Lake Charles", but hey - the next time I listen I'll probably have another favorite song. Every single selection on this CD is a masterpiece of the genre - there is not a single throwaway track in sight. This is roots soul music - anyone who has ever lived on a farm, hitchhiked across the countryside, found themselves alone and come to terms with their own sense of being, been hammered by the storms of life and love - would find a lot to like about this music. Her voice is not polished, it is not a five octave mindblower, it is not smooth or pitch-perfect. What Lucinda William's voice is though is... real, powerful, compelling and very sexy. This vocalist writes songs perfectly fitted to her instrument, and then creates a sound that washes over me in a hundred layers all at once. That's damn fine music in my book...

Excellent CD from Lucinda Williams.......2007-01-09

The CD Car Wheels on a Gravel Road contents of rather good music numbers, many of the numbers are exceptionel good. E.G, Car Wheels... Joy and Still I Long for Your Kiss.

Average customer rating:

the voice still has it
Great Artistic Achievement
Great record!
A nice visit from an old friend
An Instant Classic

The Salvation Blues
Mark Olson
Manufacturer: Hacktone Records
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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ASIN: B000P6R6W4
Release Date: 2007-06-12

Tracks:

My Carol
Clifton Bridge
Poor Michael's Boat
National Express
Salvation Blues
Keith
Winter Song
Sandy Denny
Tears From Above
Look Into The Night
My One Book Philosophy

Amazon.com

Here starts the third stage of Mark Olson's recording career. He first came to prominence as the primary singer-songwriter for the Jayhawks, before leaving that seminal alt-country band to make music with his wife, Victoria Williams, in the more acoustic, organic Creekdrippers. With his reedy voice and elemental imagery, Olson details the painful dissolution of that marriage on this solo album, clinging to music as a lifeline when everything else is lost. In the album-opening "My Carol," he compares his love to "an animal bleeding in the snow," while "National Express" asks "Where's my home? How could I lose this in a day?" Yet musically, "Clifton Bridge" and "Winter Song" rank with the best of his Jayhawks work, and both the title track and "Look into the Night" find redemption in the midst of despair. Gary Louris joins his former Jayhawks bandmate for harmonies on three cuts. --Don McLeese

Album Description

In a time of true loss and redemption, Mark Olson found his way through music. This collection of songs describes his struggles and triumphs as he journeys through unspeakable hardships. Featuring a long-awaited reunion with Jayhawk Gary Louris, this album takes you along for the ride.

Customer Reviews:

the voice still has it.......2007-07-20

I have been a fan of Mark Olson's since the first time I heard him with the Jayhawks in about 1985. His voice, and how he used it, absolutely floored me. Now, over 20 years later, that voice is still there.

Plus, Gary Louris sings with Mark on a few tracks. When these two sing together, it is pure magic.

Great Artistic Achievement.......2007-07-17

Loved this album from start to finish. Mark's unusual vocals and phrasing make his peotic lyrics even better. Gary Louris makes an appearance for all you Jayhawk fans.[like me!] Great packaging too.

Great record!.......2007-07-08

This is easily the best work Mark Olson has done since he was with the Jayhawks. This record shows the heartbreak he has recently encountered, but all the time there is a message behind the music, that there is something better coming along and he is ready for whatever that is. Through the heartbreak this is hope, and well, salvation.

The 3 tracks that his former partner Gary Louris sings on, are just what is needed, it brings us back a little to their former greatness, and promises what is to come when their duo record comes out next year. Best tracks are Clifton Bridge, Salvation Blues, Sandy Denny and of course the old Jayhawks gem that was never recorded until now, Poor Michael's Boat.

Highly recommended for anyone who loves singer-songwriter, from the heart, just good music, something that is sorely lacking in most of today's music.

A nice visit from an old friend.......2007-06-20

I get the same feelings from listening to this as I always got from Mark's songs with the Jayhawks. The production is slightly slicker than previous Creekdipper records, thanks to Vaughan's production, but it doesn't stand in the way of strong songs, of poetry, of inspiration. Those stand head and shoulders above the wonderful backing music.
I like his oblique lyrics and his pining voice, reaching past the melancholy of life and finding joy, without escapism. Though inspired from a sad split-up, Mark doesn't dwell on that. He sounds joyful in re-connecting with his muse. You can hear the satisfaction of making music more than the joy of 'getting over', and that is what listening to music is about, innit?
Salvation indeed!

An Instant Classic.......2007-06-19

Mid-way through Mark Olson's new album The Salvation Blues, the track Sandy Denny references the late 60's, early 70's British folk artist who would come to known as much for her personal difficulties with her husband (and alcohol) as she was for her songwriting. Such allusions echo Olson's painful split with his now ex-wife and bandmate Victoria Williams and loss of his beloved home in Joshua Tree, California; they also set the tone for this highly moving and personal recording, his first standout release since the Creekdippers' December's Child album from 2002 and My Own Jo Ellen, a classic from 2000.

As opposed to Olson's recent recordings that seem born of his life grounded in the California desert, pure Americana radiating joy, warmth, and belonging, The Salvation Blues conveys a sense of movement, distance, coldness and isolation while also making several references to Olson's travels through Europe (check out Clifton Bridge and National Express, both great songs). However, though the lyrics are evocative and moving, if not somewhat oblique, they aren't overly mournful either. Similarly, the music is generally, surprisingly upbeat, more sweet than bitter (as on Winter Song), capturing that folksy, acoustic sound Olson has become known for. Don't get me wrong, there are some sad tunes here (his solo Wurlitzer performance on My One Book Philosophy). It's just that in spite of darker themes, these songs ultimately give rise to deliverance and liberation, and in that context are as much about hope and optimism as they are about pain.

And while the excellent understated instrumentation of Olson's accompanying musicians should not go unacknowledged, Jayhawks fans will especially rejoice in Olson's former bandmate, Gary Louris offering up sweet vocal harmonies on a few tracks including Poor Michael's Boat, one of the album's standout tracks. It's revisiting Jayhawks days gone by and their collaboration on December's Child (Say You'll Be Mine), as well as foreshadowing a new Olson/Louris album which Louris himself reported has been recorded and is set to come out in early 2008. When you consider that Olson's relationship with Ms. Williams marked his departure from the Jayhawks and the dissolution of one of the best songwriting teams of our generation, this album finds him coming full circle; opening his heart, exposing his soul, and achieving epic proportions.

Salvation indeed.

Average customer rating:

Farrar bares his influences.
Appalling
Good album, but buy it on ITunes
A Beautiful Progression for Jay Farrar
Strong diverse outing for Jay & Co.

The Search
Son Volt
Manufacturer: Transmit Sound/Legacy
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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ASIN: B000MNOXXA
Release Date: 2007-03-06

Tracks:

Slow Hearse
The Picture
Action
Underground Dream
Circadian Rhythm
Beacon Soul
The Search
Adrenaline And Heresy
Satellite
Automatic Society
Methamphetamine
L Train
Highways And Cigarettes
Phosphate Skin

Amazon.com

Five albums into Son Volt's career--and a pair into the band's rebirth following leader Jay Farrar's several solo ventures--it's time to bury the encumbering "alt-country" moniker that has dogged Farrar since his days in the genre-setting Uncle Tupelo. While the inexhaustible songwriter relied on guitars to drive 2005's rock-heavy Okemah and the Melody of Riot, Son Volt amends its familiar arrangements on The Search, balancing the instrumentation with piano, organ, and dabbles in a horn section. "Feels like drivin' 'round in a slow hearse," Farrar pleads over repetitive piano and East Indian guitar loops in "Slow Hearse." It's a pensive opener that suggests something is askew, but the horns that kick off "The Picture" literally scream it from the Stax vaults. Farrar dives in and out of genres, tingling the ivories to add subtle alterations to both the gorgeous "Underground Dream" and Imagine-like "Adrenaline and Heresy," turning his band into Gang of Four for the 134-second rocker "Satellite" and singing alongside Shannon McNally on the soulful "Highways and Cigarettes." While it may be impossible for this Son Volt to ever reach the pinnacle of their 1995 debut, no one can accuse Jay Farrar of going through the motions. --Scott Holter

Customer Reviews:

Farrar bares his influences........2007-07-10

After listening to the first 5 songs I was hailing this as his masterwork.When I listened to the whole album I was convinced it was the best complete album I have heard in 20 years.It stayed in my cd player 3 days.The only reason I took it out was to loan it to a friend.It seems to me Jay let some of his influences peek out.The 1st song sounds like a Beatles song.The second song sounds like a Van Morrison tune.The third song sounds like a Led Zeppelin song.The fourth and my favorite has lush backgrounds that remind me of those great Moody Blues songs with mellotron layering.Every song is a treat on this one.Buy it.

Appalling.......2007-06-27

Dull, trite (especially the hard-hitting commentary on the depredations of Chimpy McBushhitlerburton and his Cheneyboy puppetmasters) and did I say dull, and distinguished by an utter absence of melody, inventiveness, or anything that makes music fun to listen to?

It's been ntoed that there's a Farrar camp and a Tweedy camp. I never cared much for Tweedy - but you gotta admit, the guy does try to push the envelope and consistently sets what we capitalists call "stretch targets." Not so Jay, who since the brilliance of Trace seems resolved to produce the same lame album over and over again. That his fans find some deep aesthetic purpose therein speaks less of their delusion than how great a record Trace was: certainly someone who threw this thinderbolt can make lightening strike at least once more time. But it's not to be, and will never. Proof? Quick, hum something from Straightaways or Wide String Tremolo. Or Sebastopol. That's right, you can't, can you? Nor would you want to, if you could. Or nor could you, if you wanted: there's nothing hummable.

Alas, it ain't to be. Jay had one good record in him, that was Trace, and we shall never see its like again. I am starting to believe that his "brilliance" in Tupelo was the result of good old capitalism competitoin with Tweedy, who modest though his talent may be, does make excellent use of it. Jay, unmoored from his old Belleville pal, reveals himself as a lazy, pompus slacker, the sort of boring nut you see journaling in independent coffee houses with a copy of some Said or Chomsky trash under his elbow. The brilliance of Trace, in retrospect, is starting to strike me as dervived less from a spark of the divine within Farrar than the principle that if a monkey sits at a typewriter long enough, he'll produce Shakespeare. By some weird change of evolution and chance, it happened early for Farrar.

Two stars because no mmatter how wretched Jay is, at least he's not Ryan Adams.

Good album, but buy it on ITunes.......2007-06-18

The I Tunes version has bonus tracks bundled into the album price. Two of those bonus tracks - Bicycle Hotel and Carnival Blues - are as good as anything Jay has ever written.

Jay's Gob Iron album, released a few months earlier, is slightly better than The Search.

A Beautiful Progression for Jay Farrar.......2007-05-25

I always suspected that Jay Farrar had a masterpiece in him, but the ever-diminishing payoff I experienced with most Son Volt releases left me feeling less and less certain of my conviction. After listening to "The Search" for two solid weeks, I'm fairly convinced that this is the miracle I've been hoping for. As is usual for a Son Volt record, I required multiple listens before the songs began to sink in, but like a cautious friend, the underlying logic of "The Search" slowly started to reveal itself. This album is deeper than most, so it justifies a lot of playtime, and the more I listened, the more I realized that this is a disk you can keep in your player for a few weeks without growing tired of it, or restless.
As a lyricist, Farrar was never one to reveal himself recklessly, but I notice a few shifts in his methods here that aid in conveying his expressive side. First, the lyrics are more poetic than usual, which does not necessarily mean that they are opaque. Depending on the song, Farrar's words veer from the oblique to the direct and literal. For example, on "Action," he sings, "Break up the old drug pound story, Tortured soul wears an ego sleeve. Heavy hearts and heavy hitters, Bards disease finds the killing floor." These words might not ever mean anything literal to me, but they conjure up rich imagery, while the melody deepens their impact. Elsewhere, on "Adrenaline and Heresy," Farrar sings "She said I still love you, I don't know if I want to spend the rest of my time with you," which is as direct a statement as can be made about a failing relationship. Farrar sings these words with a striking sense of resignation that resounds long after the song ends. "Highways and Cigarettes" is also full of literal imagery ("Best to clear the mind with a Mexicali radio station. Keep an eye out for the border patrol, checking for drugs and so called aliens." He's still very self-serious, but the wordy phraseology and energized interplay of the new band adds an element of fun that had been lacking on previous Son Volt projects.
These words might not resound on the page, but "The Search" benefits immensely from Farrar's melodic sense, which appears to have grown suddenly, and significantly. He is no longer limited by the ideas on his palette, and all sorts of textures help the listener to retain interest. A horn section spices up the high-energy romp of `The Picture," while tasteful keyboards add flavor throughout. Interestingly, there also seems to be an abundance of backward-looped guitars to add a spooky, otherworldly feel to songs such as "Slow Hearse" and "Phosphate Skin." It may take some patience to realize it for yourself, but "The Search" is a beautifully constructed work and I'm finally able to say with some certainty that Jay Farrar and Son Volt have created a minor masterpiece. A Tom Ryan

Strong diverse outing for Jay & Co........2007-05-01

I wasn't exactly sure what to expect with this album, with the pre-release reports that Son Volt was moving in a new direction, adding new instrumentation. Would it be some weird new experimental, unlistenable thing?

After listening for myself, I'd have to to call the new direction more of an enhancement than a departure. The traditional elements of a Son Volt record are still here -- great songs and melodies, sorrowful pedal-steel guitar, some inscrutable social commentary lyrics, and a solid dose of Americana.

But this record is somehow more than other SV albums. It has diverse sounds that we haven't heard on SV songs before, like horns and piano, that blend very nicely with their sound. There are rocking tracks, slow burn tracks, and moody introspective tracks. Every song on this record is strong, which is a lot more than I can say for "Okemah". This is an excellent record from start to finish.

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