IndexAmericana

ROB BLACKLEDGE

"INSIDE THESE WALLS"

ONE REVOLUTION NO CAT #

PRODUCED BY JEFF COPLAN
* PRODUCED BY ROB BLACKLEDGE AND JEFF
COPLAN
** PRODUCED BY ROB BLACKLEDGE AND JOSH
REYNOLDS

TIMOTHY B. SCHMIT

"EXPANDO"

LOST HIGHWAY B0013493-02

PRODUCED BY TIMOTHY B. SCHMIT

1. Natural Forces
2. Farmer Brown/Chicken Reel
3. Pantry
4. Empty Blue Shoes
5. Whooping Crane
6. Bayou Song
7. Bohemia
8. Don't You Think I Feel It Too
9. Sun And Moon And Stars
10. Loretta
11. It's Rock And Roll
12. Pantry (Acoustic Version)

1. Should Have Known Better
2. Everything
3. Early Morning Riser
4. Sweet Sweet Lady
5. Worth Taking **
6. Granola Girl
7. Your City My City
8. One Step Away **
9. The Hard Way *
10. Our World

1. One More Mile
2. Parachute
3. Friday Night
4. Ella Jean
5. White Boy From Sacramento
6. Compassion
7. Downtime
8. Melancholy
9. I Don't Mind
10. Secular Praise
11. A Good Day

Whether it is supported by his Large
Band or with smaller group, Lyle Lovett
is perfection. The material is evenly
split between original, co-writes and
some decicious outside songs. Among
the latter is David Ball's "Don't You
Think I Feel It Too" and Townes Van
Zandt's "Loretta." One of the stand-out
co-writes is realistic road song, "It's
Rock And Roll" which Lyle wrote with
Robert Earl Keen. Among the
musicians are Viktor Krauss, Russ
Kunkel, Matt Rollings, Dean Parks,
Paul Franklin, Stuart Duncan and Sam
Bush. All I really have to say is Lyle
Lovett and that is synonymous with
quality.

Rob is released an interesting CD. His
music abounds in influences from The
Beatles to John Denver to Jim Croce to
Keb Mo' One thing that puts him head
and shoulders above other
singer/songwriters is his very literate
songs. This is to be expected from
someone who plays piano. He also
plays guitar and drums. He is an
alumnus of Belmont University and at
21 or so, could become one of their
outstanding former scholars. The CD
is produced by Jeff Coplan who was
also at helm for Love & Theft and he
gives a deft touch to this release. Take
a listen to "Sweet Sweet Lady;" it's
pure magic and "Worth Takin'" has a
jazzy feel that is hypnotic. This will stay
with me in my car.

Everyone knows Timothy's work from
The Eages but this solo CD has much
more of an ecclectic feel. Sure the
Eagles "voice" surfaces on songs like
"Friday Night," but it is much broader
based than the Eagles. Although,
Timothy plays solo on "Ella Jean" and
"Compassion," he is accompanied by
some stellar players such as Keb Mo',
Kenny Wayne Shepherd, Graham
Nash, Van Dyke Parks, Gary Burton,
Kid Rock, Dwight Yoakam and The
Blind Boys of Alabama. My favorite
cuts are "Downtown" which has that
same sort of sliding style that Cab
Calloway perfected, "I Don't Mind"
which is right in the John Sebastian
vein including a great jug band tuba
and "Secular Praise" which also
appears on The Blind Boys of
Alabama's Duet CD. The CD closes
with "A Good Day" which is a mix
between The Eagles and Crosby,
Stills, Nash & Young. Great CD.

GIRLS, GUNS AND GLORY

"INVERTED VALENTINE"

LONESOME DAY LDR-015

PRODUCED BY ROB LOYOT FOR PRRIELLO
PRODUCTIONS
EXECUTIVE PRODUCER: WARD HAYDEN

HOLLIS BROWN

"HOLLIS BROWN"

VIBE THEORY NO CAT #

PRODUCED/ENGINEERED/MIXED BY JAMIE
SIEGEL
EXECUTIVE PRODUCER: ALBERT BARABAS

TWO TONS OF STEEL

"NOT THAT LUCKY"

SMITH ENTERTAINMENT SED7125

PRODUCED BY LLOYD MAINES

1. Six Sixty Seven
2. Only One Thing
3. Inverted Valentine
4. Ramblin' Ole Daddy
5. Temptation
6. Keep On Calling
7. Suzie
8. Baby You're A Dog
9. Keep Your Distance
10. Working All The Time
11. Unrequited Love

1. Show Love
2. Walk On Water
3. Carolina, Carolina
4. Passin' Me By
5. Without Your Love
6. Completed Fool
7. No More Nights
8. 'Til The Morning
9. Bills & Ducks
10. Don't Wanna Miss You
11. Bring It Down

1. Cryin' Eyes
2. Long Road To Heaven
3. Hold Over Me
4. Alcohol And Pills
5. Not That Lucky
6. Run To You
7. Without Your Love
8. Bad Attitude
9. Wanna Dance
10. Bottom Of The Bottle

Now this I like. The group come out of
Massachusetts but have distinctive
Texas sound. Ward Hayden their lead
singer sounds like a cross between
Buddy Holly, Elvis Costello and Dwight
Yoakam and their music ranges from
neo Rockabilly, through Tex-Mex with
shades in between. I think that we will
hear a lot of this band. I particularly like
"Temptation" which comes complete
with a tasty trumpet lead whilst "Suzie"
has Ward hitting some tasty blue
yodels. While I can't see mainstream
radio playing "Baby You're A Dog," I'm
sure that there are enough cuts to
play. A most excellent CD.

I have tried to listen to this CD several
times but I just cannot get enthusiastic
about it. The prime reason is that the
lead singer's voice just gets on my
nerve. Sorry about that guys but I have
to say it how I feel.

A nice piece of Texas Country on
which producer Lloyd Maines does his
expected stellar production job. Kevin
Geil could well be the latest major
talent to emerge from the Lone Star
State. He sings up a storm and writes a
mighty fine song. The band is
somewhere between BR5-49, The
Derailers and The Mavericks.
Interestingly, the standout song on the
CD is Fred Eaglesmith's "Alcohol And
Pills." Although the hard driving Chuck
Berry flavored "Not That Lucky" runs it
close. I think we are going to hear a lot
from Two Tons Of Steel. Excellent
album.

DAVID MALLETT

"ALRIGHT NOW"

NORTH ROAD NR CD71909

PRODUCED BY DAVID MALLETT, MICHAEL BURD,
SONNY TRUE
EXECUTIVE PRODUCER: TOM GORDON

CHRIS SMITHER

"TIME STANDS STILL"

SIGNATURE SOUNDS NO CAT #

PRODUCED BY DAVID GOODRICH

CHRIS SCRUGGS

"ANTHEM"

COGENT 004UKJL

PRODUCED BY CHRIS SCRUGGS

1. Ten Men
2. One Of Those Things
3. North Meets South
4. Easier Than This
5. Beautiful
6. Innocent Time
7. End Of The Day
8. Dark Side Of The Moon
9. Don't Ask Me
10. Alright Now

1. Don't Call Me Stranger
2. Time Stands Still
3. Surprise, Surprise
4. I Don't Know
5. Call Yourself
6. Old Man Down
7. I Told You So
8. It Takes A Lot To Laugh, It Takes A Train To Cry
9. Miner's Blues
10. Someone Like Me
11. Madame Geneva's

1. Josephine
2. It Ain't Right
3. Running From The Graveyard
4. Troubled Times
5. A Victim's Song
6. The Open Road The Open Sky
7. Sing Your Tune
8. Where The Wind Might Blow
9. Old Souls Like You And Me
10. Windows
11. Open Letter
12. Change Your Made Up Mind

This is delicious. In case you don't
know of David Mallett then listen to this
CD and give yourself a treat. David
wrote "The Garden Song" that has
been recorded by the likes of Pete
Seeger, John Denver, Peter, Paul &
Mary and Arlo Guthrie. This is his 14th
album and this has persuaded me to
go out and get the other 13. To pick
out stand out cuts is difficult as they all
stand out but my personal favorites are
"Beautiful" which is simply that and
"End Of The Day" and "Don't Ask Me"
which take me back to those halcyon
days I spent in folk clubs in the 60s.
These are songs to hear with the lights
down or in a little folk club or coffee
house. They are that intimate. As you
gather, I love this CD. My Americana
CD of the Month.

This is another album that takes me
back to my folk days. Chris is very
Dylan-ish in style but with the added
blues under pinning. On this CD he is
ably supported by producer David
Goodrich who is a fine guitar player.
Most of the songs are self penned.
The exceptions are Dylan's "It Takes A
Lot To Laugh, It Takes A Train To
Cry," Frank Hutchison's "Miner's Blues"
and Mark Knopfler';s "Madame
Geneva's." Among a selection of
intelligent songs, I particularly like his
moody "Old Man Down." An excellent
CD.

Chris is the third generation to bear
the illustrious Scruggs name and be
not just successful but also creative.
Chris' mother is also a star; my good
friend Gail Davies. So with pedigree
like that, you know that this CD is
going to be good. Well, let me tell you
that it is not just good, it is excellent.
Chris is a fine musician and writer and
is supported musically by Gail and
Chuck Mead. Musically, Chris' palette
is wide from the goodtime of "It Ain't
Right" to the echo-laden "Running
From The Graveyard" to the simple
guitar-driven, "The Open Road The
Open Sky." My favorites are without
doubt, "Where The Wind Might Blow"
which has a tasty fiddle solo from Don
Herron and the infectious "Windows." If
you are fan of John Sebastian then
you are going to love the final song,
"Change Your Made Up Mind." One of
the best CDs to cross my desk this
year.

CARRIE RODRIGUEZ

"LIVE IN LOUISVILLE"

LUZ MUSIC NO CAT #

PRODUCED & MIXED BY KEVIN MADIGAN AT W.I.
LYONS BROWN THEATRE IN LOUISVILLE, KY.

MARK WEHNER

"WAIT...I WASN'T FINISHED"

CIA CIA0201

PRODUCED, RECORDED, MIXED AND MASTERED
BY DAN FRIZSELL

1. Dirty Leather
2. Seven Angels ON A Bicycle
3. Before You Say Another Word
4. I Don't Want To Play House Anymore
5. Blackberry Blossom
6. Got Your Name On It
7. Mask Of Moses
8. Big Kiss
9. You Won't Be Satisfied That Way
10. 50's French Movie
11. Never Gonna Be Your Bride
12. St. Peter's

1. Find Another Man
2. Coming Into Los Angeles
3. Border Town
4. (You Better Run) As Fast As You Can
5. Rescue Me
6. Missing Lorraine
7. Listen To Your Heart Boy
8. It Might As Well Rain
9. Remember I Love You
10. Dixie Flyer
11. From Here To You
12. Anna Lee

Many of you will know Carrie from her
work with Chip Taylor. One one
problem, if it is indeed a problem is that
I don't know which is the real Carrie
Rodriguez. I will explain. She is adept
at many styles from Celtic to Rockabilly
with all genres in between. This live CD
is like a journey through those musical
styles. It is interesting that the album
was recorded while on tour with
Lucinda Williams because in so many
ways they compliment one another by
their differences, Don't expect to "get
it" at the first listening. I have listened
some four or five times and gotten
more out of Carrie's performance each
time.

I have always felt that Mark was
underrated and perhaps running the
highly popular Americana Tonight hid
from public view that he is a highly
talented songwriter and singer. In
these days of pigeon holing
performers, I am sure that record
stores are scratching their heads. If
you take a cauldron and mixed on
Marty Robbins, rock and contemporary
Country you may get close to Mark's
music. My copy of the CD had the cuts
in a slightly different order to that
advertised on the cover but that is of
little matter. The production work is
right on the button and because the
CD was recorded over a period, it
gives us the opportunity of enjoying
the fiddle work of the sadly departed
Vassar Clements. My favorite cuts are
"Border Town," "Missing Lorraine" and
the delicious "Remember I Love You"
and the steeped in tradition, "Dixie
Flyer." Mark has created a
masterpiece. My only caveat. There is
such great picking, I would love to
know who is playing on each cut. That
apart...LOVE IT!!