That giant erection in New York has me curious. Get your mind out of the gutter! I'm talking about The Gates, the latest sculptural endeavor undertaken by the eclectic duo of Christo and Jeanne Claude. So on a whirlwind tour of NYC, I'll be trekking to the Big Apple to see the gates, AND to hear Madeleine Peyroux in concert. I'll dish upon my return.
Now to change gears randomly. The other day I was thinking a lot about Country music. I'm not a huge fan, but 2005 is going to be a big year of change for me, so I've decided to open my mind ( and my music collection ) to new things. Randomly, the latest CD by Alison Krauss and Union Station fell into my lap.
A little research showed that Alison Krauss ( fiddle, viola, lead vocals ) has SEVENTEEN Grammy awards. Dan Tyminski ( acoustic guitar, lead and harmony vocals ) has his own Grammy and a few CMA awards. Jerry Douglas, the dobro ( resonating guitar ) player, has nine Grammys. Ron Block ( banjo and guitar ) has worked with countless big names in the music industry as a studio performer. And finally, bassist Barry Bales has also recorded with all the big names; Dolly, Reba, Vince and more. This group is surely the brightest all-star cast I've listened to in a long time.
Bright and bittersweet, 'Lonely Runs Both Ways' is incredibly rich in lyrics and instrumentation. But it's the emotional qualities of the songs that drew me in and kept me listening.
To be honest, twangy Country isn't my thing. A good granola lesbian track is about as close as I get. And in general, if there is a credit for someone who plays the 'fiddle', I tend to turn up my nose and move on. Many of you might feel the same. But, stepping outside myself, I gave this album a chance and wasn't disappointed.
The ballads are the best part of this album. Alison's whispering vocals float gently over a very bluegrass backdrop. Songs like 'Restless', 'Goodbye Is All We Have', 'Wouldn't Be So Bad', and 'My Poor Old Heart' are all melancholy reflections on love. There's a strong spiritual side on this album as well. 'A Living Prayer' is a gently religious song. 'Borderline' also felt similar.
The boys definitely get their jam sessions in. 'Rain Please Go Away' is a twang-a-thon accompanied by Dan's vocals. 'Unionhouse Branch', an instrumental, shows off just how fantastic these folks are. It's a non-stop rolling tune where each of the instruments ( and thus band members ) takes the lead in turn.
In my spotlight is 'Gravity', the opening track. It's a down-tempo reflection on where we come from in life, and where we are going. The best lyric of the CD kicks off the hook; 'And all the answers that I started with, turned out questions in the end'.
With you in 4/4,
Peter Mavrik
peter@windycitymediagroup.com