*GRAMMY AWARD WINNER: BEST BLUEGRASS ALBUM 2002*
Picking up right where they left off on 1999′s classic I Feel Like Singing Today Jim Lauderdale and Ralph Stanley blend their voices — and their souls — on another estimable collection of original bluegrass songs (save for one cover, J. W. Smith’s “Boat of Love,” long associated with Bill Monroe). Spiritual themes abound in these songs (several of them co-written by Lauderdale with Grateful Dead lyricist Robert Hunter), bringing out the best in both artists. When Lauderdale and Stanley beseech the Lord for divine guidance through stormy seas on “Oh Soul,” their pleas resonate with conviction, and the deliberate music behind them accentuates the song’s anxiety-ridden text. A spirited retelling of the biblical story of “Zaccheus” brings together a compelling narrative, sparkling fiddle and banjo work, and a dramatic blending of tenor, baritone, and bass voices on the chorus. Fusing bluegrass with Lauderdale’s other favorite genre, honky-tonk, “I Think Somebody Better Come Back Home” sets a lyric bemoaning a faithless lover to a driving, fiddle-fired rhythm line. Of course there’s always time for some tomfoolery via the fanciful “Quit That” (complete with smooth, Bob Wills-like fiddle solos) and “She’s Looking at Me,” a humorous bit of male one-upmanship. As a thoughtful closer, Lauderdale’s reverential hymn “Listen to the Shepherd” gives Stanley an “O Death”-like a cappella moment that proves the perfect ending to another rich musical journey. David McGee, Barnes & Noble
Track Listing
-
1. Deep Well of Sadness
Robert Hunter/Jim Lauderdale -
2. The Apples Are Just Turning Ripe
Jim Lauderdale -
3. Lost in the Lonesome Pines
Jim Lauderdale -
4. Zacchaeus
Jim Lauderdale -
5. Quit That
Candace Randolph/Jim Lauderdale -
6. I Think Somebody Better Come Back Home
Candace Randolph/Jim Lauderdale -
7. Redbird
Shawn Camp/Jim Lauderdale -
8. Forever Ain’t No Trouble Now
Shawn Camp/Jim Lauderdale -
9. She Would Not Tell Her More
Candace Randolph/Jim Lauderdale -
10. I Should Have Listened to Good Advice
Jim Lauderdale -
11. Oh Soul!
Robert Hunter/Jim Lauderdale -
12. She’s Looking at Me
Jim Lauderdale -
13. Boat of Love
Bill Monroe -
14. Listen to the Shepherd
Jim Lauderdale