Billy Don Burns I've Seen A Lot Of Highways Black Country Rock
With a lived-in vocal and, as this album title suggests, many road miles under his belt, Arkansas-born singer-songwriter Billy Don Burns resurrects memories from a career that spans over five decades on his latest studio recording.
When asked about his road stories a few years back in an interview, Burns replied, 'I think I will pass on the road stories. Most of mine are either X-rated or incriminating.' He's certainly not short of writing ammunition, claiming to have been stabbed seventeen times, spent time in prison, battled with drug dependency and been married six times. That mind-boggling manner of living is presented in full colour in this twelve-song collection of self-written songs, and it's fair to say that he doesn't put a foot wrong from start to finish.
A classic songwriter, though one that remains somewhat under the radar, Burns' songs have been recorded by Willie Nelson, Connie Smith, Johnny Paycheck and Mel Tillis, to name a few. He has also produced albums by Paycheck (“He was not easy to work with in 1988 – the cocaine and the booze pretty much had him a lot then. However, I am not saying anything bad about him”) and Merle Haggard. The regard in which some current generation artists hold him is evidenced on this album by contributions from Shooter and Whey Jennings, Cody Jinks, and Wes Shipp.
His failed marriages may or may not have been the prompt for both Don't Cry For Me and I Went Crazy. The former is very much in the 'good riddance' stable, and the latter is one of heartache and remorse ('I blew through a pack of Marlboro Red, trying to smoke her out of my head'). All She Put Him Through is a melodic treasure with a nod in the direction of Warren Zevon. The spoken tale, Mack Story, tells of a suicide pact fuelled by a chronic cocaine habit, interrupted by a phone call with the news of a several thousand royalty cheque ('So we got it cashed, bought ourselves a couple of eight balls and headed out in the middle of the night to California').
It's not all ruination and degeneracy, either. Two tracks touch on redemption and spirituality and probably define why Burns has survived his torrid lifestyle and lives to tell the tales. That's When I Knew ('I was down on my knees on the bottom with nothing and no one to turn to. He reached down and touched me, and that's when I knew') and Satan Is A Son Of a Bitch ('One of these days, Jesus is gonna kick ol' Satan's ass. It's gonna be a sight to see when good and evil clash').
Firmly rooted in the classic singer-songwriter panache of Guy Clark, John Prine and Townes Van Zant, I'VE SEEN A LOT OF HIGHWAYS is that good and one of the standout albums in that genre for me in 2023.
Review by Declan Culliton
Gram Parsons and The Fallen Angels The Last Roundup: Live from the Bijou Café in Philadelphia March 16th, 1973 Amoeba
Gram Parsons' debut solo album, GP, was released in January of 1973 on the Warner Brothers label. Despite critical acclaim from Rolling Stone journalist Bud Scoppa - and attaining legendary status for Parsons after his death - the album failed miserably in commercial terms.
The opening dates on the tour to promote the album were shambolic and problematic. Parsons' wishes to bring Elvis's band (James Burton, Ron Tutt, Glen D. Hardin) on the road were scuppered for financial reasons. When the tour bus parked at the Bijou Café in Philadelphia, the line-up had changed from the original crew assembled by Parsons and his trusted tour manager, Phil Kaufman. Following several under-rehearsed and chaotic opening shows, they had disposed of the services of guitar player Gerry Mule and replaced him with Jock Barkley. Parsons and Emmylou Harris - her first experience on the road - were then backed by Barkley, Neil Flanz (pedal steel), Kyle Tullis (bass) and ND Smart (drums) for the remainder of the tour.
Parsons was abusing alcohol and drugs, overweight and subject to mood swings at that time. The presence of his wife Gretchen on the tour bus led to constant rows, often fuelled by the body language of Parsons and Harris on stage but also due to Gretchen's overindulgence in stimulants. A disastrous interview by Parsons and Harris with DJ Rusty Bell on KOKE-AM in Austin did little to promote either the album or the tour, and the bus and its crew continued on their travels, with the stage shows improving as the previously under-rehearsed band got their act together.
LIVE FROM THE BIJOU CAFÉ captures, warts and all, the most musically coherent period of the tour. Neil Flanz considered the show to be the best of the tour and, fortunately, sought the soundboard recording of the performance on cassette. Forty years later, the tape was acquired by Amoeba Music but was not rediscovered for ten more years when Amoeba relocated its offices.
Franz's notable pedal steel guitar holds the band together, and Parsons sometimes struggles vocally. However, his duets with Harris, particularly Love Hurts, are memorable. The magic of the GP album is also recreated on Streets of Baltimore and We'll Sweep Out The Ashes, both arrangements coming to life when Emmylou Harris' vocals kick in. Other highlights include Drug Store Truck Drivin' Man (introduced by Parsons as a song that actually made us money), the Merle Haggard-written California Cotton Fields and Sin City. The show ended in cabaret style with a rock and roll medley including Hang On Sloopy, Boney Moronie, Forty Days and Almost Grown.
Not only is this album a 'must have' for lovers of Gram Parsons and Emmylou Harris, but it's also an authentic 'moment in time' by two artists who were to become household names in the future for different reasons. Six months after the recording and a month before he was due to be on the road again, Gram Parsons would die from a morphine overdose at the Joshua Tree Inn in California on September 19th 1973. Emmylou Harris' solo career would bloom in the coming decades, leading to her becoming one of the most cherished vocalists in the country and Americana genres.
Review by Declan Culliton
Jon Dee Graham Only Dead For A Little While Strolling Bones
Jon Dee Graham has been an intrinsic part of the Texan punk and alt-country scene since his days as a member of The Skunks and True Believers alongside Alejandro Escovedo. He has been inducted into the Austin Music Hall of Fame three times, with those bands and once as a solo artist.
His back catalogue included thirteen solo studio albums before the release of his latest record, ONLY DEAD FOR A LITTLE WHILE, his first in seven years. Graham suffered significant trauma in that intervening period; he had a heart attack and actually died for five minutes - hence the new record's title – and had a stroke two years later.
Given the album's stimuli, it's little surprise that much of the material deals with mortality and related matters. It's a powerful affair in many respects, with Graham's lived-in gravelly vocals and driving guitar excelling on Going Back to Sweden, Where It All Went Wrong and Lazarus. His victory of life over death is celebrated on the latter ('You know we got so much in common and Lazarus just nodded his head'). There's A Ghost On The Train is a standout and strikingly evocative song with sharp lyrics that draw the listener in. Brave As Her (Marie Colvin), with its spoken lyrics, is a beautiful eulogy to the American journalist who perished in a rocket attack while working in Syria in 2012. Another highlight is the bewitching Astronaut, written by Graham's son, William Harries.
It may have taken major adversity to create ONLY DEAD FOR A LITTLE WHILE, but the result is a splendid mix of raspy air-guitar-inducing rockers and delicate and intimate ballads. The lyrics perfectly reflect the songs' moods and no more so than on the previously referenced Going Back To Sweden. Exasperated by the 'foolishness' prevailing in his country, he professes, 'Well in Sweden, Lee Hazelwood is considered The Godfather of the Cool. Aw Hell, Lee brought his horse to Sweden; Lee ain't nobody's fool.' Similarly themed, Where It All Went Wrong also considers humankind’s capacity for self-destruction.
Graham's latest album never drags its anchor. Instead, it demands to be listened to from start to finish, preferably with the volume cranked up, which I've done many times since it landed for a review.
Review by Declan Culliton
Grey DeLisle She’s An Angel Hummingbird
A longtime favourite of mine and when I saw that this album was produced by Deke Dickerson and Eddie Glendening I had the feeling that it would be slightly different from some of her previous material. Some six previous albums have revealed a prodigious and unusual talent that veers to the more folk and acoustic side of storytelling. DeLisle has been quite eclectic in the past and had a long-time working partnership with Marvin Etzioni, with whom she worked with on several albums. She is also a sought after voice over artist and her distinctive voice is a strong pointer to that.
Here she has put together a fourteen track release that includes four co-writes alongside the other tracks she wrote solo. Her writing has always been engaging and entertaining and is none-the-less so here. The overall sound, given its producers, has a natural affinity with a twang sound that will doubtless find favour with fans of Brennen Leigh and other neo-traditionalists. Throughout there are echoes of Dolly and Loretta, which are more pronounced here than on some of Delisle’s previous recordings, all of which delineate her musical direction here. This in itself touches on more than one aspect of the music of an earlier time, but it is done in a way that is both relevant now, as well as respectful to its sources.
The musicians are a veritable who’s who of Austin and California players with names like the aforementioned producers, T. Jarrod Bonta, Tammy Rogers, Dave Berzansky, DJ Bonebrake, Mike Molnar and Ray Benson, alongside some other fine players, delivering a selection of songs that are both varied and vital in the way they bring the themes of love, life, death and dogs into clear focus.
The title of the opening song gives you something of an insight into the nature of her (sometimes) forceful nature. I’ll Go Back To Denver (And You Can Go The Hell) is one of a number of songs that tend to take no prisoners. Who Brought The Boots Beside Your Bed? and Quit Picking’ On Me would be other examples. There are also more tender moments like the title track, and I Really Got A Feeling is a straight up declaration of lasting love.
They sure can rock out to recharged rockabilly rhythms too, as Big Sister does, effectively using Bonta’s ivory tinkling to good effect. The clever Quit Pickin’ On Me is an appeal to her favourite guitar picker who has the tendency to name her as the subject of his “you done me wrong” songs. The Dog is as the titles indicates a song about a much loved hound who, though, creates some additional problems noting that “I cry in the driveway but don’t hit the highway ‘cause dang it I can’t leave the dog.” It features in the voice of Ray Benson, a perfect duet companion.
There is a touching tale of a boy who dreamed of the outdoor life and who had two loves, but the story of Cowboy Joe ends in tragedy. I Like The Way You Think I Think was co-written by Big Sandy and DeLisle and sounds pretty much as you would expect if you are aware of his output. So in the end, as mentioned, fourteen tracks to enjoy, and they are all good.
De Lisle has an interesting back catalogue and though she may not be as well know or appreciated as some of her contemporaries is as deserving of your attention. Also, it goes to show, as we head to the end of a fruitful year, that there are still gems arriving and this is one of them. One of the year’s best.
Review by Stephen Rapid
Jenna Clark & The Salty Truth West To Texas Self Release
Another new name to me is Jenna Clark, a Texas based, Florida born artist who has released this eight track mini-album and it showcases an artist with both a strong voice and some adept songwriting. The opening track, This Ship Will Sail, has robust steel and guitar to set the tone, a defiant stance in the face of an ending relationship. Next up, Can’t Help That I loved Him is a highlight. It is an arresting tale of regret about an old flame who has departed but a meeting shows “that old flame keeps burning me.” It features fiddle and steel that underscore that ongoing heartache in a suitable arrangement, showing that the assembled ensemble has the undoubted talent to breathe life into the songs. More of the same permeates the next song, You Get To, which has some strident guitar demonstrating that her companion has moved on and gets to do what he wants.
Fiddle, guitar and steel all help to continue the overall theme of the lost love and heartache of many of the songs. The slow paced Bloom is another of those. Don’t You Dare Cry, tells that the protagonist was well capable of causing hurt and so shouldn’t feel hard done by when the tables are turned. There is a powerful use of trumpet as well as saxophone in the soulful More Sunrises, Clark delivering a passionate vocal that discloses she is able to tackle a number of different approaches to her songs and delivery.
Good Friends is a recognition of how much like minded people can provide a much needed friendship, which lays out the possibility of such an acquaintance benefiting both parties. The edgy, twangy duet with Mike Randall goes back and forth with the notion that Three Shots Of Whiskey can set the both if them up, at least for the short time and that they will be gone not long after their brief liaison. Reminds me a little of Danni Leigh in her earlier releases.
Clark, it also appears, sometimes dons a blonde wig and plays Dolly Parton covers at specific shows. Now may be the time to step up and consolidate her own identity and image. On the strength of this release she would be well able to do that and has previously performed soul and blues material as well as country. There are a number of videos on her site where you can see this emerging talent as well as acquire WEST OF TEXAS without having to actually travel there.
Review by Stephen Rapid
My Sister, My BrotherTwo Self Release
Both Garrison Starr and Sean McConnell presently enjoy highly successful solo careers and their decision to join together in order to pool their abundant talents has been a real success on every front. Not that the artists themselves were ever in any doubt. Ever since writing together at a songwriting workshop some years back, both could immediately sense the magic that they created together as writers and performers.
Recording under the name of My Sister, My Brother the pair released a 5-song EP in 2020 and this follow-up album of seven songs is superbly crafted and delivers yet another seamless work that brings real reward. This accomplished songwriting duo blend their vocals to great effect and a beautiful symmetry is achieved with a strong sense of easy creativity across the project. Having toured together in pre-Covid times, there is intuitive understanding of what works and their vocal harmonies meld into moments of magic with superbly structured song arrangements throughout.
The title track brings a message of fellowship and support for one another in a soulful delivery, stating ‘All we’ve got in this old world is each other’ as a statement of strength. The more restrained Cry Me A River talks about communication in relationships and feeling apart from a loved one. The song asks for openness and an honesty that can break through the emotional barriers. The string arrangement on the song is particularly effective.
Elsewhere, the gentle acoustic feel to Maybe There Are Angels wonders if our lives are guided by unknown forces in our midst, disguised as other people. The unexplained mysteries of life that seem to turn in favour of those who believe, “I think I’ve figured out that fate and doubt are the same from different angles.” The song More Than You Could Give looks at the young experiences of a gay person growing up in a family who could not accept their child for being who they were born to be in life. It examines the lack of real understanding and love that leaves a mark into adulthood. The reflective arrangement is supported by acoustic guitars and additional piano as the song develops.
Another Life has a more upbeat tempo and channels memories of youth and carefree days that can be repeated right now, if having fun in a relationship is the key focus “You make it easy babe like it’s always been this way.”Almost There is a song about forgiveness and how it comes slowly and wrapped in painful memories. The unravelling of a relationship over time is elegantly captured in the lyric “Homemade movie of you and me, Golden days; Wish we could shout out to them - Look out, things will change.” The song Shelter is another promise of support for a loved one and a shoulder to lean upon in dark times.
Overall this another great example of the success that can be found in musical collaboration, where the combined results benefit so much from the joint input. This duo have the magic dust in their corner and no doubt will continue to mine this rich vein of gold.
Review by Paul McGee
Luke LeBlanc Places Real Phonic
This is album number five in a building career and it’s further confirmation that Luke LeBlanc continues to grow and mature as an artist of some substance. Recent releases ONLY HUMAN (2021) and FUGUE STATE (2022) were well received and displayed a solid momentum, while on this new release regular producer Erik Koskinen really steps up the game for all concerned. He also plays guitar on the album and other players include Eric Heywood (pedal steel), Caz Falen (bass and backing vocals), John Cleve Richardson (piano and backing vocals), Lars-Erik Larson (drums), Casey Frenz (saxophone and trumpet), and Kora Melia (violin). Recording took place at Real Phonic Studio in Cleveland, Minnesota during March of this year and the results are very persuasive.
Opening song A Place defines what follows with an easy acoustic blues woven with fiddle and pedal steel on a love song about giving it all up and the impression made is reminiscent of the great JJ Cale. No Good is another sweetly delivered melody that looks at a relationship that shouldn’t work but there are hopes to the contrary. Again the seductive combination of violin, pedal steel and an understated rhythm section delivers a fine country sound. Own It is more up-tempo in the groove and is a song about being in control of your life despite the knocks along the way. Sweet sax and guitar in the arrangement work so well in defining the attitude contained in the lyric. The song Defeated has a smooth soulful sound with sweet sax and pedal steel colouring a melody that drifts across the arrangement as LeBlanc looks to surrender fully into a relationship.
Never Met You At All is a real highlight with an easy rhythm and some sweet country violin, guitar stylings and harmonica lifting the song. Break My Wall is another song with a county cool swing to the arrangement and a look at getting to know the person behind the images and personas that we paint in our relationships. Hazy has a great lyric in “You know I wanna know when I’ll see you again, but if I ask too soon I might lose a new friend.” The subtle guitar and violin parts dove tail with the drum and bass tempo, sliding on by in a gentle reverie.
Marble Stone is an acoustic blues tune that arrives with a deep bass rhythm as LeBlanc sings about his future demise, fuelled by duelling guitars and violin that extend the song around the reflective chorus ‘They’re gonna write my name in the middle of a Marble Stone.’ The interplay is just superb among the musicians and the joy in the performance is clearly evident. Quite superb.
The final track is Right Way and a perfect conclusion to a beautifully paced album. LeBlanc relates to the love we all plug into occasionally in reaching out to another who needs direction in finding the way forward to better days. All songs are written by Luke LeBlanc and the album has a lovely feel to the arrangements the production. If LeBlanc continues at this pace of development then the sky is truly the limit.
Review by Paul McGee
Afton Wolfe The Harvest Grandiflora
Seven songs from the talented Afton Wolfe, and a follow-up to the EP titled TWENTY THREE that was released earlier this year. Wolfe was raised in Mississippi and he continues to wear his early influences firmly on his sleeve. Both of the recordings from this year complement each other in sound and in their delivery, showcasing a depth of musicality and an interesting variety in the arrangements. For this new instalment, Wolfe has focused upon the songs written by his father-in-law, Nashville-based musician L.H. Haliburton. Good to keep it all in the family!
The studio musicians are different from those on the prior release with only Madison George (percussion) and Seth Fox (flute and saxophone) making the cut across both projects. Robin Wolfe provides harmony vocals, along with Courtney Santana, while the skills of Anthony Saddic (keyboards), Mark Robinson and Will Hammond (guitars), Anna Eyink (violin) and Erik Mendez (bass) provide the inspiration across the tracks.
Harvest is the opening song and should perhaps have closed out the album with its strong message of hope. We should embrace the rewards of the harvest in the Autumn, showing us that everything can be reaped as a just reward, even as the seasons change and we grow older. New Orleans Going Down is a heartfelt tribute to this musical heartland and the challenges that it has faced from the elements that nature unleashes upon its fragile defences in the form of flooding and hurricanes. Equally, the song Mississippi speaks of dark days and dark nights in connection with the systemic domestic issues that have haunted that great state. A genuine plea to sustain a quality of life for the inhabitants.
Hello, Mr Wolf is the longest track here and includes a loose rhythm and off-kilter percussion that gives the song a broken quality as it looks at power-hungry politicians and rulers in the guise of wolves, ‘the dogs of the Gods.’ There is a sense of foreboding and being in the grip of predatory forces within the urban jungle that is city life. Lost Prayers is exactly that, a question to the heavens asking if anyone is really up there listening. The song seeks redemption and a reason for what has been lost and sacrificed in seeking to follow a righteous path.
On Til the River No Longer Flows we are given a statement of intent that Wolfe is in this for the long haul, searching for answers and not giving up the fight to find true meaning. The driving blues beat and the soaring guitar make this an excellent antidote to the present sorrows in this fractured world. Here To Stay is the closing song and has a simple upright piano backing a soulful vocal that channels Tom Waits in the ragged delivery. The search for a sense of home and the return of someone close haunts the track as it brings a feeling of longing. Delta Blues, mixed with sweet Soul, and a southern R&B slow burn at the root of it all. Well worth investigation as Afton Wolfe continues to create music of both substance and real imagination.
Review by Paul McGee
Tommy Goodroad and the Highway Birds Self-Tilted Self Release
This 5-song EP was released in May and the honky-tonk sound of the collective is very polished and enjoyable. Goodroad grew up in Minnesota and these days he is based in Chicago where he has established a footing for his music career. The Highway Birds band is comprised of Nick Bates (electric guitar, backing vocals), George Adzick (fiddle, mandolin), Peter Briggs (pedal steel), Cooper Gatzmer (electric, upright bass) and Samuel Stroup (drums). They perform as a very tight unit and the interplay is always interesting and inventive.
Goodroad released a debut album in 2021 titled SWIMMING IN THE CLAY and he has built on this with a number of singles in the intervening time. This new EP will only add to the reputation of the band as an act to seek out when they tour and the opening song Keep ‘Er Moving is a reflection of life on the road, travelling in vans, hawking gear into venues and trying to make it all work. The honky tonk sound is bright and breezy and their cover of the Cranberries song Linger is in a similar vein, giving an interesting spin on the original and kicking up further dance hall fun.
Goodbye For Good and 50 Degrees In September are both slow country songs that deal with the aftermath of failed relationships but the girl stays around on Teaching Me To Paint and brings colour to the shape of the world as love blossoms. A definite confidence booster for further releases and definitely a name to watch out for into the future.
Review by Paul McGee
Billy Don Burns, Gram Parsons Jon Dee Graham (Official) Jenna Clark My Sister, My Brother, Luke LeBlanc Afton Wolfe greydelislegriffin.com