Reviews (1)

I do believe I shall join a jug band
I admit, this album has a lot of weak tracks and nearly all of the tracks sound alike in some way or the other, but it's simply too much fun to ignore. Even though the instrumentation is as basic as possible (take guitar(s), washboard, perhaps a piano), these varied early early blues men could create some damn smooth rags, stomps, and shuffles. These men died of old age you say, or maybe cancer? No, coolness killed them, one and all. ... Read more

Reviews (2)

Great East Coast blues
This is the first of three wonderful albums which veteran songster Pink Anderson recorded for Bluesville in 1961. The focus on blues here is a little deceptive, as Anderson was far more than just a bluesman.

A number of these performances are Blind Boy Fuller numbers learned from recordings, and Anderson is a little stiff rythmically at times. However, three numbers in particular stand out. "Every Day of the Week" is a jaunty number celebrating promiscuity, and given a delightful performance, as is "Meet Me in the Bottom", where Anderson's bass-lines are the epitome of the Piedmont guitar style. The final track "Try Some of That", is an entertaining double - entendre medicine show tune where Anderson plays an inventively varied guitar accompaniment to the increasingly cheeky lyrics, which he delivers with great elan.

Anderson was not as nimble on the guitar as he was in his 1950 recordings, but this CD, and all the Bluesville discs, are a great record of the range of repertoire of a first class songster. Strongly recommended for all lovers of East Coast blues.

Inspirational Blues Artist;SYD BARRETT named 'PINK' FLOYD
This blues album is very high quality blues!Pink Anderson inspired Syd Barrett of Pink Floyd, to so entitle the psychedelic rock band, fighting off other titles such as the abdabs, and sigma 6,syd named his band afterPink Anderson, this legendary blues artist who's music is found here, andFloyd Council, yet another blues artist, thus coming up with PinkFloyd.

This album will be something that will stick with you for life,and you ears will be blessed with the great blues sound of thesouth.

Simon recommends this album, and a great buy here at Amazon.Com. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

blind boy rules!
Blind Boy Fuller, among the best of the "Blind Bluesmen" (ie Blind WIllie Johnson, Blind Blake, Blind Gary Davis, and Blind Willie McTell), reveals his true talent on this highly reccommended compilation. It contains some of the greatest American music ever to be composed, performed, and recorded! Buy this for the love of God almighty! ... Read more

Album Description

By popular demand! Featuring a second helping of all-time blues greats: Lead Belly, Son House, Lightnin’ Hopkins, David "Honeyboy" Edwards, Big Bill Broonzy and Sonny Terry and Brownie McGhee. Also includes other voices of the blues: Roscoe Holcomb, Lucinda Williams, and many more, highlighting the diversity of the blues tradition! ... Read more

Reviews (1)

What started it all...the great grandparents of modern music
If you've seen the great PBS/Martin Scorsese Blues series, or read any of the books about the great bluesmen (Muddy Waters, Robert Johnson, etc) then this disc gives you the opportunity to hear the old songs that started the blues music revolution recorded by the musicians who were at the start of the movement.

Son House, Big Bill Broonzy, Lightnin' Hopkins were all part of the original movement -- the folks that brought the blues to light.

Granted there's a number of modern cuts on this disc (I don't think Lucinda Williams was playing the blues in Chicago or the Mississippi Delta in the 1940's) but that doesn't detract from experience of hearing the old songs sung by the originals. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

A superbly recorded survey of music from around the world.
The Rough Guide Music Sampler offers the listener an inexpensive, superbly recorded survey of music and musicians from around the world. The selections include Habibi (4:19); Buka Tiende (5:00); Udlame (4:12); Likuta Bibi (3:52); Descarga En Faux (5:37); Mulata Coqueta (5:51); Tchori Tchori (3:29); el Hacha (5:25); Caminito (2:37); Venta Zoraida (3:46); Luck Break (4:40); Colm Cille Na Feile (4:48); Mairead nan Cuiread (4:39); Balfa Waltz (3:46); Fisherman (6:02); Nobody Knows You When You're Down & Out (2:58). Total Time 71:38 ... Read more

Reviews (3)

You have to really listen to it.
I listened to this album about five times before I noticed something unusual. The simple songs, the traditional lyrics, the rhythmic guitar, when added up, when listened to with something resembling sensitivity, convey a staggering and intense gentleness and peace. This guy RADIATES peace like some swami or guru. The beauty, though, is that he's not laying any philisophical trip on you. He's just being himself! You can tell that he is really at peace, and listening gives you just a little hint of that same peace in your own soul. He's one of a kind. Thank God for Mississippi John Hurt.

simply wonderful
this is my first written review, and i've chosen to write about this album in particular because it's my favorite. i've been listening to it now for three or four years, and i also play his style of guitar, and this album has just grown and grown on me. he is his own little symphony orchestra, with his voice, his guitar basslines and his treble lines (which usually play the melody) working so well together...it's just music. if you haven't listened to this album (which is one of the best by m.j.h.) then give yourself a treat and do it. i tell you, this is brilliant stuff. another good album of his is the Immortal M.J.H. it truly is immortal. and anyone who says he was a better musician in 1928 as a young man doesn't know what they're talking about. voice more silky, yes, but as a guitarist and all-around singer he IMPROVED dramatically in 35+ years of practice alone on his front porch. please, buy this!

This CD is so satisfying
When I was a small child, sometimes I would lay awake in bed, listening. The adults were still up, laughing, talking, playing music. This is that tantalizing music that I never could quite hear. And it is just as good as I suspected. ... Read more

Amazon.com

Memphis-based bluesman Robert Belfour's second album is a bit vexing. He's an appealing singer whose deep, cotton-mouthed voice has plenty of rough charisma, and he bawls out every line with the despair of a haunted man. When Belfour sings "I stayed awake all night, waiting for my baby to come home," in "Stayed Awake," he's utterly believable. The raw, woody tones of his acoustic guitar are pleasing, too. The trouble is his arrangements are virtually interchangeable. On all 10 of these songs Belfour's guitar repeats same-sounding sliding notes and arpeggios over the single-chord drone that defines the blues of his native North Mississippi. There's no slide, few variations in his patterns, and--despite primal drumming on some tracks--little change in tempos throughout the entire album. This would be a very dull recording, indeed, if not for the way these elements begin to blur into a kind of trance-inspiring signature that often recalls traditional African string music, especially in "Sweet Brown Sugar" and "Pushin' My Luck." Still, if you're looking for something more than mild musical hypnosis, this disc falls short. --Ted Drozdowski ... Read more

Reviews (3)

Authentic Mississippi Hill Country Blues
You can tell by the look on Robert Belfour's face on the cover of "Pushin My Luck" that he don't sing happy, shiny songs about peace, love and understanding. He sings about women...women gone bad. They leave him, keep him up at night, drink all night, spend all his money, throw his clothes out in the yard, they won't wash his clothes, won't cook him food and are just mean as hell. But Mr. Belfour seems to enjoy this mistreatment by these horrible women and loves to tell us about it. This is the real blues; authentic Mississippi hill country blues played by a man who was born and raised there but now lives in Memphis. It just don't get no better.

Yeah, I'd agree with the above.
This effort by Robert Belfour isn't as varied or original as his outstanding first CD. The review written above is pretty much right on; there is some repetition, but Belfour is a major talent. His is a haunting voice, powerful yet lean and his guitar is sparingly beautiful. This isn't overproduced BB King ...;but blues in the tradition of heart felt soul-searching music in the tradition of Lightin' Hopkins. It you like original acoustic blues; you'll enjoy this CD. If you don't have his first CD, get that first effort before purchasing this one!

Blues from the Mississippi Hills!
A few years back, Robert Palmer set out to record the overlooked musicians living in the north Mississippi hills. After bringing Junior Kimbrough, Sally Mae Hemphill, T-Model Ford and Cedell Davis to the public's attention, Palmer passed away. Despite the tragic loss of Palmer, Fat Possum continues to record the bluesman of the Mississippi Hills such as Robert Belfour. Like other Mississippi Hills musicians, Belfour gets by with the mastery of a couple of chords and the thumping rhythmic beat of his low E string. As such, the songs sound a bit repetitive at times. Nevertheless, the vocals and songs of Belfour are pretty darn good. Devoid of any flash or high priced instruments, Belfour brings the raw excitement of the blues as you might find it played in any of the dilapidated juke joints in the Hills. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

The best collection of basic American music yet compiled.
If you have to listen to any music, this is the collection to listen to. It covers all the basic beginnings of American Music and leaves you with a want for more. You will have all the tracks memorized and will be playing the CD even after the machine is shut-off. The CD shows the incredible range of American music. This is the BEST. ... Read more

Amazon.com

Decades after its conception, Harry Belafonte's enormously ambitious project has come to a rewarding fruition with the release of this lovingly produced and beautifully packaged collection. Between 1961 and 1971, Belafonte sought to create a comprehensive document of what he calls "African-matrixed music": "African rooted, Africa as origin, evolved from an original African form." The rough timeframe Belafonte follows begins with the arrival of blacks in America in the early 17th century and ends at the dawn of the recording age. Yet this five-disc set (with a bonus "making of" DVD) amounts to so much more than a musical history; it is, instead, a detailed sociopolitical history of the people who created this music and a journey following the evolution of black culture from the time that the diaspora left Africa for the New World.

Disc 1 offers tribal chants, shouts, and spirituals while the second disc explores the slavery era through the Civil War. Disc 3 looks at postwar sounds both urban and rural while the fourth disc crosses into the next century as the street cries and mountain hollers morph into folk ballads, gritty blues, and minstrel shows--the roots of popular music as we know it today. The final disc includes songs of work and songs of worship, the practical tools of survival for African Americans in troubled times. The sounds found across these discs are faithful re-creations featuring a large cast that includes the likes of Belafonte, Bessie Jones, Sonny Terry and Brownie McGhee, and Joe Williams. The lovely 140-page hardbound book includes extensive notes and provocative essays, as well as stunning photos plus artwork by Charles White. To be sure, this is not easy listening and those looking for your basic "roots music" collection will be disappointed. Rather, this is really a fascinating exploration of the roots of roots music. --Marc Greilsamer ... Read more

Reviews (10)

Wonderful job of recovering history while being historical
Job well done. The scope of this music is as comprehensive as anything out there. One of the great things about this collection is that it is broad in scope yet surprisingly accessible. These CD's are great teaching tools, and are also surprisingly ENTERTAINING at the same time. In that regard alone they are a wonderful testament of and to the Black experience. But they are far more than just this. The engineers working on this record also did a terrific job; the sound quality is exceptional... You will be challenged, educated, excited, entertained, enriched, and uplifted by these amazing and stirring songs.

No, these are not the Lomax field recordings. If you read the book accompanying the five CD's you'll find out why these recordings weren't done in the field. I'm glad they made the decision that they did; for the most part they brought the field into the (now historic) studio.

These songs will make Black people immensely proud of their heritage, and will give others a fine appreciation of the Black experience in America and elsewhere...

A gift to us all
What a gift this is to all of us! Researched and recorded between 1961 and 1971, this collection traces the
history of black music from the late 1600's to the 20th Century. It covers the roots of African music,
chants, shouts and early spirituals, Louisiana Creole music and a re-creation of a slave Christmas, songs
from the Underground Railroad and Civil War era, rural and urban roots music, game and children's
songs, work songs, minstrel songs...you name it, it's here.

As one who has spent innumerable hours straining to decipher old recordings, I must say that
Belafonte and crew have done a fantastic job of bringing the music to life, creating a sound that is both
satisfying to the modern ear, yet authentic and respectful to the original material. (The music has NOT, for
example, been modernized stylistically. Hurrah for that!) Belafonte simply captured in a modern era what
might have been captured in, say, 1866 had modern recording equipment been available.

Bigger than just a "black thing"
There are lots of reviews or word of mouth on this CD box set that, quite frankly, focuses on all the wrong things. To pigeonhole this box set a "must for black families" vastly understates the raw power and broad appeal of this collection. This box set is bigger than that; it's much more than just a quaint time capsule for blacks to listen to. It's fun, entertaining, and can go toe-to-toe with any of the best new music releases out there right now.

This music is basically the foundation of ALL popular music celebrated in the Western world today. Rock, Top 40 Pop, Salsa, Gospel, Blues, R&B, Hip-hop, Country, Bluegrass, they ALL owe an immeasurable debt to the music and culture brought over to the Western hemisphere by African slaves.

The collection starts with African chants and tribal music, and some of the instrumental and vocal arrangements could easily be from modern pop music. As it moves from the African black music experience over to the early Black American music experience, it's easy to hear how African music evolved in America to become the modern American pop, rock, hip-hop and R&B music we know today. People always mention how African music is the roots of pop, rock, soul and Afro-latin music, but this collection really drives the point home when you listen to old tribal music and hear beats and vocals that sound uncannily like those heard in today's modern music genres. There is no modern popular genre that doesn't owe a great debt to African-based musical sensibilities, and although we hear it said all the time, this box set actually illustrates the point better than a million articles and academic speeches ever could.

This collection is more than a history lesson or a source of pride for blacks. That almost makes it sound cold and academic. This collection has WARMTH and personality; it's great entertainment and just plain incredible music. Listen to it regardless of your race, political orientation, or ideology. Buy it and enjoy it because you love good music and want to hear the roots of it straight from the source, not just as a source of racial pride or as an acedmic study in music history.

A Must For Every Black Family
The Long Road to Freedom depicts a history of America's Africans in a masterful collection of music.

Beyond Measure
Anyone who listens to this collection of CD's will be truly blessed. For it is a testament to the heartache, heartbreak and the wrong done to people of African descent. However the music is redeeming as it strives to touch your soul with it's rhythmic chants, songs and testimonies. It is a true example of the strength, courage, faith and hope that all people, especially those of African descent, hold in their hearts. ... Read more

Reviews (2)

Fahey at his strongest
This late-1980s recording for Shanachie's Guitar Artistry series features Fahey working out on themes that mostly will be familiar to fans.But what makes this disc a great addition to any Fahey collection - and a great intro disc for those who are not familiar with him - is the exceptional quality of both his playing and the recorded sound.His chops are as clean and powerful as you'll hear on any of his records this side of "Yellow Princess," and the engineering is so clear and up-close you could swear he's sitting in your living room.

The last track, a 16-minute sweep through many picking styles, called "Sandy on Earth"(concluding with a string-ripping version of "I'll See You in My Dreams") approaches the symphonic in its majesty and impact, and is apt to leave you drained and awestruck, as great musical art can do.

My advice:Play it proud and turn it up loud.

This is the Fahey CD I send outas gifts to my friends
So achingly beautiful.I've listened to it well over a thousand times.The added bonus is you can send away for the tab to two of the songs if you are interested in trying to play the music. This was my first Fahey album.Idont know of a better way to jump into his world. Long live Big John! ... Read more

Reviews (13)

The Source
Charley Patton was older than the younger Bluesmen (and Blueswomen) and he were more steeped in the medicine-show minstrel tradition as well;this goes to account for his (at times) unDelta sounding guitar work ('Delta' blues being a label spawned by the usual examples of Robert Johnson & Muddy Waters)and Patton is of historical importance as being a transitional artist bridging the barrelhouse ragtime tradition and the early Blues themselves.
Fine. Now about this set...it is an embarassment of riches musically (and it's music & not history that we buy records for is it not?)Pattons ragtimish contrapuntal finger style guitar meets Delta bottleneck slide guitar is nothing short of striking;his innate sense of percussive complexity enlightens numerous performances here.
The sound is very well mastered given that these all were Paramount 78s,and,while the Revenant Box set IS definitive it is also definitively EXPENSIVE...the Catfish box set here affords you the opportunity of taking in (almost) All of Patton's work at a VERY reasonable price....with excellent packaging and overall sequencing this set here I would urge every music lover to buy.Rap? Give me a Break! THIS is MUSIC!

A little-known diamond of a box set.
The massive and super-sexy box of Charley Patton on Revenant is getting plenty of raves, and perhaps rightly so -- but the real bargain is here on a compact, handsome, and highly economical package from Catfish, a UK label. The recordings sound as good as they probably ever could (take that as meaning they are fun to listen to), and the booklet is nicely done. No lyrics are provided, but otherwise everything is just about perfect. And Patton himself is a revelation, perhaps not as dramatic as Robert Johnson at his best but a terrific performer -- and a voice that's going to get stuck in your head forever.

Want a nice box set of one of the greatest blues artists ever and don't have $150 for the Revenant set? Check this out. You won't be disappointed.

Charlie On The Cheap
Revenant's $150 box set has ten times the value of this $30 offering, but if you can find this trio of CDs well under list price, just ignore the "Definitive" marketing hyperbole and acquire the bulk of Charlie's magnificent career. Patton, of course, comes closer than anyone we know to having "invented" the blues. (W.C. Handy heard someone much like Patton in 1903 and immediately franchised the term for a fast-food version.)

"Definitive" indeed
Mr Patton was one of the first black musicians to achieve real star status. He was probably born in Edwards, Mississippi in 1887, and could neither read nor write, yet he spelled his own name out loud : Not "Charley" but "C-H-A-R-L-I-E".

He was a source of inspiration to many blues singers and guitar players, Howlin' Wolf, Son House, Bukka White, John Lee Hooker and Robert Johnson among them, and they in turn inspired countless others.

Patton's voice was deep and hoarse, yet immensely powerful - it was said that when he performed outside, his voice would carry for hundreds of yards without any kind of amplification.
He played a mean slide guitar, and is generally regarded as one of the first blues players to use the now-classic rhythmic twelve-bar pattern.
Patton's music was strongly rhythmic; he slapped his guitar to accentuate the rhythm, he stomped his feet, and snapped his E string (the deepest bass note) like a 70s funk bassist, and when you hear Charlie Patton, you can imagine what Howlin' Wolf must have sounded like when he started rocking up the juke joints in the late thirties.

This triple CD from Catfish records compiles nearly everything Patton ever recorded, and the remastering has worked wonders on the 70-year old 78s (none of Patton's original Paramount masters exist). Charlie Patton has finally escaped the hailstorm of surface noice which for decades greeted anyone who tried to listen to his songs, and the power and authority of his voice and guitar playing is amazing, at times even matching that of his contemporary, the great Son House. And that is saying something!

This is an essential document in the canon of the blues; indeed in that of modern popular music in general. One of the most important blues releases since the complete recordings of Robert Johnson twelve years ago.

Musical Faulkner
I have to say, I normally hate box sets. You shell out an exorbitant amount of cash only to be saturated rather than illuminated.

Due to the diversity of it's roster, THE HARRY SMITH FOLK ANOTHOLOGY is an exception in my book. It also gave me my 1st introduction to Charley Patton. Though listed as "The Masked Marvel" his ragged growl really stood out. Which is saying alot, considering there's over 80 tracks to choose from. Needless to say, since acquiring this formidible collection, I've been compelled to eavesdrop on every disc.

The Blues may not be everyone's cup of tea & I have to confess at the risk of sounding too "purist", I have very selective tastes. Robert Johnson, Son House & Skip James to name a few. Patton is certainly at the top of the list. First off there's that voice. The sound of dragging a mill stone down a gravel road. Rumbling thunder before the flood hits. Tom Waits and latter day Dylan being the heirs to the crown. Though I wouldn't recommend Patton's method for attaining that razor on a rusty can quality. Cigarettes & whiskey seem far more pleasant than having your throat slit over a woman.

Then there's the lyrics. Sprawling & baffling. Like musical Faulkner. The fact that you can barely make out what he's saying half the time only adds to the mystery. In the end, for what's lacking in sound quality & diction, it's Patton's hands that really do all the talking. Unlike so many who came after, his versitility is nothing short of staggering. The rag/shuffle of "Spoonful Blues" is a far cry from the manic gospel ramble of "You're Gonna Need Somebody When You Die". Despite being illiterate, Patton's repetoire was vast to say the least. According to the liner notes the 58 sides represented here were only the tip of the iceberg.

Putting it all in modern perspective, if you were thrilled by Dylan's "High Water" off of LOVE & THEFT, here's your chance to hear the original, parts 1 & 2. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

Fine sampler
This is one of the best installments in the "Blues Masters" series, showcasing a wide scope of late-40s-to-mid-60s electric blues by some of the best and most renowned artists on the Chicago blues scene.
Not every selection is perfect...they could have done better by Muddy Waters and Junior Wells in particular, and where the heck are Elmore James and John Lee Hooker?

But what is here is mostly great, from Buddy Guy's slow, anguished "First Time I Met The Blues" to J.B. Lenoir's upbeat "Mama Talk To Your Daughter", and Rhino have included excellent songs by Eddie Boyd (the slow blues "Five Long Years"), Howlin' Wolf (the menacing "Smokestack Lightnin'"), Jimmy Reed (the swinging, lethargic boogie of "Bright Lights, Big City"), Sonny Boy Williamson II (the magnificent, harp-driven "Don't Start Me to Talkin'"), Otis Rush (the fiery "All Your Love"), and several others.
"Blues Masters vol. 2" ranks alongside MCA/Chess' "Chess Blues Classics: 1947 To 1956", "Chess Blues Classics: 1957 To 1967", and "Chess Blues Guitar" as the best "various artists"-compilations available. A really good place to start. ... Read more

Reviews (2)

Fascinating, but not for 1st-time listeners
This fascinating 1956 recording finds Willie sitting on a stool in a pawn shop near the end of his life, drunkenly reminiscing about his life and music, and playing tunes dating back to WWI. He is not quite as sharp as you will find him on my personal favorite Blind Willie Mctell recording, the 1949 session released under the name "Atlanta 12 String" (two tracks from that later session are included here). He hesitates and slurs his way through his classic "Kill it Kid," and his phrasing elsewhere also lacks his characteristic precision.

But what makes this recording a must for anyone who has fallen uder the spell of Willie McTell--a monumentally underappreciated musician and protean virtuoso of American musical forms from ragtime to country--is the glimpse it gives into his character and life. He plays a tune from his days with a traveling Plantation show in 1918, a country tune, and whatever else strikes his fancy. And for me the imperfections only make the record more vivid, almost as if you are sitting in the room with Willie, sharing his bottle of corn whiskey and watching his wrinkled old hands fly over his battered old 12-string.

I recommend you start with one his other records and get this when you have become a full-fledged member of the cult of Willie.

Legacy of Blues
This recording is a real gift and time piece of it's era. McTell was a true genius of the acoustic 12-string. His life story of "blind man goes off to see the world" is incredible enough in it's own rite. The fact that his recording career was stymied by an early "opportunity" to record with Lomax which spawned a deep distrust of record producers makes the existance of this recording all the more significant.

Rediscovered in the 50's as a street musician, his vocal qualities and technical skills were as good or better than his early recordings. His music links country blues, urban blues, gospel, and white audiances of the time.

Politically incorrect lyrics tell it all. It's great to see this recording on a CD! ... Read more

Reviews (7)

Ripley...A little known gem.
For those of you who like the tractors and their style of music, this album does not have the same upbeat, toetapping rhythm, but is an ablum that truly captures the suberb singing talent of their lead singer. The songs and style of music contained on the album is uplifting, inspiring and truly a delight to listen to; and like the songs on each one of the tractors' ablums, there's not a sleeper in the bunch, each song a gem in itself. The album is truly a hidden gem that shouldn't be missed.

Yes! Album of the Year, 2002!!
If Steve Ripley's Martin D28 is indeed his only friend (as he writes in "Oklahoma Blues," one of ten wonderful songs on this, his latest, self-titled album), he's one of the lucky souls on earth to have such a good, faithful, trusted one. "Ripley" is many incredible things -- an album with actual songs, actual instruments, beautiful recording, soulful singing, easeful jamming, emotional breadth _and_ depth -- but it's easy to miss that it's also a fantastic, understated masterpiece of folk and blues and electric guitar-playing.

The playing and the mix almost bury the guitar work, but fortunately this is not a loud (i.e. compressed, flashy, show-off, technique-for-technique's sake) album; turn it up and listen closely and you'll hear guitars sing like they rarely seem to be able to do any more.

Steve does seem to have a large circle of warm-hearted friends, though, as each song here features accompaniment from a variety of folks, some known, some not known, all good. It all mixes wonderfully, and takes you back to a time when there was no music industry, just musicians, songwriters and people who like to play and sing -- and are actually good at it.

Almost every song is a classic here, from the deceptively cheerful rock of "Gone Away" to the truly sweet, memorable "Sweetheart Town" (salve for the soul of anyone chasing a dream), to the '50s-ish "Down, Down," to the gospel apocalypse of "The Round and Round." Most are Ripley originals, though a heart-rending performance of the '30s classic "No Depression (In Heaven)" points in a direction Steve could take a whole album with powerful result (it doesn't hurt that the next -- original -- song after holds up amazingly well alongside).

If you're looking for something real to share with a friend or loved one, definitely give this album a listen -- it'll put a lot of things in perspective.

I think Steve's got a whole new career ahead of him, if the news of this gem ever gets around -- watch out!

Happy to find Steve again.
This is from an "old music fan". I had contact with Steve many times in the very early 70's. I contracted several times with Steve and his band to play dance gigs at the old VFW hall in Stillwater, OK. Steve's group never missed a gig, never disappointed the veterinary students I represented, and was always happy to oblige any request. I didn't follow his success with the Tractors but I knew he was still "messing around" with music. This album shows his dedication and to the profession, and the hard work has really paid off. I also appreciated his references to his roots as well. I knew some of the folks he mentioned in the jacket. And I worked with his dad and brother on occasion. I know I ramble, but this background helps me appreciate the feelings this music expressed. I'm very glad to have found this young man again. Thanks Steve!

It's about "time".....
If you're old enough to know that Tim McGraw did not invent country music then this album ( yeah... if you know what an album WAS ) is something you owe to yourself for having to endure the pap and pablum that seeps out of CMT and your kid's favorite "country" radio station. RIPLEY is the "real deal". The good news is that Steve Ripley has stopped dragging his heels behind his tractor and decided to hoe a whole 'nuther row ! The bad news is , after listening to this ALBUM you're gonna think he's been reading your mail !! He'll smack you right 'tween the eyes and make you ENJOY it. Reality is one hell of a concept as Robin Williams said. Well, Steve Ripley says it with a shuffle and a thump and thud and twang. "Too Many Borderlines" alone is worth the price of admission. "Gone Away" ...well, you can relive your own memories . Nuff said. "Sweetheart Town" , is a gem for sure. One final thought... If you're reading this then you obviously had the good sense to seek out a chance to find good music. To you I say, Buy this ALBUM...turn it up LOUD, enjoy YOURSELF and and let your kids wonder why YOU'RE smiling for a change. "RIPLEY" is a real keeper...Treat yourself !!!

Album Of The Year?
Forget the innovative retro country licks that made the Tractors the band of the year a while back, this Steve Ripley solo album (his first, by the way)is the stuff that careers are cemented in. Ripley takes the Tractors vibe to the next level and adds a personified dose of his own concoction to make this both foot tapping and hum worthy while pulling at your heartstrings all the while.
If "Gone Away", cowritten with Tim DuBois, isnt a hit,there is no justice. The shuffle laden melody churns out a whos-who of things gone by and Ripley reminisces all the while to a steller backing by ace musicains who themselves are a whos-who of rocks grand past.

Theres not a dog in this collection, though some stand out above the rest. "Night Time Lover", "Oklahoma Blues" and "Crossing Over" are all instant classics in this oft neglected realm.

In the opener, Ripley laments "All the good stuff-gone away" Luckily, thats not entirely true. We still have Steve Ripley

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