Chris Smither - Drive You Home Again
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Free Music Notes for Drive You Home Again
Free Music Review: A Chris Encore
Hit: 4 Stars
If I were to ask someone, in the year 2008, to name a male folk singer from the 1960's I would assume that if I were to get an answer to that question that the name would be Bob Dylan. And that would be a good and appropriate choice. One can endlessly dispute whether or not Dylan was (or wanted to be) the voice of the Generation of '68 but in terms of longevity and productivity he fits the bill as a known quality. However, there were a slew of other male folk singers who tried to find their niche in the folk milieu and who, like Dylan, today continue to produce work and to perform. The artist under review Chris Smithers is one such singer/songwriter.
I do not know if Chris Smithers, like his contemporary Bob Dylan, started out wanting to be the king of the hill among male folk singers but he certainly had some things going for him. He plays that signature blue guitar for all it is worth of such as Steel Guitar yet can turn it down several notches for a song like Rattlesnake Preacher and then goes softer on reflective songs like So Long. Moreover he is as capable as a songwriter as any of writing of longing, lost love, thoughts of mortality and...being stupid in the world. Witness No Love Today on that last point. Then turn it up a notch with a bittersweet song like Don't Make Promises. Yes, Chris had the tool to go out and slay the dragons of the folk world. That work may not be well known outside the precincts of the graying folk world, but it should be.
Free Music Review: Da Blues, No Mo' better.
Hit: 5 Stars
In the spirit of Mississippi John Hurt, this is The Blues. 4get the Folk label some have marked him!
Like other fans of Chris, I discovered his beauty from his 2nd LP.
"I'm A Stranger" quickly then became a "Must-Have".
Many, many years later [2004] I had wondered what became of Chris Smither, while visiting Tempe, AZ. I found "Drive You Home Again" -used- at ZIA Records while searching for anything by him other than what I already owned, and was surprised to find something 'fairly' recent!
Yeah, I was a bit late discovering this gem, but feel compelled now to say he hadn't missed a beat since his 2nd release, "Don't Drag It On"!
The music here is timeless, and must be heard by any Blues Fan.
If you're like me, pissed that you missed "Mississippi" John Hurt in his prime, you'll be glad to know you can still hear/listen to a Chris Smither now, perform as comparably as possible. He does add a bit of Jazz, though, to his Folkish-Blues on occasion. Nuttin' wrong with that, eh?
Free Music Review: How can you be this good and not be famous?
Hit: 5 Stars
My only answer to the question I posed in my review title is that Chris Smither sings the type of music that is not usually played on the radio. If he were on the radio, everyone would own a Chris Smither album.
I saw Chris Smither at a show at the Old Town School of Folk Music several years ago. The tickets were free (from a friend who couldn't go). I had never heard of Smither before and I was bowled away. Not only did I love the music, but he is an excellent concert performer.
Smither combines a great voice, amazing guitar playing (influenced by Mississippi John Hurt), and extremely clever lyrics that make you think, laugh, or get wistful, often in the same song.
This is a superb album that I would recommend to anyone.
Free Music Review: Get "Waiting on a Train" Instead
Hit: 2 Stars
After falling in love with Smither's newest CD, Waiting on a Train, I decided to try this one. A big disappointment! What I love about Smither on the new CD is how wonderful his guitar playing is and how well he accompanies himself. On Drive You Home Again, Bruton overproduced the album. There are too many musicians and just too much stuff going on that you only hear Smither as a singer. The arrangments lack all of the sweetness that makes Waiting on a Train so great. I would not recommend this CD.Free Music Review: one of my favorite CDs
Hit: 5 Stars
This CD is really one of my all time favorite CD's. For me, this CD provides moments like at a Grateful Dead show when, the music lifts the top of your head, allowing pure thought below. Really don't know how else to put it. P.S. the other reviewer was absolutely correct about the last two tracks.