Green, Pete Drake (steel guitar); Kenny Lovelace, George Binkley (fiddle); David Darling, Albert Coleman, Stephen Clapp, William Fitzpatrick, Buddy Spicher (strings); Charlie McCoy (harmonica, vibraphone); Hargus ""Pig"" Robbins (piano); Billy Storm (organ); Bob Moore (bass guitar); Buddy Harman (drums); Joseph T. Babcock, Mildred Kirkham, Ray Walker, The Jordanaires, Neal Matthews, Gordon Stoker, Hoyt Hawkins, Trish Williams, Dolores Dinning Edgin, Ricky Page, Hurshel Wiginton (background vocals). Recording information: 1972 - 1975.Uncut (p.172) - 3 stars out of 5 - ""[He's] still in fine voice."""  (less)

Kelly (accordion); Deborah Green Andersen (piano, background vocals); Glenn Spreen (organ, harpsichord); David Briggs (organ, celeste); Ferrell Morris (vibraphone); Mark Spoor, Norbert Putnam (bass); Kenneth Buttrey (drums, tambourine, percussion); Jim McKevitt, Richard Schlosser (drums); Gerry Carrigan (percussion); Joni Mitchell, The Holidays, Temple Riser, The Jordanaires, Millie Kirkham, La Verna Moore, Sonja Motgomery, Florence Warner (background vocals). Producers: Norbert Putnam, The Andersen Project. Reissue producer: Bruce Dickinson. Engineers: Glen Kolotkin, Stan Tonkel, Stan Hutto. Recorded at Quadrafonic Studios, Nashville, Tennesee in 1972. Includes liner notes by Anthony DeCurtis. Digitally remastered by Chris Athens (Sony Music Studios, New York, New York). Eric Andersen was a spawn of the same '60s folk scene as Joni Mitchell and Leonard Cohen, and like them, his music has gone through many changes and resists easy categorization. BLUE RIVER, recorded in Nashville and originally released in 1972, is regarded by fans and critics as his masterpiece. Andersen's songs are reflective and literate, with poetic ruminations on love, uncertainty, and desire that are neither obscure nor whiny. He sings in a nasal, slightly fragile voice similar to James Taylor or Donovan, and his music is an unassuming combination of folk, pop, rock, and country, with thoughtful melodies that don't ""hook"" on first listen, but rather make a deep impression on repeated listenings. There are two songs new to this edition, including a great, snappy version of Hank Williams' honky-tonk classic ""Why Don't You Love Me (Like You Used To Do).""Dirty Linen (6-7/00, p.56) - ""...A benchmark album in folk music....Blessed with a warm tenor voice and frail delivery, [he] amalgamated pop, country, and folk on BLUE RIVER in what became one of the decade's [the 70s] seminal folk albums..."""  (less)

arguably the best known band to emerge from the pub rock scene (a reference to the small pubs where bands typically performed) that thrived in England in the early seventies. Released in 1972, NERVOUS ON THE ROAD captures Brinsley Schwarz at the peak of their powers. Performing everything from swinging pop (""Surrender To The Rhythm""), New-Orleans funk (""I Like It Like That"") and such gritty R&B as ""Home In My Hand,"" Brinsley Schwarz created a fresh, down-to-earth sound. Recorded two years after NERVOUS with producer Dave Edmunds, NEW FAVORITES found the band moving in a more pop-oriented direction. The album's centerpiece is an anthemic rock version of Nick Lowe's ""What's So Funny (About Peace Love And Understanding)."" The moody R&B ballad ""Ever Since You're Gone"" and the catchy beat group pop of ""The Ugly Things"" illustrate why Nick Lowe's remarkable ability to write almost any style of music allowed Brinsley Schwarz to retain their vitality long after many of their contemporaries were forgotten."  (less)

to emerge from the pub rock scene (a reference to the small pubs where bands typically performed) that thrived in England in the early seventies. Released in 1972, NERVOUS ON THE ROAD captures Brinsley Schwarz at the peak of their powers. Performing everything from swinging pop (""Surrender To The Rhythm""), New-Orleans funk (""I Like It Like That"") and such gritty R&B as ""Home In My Hand,"" Brinsley Schwarz created a fresh, down-to-earth sound. Recorded two years after NERVOUS with producer Dave Edmunds, NEW FAVORITES found the band moving in a more pop-oriented direction. The album's centerpiece is an anthemic rock version of Nick Lowe's ""What's So Funny (About Peace Love And Understanding)."" The moody R&B ballad ""Ever Since You're Gone"" and the catchy beat group pop of ""The Ugly Things"" illustrate why Nick Lowe's remarkable ability to write almost any style of music allowed Brinsley Schwarz to retain their vitality long after many of their contemporaries were forgotten."  (less)

Clarke (drums). Recording information: 05/12/1970 - 06/13/1972. Although ROADMASTER has the feel of a completed album, it is actually a collection of top-quality outtakes. It was originally released only in Europe, where Clark's previous album, WHITE LIGHT, had been a critical success. ROADMASTER appeared seven years after Clark left the Byrds and has a laid-back, Sunday morning feel, characterized by Clark's chiming country rock. Beneath the languid rhythms, however, are several songs that rank with Clark's best compositions. Two songs here, ""She's The Kind Of Girl"" and the lovely ""One In A Hundred,"" feature performances by the original Byrds, while another track, ""Full Circle Song,"" was later included on the Byrds' reunion album. These tunes stand alongside the Byrds' best songs, which is reason enough to explore this excellent, unjustly overlooked album.Q (6/91) - 3 Stars - Good - ""...these melancholy, reflective tunes have a charming fragility and escape the cloying self-regard and heavy-handed production of LA singer-songwriters they prefigure."""  (less)

Fender Rhodes piano); Eric Robertson, Harold Wheeler (piano, organ); Bill Stevenson (piano); Gary Mallaber (vibraphone, drums, percussion); James Rolleston (bass, background vocals); Bob Babbitt (Kreinar) (bass); Alan Schwartzberg (drums); Carly Simon, James Taylor, Rupert Holmes, Tim Schmit (background vocals). Includes liner notes by John Tobler.Q (May 2002, p.134) - 3 out of 5 stars - ""...Best known as an interpreter of other people's songs....typical country rock of the period..."""  (less)

Willie Nelson written by Rich Kienzle. Personnel includes: Willie Nelson (vocals, guitar); Charlie McCoy (guitar, harmonica, piano, vibraphone, bass); Jerry Reed, Jerry Stembridge (guitar, dobro); Chet Atkins, Harold Ray Bradley, Ray Edenton, Wayne Moss, Jerry Kennedy, Velma E. Williams Smith, Leon Rhodes, Grant ""Cal Smith"" Shofner, Thomas Grady Martin, Pete Wade, Jr., David Carroll Kirby (guitar); Jimmy Day (steel guitar, bass); Pete Drake, Buddy Charleton, Buddy Emmons, Wyldon Myrick (steel guitar); Hargus ""Pig"" Robbins (piano, organ, harpsichord); Ray Stevens (piano, organ, vibraphone); Jerry Smith (piano, harpsichord); Floyd Cramer (piano, vibraphone); David Briggs (piano); Bob Moore, Henry Strzelecki, Junior Huskey (bass); Buddy Harman, Kenneth Buttrey (drums). Producers: Fred Foster, Chet Atkins, Wolf Kabitzky, Danny Davis, Felton Jarvis. Reissue producer: Richard Weize. Those whose knowledge of country music history begins with Travis Tritt (or even Hank Williams, Jr.) probably have a hard time understanding what ""outlaw country"" meant in the late-'60s/early-'70s. Willie Nelson, along with people like Waylon Jennings and Kris Kristofferson pioneered the movement, offering a gritty, rootsy, long-haired, rock-informed alternative to the Billy Sherrill-produced, strings-and-choir-laden Nashville pap that was being pumped out to the country audience. Nelson had already been kicking around for quite a while, penning hits for others (most notably Patsy Cline's ""Crazy"" and Faron Young's ""Hello Walls""), but unable to make a mark as a solo artist. Eventually, he decided to see what would happen if he let his hair down (both figuratively and literally) to appeal to the younger generation. On milestone albums like PHASES AND STAGES and RED HEADED STRANGER, his approach defined ""progressive country,"" retaining a raw, authentic sound without adhering to Nashville strictures. By the '70s, he had become a unique stylist who owed little to any one genre. His jazzy nylon-string guitar and relaxed croon proved infinitely adaptable. He tackled standards to fine effect on STARDUST and SOMEWHERE OVER THE RAINBOW. By the '80s, he was a pop icon on a par with Sinatra or Streisand, cutting duets with decidedly non-country artists like Julio Iglesias, as well as collaborating with Kristofferson, Jennings and Johnny Cash in the country supergroup the Highwaymen."  (less)

for better songs and an absolutely superb album....[TRIBUTE TO THE AMERICAN DUCK:] excellent songs but musical experimentation was replaced by more traditional country influences and time-honoured harmonies. All in all, faultless stuff..."""  (less)

recordings by Tommy Fogerty & The Blue Velvets and The Golliwogs. Creedence Clearwater Revival: John Fogerty (vocals, guitar, harmonica, horns, organ, tambourine); Tom Fogerty (guitar, background vocals); Stu Cook (bass, background vocals); Doug Clifford (drums, background vocals). Additional personnel: Tommy Fogerty & The Blue Velvets; The Golliwogs. Producers include: John Fogerty, Tom Fogerty, Stu Cook, Doug Clifford, Saul Zaentz. Includes essays by Ben-Fong Torres and Alec Palao plus individual album liner notes by Ben-Fong Torres, Joel Selvin, Dave Marsh, Ed Ward, Robert Christgau, Craig Werner and Stanley Booth. Digitally remastered using 20-bit K2 Super Coding technology by Shigeo Miyamoto (JVC Studios) and Joe Tarantino (Fantasy Studios, Berkeley, California). Acclaimed country rockers Creedence Clearwater Revival perform eight catchy and melodic tracks on this self-titled release. CD comes in Jpn LP Sleeve.Entertainment Weekly (11/16/01, p.134) - ""...This box is as filler-free as CCR's music..."" - Rating: B+"  (less)