Saturday, May 05, 2007
Review: Darrell McCall - Old Memories and Wine
Darrell McCall - Old Memories and Wine
Howdy Country Music Fans,
Well, old Gran'pa took a while to get the keyboard oiled up to start reviewing the musical CD's that get sent to our post office box out yonder. Luckily I got a fella that drives down there every now and then to pick up the mail. 'Nuf said about that.
I imagine there's one or two of you out there that is out on the road somewhere away from home in some strange town, having to sleep in some place other than your own home. You ask around to the local folks you meet where you might here some country music. Work for the day is done, it's time to unwind a bit, relax, have a cold one - iced tea or whatever and a decent meal even. You're just getting ready to sip that cold one when you hear a twin fiddle or hard steel guitar kick off a tune ... and then the voice of that singer kicks in ... and suddenly, you're not so tired. You know you've come to the right place. You found the real deal.
Ole Gran'pa felt just like that when he started spinning this CD by Darrell McCall. There is no mistaking the sounds you hear on this CD. Darrell's voice is as strong and powerful as you knew it back then. The twin fiddles, steel guitar, rhythms - you can tell Darrell has a good handle on what "his" sound is. And his producer Justin Trevino was smart enough to not try to pop-i-fy it like today's conglomerate country music media radio outlets seem to play. You want to know what country music sounds like - this would be a good place to start.
You get a good mix of new and old songs on this CD. Darrell also introduces you to his family on this CD as well - his wife Mona sang two tunes, his son Cody sang harmony and his daughter wrote the title song. The album does not lose any of its appeal with those inclusions.
Remember the tunes "I Miss You Already" written by Faron Young? Or the classic "Divorce Me C.O.D."? A great showcase of Darrell's style - the Werly Fairburn tune, "I Feel Like Crying"? Then there's the old Roger Miller tune, "When Your House Is Not A Home" that ole Gran'pa recalls Connie Smith did. In fact, ole Gran'pa was thinking - Darrell and Connie would probably be an interesting duet on that tune. There's even an old Ernest Tubb tune written by Cindy Walker - "Answer the Phone".
I enjoyed the fiddle playing in the background on this CD (attributed to Bobby Flores) - the style, the sound level, the weaving in and out with Darrell's renditions - are what you enjoy hearing. The steel guitar sound by Dickie Overby and Rick Price - ole Gran'pa mutters - sounds great. Today's so-called country music radio seems to have put the steel guitar on the 'missing' picture you see on a milk carton sometimes. Once in a while it's almost too loud, but then, that sound and rawness is what gives the music its edge, makes you feel like you're listening to country music the way it was meant to be and many folks still enjoy.
We need more CD's like this.
Til next time, keep it country, will ya!?!
Gran'pa H.M. Crittick
Howdy Country Music Fans,
Well, old Gran'pa took a while to get the keyboard oiled up to start reviewing the musical CD's that get sent to our post office box out yonder. Luckily I got a fella that drives down there every now and then to pick up the mail. 'Nuf said about that.
I imagine there's one or two of you out there that is out on the road somewhere away from home in some strange town, having to sleep in some place other than your own home. You ask around to the local folks you meet where you might here some country music. Work for the day is done, it's time to unwind a bit, relax, have a cold one - iced tea or whatever and a decent meal even. You're just getting ready to sip that cold one when you hear a twin fiddle or hard steel guitar kick off a tune ... and then the voice of that singer kicks in ... and suddenly, you're not so tired. You know you've come to the right place. You found the real deal.
Ole Gran'pa felt just like that when he started spinning this CD by Darrell McCall. There is no mistaking the sounds you hear on this CD. Darrell's voice is as strong and powerful as you knew it back then. The twin fiddles, steel guitar, rhythms - you can tell Darrell has a good handle on what "his" sound is. And his producer Justin Trevino was smart enough to not try to pop-i-fy it like today's conglomerate country music media radio outlets seem to play. You want to know what country music sounds like - this would be a good place to start.
You get a good mix of new and old songs on this CD. Darrell also introduces you to his family on this CD as well - his wife Mona sang two tunes, his son Cody sang harmony and his daughter wrote the title song. The album does not lose any of its appeal with those inclusions.
Remember the tunes "I Miss You Already" written by Faron Young? Or the classic "Divorce Me C.O.D."? A great showcase of Darrell's style - the Werly Fairburn tune, "I Feel Like Crying"? Then there's the old Roger Miller tune, "When Your House Is Not A Home" that ole Gran'pa recalls Connie Smith did. In fact, ole Gran'pa was thinking - Darrell and Connie would probably be an interesting duet on that tune. There's even an old Ernest Tubb tune written by Cindy Walker - "Answer the Phone".
I enjoyed the fiddle playing in the background on this CD (attributed to Bobby Flores) - the style, the sound level, the weaving in and out with Darrell's renditions - are what you enjoy hearing. The steel guitar sound by Dickie Overby and Rick Price - ole Gran'pa mutters - sounds great. Today's so-called country music radio seems to have put the steel guitar on the 'missing' picture you see on a milk carton sometimes. Once in a while it's almost too loud, but then, that sound and rawness is what gives the music its edge, makes you feel like you're listening to country music the way it was meant to be and many folks still enjoy.
We need more CD's like this.
Til next time, keep it country, will ya!?!
Gran'pa H.M. Crittick
# posted by Dave Sichak @ 10:41 PM 
