Customer Reviews

Cha Cha Cha

5 star:		(5)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

I'll admit I was skeptical buying this CD. I have all Fred's other stuff including the DVD'S and those cool cassettes that came in the handmade wooden boxes. I wasn't too big on "Tinderbox", a more recent album but he followed that up with "Milly's Cafe" which was excellent. With "Tinderbox", I thought Fred was going for a sound that just didn't fit his writing style. The album "Dusty" marked a new approach to his sound production and this album continues in that vein.
The first spin on the player wasn't a grabber. Fredheads aren't usually treated to back-up female vocals or keyboards so for a Fredhead purist the addition was a little jarring at first. But by the second spin I was grinning broadly. "Dynamite and Whisky is the standout "rocker". Fred's growl perfectly fits the demeanor of the tempo. "I Would" left me humming the ditty and singing along with the chorus. Fred's voice is a little gruffer now. Years and years and thousands of shows will take it's toll but when the voice fits the song it works well. "Shallow" is a good example of old Fred balladry meeting new production values and it works well. It's probably my favorite song on the cd.
I still long for an old-style Fred album. "There Ain't No Easy Road", "From the Paradise Motel" and "Things Is Changing" represent the zenith of Fred's songwriting skills. The classic "Drive In Movies" is on my top 10 albums list to put into a time capsule so future generations get a sense of the essence of troubador-style music. "Cha Cha Cha" gets better with each listen but will never rise to the level of Fred's previous work.
I'll never forget my first Fred Eaglesmith live show. Four guys- Fred, Willie, Ralph and Washboard Hank on percussion. It was about 25 degrees and we were outside at Skippers Smokehouse in Tampa, Fl. Fred was in a short-sleeved shirt chuckling at how cold we all looked. I had never seen a performance like that. Although we were freezing at the edges, Fred warmed us all with heartfelt balladry and stagemanship. We all miss you Willie P.

Amazon refers to Fred's quirky legion of fans. I am (one of the) legion and love this cd. Fred once again takes his own road - maybe as with "Dusty" all the Fredheads won't love this one, but there is much to at least like. The band gets tighter and tighter as time goes by, the Ginn Sisters vocals add a lot to the sound, especially "Careless", and have the right feel for what Fred is doing now. This CD gives us a good reason to learn how to cha cha.

If the music of Tom Waits and Leonard Cohen could somehow mate, this would be the resultant love child.

Eaglesmith's songs are almost impossible to classify, along with his voice which ranges from dark and raspy to low down bluesy. There's nothing complicated about his lyrics or tunes which might be why they're so addictive.

If you like some atmosphere in your rock - if you dig "Oh Mercy" - then run for "Cha Cha Cha." Not much in the way of goofy word stories, these are some fine musicians hard at work. The highlight is "Shallow," which, if we had any FM raido left, would have received airplay.

Like Tom Waits? Well, so do I. And, this is some of the same juice, but with a slightly different flavor. Eaglesmith has the same talent for lyrics and the same top notch grade of players... but with a slightly less boozy tone, less clanking metal, the music glides down the road just so nicely without swerving off the road. He gets you to the same place, actually, and its really a fine ride indeed.
Mark O.

I'm loving Fred's new sound on Cha Cha Cha. From the first song I thought, "This is going to be a different CD than what I expected." And it's different in all the good ways. Granted, I listen to everything and I thrive on public radio like WFPK and WXPN and switch between country and alt-rock stations on Sirius. So my musical tastes can't be pigeon-holed. I've listened to this three times so far and like it more each time. This CD is a joy to listen to and definitely a great addition to my music collection.