Customer Reviews

A Change of Scenery

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Well into their second decade, the Seldom Scene have dealt with shifts in their lineup before. On this 1988 release T. Michael Coleman replaces founding bassist Tom Gray, and guitarist Lou Reid (who previously had been a member of Doyle Lawson & Quicksilver) replaces Phil Rosenthal (who had replaced founding member John Starlin).

Without missing a beat, original members John Duffey (mandolin), Mike Auldridge (Dobro) and Ben Eldridge (banjo) create a highly enjoyable album. Reid does most of the vocals, including a cover of Mark Knopfler's "Settin' Me Up" and Rodney Crowell's "One Way Rider," and the gospel number "I'll Be No Stranger There." However, perhaps the highlight is hearing Duffey's high lonesome tenor on a cover of the Beatles' "What Goes On." For longtime fans, this is an excellent addition to your collection. [Running Time - 35:28] HIGHLY RECOMMENDED

This album is called Change of Scenery because Lou Reid had recently replaced Phil Rosenthal on lead vocals and guitar and T. Michael Coleman had even more recently replaced founding member Tom Gray on bass. This change in lineup resulted in a different vocal sound, though the band was still anchored by John Duffey's unmistakable high tenor vocals. The change in bass players was quite noticeable, particularly in live performance, because unlike Tom Gray, T. Michael played an electric bass. Like its predecessor At the Scene, this album has a slightly country feel to it, with the inclusion of drums on several tracks and the somewhat slick (by bluegrass standards) production. Both albums also feature a considerable amount of lead guitar playing.

Over all, I think this relatively short-lived change in lineup was a decent thing for the band, as Change of Scenery has more adrenaline and basically sounds fresher than At the Scene. Lou Reid turns in a stellar vocal performance and this album showcases his considerable talent without forcing it on you. Lou has an amazing voice, but in live performance he can overreach and shout when he is in his upper vocal register. He thankfully doesn't do that here, perhaps because Duffey is around to fill in the necessary gaps with his gorgeous harmony singing. While Lou fit the band vocally better than Phil ever did, neither of these guys complement the other voices in the band quite like original front man John Starling.

Highlights on Change of Scenery for me are "West Texas Wind," "What Goes On," and the opening track "Breaking New Ground." "West Texas Wind" is essentially a country song with bluegrass instruments but the lyrics are memorable and the melody is really nice. I think this might be the best song Lou Reid ever sang with the Seldom Scene. The Beatles' "What Goes On" works surprisingly well in a bluegrass context, but maybe that's because John Duffey sings lead on this one. Finally, "Breaking New Ground" is a great opener because it launches out of the gate and the listener immediately feels the excitement of the change in lineup.

I wouldn't rate this as the Seldom Scene's best, but it's a good one. Lou Reid's singing is just amazing throughout. "West Texas Wind" by John Ims is, in my opinion, the best song here. "What Goes On" is the old Beatles tune, done by one of the few bluegrass bands who would perform a Beatles tune. Four stars instead of five not because there's anything bad, but because it's not as inspired as their best efforts.