Customer Reviews

Danko Fjeld & Andersen

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No, that title isn't an overstatement. Seamless and immediately accessible but never commercial, this unlikely collaboration would surely have been a smash hit if folk music had a place in the market anymore. Perhaps appropriately, it doesn't fit very neatly under the heading of folk, rock, country, jazz or any other genre, but in varying degrees they're all here. Obscure or not, it's a classic.

Rick Danko was blessed with one of the greatest voices in rock, and this album features some of the best performances of his all-too-small post-Band catalog. Eric Andersen's songwriting is somewhat hit or miss, but the semi-retrospective nature of this album provides a good showcase for the best of his work. ("Blue River" is, of course, the title track to his best-known album, while "Mary I'm Comin' Back Home" is a heretofore-unpublished gem he had apparently written years before this collection was recorded.) I admit to being otherwise unfamiliar with Jonas Fjeld's work, but his talents prove to be surprisingly diverse here. His lush instrumentation (helped along in places by the unmistakable touch of Garth Hudson) provides a warm - and sometimes eerie - glow throughout the album, while his vocal delivery of "One More Shot" lays to rest any doubts that a Norwegian can sing country music(!)

As for highlights, there are almost too many to list. There isn't a weak song on the album, but the sexy "Blue Hotel" and the nostalgiac "When Morning Comes to America" are particularly delightful. Also, "Mary I'm Comin' Back Home" packs an amazing amount of longing and determination into just three verses without an ounce of schmaltz, while Chris Kenner and Fats Domino's should-be classic "Sick and Tired" gets a righteous revival. (Hardcore fans of the Band are probably familiar with Ronnie Hawkins' version from 1959; this blows that one out of the water.) The other cover, Tom Paxton's classic "The Last Thing On My Mind", is the perfect finale for an album which, like that song, celebrates musical tradition with a modern - and entirely original - approach.

When I first saw this release, I couldn't imagine what it might possibly sound like -- a collaborative effort from three musicians with individual talent but widely differing backgrounds. I purchased it out of curiosity, mostly. What a surprise. Anderson, originally from the US, is one of the founding fathers of the 60's folk boom. Danko, a Canadian, is known mostly for his work with the rock group The Band. The lesser known Fjeld is a Norwegian singer of blues-tinged country music. Yet the three blend beautifully on a wide-ranging selection of material. The Anderson-penned selections in particular are some of his best, and his lyrics really shine in this group format. This is one you will listen to over and over.

This disc is full of wonderful music and great collaboration, full of spirit and emotion. Jonas Fjeld...didn't know a thing about him, but he has a beautiful, haunting voice. Many searches have found no other recordings of his music available in the US, which is too bad. One of the tragedies of Rick's passing is that we won't get another product from this creative combination. You don't even have to be a Band fanatic to enjoy this one. I'd say give it a shot.

This is a great collection of music by three talented artists. Look for their other collaboration and Ghosts on the Road by Eric Andersen!

I bought a rare cd "danko fjeld and andersen at Amazon. In Holland you cannot buy this cd. I am very glad that I found it. It's great. I ordered it at the same moment I ordered a cd in Holland and I received it first. That is amazing.

A. Bosma