Customer Reviews

Down This Road

5 star:		(15)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Shannon and Adam Wright's debut,"Down the Road" is one of the best new country albums of 2005. Shannon and Adam are the best new country couple pairing since Gram Parson and EmmyLou Harris did "GP" and "Grievous Angel" thirty-plus years ago.

Let's just hope they last! Their outstanding, original, beautifully arranged, and magnificently sung tunes make for great listening -- but the content suggests a steady undertow of unresolved tensions between them. Hopefully this is just their way to work things out, rather than a harbinger of a split to come.

A couple I once knew well, Jim Glover and Jean Ray, recorded some really fine albums together back in the '60s as "Jim and Jean". One of their best but last tunes was "Stalemate". The chorus went, "I'm getting tired of you, waiting for me to be untrue, so that you can too." I knew as soon as they played it for me that they were "On the Rocks".

Hopefully Shannan and Adam really are not -- and will stick together to bring us lots more great music. They are certainly off to a fine start. Let's hope there will be much more to come!

This is by far the best C & W CD I Have listened to for a long time. The words and music are excellent - fun to listen to and sing with. I was hooked the first time I listened to it. For a first album, and knowing that they also write the words, just plain WOW! Looking forward to more, but don't rush it - make it as good as this one!!!

The songs on this CD are truly refreshing. The harmonies are great. It's a pleasure to listen to country music that doesn't sound like the Nashville pop crap that is all to common in today's country music.

Shannon is a friend of mine that I grew up with, she and her husband obivously produce great harmony and have written some really clever songs. The CD is endorsed by Alan Jackson who performs back up and solo on several songs, you can't go wrong!

The Wrights are the best Duo I have heard in a long time.. My family and I listen to it almost daily it is so good. They are real people talking about real things. They wrote every song on this CD

It is unusual for every song on a CD to be great, but this certainly is the case for DOWN THIS ROAD! It is so refreshing listening to their beautiful harmonies. I can't quit playing the CD. Shannon and Adam are immensely talented and put out a first class CD. I hope that this is only the start to a very successful career in country music for them!

Given that the Wrights' songs and harmonies were among the most fetching elements of Alan Jackson's "What I Do" album, it's no surprise that the same elements make their debut so wonderful. Whether they're trading leads or singing together, there's a perfect dichotomy of harmony and spark between this husband and wife duo. The vocals are Everly Brothers tight, but with the high-low magic of a male-female duo; think of them as a more commercial version of Buddy and Julie Miller, and without the latter's little-girl sing-song.

The opener, "Down This Road," is so good that it's a wonder the rest of the album can keep up. Shannon's full-throated kiss-off, articulated with pedal steel and rumbling low notes from the piano, is underlined by Adam's harmony. It's the sort of radio hit you tune up and down the dial hoping to hear one more time before you exit the highway for dinner (where you notice that you've strained your voice singing along and your hands hurt from drumming on the steering wheel).

Additional charms include the lazy, humid "You're In Georgia Now," and the jazzy he-said she-said of "On the Rocks." There's another fine kiss-off tune (the bluegrass "Roller Coaster") and gospel-inspired country ("Leave a Light On"), and the album closes with another fine example of The Wrights' effortless lead trading on the sassy "You Got the Thorns." Neatly, the song ends with a minute-and-half instrumental, providing the band a chance to stretch out, and providing an unusually musical close to a Nashville produced album. One of the year's most welcome debuts!

4-1/2 stars, if allowed fractional ratings.

I knew about this cd but I did not plan to buy it, but on 7/7/06 I went to the Rhonda Vincent concert in Newnan, GA. The Wrights were the opening act. Two guitars, two voices, and I was sold on them. I had to get their cd. Here is the thing, these two can write great songs. If you like the songs of Guy Clark, Rodney Crowell, Buddy and Julie Miller then you should like The Wrights. They have a bit of an alt-country sound and that is the type of country music that I love. I wish them the best.

This is a really terrific debut album by the Wrights. Wonderfully eclectic composition, thoughtful arrangement and high energy music-making. Brings to mind for me Gary Allan when he first came on the scene. Real different but still clearly country.

It is about time for a true country duo to come along. What a refreshing change to the current crop of country duos. If you only like and want the overproduced music with the pounding drums, loud guitars, etc If you like the polished slick sounding vocals you won't find that here. You will find the basics. Which is a very welcomed change. Their voices blend well and are complemented by the back to basic arangements. According to the linner notes only two guitars, bass, dobro, steel, drums and a Piano were used. Each of the 12 songs were penned by by Adam and Sharron Wright. Who both play guitars on the cd. These songs talk about true love , love on the rocks The ups and down of love. Returning to a lost love. Finding a better love for both. So if you have been waiting for a back basic's duo to come along Go "Down the Road" to your nearest cd store and pick up a copy.