Customer Reviews

Face a Frowning World: An E.C. Ball Memorial Album

5 star:		(1)
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2 star:		(1)
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Tribute albums are labors of love, so it's hard to give them negative reviews. The problem I have with this album is that so many of the songs are highly electrified country rock versions of songs that were at one time recorded by EC & Orna Ball. They are so far removed from the way EC & Orna sounded that they can only disappoint those seeking the feeling and mood of the original recordings. Dave Bird's "He's My God" (which starts things off; you never get a second chance to make a first impression!) and Catherine Bird's "Cabin On the Hill" were enough to get me running from the room screaming and back to the originals to flush out my ears. Don't even *think* of listening to Jon Langford's interpretation of "When I Get Home I'm Gonna Be Satisfied" without steeling yourself first and having a finger poised over the Stop button! It's rare that a single rendition of a song can ruin it entirely and forever, but this came close to doing for me. A much better tribute would have been songs done in the style of EC & Orna, since it's their approach that made them so endearing.

However, there are some gems, too, including the Bell, Harmon, Parton "Fathers Have a Home Sweet Home" (which actually has me saying something nice about songs that merely substitute Father/Mother/Sister/Brother as they move from verse to verse), the Handsome Family's "Jenny Jenkins", and Reyna Gellert's "Lord, I Want More Religion".

If I had to come down yea or nay, my vote would be nay. You'd be MUCH better off with the original recordings (E.C. Ball, with Orna Ball). However, this is the 21-st century, so you can decide for yourself by listening to some clips at sites that have them such as emusic and buying mp3s of the tracks that appeal.

Don't know about the rest of the album, but the Handsome Family track makes it worth the price all by itself. What a fantastic band!