Customer Reviews

Flower of Avalon

5 star:		(13)
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Dave Carter's unfathomably brilliant talent for rich, unexpectedly compelling lyrics is captured well here by his partner following his tragically early death. The missing voice of the composer is somehow forgotten for just a moment as you get lost in Tracy's own delicious vocal talent. Carter will be deeply missed, but it is somberly reassuring to hear how well Tracy honors his spirit on her own. The music on this album is generally, all considered, as beautiful as anything they played together ... which is saying a lot. The vocal contributions by Mary Chapin Carpenter are subtle and welcome.

The choice of songs is part of the success of this album for me, as it was in Carter and Grammer albums in the past. There is the album's released single, a pleasantly textured traditional style folk song with a civil war resister theme called "Loughlin Boy." Then there are bittersweet love songs with the with the usual Carter and Grammer nuances. Look forward to Tracy's eerily dark interpretation in "Preston Miller," which recounts the fate of a noble's secret illegitimate son. Best of all, there are the unique sort of songs that fans expect, like "mother, I climbed," which only Dave Carter could have written and only Tracy Grammer could have performed so perfectly.

This album both showcases Dave Carter's talent and gives a glimmer of what Tracy Grammer can do on her own, and foreshadows even better things from her in the future to look forward to.

Give the overwhelming favorable reception to the Dave Carter and Tracy Grammer CDs from Amazon customer reviews, I am surprised nobody has stepped forward to review this one yet.

In any case Tracy's first CD since the loss of Dave is a lovely, fitting and ultimately deeply moving tribute to the gifted songwriting talents of her late partner. From the playful musical vibes of "Phantom Doll," to the sweetly sad (or is that sadly sweet) ruminations of "Gypsy Rose," to the jaunty feel of politically charged "Hey Ho," to the absolutely heartbreaking "Mother, I Climbed" Carter's vision as a songwriter shine through and have no better interpreter than the lovely voice of the lovely Tracy Grammer. Aided by the coproduction of John Jennings and, on two tracks, the vocals of Mary Chapin Carpenter it is difficult to think of a more fitting and moving tribute to Dave Carter than this album which is clearly one of the year's best. It does Dave's talents the justice they deserve and that is no easy accomplishment!

How can one do an album of Dave Carter songs without Dave Carter? The sound of his voice has been so much a part of the unmistakable feel of his lyrics. Well, Tracy's done it somehow. Dave Carter's inimitable kind of lyric writing is given full (minus Dave) voice here. It amounts, I guess, to a kind of tribute to him and a very good one. All the songs save one are Dave Carter originals. Tracy does a very fine job of delivering them--even the ones which would have been lead sung by Dave himself--both the slow, mournful Carter songs and the fast, jaunty Carter compositions. Tracy herself does wonderful instrumental work on violin and guitar. Jim Henry plays great dobro and mandolin. Jon Carroll has a way with the piano. John Jennings (Mary Chapin Carpenter's protege) co-produces, plays and sings harmony--as does Mary Chapin herself. It's a wonderful success. You'd know these were Dave Carter songs anywhere. Just two examples of that lyric-writing voice that is so familiar:

"lonesome stranger, won't you share my bed
the sidewalk siren at the bus stop said
love is a tear in a salty bay and it's
hard to make it in this world today."

"my love is like a gypsy rose
wild is the only way he grows
out where the sweet july wind blows
he blooms over yonder."

Tracy deserves a lot of praise for the idea and the carrying through of this project to bring Dave's voice back for all of his fans. Terrific.

Songwriters like Dave Carter come along only a few times in a generation and one must wonder what sort of musical expectations his partner Tracy Grammer must have placed on herself after Carter's tragic and heartbreaking death. And while one may miss the rough-hewn quality of Carter's drawl on Flower of Avalon, Tracy Grammer's elegant, rich vocals and trademark violin shines through any sadness in this loving musical tribute to Carter and some of his last songs. But "Flower of Avalon" is also a lofty indication of the measure of Tracy Grammer's talent as player, vocalist and producer. While the overall production and playing strikes one as ever-so cautious (at times), the arrangements are all sophisticated and rich. And things do jump on the jazzy "Phantom Doll", a hint at yet another musical direction Carter was probing, the playful and rootsy "Loughlin Boy" and the dark and ripping "Preston Miller", where Grammer spills out a cascade of dire lyrics and literally tears through her violin solo. Grammer's interpretation of some of Carter's reflective songs, the deeply philosophical "Mother I Climbed" and starkly social "Hard to Make It" gives one a chance to fathom how varied and rich Carter's word craft was. And what a great interpreter Grammer is.

Given the incredibly difficult task of musically translating Dave Carter's work, Tracy Grammer has crafted a loving, respectful, musically ambitious and sophisticated work that is deserving of much attention and admiration. 5 stars.

This album makes me so happy, and so sad all at once. For anyone familiar with Dave and Tracy's work together you'll know that its heartbreaking to think of an album without Dave. Thankfully this isn't the case. The songs on the album were written by Dave and its almost scary how much he's present. You can hear exactly where he would be singing in his quiet thoughtful voice.
Highlights are definatly preston miller, and always winter when he goes, which is particularly moving given the circumstances.
Wonderful album, I recomend it to anyone who loves songs that make you feel something.

I discovered Dave and Tracy music in late 2002, when Dave Carter had already passed away. What won me over was their mix of intricate lyrics and Celtic- and country- tinged instrumentation. Since then, I've become a fan and have explored their catalogue, waiting for a new release.

Flower of Avalon, which - I remember reading somewhere - is the title of a song Dave wrote for Tracy, is the first full-length album after Dave's untimely death. It opens with "Shadow of Evangeline". Their fan base, more accustomed to acoustic, string-produced sounds, could at first be disoriented by the song's showing-off of electric guitars, drums and percussions. However, the hard-to-decipher images evoked by the song are pure Dave Carter. The following track, "Gypsy Rose", is an uptempo piece with potential radio hit, if it was given the right exposure. It's worth mentioning that during concerts Tracy usually performs a slower version which is, in her words, more faithful to Dave's original. "Laughlin Boy" is the only song in the album not penned by Carter. It's a traditional ballad about a soldier refusing to go to war and its present-day implications are evident. Its foot-stomping rhythm makes it one of the highlights of the album.

"Hard to make it" is a mournful song about a prostitute pondering her fate. Carter wades into this delicate subject with his usual literary and inimitable style. "Hey Ho" is an attack on wild consumerism that promotes war toys among young and, in doing so, drives them to violence.

"Mother I climbed" is about the vain quest for a meaning in life (every chorus ends with "I found nothing to believe"), while "Preston Miller" is a murder ballad about an illegitimate son. "Winter when he goes" is about the passing of love; the pace is slow and the lack of feeling is reflected in the chilly and waste landscape. "Phantom Doll" strays from the usual folk/country path and veers in swing territory, with prominent use of piano and clarinet. "Any way I do" is a gospel number with Mary Chapin Carpenter, Jon Carroll and Jim Henry joining Tracy in the chorus. This track closes the album on a vaguely positive tone ("in praise or lamentation, peace or desperation/ any way I do, I come into the presence of the Lord").

To sum up, if you loved Dave and Tracy music, you'll love this album too, even though it lacks Dave's voice. (Personally, I prefers songs where Tracy sings up front, so this is not a big drawback to me). Moreover, Tracy has recorded two EPs with Jim Henry, her new musical companion. These EPs can give a hint to where her music is heading and it looks promising.

Though "Laughlin Boy" is theoretically the "single" on this album, my ears first poked up listening to our local PBS station play "Hey Ho". What a great indication that protest music was and is still alive and well in the USA. There's not a bad song on this album, though I have to admit that "Winter When He Goes" isn't one of my favorites. I would have liked to hear Carter working with her on "Hard to Make it"...seems as if it would have added to the "punch" of the song if the last line was sung by a male. My favorite, however, has to be "Mother I Climbed". OK, it's a downer, but it's beautiful, and the sentiments are perfect. I also love "Preston Miller" (reminiscent, in some ways, of "Cateye Willie" on an earlier album), and "Phantom Doll".
Carter's mastery of the language is evident on this album. He had a touch with alliteration that is deft, without being obvious.
After hearing this album, I immediately bought the three that they made together...and I'm anxiously awaiting her next.

Grammer continues to carry Carter's torch. She is his voice from beyond. This is a wonderful compilation of music that provides listers with an excellent example of Carter's songwriting ability. In "Flower of Avalon" Grammer takes Carter's lyrics to a bitter sweet culmination, creating for Carter a crowning achievement. Grammer's voice is passionate, powerful, and precise.

Try this album -- it's the kind you'll listen to over and over again, and like more as time passes.

Tracy is coming to my town shortly, and a friend at work lent me her copy of this CD to hear what Tracy does. I'm buying my own copy at the show. I listened all the way through, started out to return the CD, but instead went back to my desk and listened again, every note of it, drinking it in and losing track of what I was working on. I think the last time I did that was in 1968 with Disreali Gears. It is only through the other reviews that I know who Dave Carter was, and his loss is such a shame, such beautiful writing.
Tracy Grammer does these marvelous songs more than justice. Her renditions are a fitting tribute to Carter's lyrics. In her voice I hear notes of Mary Black, a hint of Nanci Griffith, and overtones of Allison Kraus, while maintaining a voice of her own. Should be telling; Tracy holds her own in the harmonies with Mary Chapin Carpenter on this CD. I am usually a rock & blues listener but with an affinity for acoustic music like Chris Smither or Union Station, and this CD has simply touched me from first note to last like few others have. I completely love it.