Customer Reviews

Highway of Dreams

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I first heard a cut from this album on XM Radio, was totally swept away by Bradley's sincere and soulful voice. Man oh man, I bought the album and found every song to be excellant! If you like ballads, you can't go wrong with this one.

I am an eclectic when it comes to music and not necessarily a country music fan. When it comes to country music most of the current artists seem overly formulaic and "pop-ish". My preferences in this genre tend more towards the old school storytellers who sang with heart, purpose, and enjoyment (not simply money). That said, Bradley Waker's debut album meets all of these criteria. There simply isn't a bad song on the entire album. Overall this one has taken its place among my favorite albums on my iPod (and I have nearly 8000 songs to choose from!). If you enjoy melodic songs with heart, this is an absolute gem.

Playing Time - 42:26 -- Similar to some other projects being produced in Nashville (e.g. Mark Newton Band's "Hillbilly Hemingway" on Rebel Records), there is a certain recipe (I won't call it "formula") for successful acoustic country with some bluegrass flavorings.
Producer Carl Jackson could write a dissertation on the subject. Call it "hard country" if you want to. Vocalist Bradley Walker just refers to his love of both traditional country and bluegrass music. The young man of 28 has built a strong network in both genres. There's no question that Bradley has some powerhouse pipes. When folks have heard him guest on the Opry or appear on the MDA Telethon, they sit up and take note. Then, the recipe calls for some great Nashville session acoustic musicians. Stir in some drums for a commercial radio-friendly sound. Finally, whip up some well-written songs from the proven pens of Carl Jackson, Harley Allen, Larry Cordle, Craig Market, Mike Ward, Shawn Camp, Jim McBride and Jerry Salley. Pay some respect to tradition by covering an old classic nugget like lefty Frizzell's "I'll Never Go Around Mirrors." Close the set with an inspirational gospel number, "We Know Where He Is." Once all this exceptional talent, hard work and production effort is cooked in the Nashville oven, you'll end up with a fully-baked album like "Highway of Dreams." Nothing half-baked or overdone about it. Call it formula if you wish, but good chefs know the importance of having the right ingredients and following directions closely to end up with a sweetly-tasting delicacy.

You can hardly go wrong with vocal collaborators like Russell Moore, Cia Cherryholmes, Alecia Nugent, Sonya Isaacs, Vince Gill, Carl Jackson, Rhonda Vincent, Brandon Rickman, Jerry Salley and Larry Cordle. For goodness sakes, these folks are all first-rate singers in their own right, and they are relegated to background vocals on this project. Talk about good company! Check out the instrumentalists -- Ron Block, Rob Ickes, Aubrey Haynie, Adam Steffey, Randy Kohrs, Clay Hess, Jim Van Cleve, and others. The zestiest bluegrass tang appears in the four tracks with Ron Block or Ron Stewart's banjo, with "Shoulda Took That Train" and "Payin' Your Dues" establishing some up-tempo snappy grooves.

The album's vocal and instrumental presence will elevate it to radio-friendly fare. I presume that's why Tony Creasman's drums appear in every track. Fortunately, they're rather understated and not too distracting, although I'd personally prefer the warm bark of the mandolin in sparer settings such as the gospel closer. Bradley Walker has garnered attention from the bluegrass community, and he's fronted a group called The Trinity Mountain Boys that released "Breaking New Ground" in 1999. Then, Walker became lead singer for Atlanta-based Lost Horizon in 2001. Without totally selling out or turning his back on his bluegrass friends and fans, it appears Bradley's now being groomed and market-tested for a potential jump all the way into country. "If I Hadn't Reached for the Stars" mentions that the highway of dreams has no exit for easy street.
One of the songs he sings is "Price of Admission" with some sage advice - "for everything you do there's something you do without....you can't have your cake and eat it too." I think Bradley's got the talent and right attitude for success. Let's hope that the price of admission just isn't too high for him. (Joe Ross, staff writer, Bluegrass Now)

I first heard of Bradley Walker on the NPR show "Fresh Air with Terry Gross" when Ken Tucker reviewed this CD on November 13, 2006. He played samples of this CD and I was simply blown away with the tone, control and power of this young man's voice. As Ken Tucker stated, BW exhibits a maturity of vocal control and emotion, and an understanding of his musical style of a performer twice his age, in the vein of George Jones' style. BW's debut album is a throwback to the old style honky tonk country and bluegrass music of another era. It is a stellar performance that I enjoy hearing over and over. His voice is amazing and it doesn't hurt that he has guest support by a cast of extraordinary musicians including Vince Gill, Rhonda Vincent, Alecia Nugent, Ron Block, Rob Ickes, and many others. I predict you will hear much more of this young man in the near future. Buy this CD with confidence you are about to hear one of the best CD's of 2006.

I just happened upon this CD at Borders and I mainly picked it to look at it because of vocalists helping out on it. You have Cia Cherryholmes, Alecia Nugent, Sonya Isaacs, Vince Gill, Carl Jackson, Rhonda Vincent. But I listened to sample at store and really liked the sound. It is not really Bluegrass but more like hard country ballads in the tradition of Vern Gosdin etc. and the guy can really sing and brings tears to my eyes on some of the songs. Carl Jackson does great job producing as usual. I highly recommend it to anyone. I had listened to entire CD a couple of times before I even read that he has Muscular Dystophy.

Just took this recent purchase with me on a road trip and must say this is the best music I have heard in a while. Try it it's well worth the listen.

If you enjoy bluegrass and "old fashioned" acoustic country music with a little honky-tonk thrown in for good measure, buy Bradley Walker's CD "Highway of Dreams." If you don't like this genre, there won't be anything on this CD that's right. For the rest of us, there isn't anything on this CD that's wrong. The songs, the arrangements, the vocalists, the musicians and most of all the lead singer Bradley Walker, it's all done right. No "nasal" vocals here. No "tin-pan" intrumentals either. This is one of the best albums of the decade. If it were a different genre, more people would know it.

God bless you Mr. Walker for your honest, beautiful singing. Let success not spoil your "perfect little life". We want more, but art fair work goes slowly, so congratulations, take it easy and take your time!

I had the privilege a couple of years ago to play with a band at a fairly mainstream bluegrass festival. Playing behind us was the superstar group "Wildfire" and during part of their show they introduced a young man who came out and sang several songs. "Unusual", I thought. Big-time bands didn't usually invite unknown guests. Sure, if Tony Rice or Alison Krauss had been available no one would have blinked to see them walk out on stage. But I had never heard of Bradley Walker. Then he began to sing and everyone around me started murmuring the same thing I was thinking - "This guy's GOOD!"

In his debut on Rounder Records Mr. Walker is already seasoned, with gigs like the one I described as well as performances bringing down the house at the Grand Ol' Opry.

Listening to him is almost like traveling in a time machine that picked up Keith Whitley and Randy Travis and vintage George Jones, Merle Haggard and Lefty Frizzell. Now you may be scratching your head... didn't I describe a scene at a Bluegrass festival, then name a handful of country icons? I did indeed. Because Bradley Walker's music is not a clone of the laser-light-show twangy pop music that comes from the stages of folks like Rascal Flatts and Keith Urban. There's nary an electric gee-tar on this record. Recognizing that Bradley's voice is best paired with instrumentation from the Flatt and Scruggs era, Mr. Walker and producer Carl Jackson team that bone-chillin' baritone with the best pickers in Bluegrass: Rob Ickes on Dobro, Adam Steffey on mandolin, Aubrey Haynie on fiddle and Clay Hess on guitar. On choruses Bradley is joined with spine-tinglin' results by voices like Vince Gill, Alecia Nugent, Rhonda Vincent.

A few tunes are up-tempo bluegrass - check out Gill's soaring tenor on Walker's easy lead vocal on "Should've Took That Train". There are a couple of gospel tunes so beautiful and moving I felt as if I had been lifted right up to the Pearly Gates: try to not admire the life celebrated in "We Know Where He Is". But most of the tunes are things I would call "good, old country", and include, for example, an absolutely KILLER version of Lefty's old "I Never Go Around Mirrors".

If you long to hear a country record that would have been right at home back when Bill Monroe and Hank Williams poured out of an old Philco radio broadcast from WSM, and you recognize that the hottest pickers in Nashville grew up picking Martin Herringbones, not stratocasters, you absolutely MUST check out "Highway of Dreams". There has not been a better bluegrass-crossed-with-country recording since Keith Whitley was with J.D. Crowe.

I have hesitated to mention the first thing you notice when Bradley Walker goes out on stage to sing. Born with muscular dystrophy, the handsome singer has been wheelchair-bound his entire life. Producer Jackson and others rightly point out that he is more than a great singer - he is an inspiration. I hate to label people, so the only label I'll apply is "best country singer I've heard in 25 years".

Run...do not walk.....and buy this CD. It is wonderful on all counts. His version of "I never go around mirrors" (a Keith Whitley song) is worth the price of the whole CD.

Bradley -- PLEASE record another one!