Customer Reviews

Honeysuckle Dog

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

 

 

I thought this album was a follow on to the excellent Train Home, but once I got past the shock when I played the first track (Smither's voice is higher and less mellow in 1973) I loved it. It's like being shown photos of your lover as a child-- this one is so sweet you just want to carry it around with you. Lonely Time is seriously sexy, and Braden River sparkles. This is great stuff.

This is yet another example of the musicianship of this fantastic artist. He weaves some great lyrics and music together to generate some very good tracks including the title track Honeysuckle Dog and Tribute to Mississippi John Hurt. He also performs some other tracks by other writers including Randy Newman that they could only feel good about. Good album and well worth a listen.

Chris Smither's "Honeysuckle Dog" was recorded to be his 3rd album for Poppy, the follow-up to "Don't It Drag On." Of the 12 songs here, Chris recorded 10 of these on other releases; so the music is familiar to those of us who have followed his work. On what is cited in the liner notes as the first recording of Randy Newman's "Guilty," Chris' voice shakes with vulnerability & is like a gentle apology from a guy who knows he's messed up. With the backing vocals of Maeretha Stewart, Hilda Harris & Patti Austin, his take on "It Ain't Easy" carries a gospel fervor for the downwardly mobile. Lowell George's electric lead snakes through the track. The classic "Homunculus" is one of Chris' best melodies. This stripped-down take with just Chris & guitar ironically sounds full & rich. "Braden River" is cited in Michael Cuscuna's liner notes as one of the first songs Chris wrote and shines here with Mike Mainieri enchanting on vibes, Dave Holland's acoustic bass and Ralph Mcdonald's tasteful percussion. There's a lot of hiss on Chris' reading of Bessie Smith's "Jailhouse Blues." Whether intentional or not, it makes the track seem related to Bessie's own recordings. The title track pulses like a cousin to Jimmy Reed and is very easy on the ear. Chris has a knack for taking another writer's material and totally embodying it as if it were written just for him. On Eric Von Schmidt's "Rattlesnake Preacher" he tells the tale of Diamond Joe, "He's the rattlesnake preacher marching through the land; If you ain't got the grace of God, he'll strike you where you stand." Chris' take on "Rosalie" is a rollicking good time. It may have taken 31 years, but this is a set well worth exploring for Chris' longtime fans and those just discovering this marvelous singer. Enjoy!

31 years late . . . but VERY COOL!

I've been waitin' on this release for quite awhile.
The intrigue of the guest artists alone starts you thirsting.
A few choice licks by "The Greatest Feat of them" all is a special treat!
I've noticed that 5 Stars are thrown out there far to frivolously on this site. There are two reasons that hold that last star out of my rating . . . . .

1: This album could've started on song #2 and instantly improved.
( Not that song #1 sucks, but it just doesn't fit the feel of the rest of the album).

2: The background noise is much more tolerable with no snaps, crackles or pops . . . but it's still background noise.
( In fairness, it does "bring you back to the day" a bit).

Bottom Line . . . this is an excellent album, and I'd recommend it to most anyone.