Milly's Cafe

Fred Eaglesmith | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (January 8, 2007)
• Original Release Date: 2006
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: Aml Records
• ASIN: B000FA583Y
• In-Print Editions: MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (10 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #285,831 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

18 of 18 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Fredheads Rejoice: "Milly's Cafe" is Vintage Eaglesmith, May 18, 2006

By 

Dustin Georgemiller "folk/bluegrass DJ," (Goshen, IN) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Milly's Cafe (Audio CD)

I'm fresh from a live Fred Eaglesmith concert in Goshen, IN and was lucky enough to snag a copy of Fred's newest album, "Milly's Cafe," which was released less than a week ago. Fred has always been sort of a musical enigma - he's a Canadian "liberal who hates liberals," a singer-songwriter who sings songs about trucks, cowboys, liquor, and guns better than people who truly hail from Texarcana. Musically, he's always followed his muse: his albums have varied from alt-country to pure country, bluegrass to billhilly, acoustic folk to folk rock. His sound, and his band, can vary from one album to the next, and that's okay from his small but devoted fanbase, known affectionately as "Fredheads."

"Milly's Cafe" is in this case vintage Fred, relying on long-time collaborator and friend Willie P. Bennett, the one constant from Fred's early days with the Flying Squirrels. Here, the sound is pure alt-country, relying on a small ensemble of electric and acoustic instruments and especially Bennett's electric mandolin and harmonica. The overall feel is mellower than the hard-rocking "50-Odd Dollars"; Fred's songwriting more often than not emotes elements of hardship, loss, and aging. "Rocky" takes the form of a letter from one aging cowboy to another dying of cancer in Albuquerque. It's companion song, "Tired", is another wonderful minor key cowboy ballad, while the title cut tells the story of failed diner-owners-turned-outlaws. "18 Wheels" should go down as one of Fred's best trucking songs to date.

Fans of "Balin'" may be disappointed with the lack of banjo, but Fred fans who have heard the gamut of his works should rejoice: "Milly's Cafe" will not disappoint, and this could be his best release since 1998's "drive-in movie."

10 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars best yet, June 1, 2006

By 

Ian Williamson (Aberdeen Scotland United Kingdom) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Milly's Cafe (Audio CD)

I have to confess to being a huge fan of the man's work however this is an outstanding record and a very rare thing an Album without a bad track. If you listen to nothing else check out Rocky it will make you cry, the vision of an old man in a home just waitin to die, so sad but brilliant Fred I aggree with the previous reviewer his best Album since "Drive In Movie"

9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars gruff, romantic, real country rock, September 1, 2006

By 

yeahyeah (america) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Milly's Cafe (Audio CD)

I bought this on impulse with the new Toby Keith and I gotta say, it's a find. Eaglesmith has a heart-tugging way with a song. It's not lite music at all, it's real roots country and it hits hard. It's moving and has lots of great instruments playing like mandolins and harmonicas and guitars and piano and they're all really good and with the vocals, awesome. I like his powerfil voice and how the guitars all move the songs along, and I like the twangy stuff like "Hank Williams" and the southwestern title track. It's fun finding a new singer to love! I'm going to be singing "Summer is Over and My Baby's Gone" all week! I'm not a good reviewer but this whole CD reminds me of taking a great vacation to a little place in Texas and stopping into some bar and finding the best music.