Customer Reviews

Moonpie Dreams

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

 

 

Moonpie Dreams continues Kate's growth as a songwriter, and the arrangements show some reach beyond the generic folk/country of her first. It is maddeningly uneven, however. It doesn't get much better than See Rock City and Delmus Jackson. But there are a few too many clunkers for my taste. I have seen Kate live on 3 different occasions, and she makes the songs come to life more like she must have originally imagined them. I managed to get her autograph on the CD insert for this one, and believe me, she is just as great to talk to as she is to listen to. See the reviews for Visions Of Plenty, which I think is superior.

This remains the best of Kate Campbell's CDs to date. I bought it because I liked "When Panthers Roamed in Arkansas," but "See Rock City" is one of the most interesting, toe-tapping tunes I've heard in years. "Delmus Jackson" also is excellent. If you want to experience Kate Campbell, try this one first.

From the first time I heard "When Panthers Roamed in Arkansas" and "Galaxie 500" I wanted to hear more. When I finally heard her interviewed and heard her play live, with just a guitar, I was hooked. She brings the South to life; not the pickup-and-guitar south of pop country, but her Home and the people who lived there. Just listen to Galaxie 500 (surely one of the best 'car songs' around) and Panthers and you will see...

Okay, so my headline is corny and ultimately misleading. We were once a nation of regions and, to some extent, we still are. Followers of folk music are always looking for the next Dylan. While it is true, there is only one Dylan (for that matter, one Bruce Springsteen and, if you are English, one Richard Thompson) but Kate has the potential for becoming the greatest woman songwriter in America. Her songs and voice are Southern -- one of the most highly defined regions in America. She knows this country and the events that shaped it. No where is that knowledge more brilliantly displayed than in Galaxie 500 or in Delmos Jackson. The former ties a popular automobile model with change and with the assisination of Dr. King. The latter, a more challenging song, purposely marries mundane, everyday sounds -- a deceptively simple melody and lyric -- with a salute to an everyday hero, the janitor of the title.

Great variety, covering classic R&B, folk, country, and country blues. Collectively, updates folk music from Wells Street in Chicago. Unifying it all is a heartland voice that is confident despite its wavering vulnerability. Simple church and earnest goodness are close at hand in the background. Standouts: tr 3-See Rock City (cf. Marianne Faithfull's housewife in Paris); tr 7-Older Angel (amen); tr 8-Delmus Jackson (Christian version of a John Prine story; tears just flow); tr 9-Signs following (chorus gives a hokey morality tale stunning power); tr 10-Galaxie 500 (early '60s/Springsteen chords build to goose bumps, tears, and power). [44:47]

This brilliant album begins with the nostalgic song with the distinctive title, When panthers roamed in Arkansas. Kate remembers Elvis and some TV shows from the past, while making comments about the deteriorating environment and music on contemporary radio. It is a brilliant song although I wouldn't like to live anywhere that panthers roamed free - I'm sure I could find an ideal place to live without taking such a risk.

The title track is a series of thoughts about loneliness, illustrated by a couple of examples, though I've yet to work out exactly what the song is really about. It is a fascinating song that you can interpret in a variety of ways.

See Rock City is a great song about a woman seeking a new life although it only focuses on the adventure with no comment on whether the woman's dreams are fulfilled.

And that's just the first three songs of a generally mellow, reflective album full of great original songs.

If you enjoy the music of Lucinda Williams, Lucy Kaplansky and others like them, give Kate Campbell a listen, You'll be in for a real treat.