Customer Reviews

Reckless

5 star:		(23)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

What a shame that this band lost Chris Stapleton. Not only can the guy sing with more power and soul than just about anyone else in any music genre today, but he is apparently a great songwriter as well. He co-wrote most of the tunes in this collection with Steeldrivers guitarist/mandolinist Mike Henderson (who's no slouch himself). I liked the first Steeldrivers CD so much that I was sure "Reckless" would be a disappointment, but was I ever wrong. There's really not a bad cut on the CD, but standouts include "Peacemaker" and "Ghosts of Mississippi." Mike Henderson's bottleneck playing on a National steel combines perfectly with the rest of the band in kind of a Robert Johnson meets Bill Monroe sound that absolutely rocks! Tammy Rodgers on fiddle and harmony vocal and Richard Bailey on banjo are stellar as before. Rodgers' voice blends perfectly with Stapleton's and she favors bluesy sounding harmonies that really transform the songs. The banjo playing is also imaginative and remarkably free of cliches. If you like your bluegrass with a side of blues , you will love this CD.

I came to the Steeldrivers through Mike Henderson's Bluebloods, a fabulous blues band which issued 'First Blood' and 'Thicker Than Water' in the late 1990s. Solos from Henderson's guitar and John Jarvis' piano always surprised and were never clichéd like so many others, and this from Nashville session musos! So, I checked Amazon recently to see if the Bluebloods had issued another album, and I found that Henderson had formed a rootsy bluegrass unit called The Steeldrivers. Soon after I discovered an excellent Rounder compilation called Sinner's Prayer and The Steeldrivers track 'If It Hadn't Been For Love' was in the prime second spot. I was impressed. Then, while down in Melbourne I found their initial CD in a second hand store, couldn't believe my luck! So I ordered Reckless through Amazon and I've been listening to it for a couple of weeks.

I thought the first album was great, but Reckless for my taste surpasses it. I like the addition of Henderson's earthy resonator guitar (if only for a couple of tracks), Tammy Rogers' double tracked fiddle in (discrete) parts, and Chris Stapleton's rough hewn oak of a voice is even more passionate. Stapleton's replacement for the next album Gary Nichols is also a singer songwriter with soul - check the video of Good Corn Liquor - but songs on his MySpace site show a smoother mainstream approach and The Steeldrivers' next release will be interesting to say the least.

Overall the songs on Reckless have more of a blues/gospel flavour infusing the country. The lyrics, as with the first, are immediate and poetic in parts ''Mercy ain't got no judgement/Justice got a rag tied around her eyes'' (from The Price), ''There are walls made of paper/ and walls made of stone/ And some that are made out of livin' alone'' (from Higher Than The Wall), ''the flames have turned to ashes/but there's still some embers left'' (from You Put the Hurt on Me). The song Can You Run deals with a slave running for freedom, the song Peacemaker is sung from a gun's point of view, shot with irony.

Musically this band is stellar and all members have impressive credentials. Banjo player Richard Bailey weaves through each song with his deft melodic picking and rhythmic embellishments. Tammy Rogers plays fiddle with effortless flare, and fire where needed, and her backing vocal harmonies with bassist Mike Fleming are tight with a raw edge. As with the first album Mike Henderson seems content with almost a background role, not one vocal and usually rhythmic chops on the mandolin but when he takes a solo it flies. Check out Angel of the Night for virtuoso playing from all, Chris Stapleton's rhythmic drive kicks off with a minor key, Tammy's fiddle lights up the sky (you are reminded of Dylan's live Hurricane from Rolling Thunder), then complementary solos from Henderson and Bailey and Tammy again are stunning.

There is not a single filler on this album; all tracks are so good. I can't choose a highlight, maybe on initial listening I might have said Good Corn Liquor, Can You Run, or Ghosts of Mississippi but the more I listened the more I heard; the ballads have become stronger. A really classic album always reveals more, and this one has power, depth and soul. It resonates. It is organic, unpretentious, light years from slick Nashville sounds and it is encouraging to note that the group is based there.

It seems that they play together to enjoy the discovery of the music which emerges. Ok most groups do that you might say. Yes but most groups don't have the expertise and imagination of these players. I'd place it with Bill Monroe, The Stanley Brothers, Muleskinner, Buddy Miller's Universal United House of Prayer, Steve Earle's Jerusalem, Kane Welch and Kaplin's Lost John Dean, Bela Fleck's Throw Down Your Heart, Ry Cooder and Ali Farka Toure's Talkin' Timbuktu. Booklet notes by Larry Nager are well written and informative and thankfully for my Aussie ears the lyrics are included!!

This is bluegrass with an edge. I never listened to bluegrass before the SteelDrivers. Second release is even better than the first. The Steeldrivers The band is at the top of thier game here. Every song is a gem. You can find a little bit of every music style blended to perfection. No matter what you like to listen to, there is something here you will enjoy. The lead singer, Chris Stapleton has left the band, but check out his myspace page and his rock band The Jompson Brothers myspace page for a few more tasty treats. This guy is one hell of a story teller and his voice is second to none.

The SteelDrivers came VERY close to matching the best album of 2008 (their debut) and that's no small feat. Their songwriting, harmonies, and dark blend of bluegrass and blues are un-f'ing-stoppable again on Reckless. There isn't a bad song on the album and ask yourself honestly, how often can you say that? This is a rare band my friends so buy it now. I did.

Best album ever from my favorite band! Can't say enough about Gary Nichols voice! Just phenominal!!! Highly recomend this album!

I tend to shop for music that I can listen to the entire album, rather than just one song. While there are a couple of standout songs on this album, the entire thing is a work of art. I enjoy this particular album so much, I think it may have ruined the rest of the bluegrass genre for me. Nothing else seems to be able to touch it that I have yet discovered.

The only problem with diving into this album is the realization that The Steeldrivers only have two albums and the lead singer, with his smoky, soulful voice, has left the band. Regardless, this one has a permanent place on my shelf. I would recommend it to anyone that likes music that harkens back to simpler times, tells stories, and does it all with feeling.

When the Steeldrivers released their self-titled debut in 2008 they immediately captured the attention with their excellent songwriting, musicianship and not least with the songwriting talents and incredible vocal ability of frontman Chris Stapleton. His deep gutsy southern vocal was equal parts blues,gospel and rock and sat beautifully over the sophisticated bluegrass sounds the band created. Unfortunately he decided to leave the band, but not before creating his swansong in 'Reckless'. And it doesn't disappoint. From the opening track to the end this cd oozes class. The Steeldrivers along with Jamey Johnson were lending a real credibility to the country scene so its a damn shame that Chris Stapleton left. New singer Gary Nicholls is a brave man to try to fill them shoes and good luck to him. The highlight of the album is the incredible track 'The Price' with its beautiful melody, outstanding harmonies and Chris Stapleton's soaring vocal showing everyone around him how it SHOULD be done. Buy It Now.

We were so glad to see that the Steeldrivers had made another CD since we loved the one we had. They have such a unique sound. Then we heard the lead singer has left to sing in a rock band. Hope this is not true.

This CD really catches the spirit of a Steeldrivers' live performance. I absolutely love "Where Rainbows Never Die," and I enjoyed all of the songs ("Guitars, Whiskey, Guns and Knives" was the only one I didn't add to my iPod playlists after buying the CD at a performance.) Also, I know some folks are disappointed that Chris Stapleton is no longer a member of the band, but the new lead singer (Gary Nichols) has such an incredible voice that, after hearing him live, I was really discouraged to find out that this CD didn't feature him. It's a great CD--but I'm sure the next one will be every bit as good and perhaps even better.

Back in 1964, when The Beatles broke out all over the world, I was an eager teen of fourteen. Like everybody else my age, I was caught up in the whirlwind. Then I heard The Stones singing "It's All Over Now". My fourteen-year-old sensibilities were immediately set on fire. Fast-forward to the present - I very much enjoy the melodic, sweet sounds of Ricky Skaggs, The Gibson Brothers, Dailey & Vincent, et al - my modern day Beatles. However, when I'm in the mood for something a little raunchier, more gritty, with more of an edge, it's often this album I turn to - it really does speak to "The Reckless Side of Me". Borrowing from another genre, and another time, I'd say The SteelDrivers are more Travis Tritt ("Here's a Quarter, Call Someone Who Cares") than they are Randy Travis.

Not easily categorised, this outing ranges with apparent ease across a variety of genres. Following the slower sensibilities/sensitivity of "Where Rainbows Never Die", the uptempo "The Price" is as much full-steam-ahead rock as it is bluegrass. This then segues into the more traditional sound of "Can You Run", with its pleasing melody and beautiful harmonies provided by band member Tammy Rogers. Worthy of special mention is "You Put the Hurt on Me" - heart-felt, and wouldn't sound out of place on any quality, traditional country artist's album (the aforementioned Randy Travis and the inimitable George Jones spring immediately to mind). As its title suggests, "Ghosts of the Mississippi" evokes the blues as much as it does bluegrass.

So, if it's traditional, down-the-line bluegrass you're after, this may not be the album for you. On the other hand, if persistently high quality, genre stretching, adventurous music appeals, this outing could very much fit the bill. Highly recommended.