Customer Reviews

Restoration

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If you are a fan of any Midwestern / Austin City Limits / Southern Rock music, you will no doubt put this CD near the top of the list after you listen to it. I first heard " The Heart Of Everything " at 6:30 in the morning on a volunteer radio station and could not get that melody out of my head all day. As a " severely over thirty-ish " type person, it`s a rare instance that any music catches my attention. This one is different. This is the only CD I own three copies of. I originally got just one, but was afraid this one would get away, so I got two more just to be safe.The first six tracks will lift you up and get you going. Your toes will be tappin. The next six will mellow you out. " Rest of The World " will snatch you back up and " Goodbye Annabella " will set you back down again. Then you`ll want to hear it all again. Some songs have melodies that take you in one direction, while the lyrics of the same song take you in a different direction. It`s almost like getting two songs in one. Names like Delbert McClinton, Pure Prairie League, John Hyatt, Robert Earl Keen and others come to mind, but KB and the OP`s stand on their own. This is music to drive with the windows down. This is early "Friday Night" party music. This is late " Saturday Night " driving home music. This is where old rockers and the semi-sophisticated rednecks meet to enjoy something very rare today; good, solid music.

With US music trends dipping precariously towards "Pop/Trash/Britney" stylings, where the artist doesn't even play an instrument, let alone write the songs and co-produce, it's great to hear some good 'ol "Americana". And the emphasis is on "Good", here. Restoration's 14 tracks are all finely crafted, intricate, but never overdone works of a group of people who obviously know what they're doing. They have gorgeous violin, jangling mandolin, and Andy Dee's incredible lap-steel. What more could you want?

Kevin puts a little twist into his lyrics. Always puts forth the melodies/tunes. Heard him back in Minneapolis in the early eighties. His group was "Summer of Love", knew right then that he could write. He wrote a song called "Rosetta the Stone", and many others that simply made you want to listen, think and dance all at once. "Restoration" has brought a driving, story telling cd to my collection.

Kevin Bowe is another great storyteller. He knows how to craft a song and does it well. Every song on this CD is a finely crafted lyrical treasure of Americana set to a progressive/alt/country style sound.

Although some of Bowe's songs have been a bit overproduced on recordings by guitarist/vocalist Jonny Lang and some other well known artists, Restoration remains a pure testament to his own outstanding musical and lyrical abilities.