Customer Reviews

Smoke

5 star:		(7)
4 star:		(0)
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I have to say I didn't know what to expect when I heard PK was doing a bluegrass record but after one time through on the CD player it was an instant favourite. Some great versions of PK songs such as Sydney from a 727 & Taught be Experts, and some great new songs with Uncle Bill.

I was lucky enough to see PK & Uncle Bill perform all these songs on concert twice in one weekend - Friday night at the Great Northern in Byron Bay and Sunday at the Waterloo in Brisbane - and both PK and Uncle Bill were outstanding. If you like Paul Kelly or just bluegrass music you will love this albumn.

I saw Paul Kelly perform most of these songs with bluegrass band Uncle Bill at the Waterloo Hotel in Brisbane, November 1999. It was a special night in my life because it was the first time I had seen Paul Kelly live, and I felt a tingle down my spine to hear so many of the songs that have best defined Australia and Australians for the past couple of decades. I feel that Paul Kelly articulates a lot of things about my country, about who we are. This CD may not capture all the emotion of the concert, but all I can say is, if you haven't seen Paul Kelly in concert, do.

A brilliant bluegrass CD from Down Under. Paul Kelly has outdone himself with a CD that holds its own against the incredibly high standard created by Steve Earle in his CD "The Mountain." Like Earle, Kelly deserves a lot more credit than he gets and both are two of the finest songwriters around.

I had no idea that Paul Kelly had recorded this CD. As an Australian living in America, I lose track of what's happening on the Aussie music scene. When my parents sent me this CD for my birthday this year, I was blown away. I've been a long time Kelly fan and during my time here in the US I have fallen deeply in love with Bluegrass. This CD brings them together perfectly. Perfectly!

If this was all you knew of Paul Kelly, you'd swear he created this style of music. Along with Uncle Bill, he has stripped bluegrass to its magical roots and injected the soul of Australian folk/pop music. If you think you don't like bluegrass, or don't know what it is, have a listen. I think you'll like it. If you're a Paul Kelly fan, then you already own it, I'm sure. My personal favourites are "Whistling Bird", "Our sunshine" and "I can't believe we were married". But they're all good.

Paul, you rule. Peter and Lorraine, thanks for the CD.

i was introduced to this album at a friend's home in Freo, and was taken by it instantly. (i play lost of musicical instruments, and used to have a bluegrass radio show.)

the great songsmith and storyteller paul kelly takes his prodigous talent to bluegrass styling, and produces a wonderful album. chalk one up for oz!

i particularly liked his 'sydney from a 747'. gentle, evocative and memorable for both deft playing and a great story, kelly and his friends pull off something we could play on 'pacific picking' out of Vancouver. i am buying this album for myself, but will make sure arthur berman, host of pacific picking, hears about it and gets it broadcast.

well done! thanks, paul.

I had not heard of Paul Kelly or Uncle Bill previously but I discovered them via Kasey Chambers, a fellow Aussie who featured Uncle Bill (the band) and Paul on two songs from her debut CD. Those two songs, Heartbreak/Heartmend and I Still Pray were great so I went looking to find out who these guys were. Well, I found out that PK is an Aussie legend and Uncle Bill was this very talented bluegrass band. I bought "Smoke" and was not disappointed a bit. Paul's songwriting and vocals are perfect for bluegrass. The instrumentation and playing is superb all around. This is a CD crying for a sequel and although you may pay more for an import, this is a must for any "alt country", bluegrass, or fan of great songwriters and heartfelt music.

Plain and simple: You do not have to like bluegrass to love what Paul Kelly has done in re-interpreting some of his classic songs to the bluegrass style. It's perfection!