Sounds Like Home

Steve Gulley | Format: MP3 Download

Product Details

• Original Release Date: April 17, 2007
• Label: Lonesome Day Records
• Copyright: 2007 Lonesome Day Records
• Total Length: 42:21
• Genres: Country/Alt-Country & Americana
• ASIN: B000TPTF8O
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Smartly-played account of Gulley's musical heritage, warm voice & easy-going, avuncular style, April 28, 2007

By 

J. Ross "a-music_fan" (Roseburg, OR USA) - See all my reviews
(TOP 1000 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Sounds Like Home (Audio CD)

Playing Time - 42:22 -- Bluegrass runs in the family. Until hearing this album, I never realized that Grasstowne guitarist Steve Gulley is the son of Don Gulley, an original member of the Pinnacle Mountain Boys in the 1960s and early 1970s. An exceptional band that featured twin fiddles and fine singing, they reformed as the Pinnacle Boys after some personnel changes. "Sounds Like Home" includes a father and son rendition (along with one of his former employers, Doyle Lawson) of a favorite hymn, "Nearer My God To Thee." The set also includes two numbers from the Pinnacle Mountain Boys, "Little So & So" and "Cheater of the Year." The latter appeared on the band's 1974 Rounder LP.

A former member of Mountain Heart, Steve Gulley gives us a very solid set of bluegrass with a traditional underpinning. In keeping with his solo album's title, "Sounds Like Home" has handpicked songs that reflect his musical upbringing, heritage and heart. Besides the nods to his father's keystone repertoire, Gulley selected four gospel numbers from the old "Red Book" Baptist hymnal. Vic Graves provides spiritually-infused reverence in the lead vocalizing on "No Not One." Arranged as a vocal quartet, "Prepare To Meet Thy God" also features a cameo appearance by J.D. Crowe and is one of two songs on the disc with Dale Ann Bradley's vocal harmony. A featured vocalist at Renfro Valley Barn Dance, Steve's wife Debbie provides another silky smooth feminine touch to the album on the country duet, "My Elusive Dreams." Other secular offerings include "The Grand Tour" (a hit for George Jones), "Another Day" (a Reno & Smiley nugget), and Steve's self-penned "Mountain Heart" (about a love of his east Tennessee mountain home). The latter has all of his former Mountain Heart bandmates in the mix. In classic brother duet style, Steve sings a tenor to Barry Abernathy's lead on "All Alone" to close the album with a vintage 1930s sound of two voices accompanied only by guitar and mandolin.

Whether Steve's bluegrass thread is hereditary or more recently sewn, his supporting musicians also sound like extended family of old friends and close relatives. To obtain a cohesive, balanced overall sound on the album, Gulley enlisted a core group of stellar guests including Tim Stafford (guitar), Adam Steffey (mandolin), Ron Stewart (banjo), Randy Kohrs (Dobro), Tim Crouch (fiddle), and Jason Moore (bass). Russell Moore sings tenor on "Cheater of the Year," Jeff Parker sings tenor on "Livin' It Down," and Shawn Lane sings tenor on three cuts.

While we're looking forward to an album from Steve's new band, "Sounds Like Home" is a genial and uplifting statement of his own individuality and creativity. Making a solo album can be a challenge. Most of the leading, directing and decision-making fall on one's own shoulders. An artist has few boundaries unless they are self-imposed. Steve only plays guitar on two of the songs so this CD is mostly a smartly-played account of his musical heritage, warm voice and easy-going, avuncular style. (Joe Ross, staff writer, Bluegrass Now)