Customer Reviews

South of Nowhere

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I'm the Bill Hicks who fiddles and sings on this CD, not the excellent but deceased comedian. I was a professional musician before he got out of high school. There is one funny song that I wrote on the CD, about a guy who throws his fiddle up a tree and then shoots it down. I think the dead Bill Hicks would appreciate the humor. If he were still alive. I wonder about some of his fans--but I guess it takes all kinds. For what it's worth, I think this is the best record I've ever made. Libby also kicks on here. I made 5 with the original Red Clay Ramblers and some others too, as a session guy, and also the two Fuzzy Mountain records now on a Rounder CD. Y'all have some coffee before you get too annoyed with "South of Nowhere."

I followed the career of Bill for years, knowing that he was one of the best of the Chapel Hill, NC college-educated old time musicians. I then lost touch with his music after he left the original Red Clay Ramblers. I learned about this CD in 2001, and got it to see if he was still up to the old standards of the Ramblers. Well his fiddling surely is, and his talent as a songwriter is even better, judged by the several excellent compositions. And the vocals by Libby are great...bluesy but consistent with the old-time style. But the real find here is daughter Anna, whose voice on Tear Stained Eye is fresh and haunting, at a par with many of the lady stars of Nashville, but not so hard...a lovely fusion of the sound of youth and the reality of adulthood. This could be a star in the making.

Simply a great duet c.d....if you like old timey, laid back, fiddle & blues tunes...you can't go wrong. Check out Bill's latest solo effort titled "The Perfect Gig". It's great too. And read all about them on Bill & Libby's site at: http://members.tripod.com/~RedClayRamblers/bill/index.htm
Enjoy...