Stories

Misty River | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (July 10, 2007)
• Original Release Date: 2007
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: Misty River
• ASIN: B000R2FD30
• In-Print Editions: MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #256,786 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Editorial Reviews

Although Misty River's music is often compared to the neo-bluegrass style of Alison Krauss and the harmonies of The Trio (Emmylou Harris, Linda Ronstadt and Dolly Parton), these four women have a sound all their own, fusing the band's award-winning songwriting and compelling vocal harmony with their distinctive acoustic instrumentation of guitar, banjo, fiddle, accordion and upright bass. Songs with roots in Appalachia, Ireland, China, the American South and the Pacific Northwest are presented on an album that is sophisticated yet simple, honest and transparent. ""Stories"" is the fifth release in Misty Rivers ten-year history as an indie band, and Grammy award-winning producer Todd Phillips (David Grisman Quintet, Psychograss) has eloquently captured the groups talent for storytelling and revealing the beauty of a song. As Phillips describes it, Dana, Chris, Carol, and Laura will tear your heart out - then put it back, better off than before.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Beautiful Traditional Music, November 4, 2007

By 

Charles P. Frederick (Cambridge, MA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Stories (Audio CD)

This is the kind of country music that is no longer heard on radios, the real folk music - simple music that is epic in its understatement, timeless in its honesty. Sparkling, clear, spare string picking. (Even the accordion sounds great!) Simple melodies with lyrics that anyone can relate to (though "Slice of Life" is a little cheesy and contemporary).

Generally though, this album is a far cry from the modern "country music" scene which often seems more intent on getting across blunt political or social messages than actually making good music.

There are a variety of kinds of music on here, but they lean towards Celtic forms.

The beautiful cover of the Grateful Dead's "Black Muddy River" is well worth checking out. It makes me wish they covered other Dead songs--like "Sugaree" or "Reuben and Cherise".

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Pleasantly nostalgic, blissfully romantic, thoughtfully sensual, May 27, 2007

By 

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

This review is from: Stories (Audio CD)

Playing Time - 48:53 -- Besides being their fifth album, "Stories" is also a tenth anniversary musical celebration for Oregon-based Misty River, a quartet of women whose marketing catchphrase accurately promotes their "compelling voices of acoustic Americana." Meeting at bluegrass jams and open mics back in 1997, the still unsigned band began performing full-time and touring cross-country about 2000 in their motor home named Annabelle. It's just a matter of time before a national label like Rounder Records or Sugar Hill takes note of their potential and musicianship of Dana Abel (accordion), Carol Harley (guitar, banjo), Chris Kokesh (fiddle), and Laura Quigley (bass). Produced by Todd Phillips, he mixes in some percussion on five tracks.

Besides their four well-blended vocals, Misty River has a number of other strengths - impressive songwriting, unique covers, poignant arrangements, and enticing understated instrumentation that all lend immediacy to their story songs. The emotional depth on "Stories" is drawn out of ballads about people, places, memories, and just plain ol' life in general in a song like Carol Harley's "Life is Good." Or take Dana Abel's lively "Slice of Life," for instance. The characters encountered on Portland city bus #36 include "tired folks, wired folks and those in between." Dana also wrote music for "Louisa" based on a poem by Alice Anne Martineau. While there are many versions of the traditional "Barbara Ellen," Misty River's melancholic rendition has a hard-hearted edge brought home by the fiddle after the rose and briar tie their post-mortem true love's knot. Each beautiful song offers its own observations about human experiences, attitudes, or beliefs.

Popular for the last few decades in China, a dreamy "Gan Lan Shu (The Olive Tree)" has Chris and Dana singing nostalgically in Chinese about a hometown far away. The leanest singer/songwriter fare is Chris Kokesh's solo self-penned "Time Goes By," accompanied only by her guitar. "I cut the pieces from my memory / All tired out and worn I have held them so many times But now they're heavy in my arms." Perhaps a little harmony on the chorus would've embellished the arrangement. Drawing upon material from another brilliant songwriter, Steve Young's "Old Memories (Man Nothing To Me)" has a similar theme of time passing and flying by. I wonder if the girls learned the song from Del McCoury's 1992 cover of it. Or if they picked up Daniel Lanois' "Black Hawk" from Emmy Lou's Wrecking Ball album that he produced. Regardless of how Misty River finds their material, their radiant "Stories" album shows that they are graceful interpreters who can be pleasantly nostalgic, blissfully romantic, or thoughtfully sensual. The soothing melody-driven result is Misty River's charming je ne sais quoi. Full of imagination and imagery, the album takes us on journey. Even though the road is long and slow, these four women keep right on rolling and always remembering and calling for a watchful eye over their friends and fans along the way. (Joe Ross, staff writer, Bluegrass Now rossjoe [at] hotmail dot com)

5.0 out of 5 stars Wonderful harmonies, beautiful meoldies, thoughtful lyrics, October 6, 2008

By 

Jane Anderson (San Diego, CA USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Stories (Audio CD)

This is a very likeable album. After spending time with my sister, who introduced me to Misty River, and listening to at least 4 other Misty River CDs in her collection, I ordered this one for myself. It is great!

"Time Goes By" is one of the most haunting songs of love lost in recent memory, beautifully sung by Chris, who wrote it. And "Slice of Life" will have you remembering your own experiences riding the public bus.

And if you haven't heard their "Midwinter" CD, it is worth buying just for "Don't Take Down the Mistletoe", which ought to become a Christmas standard.

I am pleased to find good music made by smart, talented women.