Customer Reviews

Way Out West

5 star:		(8)
4 star:		(0)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

Simply put, this is excellent country rock, bluegrass, folk music. Good picking is good picking and this is good pickin! This matches or exceeds other Hillman solo cd's and is as good as anything done by the Desert Rose Band. No songs really stand out, but taken as a whole, this is a quality listen. This is what quality music is all about. Too bad there isn't more out there like this...Enjoy.

As the co-founders and driving creative force behind the late great Desert Rose Band, Chris Hillman and Herb Pedersen carved a niche in the country-rock scene in the late eighties and early nineties that has seldom been matched before or since. Given their impressive resumes and country roots that stretch back to the Byrds, Burritos, and Dillards, it was no surprise that Desert Rose was such a success. 1996's post DRB CD "Bakersfield Bound" was a wonderfully joyful homage to the Southern California country scene, and it's been a little disappointing listening to several intervening releases with the Rice Brothers that just don't measure up to the energetic vitality of that release.
But now comes "Way Out West" and, brother, it's been worth the wait! Every single track on this CD is a winner. Blugrass, Cajun, the Bakersfield sound.....they're all included here and the guys brought back some of the DRB alumni to play along just for fun. This is an absolute must purchase for every true country rock fan because, quite simply, they really don't make 'em like this anymore. Now if we could only get these guys to tour again!

If you've always appreciated the wonderful music recorded and performed by both Hillman and Pedersen over the years, then "Chris & Herb - Way Out West" is a must!

Chris and Herb have taken the best of their musical experiences and put it all together in this new album - If you loved the Burritos, the incomparable Desert Rose Band, and the "Bakersfield Bound" album, this new album is all that and much, much more - classic California County with a brace of Hillman-Steve Hill compositions and Pedersen songs performed by the masters of the genre.

Anything else, just buy the album, listen to the great songs, and read the liner notes! I'm sure you will agree.

This is review number 3 - I went to the late show (10:00pm) and I wish this concert could have gone on 'til 2am. Chris and Herb (With "Dan" from the old Desert Rose Band on bass) were superb!! For most of this particular concert, Chris and Herb featured material from this new album. My favorites would be "No Longer A Sweetheart of Mine", "There You Go", Better Man Than That" and a fine remake of the old Bluegrass staple "Old Cross Roads". They came across very fluid (And cracking odd jokes-poking fun at each other, etc.) Toward the end, Chris got a little nostalgic from The Byrds days by playing "Mr Tambourine Man" "Turn, Turn, Turn" and "Eight Miles High" - Amazing. All on his mandolin too!! (Not a bass to be seen!!) The encore included an old song from his Burrito Bros. days and then he picked up his guitar and played the final song - a cover of the 70's Firefall classic "It Doesn't Matter" in an sweet acoustic folk-rock style that no one could duplicate. All in all, a great concert. Got to meet the group after the show, Chris had signed my copy of "Way Out West" with this inscription "Joe, All The Best - Chris Hillman". Thank You for EVERYTHING, Chris and Herb!! JG "The Bear"

What comes through loud and clear in this wonderfully retro album of songs is Hillman and Pedersen's deep affection for a whole range of country's musical traditions. There are some of their originals here and several oldies ("Save the Last Dance for Me," "No Longer a Sweetheart of Mine") and compositions by Roger Miller and the Louvin Brothers. One song with a rockin' backbeat, "Our Love It Don't Come Easy" has a great contemporary sound, but mostly this is the sound of the 1950s country music that inspired Hillman and Pedersen's 1970s country rock.

Singing in harmony, they can sound like the Everly Brothers, especially in a rockabilly number like "There You Go" and "Problems." The dance-able "Invitation to the Blues" gives a nod to Buck Owens. Hillman's yearning "Better Man Than That" pays homage to every heartfelt song of romance and regret ever played on a honky-tonk jukebox. "The Old Cross Road" is unadulterated fire-and-brimstone country gospel, and then Pedersen's "Sugar Cane" is pure bluegrass. Meanwhile, "That's the Way It Was" is full of Cajun flourishes. And on and on.

The range of country styles, sentiments, old songs and new, the excellent studio musicians (including an accordian), and the great harmony singing of these two greats of California country rock make this a CD to listen to over and over. The CD comes with a 16-page booklet with song lyrics, pictures of Hillman and Pedersen as boys, and an appreciation by author Alan Rockman.

This is an amazing piece of work, highlighted by some of the tightest and most alluring harmonies you will ever hear in a recording. A great mix of well-crafted new songs and a few carefully chosen standards, this CD will grow on you quickly and become a favorite. Watch for the standout mandolin work throughout. I took a big stack of CD's in the car on a 3-week drive around California, and ended up playing this one about 2/3 of the time.

These best buddies really compliment each other.Especially with a few of their friends in tow.Well balanced CD.The music flows along nicely.Not one of those cd's where you press the buttons
to skip to the good ones.Really has a great mix of country rock,bluegrass and folk.You'll not be disappointed.

This album is awesome ... one of, if not the, best I've ever heard. Trust me, you need this album in your collection ... every track a gem.

I have mixed feelings about this album. In all fairness, it isn't a bad effort. It's just that when I pay money for recorded music I hope that it will possess two qualities: innovation and enthusiasm. This album missed the mark in both respects. Chris has an average singing voice that doesn't offend the ears and Herb hits some good high notes. What disappointed me most was Hillman's mandolin playing. He has an odd style of picking that someone taught him about forty years ago and he has never progressed with it. This album has some really good musicians. Too bad one of them didn't take over the mandolin chores.