Customer Reviews

Your Love and Other Lies

5 star:		(12)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(0)
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1 star:		(0)

 

 

YeeeeeHaaaaaaaw folks! We got us a kuntree rekerd! I say that in all sincerity and awe of this beautiful work. I'd been aware of Buddy for a few years, due to his work as a session man and producer on other people's work. After reading an article about him and wife Julie in No Depression (#23 Sept Oct 1999), I felt compelled to pick up a CD. There is not a weak song in the bunch. The production is dead-on. It is clean, sparse, not over done. Buddy's vocals make me think of the phrase "High-lonesome," in most songs, but there is also that cigarette/whiskey edge that feels like he's been down a few of the rougher roads of life. The lyrics range from get-down good-time fun "A Girl Like You" or "Hole in My Head" to haunting tear-jerkers "Watching Amy Dance", Don't Listen To The Wind", "Through The Eyes of a Broken Heart" and the Julie Miller penned "Don't Listen to the Wind" There is a 1960's country feel to a lot of these tunes. "I'm Pretending" has a very Buck Owens feel to it. All in all, the CD leaves you feeling as though you are listening to an exceptional house band in a Tennesee roadhouse. Tammy Rogers Fiddle is exceptional. Gurf Morlix' bass, Donald Lindley's drums and Al Perkin's steel guitar steel guitar stand out as prime examples of how these instruments should be played. All the musicians on this record just shine. As for a previous reviewer's comment that Buddy's music will never be big on radio, I can only say that it is merely a reflection of the industry's need to market the 'pretty people'. Buddy may not be pretty lookin', but his music is sure pretty sounding. If you are sick of the slick, over-produced pop music with a twang that passes for country these days, do yourself a favor -- buy this CD. If you're a fan of real country music, you won't be sorry.

This is Buddy Miller's debut 'solo' album, and even a casual listen (if you can manage that)reveals his immense talent. Miller co-wrote most of the songs on this CD, and receives backing from some stellar musicians including Emmylou Harris (whose band he has led for 7 years now), Lucinda Williams, Jim Lauderdale, and Tammy Rogers, not to mention his wife Julie, who is a gifted songwriter in her own right. Julie wrote or co-wrote many of these songs as well. This is PURE, UNADULTERATED COUNTRY music with a bluesy edge that will knock your socks off. In addition, the recording quality is spectacular. Another of Buddy's many gifts - he produced and recorded not only this disc but his and Julie's subsequent ones, which I also highly recommend. Standout tracks for me me include "Don't Listen to the Wind", "Through the Eyes of a Broken Heart", "Hole in My Head", and "My Love Will Follow You", but there's not a bad cut on the CD.... If you like country music, or just great music period, you owe it to yourself to hear this recording. You will NOT be disappointed.

Excellent recording. Liked the cut "Don't Listen to the Wind" composed by Julie Miller. Straight to the heart lyric and haunting melody. Every selection a winner. I wish country music on the radio sounded like this! I'm looking forward to catching one of their concerts this spring in Lexington, KY. What a great combination-Buddy and Julie Miller's music,the beautiful Lexington countryside and Kentucky Bourbon!

Miller's solo debut finds his roots-rich Americana already in full-flower. This self-produced, self-recorded album has an amazingly rich sound, not in small part due to Miller's expressive vocals and twangy guitar playing. He neatly combines the twang and swing of pre-Nashville Sound country with the personal, singer/songwriter approach pioneered by Waylon and Willie. Having played with outsiders whose songwriting flirted with mainstream success (Lucinda Williams, Jim Lauderdale), Miller produces music that avoids Top-40 pop concession without relegating itself to "alternative." Instead, he and wife Julie pen moving songs that take in flavors of country, rock, folk and pop.

His backing band, including Gurf Morlix on bass, Donald Lindley on drums, and Al Perkins on steel guitar provide restrained support that provides subtle shape to the songs. Julie Miller provides terrific harmonies throughout. Their take of "Hole in My Head" (recorded by co-writer Jim Lauderdale three years later for his own "Whisper" LP) has a wonderfully bluesy edge, and their cover of "You're Running Wild" displays the sort of intertwined harmonies made famous by the Louvin Brothers. Tom T. Hall's "That's How I Got to Memphis" proves a perfect vehicle for Miller's soulful vocals - much as Otis Redding's "That's How Strong My Love Is" would on the follow-up LP.

With the hindsight of two more solo albums, a duet LP with his wife, and numerous recordings as part of Emmylou Harris' band, it's easy to see the nearly bottomless reservoir from which Miller draws. This first drink is a potent one.

I bought this CD from Buddy himself at a nearly empty Hightone Records Showcase at First Avenue in Mpls on a cold Winter nigth in the winter of 1996. For me, Buddy stole the show. He was so damn good, despite the fact that few were there to notice. After meeting him (kinda), he confused me with his quiet-man personna; I just could not accept that someone that talented seemed so shy.

Well, last night, five-and-a-half years later, I saw him for the second time in a small club in Austin, TX (actually I saw him briefly with Emmy Lou Harris at Red Rocks a couple of years ago). He and Julie (his wife) did an amazing set. They did a couple of tunes from this record -- "That's How I Got To Memphis" (Tom T. Hall) was particularly superb. If I could write songs as well as this guy, hardly anything else in the world would matter to me. And the way he sings and plays guitars is so unique yet familiar. Buddy Miller is a significant evolutionary step for Country music as an art form -- as a songwriter, guitar player and singer. I am willing to bet that there isn't a single Country music insider that does not revere Buddy as very special.

Buy this record (and his others) as many times as you can afford. Give it to the people you care most about. Even if they think they don't like Country music and may not want to listen to it, you will be contributing to the financial wellness of a pure artist. And almost as important, you will own a collection of great songs produced and performed by the songwriter himself -- and better than anyone else could hope to do them.

Buddy Miller came to my attention through a newspaper interview when he was in Australia with the Emmylou Harris 2001 tour. What a find! "Your Love And Other Lies" is DOWN HOME BLUESY & ROCKIN'COUNTRY played with real enthusiam by Buddy and friends. Standout tracks: "Don't Listen To The Wind" with Emmylou Harris,"That's How I Got To Memphis", "I'm Pretending" with Jim Lauderdale, "Through The Eyes Of A Broken Heart" with Dan Penn, "Hold On My Love" with Emmylou, and "My Love Will Follow You".
Buddy Miller is one of the best artists I've come across in years. Highly recommended.

Buddy Miller is one of those artists who will never be popular with radio for whatever reason. Yet, his songs are covered by other artists who will get airtime with them. This CD teams Buddy with his wife Julie, Lucinda Williams, Dan Penn and others.Once you listen to it, you will play it again and again. Very similar to albums by Dan Penn, Donnie Fritts, Eddie Hinton, and Arthur Alexander. Essential!!

Just finished listening to this one for the first time. All I can say is "stop reading the reviews and go order it already". The sooner you have this one, the happier you will be.

Buddy, thank you for consistently putting out AWESOME music. This one is a keeper!

I once shook hands with this man! I saw him with his wife (and a guitar) supporting the great Steve Earle in England and they blew us away. This CD is brilliant. Get also his next two. A great songwriter...

Buddy Miller really shows on this record why HIS fans include the likes of Steve Earle and Emmylou Harris. This is simply a great collection of songs!

It starts strong with "You Wrecked Up My Heart" and stays strong, each cut building the emotional house-of-cards one by one. Particularly notable are the honky-tonk stomp with wife Julie on "I Don't Mean Maybe" and the tear-your-heart-out "Watching Amy Dance". Only "I Can't Slow Down" seems to drop off a notch. There is also a tremendous Louvrin Brothers remake (again with wife Julie), "You're Running Wild".

Buddy Miller isn't trendy, and he doesn't wear a hat, (Well...maybe a baseball cap), but this record is as REAL and emotionally powerful as country music can get. Buy it!