Train Home

Chris Smither

Product Details

• Audio CD (July 22, 2003)
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: Hightone Records
• ASIN: B0000A0DWG
• Also Available in: MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (17 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #26,375 in Music (See Bestsellers in Music)

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com

New Orleans-bred folk-bluesman Smither has few peers. As a musician he's expanded the six-strings-and-foot-stomps delivery of John Lee Hooker into an elegant, original style that draws as much on the sweet jazz melodies of gypsy guitarist Django Reinhardt as the spidery swing of country bluesman John Hurt. And his writing has a poet's eye for detail, as when he's pondering mortality on the disc's title track. There's also a gentle, sincere quality that comes through the dusty tones of his voice, until he drops it to a mean-eyed growl to capture the soul of characters like his "Crocodile Man"--loners condemned to live in the dark neglected corners of their own hearts. But for much of this album, Smither's coming from a happier place, where love and life are full of possibilities, and his blues are just another way of expressing joy and wisdom. --Ted Drozdowski

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

35 of 36 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Exuberantly Charming, August 7, 2003

By	Lee Armstrong (Winterville, NC United States) - See all my reviews (TOP 100 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)

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Chris Smither has been consistently good throughout the 90's, and his "Live As I'll Ever Be" was superlatively sensational. For me, "Train Home" is his strongest set amongst consistently excellent material. The title track sounds a bit like some of his other compositions; I keep wanting to hear "I feel so dumb to get so excited." But the lyrical twist is amazing; & it is a smash hit on my personal top ten. Smither's unique finger picking style that started when he first picked up the ukulele instead of guitar shines as his sweetly resonant voice sings, "I don't think I see much of anything for me in visions of the past or the ever-after. Now is what can be, all the rest is wait & see, those prophets never hear that cosmic laughter." "It's when you feel a little low that the entire spinning universe descends to say hello," Chris sings on the mellow "Outside In." Chris adopts Dave Carter's "Crocodile Man," making it sound like it was tailor-made for Chris' style. This is an excellent tribute to Dave. Chris' "Lola" is a hoot for anyone who's paused to wonder if there is a difference between love & abuse. Bonnie Raitt joins Chris on a reverential version of Bob Dylan's "Desolation Row," complete with Richard Downs' unusual horn section on the track. Another favorite of mine is "Call Time" with an electric guitar snarl as Chris rolls through, "Big-time plans are like a pistol in your hand with a long, slow pull on the trigger." Mississippi John Hurt's classic "Candy Man" is a sweet blues with some loaded double entendre. "Never Needed It More" is another strong original with Chris' acoustic guitar propelling the track. "Let It Go" is one hilarious talk-sing # that's sure to be great in his live show. The CD concludes with Buffalo Springfield's "Kind Woman." In Chris' hands this old classic is remade into a lovely adult lullaby, a guy seeking comfort in a woman's arms. When a musician can take another's material and so thoroughly embody the piece, you know you are listening to a master. For my money, "Train Home" is a classic set, a sure-fire bet for my best of the year list. There are no weak links. Enjoy!

13 of 13 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Smither fans, rejoice, August 1, 2003

By	D. Parker "mykarma" (Lederach, PA) - See all my reviews

This is a honey of a CD. From the opening notes of the eerily beautiful "Train Home" I was hooked. The covers of "Crocodile Man" and (oh boy) "Desolation Row" are masterful. The account of Chris's woefully unsuccessful attempt at Zen-like detachment as he deals with the theft of his car ("Let It Go") makes me laugh out loud every time I listen to it. "Outside In" is one I return to again and again in appreciation of its wonderful lyrics regarding the futility of worry. Can you tell I can't choose my favorite cut? This is a CD that's going to be in my player for a long, long time.

16 of 17 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars One of his finest!, February 6, 2004

By	Joe Sixpack -- Slipcue.com (...in Middle America) - See all my reviews (TOP 50 REVIEWER)

Roots-blues troubadour Chris Smither has been around so long that his '70s singer-songwriter status has shifted into that of an elder statesman of the alt.country scene. This is a remarkable album -- melliflous, calm and compelling, a very mature work. Some of his albums of the 1990s and early '00s have had their forced moments; here Smither seems entirely at ease, and seems to have nothing to prove. It's a very rich, rewarding album, well worth checking out.