Music Roundup

I have a lot of new music to report on, but I fear I'll never get to give each of my new CDs the attention it deserves, so I decided I'd at least go all-out on one of them and then just give short shrift to the rest.

The All-Out Review

Rosanne Cash's father (a guy named Johnny—ever hear of him?) wrote down a list of what he considered the 100 essential American country songs of all time and presented it to her when she was 18. She didn't do much with it until recently, when she decided to record "The List," a CD of covers (and she has hinted that there will be at least one more such CD to come). Regardless of whether you think you like country music or Rosanne Cash (who is not necessarily known for her country stylings, by the way), I strongly urge you to listen to her recent "Fresh Air" interview with Terry Gross. She comes across as one of the most down-to-earth and bright and likeable people you'd ever want to meet. You can tell that Terry is having a grand old time chatting with her. My favorite moment was when she asked Rosanne what she did when she finally decided to get more familiar with these songs: "Did you go out and buy the sheet music, or the records?" Rosanne said, "Um, no ... I just asked my Dad to pick up his guitar and play them for me!" Imagine.

Anyhow, there's some great stuff on this CD, even if you don't think of yourself as much of a country music fan. I especially like her cover of Dylan's "Girl from the North Country."

There was also an NPR interview with Steve Inskeep specifically about one track, the country classic "Sea of Heartbreak," which Cash does in duet with Bruce Springsteen. She also does duets on this CD with Elvis Costello and Neko Case, among others. Unfortunately, because I bought the actual CD, I didn't get the Neko Case duet, "Satisfied Mind," because it's available only if you buy the whole CD from the iTunes store, and you know how I feel about downloading. (Oh, you don't know? Well, I can't live without liner notes, so I still buy actual CDs instead of downloading them.) So if anyone out there has that song and wants to let me listen to it, I'd be ever so grateful.

The Short-Shrift Reviews

1. "Cotton" is the final installment in Sam Baker's trilogy (see my earlier post). This one sounds a little more produced, but that doesn't take anything away from his spare, heart-rending vocals. His voice positively entrances me, as do the stories he tells.

2. I can't get enough of the Avett Brothers, and their latest, "I and Love and You" (from the title song lyrics: "Three words that became hard to say: I and love and you") doesn't disappoint in the least. The Avett Brothers make the kind of music that sounds positively gorgeous; then, when you stop to actually listen to the words, you're rewarded yet again. This is a winner.

3. I haven't yet had a chance to listen to much of Joe Henry's latest, "Blood from Stars," but so far I'm enjoying it. I just love his voice. This CD is a little more bluesy than his last one.

4. Ditto for Mark Knopfler: I haven't yet spent much time with "Get Lucky," but his voice—and guitar, of course—are enough for me. This CD has a Celtic lilt to it, which suits me just fine.

Anyone out there have these CDs, or others that you want to tell me about?

Comments

[Mark]

I'm really digging the Avett Bros, and plan on getting Cash's disc. If you like the Avett (or the Felice Bros) you might want to give Mumford & Sons a listen. Similar sound, but British.

[Susan Champlin]

Thanks so much for the review of Rosanne Cash's album, which sounds spectacular. I'm with you on liner notes, but did you know you can get them on iTunes now? Lately I'm making most of my music discoveries through my 18-year-old daughter, who makes fantastic mixes for me. Andrew Bird is a new (to me) favorite, with one of the great song titles: Yawny at the Apocalypse.

[Danielle]

I still prefer Johnny's version of "Sea of Heartbreak" to Rosanne's. Sigh.

[Karen]

You should listen to the interview -- she doesn't like her father's version!