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| CD REVIEWS |
| RICK MONROE (PROMO CD 2004) In the unlikely event that Rick Monroe�s success as a New Country artist should fizzle, he could reinvent himself in a number of other genres, particularly straight-ahead pop. On the strength of his two previous CDs, he�s already riding a wave of popularity, notably through some high-profile international �command performances�. Not one to rest on past laurels, he�s planning a return European tour, specifically, in Germany. This promo CD, to be officially released as Against the Grain, puts to rest any confusion over what �New Country� music is, i.e., blending various musical influences (soft rock, folk, Texas swing, and even a bit of blues) and underscoring it with a melodious country feeling. His admission, on �One More�, that he�s a �cityslicker, touch of shitkicker, got the blues in my soul� justifies his back-and-forth jaunts between L.A. and Nashville. �I Remember the Music� (Ashley Gorley/Wade Kirby), possibly being marketed as the first U.S. single, sounds like something Canadian folk-rock hero Murray McLauchlan would have composed. This bluegrass-tinged soft-rocker hails the power of music intertwined with our good (and sometimes bad) reminiscences. It features stellar guest performances by Jeff King and Chris Luzinger on guitars, Michael Rhodes on bass, Larry Beaird on acoustic guitar and banjo, Tony Harrell on piano/keys and Owen Hale on drums. This same group of players also performs on �Grace� and �X on the Map�. �Runaway�, a mid-tempo steel/slide guitar country waltz, exemplifies Rick�s great songwriting skills (in collaboration with Craig Bartock, Rick�s co-producer, who also provides backing instrumentation on several tracks) and wide-ranging vocals � very nice! Layered backing vocals add icing to this piece of cake. On �One More�, attesting to the addictive properties of live performances, there�s barely a twang to be heard, but Rick throws in the odd yodel for genuine effect. This one�s a �two-step boogie-woogie� with a butt-kicking drumbeat. Rick returns to folk-mellow mode on �X On the Map� (written by Don Schlitz), putting an interesting but melancholy spin on the �You Are Here� cartographic notation. It features some beautiful flat-picking and a subtle, synthesized string section. On the anthemic country-rock twist of amazing �Grace� (Ron Riddle), the metronomic notch gets upped a bit, decorated with more steel/slide guitar. Rick�s �Daddy�s Little Girl� curiously stands out in its sorrowful melodrama, as most songs about one�s children do, but only a cold-hearted person would be put off by it. Not to leave us on a sad note, �Dance Hall King� (surely the better first single?) swingingly proclaims his intention to be just that, but not without his lady-love on the dance floor with him! Now, this is country music at its rocking best � a fitting successor to the classic �Footloose�! Jeff Marshall, his collaborator here, provides drum programming, bass and electric guitar, with Rick playing acoustic guitar. Surprisingly, there is an uncredited track closing the CD, called, �Love Bug�, which is catchy enough, and the �o-di-yo-di-yo-di-yo-di-o-lays� serve to remind us of that line-dancin� �pure country� sound. An instantly pleasurable collection of songs that begs to be put on �repeat� mode. |
| RICK MONROE (Promo CD Review by Diane Wells) |
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