Review - Rod McCormack & Mick Albeck "The
Circle Game"
ABC Country through EMI Records
Rod McCormack and Mick Albeck have played on just about every
country-music record created in the last few years, and not surprisingly,
either, because their newest album "The Circle Game" carries
that reputation along quite ably. They are referred in their press as being
definitive bluegrass in Australia: this album more than supports that title.
And they've recalled some of those favours too, with Gina Jeffreys
singing on one track, Jane Saunders on another, musical credits to Jeff McCormack, Beccy Cole and
James Gillard. Most of the tunes, however, are covers: Gordon
Lightfoot and Neil
Young are tributed here,
among others; only four of the twelve tracks on the album were self-penned.
Those four songs - Cut to the
Chase, Midnight Flyer, The Threeways, and The Fiddle'n Jo are traditional bluegrass tracks with quick banjo
and fiddle combos; The Threeways
includes vocals and The Fiddle'n Jo is
a little slower than the others. The other eight tracks are fine selections of
the genre that, being covers, will unfortunately not be included on our play
list.
We gave “The Circle Game”
from Rod McCormack and Mick Albeck 3 from 5. You
can pick it up for yourself on ABC Country through EMI Music.