The Songs of Fred Eaglesmith :: A Tribute

The Songs of Fred Eaglesmith :: A Tribute

ASIN: B0000A344J

Track Listings

1. Slaid Cleaves - White Rose

2. Bill & Kasey Chambers - Carter

3. Jeff Plankenhorn - Thirty Years of Farming

4. Teddy Morgan - Bell

5. Gurf Morlix - 49 Tons

6. Outlaw Family Band - I'm Just Dreaming

7. Robbie Fulks - Flowers in the Dell

8. Hillbilly Winos - Drive-in Movie

9. Mary Gauthier - Your Sister Cried

10. Charlie Pierce - Thinking

11. Audrey Auld - He's a Good Dog

12. Rod Picott - Pontiac

13. Rex Hobart & Lee Gutowski - Drinking Too Much

14. Jay Bennett - Angel of the Lord

15. Old No. 8 - Indiana Road

Editorial Reviews
Country Standard Time Magazine, June 2003
"Whether by earnest imitation or inventive arrangement, the artists match Eaglesmith's brilliant song craft with an equal level of performance."

Product Description
Fred Eaglesmith is a road warrior. Spending as many as 300 days on the road every year, he's built a fiercely loyal following of fans. He's released a dozen albums since his 1980 debut, and he's earned the respect of his peers. His songs have been recorded by the likes of Cowboy Junkies, Dar Williams, Kelly Willis and James King. The blue-collar characters that Eaglesmith grew up with in Ontario, Canada live on in his songs, telling their tales of heartbreak. Tales of loss of love and home, of loss of spirit and self. Tears of laughter and tears of despair fill the landscapes of his songs. Characters come to life, making the listener laugh with them one minute, grieve with them the next.

"The Songs of Fred Eaglesmith :: A Tribute" features 15 songs, all penned by Eaglesmith and is a fitting tribute to a artist that has proven himself time and again to be among the finest songwriters to ply the trade. To be certain, check out the 16 page booklet featuring the lyrics to all of the songs. If you're not already a Fredhead, you're sure to become one quickly.

The Songs of Fred Eaglesmith :: A Tribute

Tracks:

Slaid Cleaves - White Rose
Bill & Kasey Chambers - Carter
Jeff Plankenhorn - Thirty Years of Farming
Teddy Morgan - Bell
Gurf Morlix - 49 Tons
Outlaw Family Band - I'm Just Dreaming
Robbie Fulks - Flowers in the Dell
Hillbilly Winos - Drive-in Movie
Mary Gauthier - Your Sister Cried
Charlie Pierce - Thinking
Audrey Auld - He's a Good Dog
Rod Picott - Pontiac
Rex Hobart & Lee Gutowski - Drinking Too Much
Jay Bennett - Angel of the Lord
Old No. 8 - Indiana Road

Album Description

Fred Eaglesmith is a road warrior. Spending as many as 300 days on the road every year, he's built a fiercely loyal following of fans. He's released a dozen albums since his 1980 debut, and he's earned the respect of his peers. His songs have been recorded by the likes of Cowboy Junkies, Dar Williams, Kelly Willis and James King. The blue-collar characters that Eaglesmith grew up with in Ontario, Canada live on in his songs, telling their tales of heartbreak. Tales of loss of love and home, of loss of spirit and self. Tears of laughter and tears of despair fill the landscapes of his songs. Characters come to life, making the listener laugh with them one minute, grieve with them the next.

Customer Reviews:

Fred Said Right.......2003-12-08

It's weird to review a tribute record when: A) you're previously unfamilar with the artist being tributed (if that's a word); B) you're not a fan of its primary musical genre; and C) you're a neighbor of the producer.

Having said that, buy this.

There's folk, rock & roll, and lotsa country (authentic country, not Toby/Dixie country). There's funny, sad and enigmatic (it turns out Fred's quite the storyteller; lyrics are included). There's a dead dog, an abandoned gas station, and actual Canadians who never mention hockey - something for everyone!.

Personal faves? Gurf, OFB, and Old No. 8.

But be warned: this is a gateway record - you may be on your way to the orginal Eaglesmith recordings and/or other records by the Various Artists involved. Congratulations are in order - to the musicians, Mike Holm, Mr. E. of course, and to you.

Great songs.......2003-09-03

In general I guess that people who buy tribute albums are already fans of the artist being celebrated. This is the reason why such albums are never really successful - most likely you will prefer the original versions. In this case, the opposite happened to me. I had never listened to Fred Eaglesmith, but this album made me wanna check him out. Many of these songs are really great, and the performaces are sometimes better than his own. This is especially true of the lovely little song "Carter", sung here by Bill Chambers and his daughter, Kasey. The collection focuses on the serious side of Fred instead of the rowdy and humourous side, which is fine with me.

Quintessential Tribute CD.......2003-08-14

In my collection, I have tributes to The Rolling Stones, Bob Dylan, The Beatles, John Lennon, George Harrison, The Hollies, The Eagles, Victoria Williams, Laura Nyro and Carole King. Just the fact that an artist has written a body of material worthy of tribute ensures that there will be excellent material. However, there are usually 1 or 2 standout tracks and a host of others that make you want to go back to the originals.

Executive producer Michael Holm has made this tribute to Fred Eaglesmith as a labor of love, creating TwangOff Records just to release this disc. He picked these artists not for how many records they sell, but for who makes the best music. This is the finest CD tribute for consistently excellent renditions of songs with no weak spots that I have ever heard. "The Songs of Fred Eaglesmith" is as country as country gets. And it would take a Canadian to remind us of just what wonderful sincere creative country music sounds like.

Slaid Cleaves opens with Fred's lovely "White Rose," "And the girls would spend a couple of bucks just to meet the boys working at the pumps." Kasey Chambers teams with Bill Chambers
for the wistful "Carter." Jeff Plankenhorn does a truly old-timey version of "30 Years of Farming" recorded live on an old ribbon mic about folks losing their farms. Teddy Morgan who did a great set for Antone's does a positively haunting version of "Bell," "You can run around; you can yell & scream, but it's lipstick, lies & gasoline." Gurf Morlix who worked with Lucinda Williams does brain surgery with the clash of electric guitars on Fred's "49 Tons," "Breaking my heart like a bottleneck baby, sliding up & down and pulling its strings." James Wiegel of the Outlaw Family Band has a pitiful tenor perfect for this fool in love song, "When I fell into her eyes, it was like I'd found paradise." Chicago maestro Robbie Fulks sounds like Woody Guthrie's cousin on "Flowers in the Dell." "Drive-In Movie" is a title track to one of Fred's great CDs; here Hillbilly Winos nail all of the pathos and loss within this lovely melody. Mary Gauthier (Go-Shay) is one of country's best secrets, too country & too excellent for Nashville; she does such a great job with Fred's "Your Sister Cried," giving the song a different twist with a female vocalist. I never considered what it might sound like if a mugger played piano, but Charlie Pierce plays one of the most violent piano tracks on the positively chilling version of "Thinking." I've heard the Fredheads on Eaglesmith's computer list talking glowingly about Audrey Auld & now know what the buzz is about; she does an amazingly touching job with Fred's classic, "He's a Good Dog." Rod Picott recorded "Pontiac" in his living room and plays guitar like Johnny Cash; it is a haunting rendition of this classic Fred song. Rex Hobart & Lee Gutowski hit every sad note on their duet "Drinking Too Much." Jay Bennett's voice sounds like a cross between Bob Dylan & Lou Reed in the country setting of "Angel of the Lord." The CD concludes with a bang with Old No. 8's 8 minute + version of "Indiana Road," a song about loss, violence & love. Their opening guitar sequence is the musical equivalent of a meteor shower.

Each song on this disc is fresh, completely adopted by the artist. For those of you who love country but don't know Fred Eaglesmith, you've been anesthetized by Nashville's pseudo-country; it's time to wake up now! :) "The Songs of Fred Eaglesmith" is not only a tribute to a great singer, it's also an excellent anthology, consistent throughout. U Snooze, U Lose! Enjoy!

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