TURNTABLE TUESDAY - Vagabonds
Welcome to TURNTABLE TUESDAY - yeah, I'm a bit behind today. Traveled all day yesterday and didn't sleep well last night. I could not force myself to move.
My experience led me to think about the album on the turntable this week and groups like Nu-Blu. VAGABONDS truly is a representation of an artists life. Whether it's original music being performed or nods to others such as Bob Dylan and Guns & Roses with Knockin On Heaven's Door, Waylon Jennings' Good Hearted Woman, Surround Me With Love (Charly McClain) or tunes such as Gypsies On Parade, everything comes together under the cover of the beautiful gypsy caravan on the CD cover.
Songs like Knockin On Heaven's Door or Good Hearted Woman, Surround Me With Love don't exactly come to mind when you think of Bluegrass, yet they fit seamlessly in with the other nine tracks.
Carolyn's amazing soprano kicks things off with The Bridges That You've Burned. Their One-Sheet calls her voice 'caramel-coated... at times a tender lullaby, at times a freight train headed straight for you.' You can hear the distinctive beat of the clickety clack of the track on the true-to-point Troublemaker. Her voice always speaks to me unlike any other bluegrass artists I've heard.
Daniel spoke yesterday of the emotional pull of Gypsies On Parade. Their story is deep in the lyrics.
Still Small Voice is one of the two pillars of strength on this CD. The tune features vocals with Jimmy Fortune and Ben Isaacs. Both amazing multi-talented artists in their own right, but to be paired with Nu-Blu truly is added power to an emotionally charged album.
The other pillar stands strong while bringing you to your knees in 640 Battlefield Drive. I'd love to have a video for this tune to feature during July 4th week or Memorial Day.
Though I've not singled out A Lot More Love, How Many Rivers, A Fool and Her Heart, they each bring their own special touch to the power of this album and like ingredients in a flavorful stew, they would be the that 'something missing if they weren't included.
This is my favorite Nu-Blu compilation so far and I look forward to more from them.
I'm giving the CD 5 hats!