The Gobblers Knob

I want to start off by apologizing to Cross Canadian Ragweed and their new CD Mission California.  As I mentioned a couple of weeks ago, October 2nd was destined to become a big day in my CD buying life.  With the release of Mescalito by Ryan Bingham and the delayed release of Bleu Edmondson’s Lost Boy joining the list with Cross Canadian’s offering (not to mention new discs by The Boss and John Freakin’ Fogerty), I was looking forward to this week being filled with jams from all 3 new works of art. A funny thing happened on the way to purchase Ragweed’s new Mission, I became entranced (yeah, I said it!) by the Edmondson and Bingham discs.  As you may know, I am not big on (or qualified to write) ”reviews.”  I find them to be repetative, contrived, copied, and formulaic most of the time.  What I like to give are “opinions,” that way I can be less creative, inventive, and more importantly, less wordy than wannabe “reviewers.” 

My opinion is that there is nothing in common between Bingham’s and Bleu’s CD except that many people want to lump them into “Texas Country” or “Red Dirt,” when in fact they are much more than that.  Both of their voices posess a gruff quality, yet in a different way from one another.  While Edmondson sings with a slightly worn, sand-paper quality husk to his voice (a good thing, don’t freak), Bingham booms with a coarse, freshly broken gravel quality (also a great thing).  Bleu makes no bones about this album being a Texans ode to the Boss himself, Bruce Springsteen.  Anthems such as “Ressurection,” “Last Call,” and ”Jesus is Crying” are worthy of the same window-rolled-down, stereo-cranked-up treatment that we have all given “Born to Run,” “Thunder Road” and “Born in the USA” at one point in time or another.  Mescalito begins with a train sounding in the distance and comes on in similar fashion.  “For What it’s Worth” and “Don’t Wait for Me” are the kind of camp-fire songs where the group doesn’t sing along, but lets the man with the guitar do all the strummin’ and singin’.  “Take it Easy Mama,” “Sunrise” and “Hard Times” showcase a rocker that is still firmly planted in oft-forgotten Western part of “Country & Western.“  Once both of these new additions to my collection have worn their grooves smooth (which can be hard in an ipod), I may consider taking them out of the player and giving Cody and his bandmates a chance.  Until then, here’s to Rockin’ with Bleu and Singin’ with Bingham.

Bleu Edmondson Live in Houston - American Saint (off the new Lost Boy CD)