[FM] review of Fred Eaglesmith's CD "Ralph's Last Show"

Sat, 28 Apr 2001 23:12:42 -0700

Below is my review of Fred Eaglesmith's CD "Ralph's Last Show".

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                             A Review of the CD
                            "Ralph's Last Show"
                 by Fred Eaglesmith & the Flying Squirrels

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"Ralph's Last Show"
by Fred Eaglesmith & the Flying Squirrels

copyright 2001
Signature Sounds Recording Company
P.O. Box 106
Whately, MA 01093
ph: (800)694-5354
http://www.signature-sounds.com
mailto:info@signature-sounds.com

http://www.fredeaglesmith.com

This review is written by Kevin McCarthy, 4/01
mailto:celtic-folk@surfnetusa.com
"Kevin's Celtic & Folk Music CD Reviews"
http://www.surfnetusa.com/celtic-folk/index.html

Is Fred Eaglesmith the bastard son of Leonard Cohen? Let's see, both are
from Canada. Check. Both wear black. Check. Both are as morose as the
atmosphere at an undertaker's convention. Check. Cohen may be Montreal
urbane but he more than likely made a few excursions through Ontario in his
younger days...hmmm.

Although they may break bread together in the land of dourness, Eaglesmith
also resides in the Kingdom of Edge. His characters travel the dark
recesses and murky corridors and our hearing about them is as close as we
ever want to get. Unlike Cohen's fellow Montrealites, if the inhabitants of
Eaglesmith country are wearing furs, it's because the residents have shot
and skinned the animals themselves.

Trains, cars and losers dominate the land of Fred. "Freight Train," "105,"
"Good Enough," "Time To Get A Gun," "Rodeo Boy" and the ironically titled
"Flowers In The Dell," among others, all feature and accentuate these
elements. His characters often roam a bedeviling landscape armed with a
quirky and befuddled defiance. "Flowers In The Dell" is a prime example,
featuring an out-of-the-blue but very matter-of-fact relationship
derailment.

Elements of reverence, sass and spoofing are also Eaglesmith trademarks and
all are evident in his latest release, a tribute of sorts to now retired
Flying Squirrel bassist Ralph Schipper. A concert taped in Santa Cruz, CA,
this offering amounts to a 'Best Of', with some of his concert standards
such as "Lucille," "How's Ernie?" and "Big Hair" finally recorded. Call it
The Fred Eaglesmith Experience, for this is certainly the most
comprehensive collection of his material.

Eaglesmith slides in playful moments--in "Mighty Big Car" he spoofs the
size of the vehicles Detroit used to produce with "they don't look like
money, they look like the bank." "How's Ernie?" provides a take unlike most
in busted relationships--the protagonist laments missing his lady friend's
father more than the lady. Looking for the defining moment, one of the
characters in "White Trash" repeatedly asks: "When, exactly, did we become
white trash?"

He provides a unique look with an older woman and younger man tryst in
"Lucille." The sweet, tender and surprising conclusion is almost
un-Eaglesmith but it's simply the sensitive side of his writing that he
infrequently unveils. His emotion-choked tribute to the late bluegrass
major domo Carter Stanley, "Carter," is another gem along these same lines.
Ditto with the sedate but touching "He's A Good Dog."

In "Alcohol & Pills" he relates the personal struggles of Hank Williams,
Elvis Presley, Janis Joplin, Graham Parsons and Jimi Hendrix, singing that
despite the riches and notoriety, "fame doesn't take away the pain, it just
pays the bills."

Eaglesmith is an underrated songwriter, a fact borne out by the quality and
quantity of the cuts on this release. He may be a bit more jarring than the
typical folkie, a bit more clever than the usual country crooner and just a
whole lot more uncategorizeable. But do not let the inability to label him
and his music act as any sort of a deterrence. This guy is good. Very good.

Eaglesmith on acoustic guitar and vocals, is backed by Ralph Schipper on
bass and background vocals; Willie P. Bennett on mandolin, harmonica and
background vocals; and Washboard Hank on percussion and background vocals.

Track List:

Disc One:

   * Intro
   * Freight Train (2:44)
   * 105 (3:00)
   * Mighty Big Car (2:59)
   * White Trash (2:19)
   * Good Enough (2:43)
   * Livin' Out On The Road (3:12)
   * Carter (1:54)
   * Time To Get A Gun (3:20)
   * Flowers In The Dell (4:02)
   * He's A Good Dog (2:34)
   * Lucille (3:59)
   * How's Ernie? (1:55)

Disc Two:

   * Pretty Good Guy (2:00)
   * John Deere (2:58)
   * Carmelita (5:00)
   * Benchseat Baby (2:14)
   * Spookin' The Horses (4:34)
   * Crazier (2:40)
   * Big Hair (1:40)
   * I Like Trains (3:28)
   * Rodeo Boy 3:41)
   * Crashin' & Burnin' (3:41)
   * Alcohol & Pills (3:27)
   * 49 Tons (5:13)

All songs written by Fred Eaglesmith.

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Send inquiries to: celtic-folk@surfnetusa.com.

================================================
Kevin McCarthy
mailto:celtic-folk@surfnetusa.com
Celtic & Folk Music CD Reviews
http://www.surfnetusa.com/celtic-folk/index.html