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If we all had a little bit more Fred in us we'd probably all be better people. His songwriting is next to genius Fred defines what roots music is fun, honest and acceptable. --Tiger Tom & the Redneck Revival on being Fredheads
It was on such a discussion group for self-described "Fredheads," fans of Americana singer-songwriter Fred Eaglesmith, that Canadian Gary Bouchard first suggested this project. His idea was based on Mama Told Me Not to Sing, a comparable project done by members of a Randy Newman discussion group. A committee of seven, dubbed the Seven Shells after an Eaglesmith song, was formed to coordinate the project. After much discussion (and even more work) the 7 Shells completed this disc, a 20-song musical tribute performed by some of Eaglesmith's most devoted fans. In some ways these twenty performances are a study in contrasts. Some of the performers are dedicated amateurs while others are professional musicians. They recorded songs from throughout most of Eaglesmith's career, choosing songs first appearing on albums from 1987s Indiana Road to 1999s 50 Odd Dollars (the inspiration for this disc's title). They recorded using equipment ranging from an "ancient reel-to-reel" to the most modern studio. Song interpretations vary from attempts to duplicate Eaglesmith's version to well, let's say that my favorite covers take a song to places you wouldn't anticipate and some of these do just that. DON'T STOP READING. DON'T BE SCARED. EVERYTHING WILL BE OKAY! This may seem like a disaster waiting to happen; but it didn't work out that way. All of these performances have one thing in common, a desire by every artist to pay tribute to one of their favorite songwriters. In spite of the wide range of artists, production values, and song interpretations, the disc flows smoothly from song to song. The Toronto Star said, "the songs are rendered with such passion and devotion that they fairly leap into the air and [are] alive in a way few commercial studio recordings ever are." Even though some cuts standout, they are all quality performances. Fred J. Eaglesmith is the greatest songwriter ever, bar none. My favorite is "Water in the Fuel." Let's just say that if Fred had misplaced his best forty-nine songs, Fred's fiftieth best song, "Harold Wilson," should still be placed number one for all songs of all time. I suspect Fred is a Martian with powers above those of mortal men. I truly expect that, when I get to Judgment Day, the angel will ask, "Do you believe in Jesus." I'll hopefully say, "I believe in Fred." The angel will smile and ask if I know the song "49 Tons" as he opens wide the door to the Paradise Motel. Larry Banta The disc opens with Larry Banta demonstrating that he's prepared for this possibility, playing 12-string slide guitar while his brother John sings backing vocals on "49 Tons." Next John Banta takes the lead on "Lucille." Like the cardboard box "drums" used on Eddie Cochran's "Summertime Blues" and Jackson Browne's Running On Empty tour-bus-recordings, or the washboard used by Washboard Hank (Eaglesmith's former percussionist), Banta-sideman Jack Faville improvises, employing a guitar case and pizza pan for percussion. Cleveland, Ohio's Stew Dogs perform an edgy, dissonant version of "Mighty Big Car" while Tiger Tom & the Redneck Revival from Washington, DC add a bit of 50s-roots-rock vibe to "Good Enough." Seven Shell Tom McNally's group, the Back Forty Band, cut their rocked-up version of "Alcohol & Pills," Eaglesmith's analysis of musical alcohol and substance-abuse casualties like Hank Williams, Janis Joplin, and Gram Parsons. "You'd think they might of been happy with the glory and the fame / but fame doesn't take away the pain / it just pays the bills / and you wind up on alcohol and pills." All but one of the artists contributing songs are from the US or Canada. The exception is Australian Audrey Auld, who may be the best known of the contributors. Auld is a former musical partner of Bill Chambers (Kasey Chamber's father and guitarist). As a duo she and Chambers released Looking Back to See on their own Reckless Records, selected as best album in the 1999 Australian Independent Country Music Awards. Auld has also released a solo disc, The Fallen, which includes a cover of Eaglesmith's "Alcohol and Pills." On this disc Bill Chambers contributes harmony vocals and plays all the instruments on Auld's rendition of "Crazier." Auld nails this tune with her mournful, honky-tonk-angel vocals. Don't confuse Sherry Austin with the Australian pop-country singer Sherrie Austin. This Sherry Austin is a California songbird who lives in the mountains near Santa Cruz. After recording her honey-voiced interpretation of the melancholy "Drive-In Movie" for 20 Odd Hollers she was tapped as the opening act for a Fred Eaglesmith concert in Santa Cruz. I was so captivated by the voices of Auld and Austin, the only female vocalists on the disc, that it took at least twenty listens to realize that both were singing love-gone-bad songs from a male viewpoint without it seeming strange. Eaglesmith's performance of "I Like Trains" has a slight, pensive quality. Joshua Schultz of Half Moon Bay, California emphasizes this pensiveness in his interpretation, giving the song a despondent edge. Schultz recorded the basic tracks in his home studio and shipped them to Tom McNally. McNally added background vocals and bass before doing the final mixing. Patrick Beaudry & Tony Silvestro give the Fredhead treatment to "Freight Train," another train song that's a favorite with Eaglesmith fans. Rob Witherspoon and David Duke of Guelph, Ontario perform two songs as the Speed River Valley Mountain Boys. Their acappella version of "Yellow Barley Straw" segues into "Thirty Years of Farming," the story of another family farm going out of business. This disc was built on the solid foundation of the songs of Fred Eaglesmith, one of Americana's greatest and most prolific songwriters. Performed by Eaglesmith's fans solely to pay tribute to their favorite songwriter (all proceeds go to a charity, the Hamilton chapter of the Schizophrenia Society of Ontario) this disc should be a must for every serious Eaglesmith fan. If you're a fan of Americana you should already be familiar with Eaglesmith. If you aren't start with Eaglesmith's two-disc live album, Ralph's Last Show. *To listen to song samples and to see a complete song listing
and artist biographies for 20 Odd Hollers surf to www.geocities.com/fredheads
where you'll find a listing of online retailers that stock this
disc. For more about Fred Eaglesmith try www.fredeaglesmith.com
If you'd like to join the Fred Eaglesmith discussion group where
this project originated you'll find instructions on either of
these sites. |
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