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| Highway 377 Cross Canadian Ragweed Underground Sound Records UGS0377 |
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By the time I heard 'Boys From Oklahoma,' I was hooked. Given the quality of Cody Canada's voice, comparisons with Steve Earle and Jack Ingram are inevitable. And lyrically and musically, I suppose those same comparisons are at least partially valid. But that ain't all bad, right? And if you don't like those comparisons, well, how about Reckless Kelly? My own jaded old hippie ears hear a lot of Skynrd in the singing and in the playing too. After miraculously surviving a 60-foot high speed plunge into a culvert on Highway 377 near Wolf, Oklahoma in August of 1999 with only a few broken bones and some cuts and bruises, it is perhaps to be expected that "Highway 377" is slightly overloaded with philosophical musings, ponderings of life and death matters and such. Near-death experiences tend to have that effect on people, even hardcore red dirt rock and rollers. Add the fact that after Canada climbed up the embankment to seek help for the people in the pickup truck, the first car to stop was a Cadillac driven by a woman named Mary, and you've got the makings of a blues song called 'Highway 377' and a battle between Jesus and the devil for the accident victims. The devil's got a hot rod Ford Heavy? Yes. Melodramatic? Yes again. But who are we to argue with anyone's interpretation of their near-death experience? Canada's vision and interpretation of events may mature with time, but for now this is his song and he's sticking to it. And to his credit, his performance has a lot of conviction in it. Anthony "Wern" Aquino's screeching slide guitar track gives an appropriately sinister feel to this musical battle with the devil. "Highway 377" literally blasts off with 'Look At Me.' Drummer Randy Ragsdale kicks it off and the band (bassist Jeremy Plato and rhythm guitarist Grady Cross) piles on to create a rousing roots rock set opener. Canada adds a simple but perfect harmonica lick, the guitars are loud and edgy, the chords open and full, the voice just ragged enough to give added depth and soul to the lyric about people who take themselves too seriously. Look at me, I'm on my way down On '42 Miles,' where the band's van breaks down in the middle of nowhere, Canada demonstrates his considerable Skynrd-like guitar prowess. This self-taught young man can wail on an electric six-string machine. 'One of These Days' is as close to country as Ragweed gets on "Highway 377." One of those songs from "the fun I had before I settled down" or "girls I have known" genre, this is a witty ditty backed up by some dynamite country hot licks. Janet Janet from the boogie planet Ah, yes, those little life lessons learned out on the rock and roll highway. There are other road women in this song with equally endearing traits, but reading between the lines, the boys in the band aren't sparing themselves any blame for some of the poor choices they've made living the rock and roll road life. The anthemic 'Bang My Head' was originally recorded on "Live at The Wormy Dog," and, along with 'Jenny' and 'Boys From Oklahoma' may be Ragweed's most well known song. And this time, they nailed it. The new version on "Highway 377" has smoke trails coming off of it. This song, which has loads of message appeal to teens and twenty-somethings, has college radio hit written all over it. This is CCR at their rocking best. Don't know what you think of me Gee, I'm glad I was never like that. One of the most interesting tracks on the record in a lyrical sense is Canada's song for his Vietnam vet father, 'Long Way Home.' It's obvious from the detail in the song that the son has paid attention to the subject of his father's days in the service and that they've spent more than a little time talking about the war. Canada makes no attempt to cast judgments of right or wrong about the war, choosing only to honor his father's actions and to take cognizance of the psychological effects the war experience had on his father and the household. It is a fitting and decent tribute. Never seen nothin' but that Mid-Texas dirt Anyone who has followed the seven-year musical odyssey of this band (they were still in high school when they started) should be mightily impressed with the growth this little four-piece band has shown since their first studio CD, "Carney," came out. Produced by Mike McClure and J.J. Lester of The Great Divide, "Highway 377" is Ragweed's smoothest, most sophisticated production yet. But not too worry; these boys from Oklahoma are still rockin'. Lyrically they may not be on a Steve Earle or Damon Bramlett level yet, but they are young and they are definitely improving in all the categories that count every time out. With the way this CD is selling and with all the quality gigs that are coming their way, we have no reason to expect anything other than that Cross Canadian Ragweed will just get better as time goes on. I'm expecting big things from these boys down the road. Visit Cross canadian Ragweed's web site at: www.crosscanadianragweed.com
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The first time I heard Cross Canadian Ragweed, I was sitting in the Blue Light in Lubbock, Texas, drinking a cold Coors and waiting for Cooder Graw to play. I was the oldest person in what is essentially a college hangout. The soundman put CCR's "Live at The Wormy Dog" CD on through the PA system. I had no idea who I was listening to, but I could tell those boys were having a good time. I liked some of the songs right away even though it wasn't really country or the typical Texas neo-outlaw thing that is the Blue Light's mainstay. It was twangy but it was edgy. It was definitely rock
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