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Fred Eaglesmith & The Flying Squirrels "Ralph's Last Show - Live In Santa Cruz" by Dave and Lavona Wine |
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I've never been one to really enjoy live CD's and was hoping that "Ralph's last Show" wouldn't be a disappointment. Trust me, it's not. This is probably the only CD of Fred's that truly captures his unique sound and the immense talent of The Flying Squirrels. The recording quality is excellent and crowd noise is at a minimum. There has been much talk lately about Fred's "new sound" vs. his "original" sound. His "new sound" includes an electric bass guitar, steel guitar, and drum kit while the original sound is acoustic with an upright bass, mandolin, harmonica, and washboard. I've seen both shows, and if the soundman is doing his job, they are both great. I do understand the complaints about the drums drowning out Washboard Hank, and the electric guitars drowning out Willie on his mandolin, and I've seen it happen. At a recent show at The Sons of Hermann Hall in Dallas, Texas, the entire new band performed, the soundman did a great job, and the show was incredible. Fred rocked the house and even with the drums, electric guitars, you were still able to enjoy Washboard Hank on his washboard and Willie's mandolin.
Regardless of which sound suits your listening, both are still available on CD and in live performances. If you like Fred's "old" sound, "Ralph's last Show" is what you are after. If you prefer the "new" sound then the "50 Odd Dollars", released in 1999, would be a good choice. You can still catch both versions live depending on the venue he is performing. The "old" acoustic sound can usually be found at folk festivals, or small venues where the drum kit just doesn't fit in. Even though Fred and his songs are the center of attention, The Flying Squirrels more than carry their weight with their outstanding musicianship and their ability to entertain an audience. Willie P. Bennett is a marvel. I haven't seen any other mandolin player pick it the way he does. Combined with his harmonica playing he is a one-man band. Washboard Hank is awesome as he provides percussion for the group with a very unique washboard that he has assembled out of an old washboard, license plate, bicycle horn, and bells. He also dons a miner's helmet with a cymbal on top, and a leather glove with thimbles to complete the outfit. Ralph, bass, will be truly missed as he retired after this recording. Replacing Ralph Schipper on bass is Darcy Yates on electric bass and he has done an excellent job of picking up where Ralph left off. Kevin Komatsu is the drummer and Roger Marin plays electric, and steel guitars. Both are excellent musicians.
If you are already a fan of Fred Eaglesmith and The Flying Squirrels, then "Ralph's Last Show" is a must-buy. If you have never heard Fred, this album will serve as a fine introduction. It is available now at CDNow and at www.fredeaglesmith.com. |
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Fred has an uncanny
knack for molding his show to suit the venue. It's obvious that
there is no carved-in-stone set list. Fred just plays what he
feels and the rest of the band scrambles to follow his lead.
Fred mixes love songs, train songs, car songs, sad songs and
happy songs and his love for making music comes through in them
all. He can write a song about anything and his lyrics and his
unmistakable voice combine to pull listeners into the music.
He is a truly unique artist.
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