Steve Martin - The Crow: New Songs for the Five String Banjo
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CD Details
Artist: Steve MartinBrand: Martin
Edition: Music CD
Audio: English (Unknown)
CD Release Date: 2009-05-19
Music Label: Rounder / Umgd
Soundtracks:
- Daddy Played The Banjo
- Pitkin County Turnaround
- Hoedown At Alice's
- Late For School
- Tin Roof
- Words Unspoken
- Pretty Flowers
- Wally On The Run
- Freddie's Lilt
- Saga Of The Old West
- Clawhammer Medley
- Calico Train
- Banana Banjo
- Blue River Waltz
- The Crow
- Calico Train (instrumental)
Music reviews of The Crow: New Songs for the Five String Banjo
Music Review: "The most expensive banjo album in the history of the universe"
Rating: 5 Stars
I owe a great debt to Steve Martin's banjo playing. When I was 11 I heard his first comedy album, "Let's Get Small" and its tantalizing banjo tidbits -- like his impression of a banjo-playing Richard Nixon performing "Foggy Mountain Breakdown" on the tarmac after arriving in China. I was so impressed that I asked my parents for a banjo for Christmas. In later years I started playing guitar and ukulele, as well. I can quite literally say that Steve Martin put the gift of music in my life -- thank you, Steve!
Despite my permanent soft spot for Steve Martin's banjo playing, however, I can still say objectively that this is a really good record. It is also, Martin insists in the liner notes, "the most expensive banjo album in the history of the universe." That should count for something!
The record makes it perfectly clear that he can not only play the banjo -- he can write music as well. The quality of the tunes would do most professional bluegrass musicians very proud indeed.
Still, I held off on buying this record for a long time, because I was concerned some material might be recycled from his earlier LP The Steve Martin Brothers. Side 1 (of the original vinyl LP) featured Steve Martin the wild-and-crazy standup comedian, while Side 2 was by Steve Martin the denim-clad hippie-freak banjo warrior.
Many of the tunes on this CD were indeed included on that earlier album, but the versions here are new, with completely different recordings. Where the earlier album had some pretty wild, outside-the-box bluegrass arrangements for banjo and flute, this new CD is usually more traditional in instrumentation -- lots of guitar and mandolin breaks, for example.
One cool exception is "Saga of the Old West", which Martin says was inspired in part by Ravi Shankar. The middle break really does push the envelope with a sitar-style banjo groove, with tablas and Indian-sounding woodwinds coming in for the end. Pretty far-out thinking that betrays Steve Martin's 1960s roots.
I have only two gripes about the record. First, it is too short -- total CD run time 43:26! I know this is longer than Flatt & Scruggs' Foggy Mountain Banjo, but come on, Steve. Second, the tracks featuring vocals (four of them, out of 15 total) work less well for me than the instrumental tracks.
Also, I would recommend the CD instead of the MP3 download because you get a very cool 24-page booklet written by Steve Martin and explaining fun facts about each of the tracks. It's great all around!
Description of The Crow: New Songs for the Five String Banjo
No Description Available.Genre: Bluegrass
Media Format: Compact Disk
Rating:
Release Date: 19-MAY-2009
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