From the Reach

I first saw Sonny in a Mark Knopfler video "A Night in London" a few years ago and figured, "If Mark Knopfler uses this guy, he must be good." I had no idea. I have seen him at least a dozen times live and every time he gives a great show. I've talked to him personally and find him to be refreshingly modest and humble, qualities frequently lacking among today's more well-known musicians. This latest work of his is both brilliant and moving. His selection of musicians to help him on this project reflects his deep respect for the abilities of others, and if he doesn't receive at least one grammy nomination in some category, then these people have no idea what great music is.

He had a show here a few years back--WOW!! As old as I am (been there, done that) it takes a LOT to blow me away but Sonny did. 20ft. from the stage and TOTALLY MESMERIZED for the ENTIRE SHOW! The poster outside the venue had a Clapton quote about "best slide player". Clapton, Raitt, and Thorogood play SOME slide(love 'em all), but Sonny is totally slide. I was born and raised where Tab Benoit comes from (Houma, La.) and was in school with his mother, so there's that south Louisiana connection. Blues forever!

I just love this CD! One of the premier slide players and a musician's musician, Sonny has written a storybook and colored it with great songs, woven in some of the world's "other" music greats, and presented it all to us. As listeners we are invited to sing, bob the head, air-guitar the solos, and just smile genuinely. Man, he is on fire here. I had to play it twice in a row just to make sure my ears and brain were on the same track! Eric Clapton, Robben Ford, Vince Gill, Eric Johnson, Dr. John, Mark Knopfler, Nadirah Shakoor... What more needs to be said except "get this one immediately." You will love it. Thanks, Mr. Landreth!

i'll keep it simple like the songwriting. this is great with or without the guests prowess. guitar lovers need to flock to this asap!!!

While Sonny Landreth's latest release is easily recognized as the product of a world class guitarist, it's not because he and his friends (Eric Clapton, Robben Ford, Vince Gill, Eric Johnson, Mark Knopfler) lay down epic peels of six-string sting. Well, yes, they do display pyrotechnic skills throughout, but other than a few instrumental jams, such as Johnson and Landreth's duet "The Milky Way Home" and the manic solo "Uberesso," the guitar passages are more of a master class in context than flat-picking exhibitionism. Rather than making dexterity the focus, their virtuosity is applied in service of the songs, with Landreth's skills as a songwriter and vocalist helping to keep the fireworks relevant.

The album opens with one of the year's most potent political statements, leading with the lyric "Air Force One had a heck of a view, looking down on the patchwork of the blue tarp blues." The Louisiana-based Landreth sings with gut-wrenching feeling of the devastation wrought both by Hurricane Katrina's force and the federal government's indifference. Mark Knopfler's guitar adds its voice here to Landreth's slide playing. The nostalgic "When I Still Had You" sounds as if it were written for Eric Clapton's guitar and backing vocals, both of which it features. The same can be said for "Way Past Long," which intertwines Ford and Landreth's vocals and guitars perfectly. Clapton's axe is given a second platform on "Storm of Worry," on which he annotates Landreth's vocals with superbly crafted licks.

The second-line rhythm of "Howlin' Moon" is redolent of New Orleans, with Dr. John's rolling piano and Steve Conn's organ stabs bringing the funk to Landreth's buzzing slide guitar, and Zydeco influences welcome Vince Gill on the electric country "The Goin' On." Throughout the album Landreth carefully pairs his songs and guests, keeping this star-studded CD from becoming a series of unconnected guest shots. He writes of broken relationships, wayward spouses, and inescapable lust, but also the hope of breaking through to a closed heart, and the sharing of optimism with a downcast friend. Even the more lived-in themes are refreshed by Landreth's poetic turns. The entire album swings with the freedom of a project so well conceived that its execution is a fait accompli. Perhaps this album will finally bring Landreth the broader acclaim he's deserved for so long. 4-1/2 stars, if allowed fractional ratings. [©2008 hyperbolium dot com]