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BACK HOME AGAIN
Rhonda Vincent
(Rounder)
First off, ANYONE who covers Dolly Parton's Jolene has a fine musical head on their shoulders.
The Geraldine Fibbers made it one of their greatest songs, along with a reclaimed-from-Reba Fancy, and Rhonda Vincent doing a bluegrass Dolly is simply totally cool.
Never mind all the bellyaching about the industry in the liner notes. It's not needed. Bluegrass rules, as Ricky Skaggs says, and a singer with a sugary voice like Vincent's rules at least twice.
The old Irl Hees spiritual, Keep Your Feet on the Ground, is a good place to start.
Like most decent bluegrass, there's a mix of spiritual and secular in this song, real life stitched in with some archaic religious lesson. All with a light, bumpy banjo to move things along, in this case ably played by Marc Pruett.
Note: If you're ever depressed, listen to bluegrass, because it'll pull you out faster than a squad of monkeys dressed up as circus clowns.
Little Angels, a sad country song written by Canadian Lina Richard, is an example of the varied tone on Back Home Again.
It would be interesting to hear it sans bluegrass, though there's nothing lacking from this take.
Comparisons to Alison Krauss are inevitable.
Rhonda Vincent isn't quite as precious as the crown jewel of female bluegrass singers, but precious ain't what we always need.
There's something a little more country about Vincent, understandable given that's where she's spent a lot of time, but man, it fills up the tank in a good way.
At least until Slayer goes and covers Jolene.
Then it just might be time to refuel.
Track Listing
1.Lonesome Wind Blues
02.Pretending I Don't Care
03.When I Close My Eyes
04.You're In My Heart
05.Little Angels
06.Passing Of The Trains
07.Out Of Hand
08.Jolene
09.You Don't Know How Lucky You Are
10.Keep Your Feet On The Ground
11.You're Running Wild
12.Where No Cabins Fall