Rating:
Genre:
Folk
Release Date: 07/06/2002
While
Alice Gerrard is well known in
traditional music circles thanks to her pioneering work with
Hazel Dickens and her editorship of
The Old-Time Herald, no one can accuse her of over-recording. Her last solo album, after all, was
Pieces of My Heart, released in 1996.
Calling Me Home, then, is a welcome addition of what one has come to expect from
Gerrard's slender catalog: sensitive readings of old-time classics against a backdrop of spare acoustic music. The success of a song like
"Old Virginia Hills" doesn't come from a radical new approach, but from the simplicity of
Gerrard's down-to-earth vocal, the guitar and mandolin backing, and the presence of singer
Brad Leftwich on the choruses. To borrow an overused term, the results sound natural. On occasion,
Gerrard steps away from strict old-time to deliver slightly more modern fare, though it's unlikely that anyone but the strictest traditionalist will notice. There's a great version of
the Louvin Brothers'
"When I Stop Dreaming" and a bluesy take on
Hank Williams'
"Weary Blues From Waiting." Within the context of the vocals and instrumental work, however, one would never mistake either song as '50s-styled
country music. While
Gerrard's tendency to record sporadically may be connected with the excellence of the albums she releases,
Calling Me Home will leave listeners wishing they were more frequent.
~Ronnie D. Lankford, Jr., All Music Guide
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