Banjo Licks

On album number four, Troy and Eddie make no major breaks with the tried and true formula that weds solid modern country music to the long raucous tradition of redneck rock. But then again, they don't need to. It's true, they streamline it, rock it up, and bring in some more rock & roll, but essentially, these cats lay down 12 very solid tracks written by a slew of Nash Vegas songwriters, most notably Rivers Rutherford, Jeffrey Steele, and Bob DiPiero, who wrote the lion's share of the set.

Dave Mason's first solo album was one of several recordings to come out of the Leon Russell/Delaney & Bonnie axis in 1970. Alone Together contains an excellent batch of melodically pleasing songs, built on a fat bed of strumming acoustic guitars with tasteful electric guitar accents and leads…

Make sure you have your stereo (or iPod) at a safe level of volume when you start this disc because it kicks in full throttle and rarely lets up! That is a good thing, especially if you are a fan of great guitar driven rock n’ roll. After it warms your player up for a few seconds, then crank this as it should be. New Soul Cowboys are a hard rockin’ trio based in Nashville, Tennessee. The album kicks into overdue from the first second with “Painted Horse”. IMO, you just can’t go wrong with opening a CD with a killer track about the freedom of blazing a trail on a Harley Davidson. The subtle banjo adds an interesting flavor to the song while the gang vocals will have you chanting along in no time.

Dave Mason's first solo album was one of several recordings to come out of the Leon Russell/Delaney & Bonnie axis in 1970. (Other notables included Eric Clapton's solo debut and Joe Cocker's Mad Dogs & Englishmen.) Alone Together contains an excellent batch of melodically pleasing songs, built on a fat bed of strumming acoustic guitars with tasteful electric guitar accents and leads. Mason's vocals are embellished with harmonies from Rita Coolidge, Claudia Lennear, and Delaney & Bonnie. Besides the well-known semi-hit "Only You Know and I Know," and which was also a number 20 hit for Delaney & Bonnie, highlights include the bouncy gospel-inflected "Waitin' on You" and the banjo-bejeweled "Just a Song."

Not everybody can become a Gallagher! Because you would be quickly referred to the melodic genius of some (Noel Gallagher) or the technical splendour of others (Rory Gallagher). And if you happen to be a guitar player, a bluesman and an Irishman, expect no indulgence at all. But all this seems to be of non concern to the serene Johnny Gallagher because his music speaks for himself, just like this compilation assembling some of his best recordings since he released his first album in 1997.

Bruce Hornsby's hardest-rocking album, A Night on the Town announces that he is heading into a different direction in its first few notes. John Mellencamp's producer Don Gehman gives the sound, especially John Molo's drums, a feel reminiscent of Mellencamp's best work. The material here is among Hornsby's best, and guest players include Jerry Garcia, tenor saxman Wayne Shorter, banjo virtuoso Béla Fleck, vocalist Shawn Colvin (before she was known), and jazz bass legend Charlie Haden. The arrangements still include the mix of synthesized and real percussion, and the trademark piano licks are sprinkled abundantly throughout, but the overall feel is much more rock & roll than anything before or since.