review of the Ellis Paul/Vance Gilbert CD "Side Of The Road"

Below is my review of the Ellis Paul/Vance Gilbert CD "The Side Of 
The Road".

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                            A Review of the CD
                             "Side of The Road"
                       by Ellis Paul & Vance Gilbert
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"Side Of The Road"
by Ellis Paul & Vance Gilbert

copyright 1999 11671-1239-2
Rounder/Philo Records
One Camp Street
Cambridge, MA 02140
ph: (617) 354-0700
fax: (617) 354-4840
http://www.rounder.com and
mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]

http://www.ellispaul.com and
http://vancegilbert.com

This review is written by Kevin McCarthy, 10/03
"Kevin's Celtic & Folk Music CD Reviews"
http://www.surfnetusa.com/celtic-folk/index.html
mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]

Years ago, a guide to living more consciously and fully engaged entitled
"The Whole Earth Catalogue" was published. Every so often it would be
updated and printed again. It may still be an on-going publication.

If not, one could substitute this Ellis Paul and Vance Gilbert
release as both guide and inspiration on which to base life choices
and actions.  Long-time friends, Paul and Gilbert, in their first
full-length collaboration, have collected exemplary songs from other
singer-songwriters, added a few of their own, and produced a primarily
optimistic compendium of prescriptions for living a full, thoughtful
and satisfying life.

Mark Erelli's, "The Only Way," opens the release. Containing a 9/11
reference and subtext, Paul, in lead vocals, sings of living life fully,
aware and all out--giving, loving and believing. Also employing the 9/11
barbarity is "Citizen Of The World," co-written by Paul and Gilbert. A
riff on the 'we are the world' concept, this cut advocates looking beyond
one's self, community, country towards a 'larger picture' vision as the
beginning in resolving humanity's woes.

Exploring the concept of and boundaries of self is the Lucinda Williams
penned "Side Of The Road." Susan Werner's delicate "May I Suggest"
declares the realm of marvelous possibilities, too often overlooked
until it is too late, existing and available to each individual.

The under-exposed songwriting talent of Jeff Black is deservedly presented
in "What Do I Want What Do I Need." The song's lyrics testify to the
conundrum of the song title.

Probably the most controversial offering is the late Dave Carter's lovely
"Gentle Arms Of Eden." Controversial because Gilbert dramatically slows
the tempo from the Carter version, truly making it his own. With Gilbert's
elegant vocals, electric guitar sounding more like a dobro, plus soft
drums, the cut becomes more of a spiritual prayer and a completely
different song.

The Woody Guthrie/Slaid Cleaves collaboration, the radical "This Morning
I Am Born Again" rejects the concept of heaven as an after-life location
for a that-time-is-now sense.

Gilbert's "Alone Down Here' presents mankind's nefarious behavior and
actions in a context of hoping that we aren't simply by ourselves and
that such evil doings shall be accountable somehow, somewhere.

Let's simply call this melodic CD a thinking and feeling person's grist
for the mill. Maybe Paul's (and Gilbert's) epistle to the world.

Paul, on guitar, keyboards, vocals and harmony vocals and Gilbert on
guitar, tambourine, vocals and harmony vocals, are backed by Tom West on
Hammond organ and piano; Lorne Entress on drums; Richard Gates on bass;
Duke Levine on electric guitar, Lap Steel guitar, mandola and mandolin;
Jake Armerding on fiddle and mandolin; Tom Eaton on shaker and chimes
and Don Conoscenti on banjo.

Track List:

   * The Only Way (4:31) Mark Erelli
   * Side of the Road (4:11) Lucinda Williams/Lucy Jones/Warner Tamberlane
   * Citizen of the World (4:11) Ellis Paul/Vance Gilbert
   * Comes a Time (4:10) Neil Young
   * May I Suggest (3:51) Susan Werner
   * What Do I Want What Do I Need (3:50) Jeff Black
   * Gentle Arms of Eden (5:33) Dave Carter
   * This Morning I Am Born Again (4:22) lyrics by Woody Guthrie/music by
     Slaid Cleaves
   * Alone Down Here (1:58) Vance Gilbert
   * Comfort You (2:27) Van Morrison

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