Breaking away a bit from the 1970s, tonight I’m delving again into a little bit of the folk rock category. I don’t really know much about Tom Rush without Googling him, but according to Wikipedia, Tom Rush was one of the leading figures in the singer/songwriter genre. This particular album of his made it to #110 on the Billboard 200. I can’t find a whole lot more information on Rush, so I’m going to go ahead and jump on into the music.
“Wrong End of the Rainbow” starts out with some really pleasant country folk sounds with some pedal steel guitar and some divine sounding piano. I really the country, earthy folksiness of this tune. There’s some really tasty twang in this tune. Oh wow, the gallop this song gets into at the end is really nice. I’m really looking forward to the rest of the album.
“Biloxi” starts out with some super nice folksy acoustic guitar gently drifting through a countryside plain, while some really tasty organ cues in the blues inflected country piano lines. Rush’s voice is super relaxed – this song has a really groovy singer/songwriter feel to it. I really dig the soft crashing rolls of the cymbals in the background, making the slight climbs in the melody that much more epic. The orchestral strings really bring a delectable sweetness to the tune. Holy smokes, the mix of the organs and the airy chorus vocals really give a sort of heavenly sound to this one. I really dig this tune, wow, this is sweet.
Oh wow, “Merrimack County” starts out with some really cowboy sounding high notes on the acoustic guitar or some other folksy instrument like the dobro or mandocello. The bass line absolutely screams country and western in such a smooth and relaxed manner. Oh wow, the fiddle comes in strong as the acoustic instruments all sort of weave together and brings in an earthy sweetness to the whole mix, while the falsetto chorus vocals really provide a nice folksy singer/songwriter feel to tie it all together. Great tune.
“Riding On a Railroad” starts out with some really pleasant church organs to slowly introduce the slowly galloping acoustic guitar, which eventually brings in the electric guitar for some really tasty lines that almost seem to cry out into the song – great tone. Oh wow, now it’s just a slow bass with some Appalachian sounding guitar lines, with Rush gently singing through this verse with a whole lot of weight behind the vocals. There’s some gentle accentuations from the electric guitar and organs in a really interesting sort of country folk rock mix. Oh wow, this tune really gets grooving a bit quicker as the tune gradually moves along. I can’t help but tap my hands along with this super tasty tune. The heavy bass notes of the piano really carry such immense flavor while Rush seems to make the rest of the tune feel weightless. Holy smokes, this is groovy.
“Medley” starts out with a little bit of distant chatter from a saloon or something before breaking into a chorus folksy bluegrassy chant before jumping into a really tasty folk rock tune. Holy smokes, this is awesome. Oh wow, this tune is super groovy. Rush’s voice takes on an almost Irish inflection. Really sweet.
“Starlight” starts out with some really solemn piano and some vocals that really sound searching in nature. The tune really gets grooving for a moment with some rockin’ piano and some really tasty acoustic chords that produce a nice percussive effect with the strumming. The orchestral strings really bring a nice, polished sweetness to the track. The song almost seems to be peering into the night sky, looking for answers to anything. The tune fades away as it continues to jam on, almost as if it will continue forever. Really pleasant song.
“Sweet Baby James” starts out with some really nice acoustic guitar framing the outline of the song. Rush comes in with some really nice vocals that take on a bit of a country storytelling sound. Oh wow, the harmonica comes in with some really tasty nighttime campfire in the countryside sort of vibes, especially as the tune evolves into a country folk lullaby of sorts. The sweetness of the chorus vocals mixed with the orchestral strings really produce a pleasant sound throughout the soundscape.
“Rotunda” starts out with some really groovin’ country rock sounds from the different guitars and that unmistakable backbeat. Holy smokes, the rollicking nearly bluesy piano really brings a whole lot of flavor to this rockin’ tune. The country twang of the electric guitar is super tasty as it really squeals out some nice notes in that solo. The churning rhythm guitar really gives a gritty grounded sensation to this tune that I really dig too. Holy smokes, the guitars really squeal throughout the outro. Really nice tune.
“Jazzman” has a really pleasant country folk sort of vibe, with some twangy electric guitar, really pleasant percussive acoustic guitar chords, with some bass notes in the piano that really feel like they dig down, while the drums keep the tune swingin’ with a steady, paced-out beat with tasty fills. The bass guitar really bridges the notes in the piano and drums super nicely. Really great tune.
“Gnostic Sounds” starts out with some tasty piano that has a somewhat major blues key sound while the orchestral strings sort of melt through a descending melody really nicely. The sparse drumming and gentle acoustic guitar strumming really create a soundscape that puts a whole lot of weight behind the vocal performance. The organs come in for little accentuations that accentuate the polished sweetness from the piano and orchestral string performance. Oh wow, this tune really gets grooving right as the electric guitar comes on with some really tasty distortion with an ascending melody that seems to lift the tune to different levels. The piano gets in some really tasty licks right at the end too. Great tune.
This was a super enjoyable album to listen to tonight, and blended of country and folk rock in a fresh singer/songwriter package for the time period, with what was nearly an inclination towards the divine in some very gospel-like sounds in the instrumentation and vocal performances. If you dig country folk or folk rock, and you have some interest in the singer/songwriter genre, you might want to consider checking this one out. If you do decide to give this one a listen, I do sincerely hope that you enjoy the listening experience at least as much as I did.
-A