In the Country of Country — Nicholas
Dawidoff (Random House 1997) @
Dawidol¥ brings to lite the history of
country music in his new book subtitled
People and Places in American Music. The
author travelled the United
States interviewing musicians to
creare the cultural contest
which created the art. His por-
traits range trom Nashville
songwriter Harlan Howard, to
bluegrass musicians Bill Monroe
and Ralph Stanley, to the old-
time country of the Louvin
Brothers, and on into Texas and
Jimmie Dale Gilmore's
Fladanders.

No one of consequence gets
left out. The whoie thing reads
like a documentary film, In fact
the Maddox Family story
should be made into a movic.
This is one of my favorite books
of the year. ntial reading.
Shania ‘Twain — Come On
Over (Mercury)
Nashville changed the day
Shania Twain started making

videos. Or at least it blinked.
‘Ten million unit sales later and they're
still comparing Shania (Ojibway for “I’m on

oy 4 4 a
VeRO R AW KE

my way”) to Wynona and Tanya when it
should really be Celine or Janet. Dion and
Jackson plus Mariah Carey and Barbara
Streisand have all released new recordings
but its Twain and hitmaker/husband Mutt
Lange, of all people, who are vying for the
top chart position with rap stars Patt Daddy
and Mase. Like all genres country music
must make grest concessions when crossing
over into the mega music mix. Twain does it
cffordlessly.

If you stay away from the songs that
end in exclamation marks (!) the new CD
works as state-of-the-art pop circa 1997,

Some of the tunes remind me of
another producer/wite/singer Mart Jones
who made a couple of great albums in the
Athens, Georgia shadaws of REM’s carly
success, At the point in a song where Jones
turns an Elvis Costello double entendre into
a near-li 2, Twain just keeps on
winking into the vidco camera. More power
to her.

Gillian Welch — Revival (Almo 1996)
kkk

A brilliant album of new material written and
performed by Welch that has as much in
common with Robert Johnson blues
sengs and John Steinbeck nor

arything contemporary. Timeless.

Next time you want a taste of the dust
bowl or the crossroads put this on.
Neko Case and her Boytriends —
The Virginian (Mint Records

of the Beach House at Dundarave Pier
and the 1997 “Festival of Lights”
Official Lighting Ceremony
Monday, December 1st 5-5:30pm

1997) tke

Country music straight up
ona Vancouver alternative
label. The Virginia-born
Case has provided one of
the surprises of the year.
Stanley Brothers — The
Complete Columbia
Recordings (Columbia
Legacy 1996) %2 9%
Twenty-two high, lonesome
songs recorded berween
1949 and 1952, Bluegrass
music at its most soultul.
Alison Krauss fans get thee
toa Future Shop. Many of
the great country artists are
absent from record store
sections but thanks to the
distribution reach of Sony
this should be available
everywhere. If you can’t
find it HMV Park Royal will
order it tor you.

Delbert McClinton —
One of the Fortunate Few
(Rising Tide 1997)
kkk

My wife won’t let me name our first-born
son Delbert but she can’t change my opin-
ion of Delbert McClinton. He’s a god.

His new CD has an impressive list of
guest performers who obviously think the
same way about McClinton. Too many to
name them all but they include Bonnie
Bramlett’s daughter Bekka (the Almo
recording artist looks and sounds just like
her mother — watch out for her record),
B.B. King, and country stars Lyle Lovett,
Vince Gill, Parti Loveless and Pam Tillis.

Despite all the friends though
McClinton’s real find is songw riter/prodduc.
er Gary Nicholson who has helped the
musician put out one of the greatest CDs of
his long career. It’s got a similar feel to the
Don Was collaborations with Bonnie Raitt.
Just when you think they’re going to disap-
pear from the face of the planet...

Photo Jotn Patrick Satieoury
GILLIAN Welch recorded her brilliant album
Revival in L.A. with producer T-Bone Burnett.

McClinton always puts on a great show
(he’s played Vancouver twice) but he hasn’r
put out a record this strong in years.
They’ve been assembling this set for years
and the craftsmanship shows. Nicholson
wrote most of the songs with McClinton
and they even bring in Delbert’s old parmer
Glen Clark (Raitt covered his song Sugar
Mama) for Leap of Faith.

—— Jokn Goodman

(iat eG

(Al’s ina a cood mood | i aut arent ce )
Many Thanks

wh

and customers for your sincere |
prayers and well wishes. We
are happy to announce the
birth of our 2nd child, Halle
Nicole born November 20,
1997 weighing 9 lbs. 1 oz.
20,

Special Thanks to Dr. Schouls er the Maternity

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sponsored by generous members of the Lower Mainland business
community. Come to view the trees and vote for your favorite.
Proceeds will go to the Variety Club -
Children's Wing of the Lions Gate Hospital.

@ OF the beat hage |

at DUN DARAVE PILER

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