A=Awesome B=Beautiful C=Could be better D=Don't quit your day job E=Enough already F=Forget it,Flush it,@%$% it
Here is some down-home country music,you know the country tunes that us middle-age folks grew up listening to.What I like to hear coming from a country band,the band that's as good out of the studio as it would be live.Bob has put out an album that is jam-packed with energy and great tunes.This is an album that you're going to put in the player in your vehicle and be singing along with and groovin'to for years.Music like this will never fade away,it would be just un-American.Now I'll bet your thinking that Bob's from Nashville,right? Well you'd be wrong,Bob's out of the Bay City,San Francisco,of all places.
Give a listen to some west coast country music at Bob's website.While you're there pick up a copy of this amazing album,today.You can also pick up a copy from our Buy The CD's page.
D.C.-There some mean guitar pickin' in this tune.Some really cool lyrics and some nice pedal steel.The rhythm section(bass and drums) are wicked tight.This is line dancin' music,for sure.This tune is really swingin'.This tunes got some awesome dueling guitars.
(A++)
C.S.-This track really grabbed my attention.It is a real rocker!! The steel guitar provides some excellent fills.The electric and steel guitar duel is nothing short of amazing.Excellent vocals too.(A++)
TRACK 2
Burnin' Up The Blacktop
D.C.-Some terrific guitar work in this tune too.Some nice harmony vocals that add depth and color to the tune.Bob has a great song writing style that keeps the listener singing along to the lyrics.(A)
C.S.-This tune has some nice vocal harmonies.I like the melodic steel guitar.Not a bad tune.(C+)
TRACK 3
All My Friends Were Rockin' And Rollin'
D.C.-This one has that good old classic country sound with some very interesting,amusing lyrics.This tune has a full sound that is well mixed with an excellent rhythm track.The pedal steel has some exceptional fills,the lead guitarist does some fancy fret work too.A fun song.(A++)
C.S.-This is a very amusing song.It is really catchy. Although I can't say that I experienced the same "dilemma" of listening to Hank instead of Led Zeppelin.I prefer Zeppelin.(A)
TRACK 4
Red,White And Blew It
D.C.-I've heard this tune on the radio and I thought when I heard it that it had some fantastic lyrics.Now I know who wrote it and his other material is just as great.This has a melody that grabs you and won't let you loose.There are some super vocal harmonies backed up with some magic fingers on the keys.The harmonica fills suit this tune very well,and as always some great guitar work.(A+++)
C.S.-Again,extremely entertaining lyrics.Bob is a true artist when it comes to lyrics.I like the raw blues feel to the guitar fills.The harmony on the chorus is really tight.(A++)
TRACK 5
If My Guitar Had Legs
D.C.-This one has a slower tempo with some more great vocals,and guitar.This one would be an excellent tune for Dwight Yoakam as it fits his style.Though I'm in doubt that it would make the song better,just might get more attention to Bob's fantastic songwriting abilities.I felt the song was a bit short.(A+)
C.S.-A good change of pace.The softer piano and acoustic guitar are a much needed change.The steel guitar sounds excellent.This songs biggest flaw is its lack of length.(B-)
TRACK 6
Called 9-1-1
D.C.-I loved the guitar intro in this tune.The lyrics are to die for,I was laughing so hard I thought I'd bust a gut.A truely unique piece of work.(A++)
C.S.-This song is great.The lyrics really cracked me up.This is a good upbeat country rock tune.Really gets the foot tapping.(A++)
TRACK 7
L.A.County Jail
D.C.-Some more fancy fret work on the intro,along with some of those highly contagious lyrics of Bob's.
Entertaining and uplifting music to say the least.If you get a chance to catch Bob at one of his live shows I certainly envy you.(A++)
C.S.-Another good country rocker.I hate to keep repeating myself,but the lyrics were really good again.The humorous lyrics coupled with the great playing make this a real solid tune.(A++)
TRACK 8
Ten Years And Counting
D.C.-This has a terrific intro too as it gets off at a fast clip.I loved the vocals in this tune,it was a pleasant change to have female vocals along with Bob's.Especially since Bob and Dallis have such fine voices that blend so nicely and comfortably.The lyrics are in a more serious format which displays some diversity.Certainly has "HIT" all over it.(A+++)
C.S.-This is a more serious song.Talking about his successful marriage.The lyrics are still well thought out.The band also is very good,as usual.(A)
TRACK 9
The Ballad Of Number 24
D.C.-This tune was reminiscent of a Charlie Daniels tune "Uneasy Rider".The lyrics are well thought out and very funny.The band is tight and has great fills. Unfortunately this song is a bit short.(A)
C.S.-Excellent guitar work throughout this tune.The lyrics are funny and entertaining.They are told in a story fashion instead of melodically.This tune is just way too short.(B-)
TRACK 10
Country In My Bones
D.C.-Some nice pedal steel opens up the tune,with some fine electric pickin'.There are some tight breaks in the chorus,but I felt that the steel carried the melody line superbly.This is a rockin' country number.(A++)
C.S.-This is a typical country song.It does have some good guitar work in it.I don't particularly care for the lyrical content.(C+)
TRACK 11
Bay Bridge Boogie
D.C.-You want to hear some of the finest guitar playing in America,pick up this album for this tune.
I have always enjoyed instrumental numbers,and I was blown away by this fantastic boogie.It has some great bends and some totally exceptional riffs and runs.The melody is a catchy one and has me hooked big time. This band has to be one of the top ten country bands in the country,it certainly is in my book.My favorite track on the album.(A++++...)
C.S.-The guitar playing is very fast and harmonically rich when it is doubled up.The bass is also well played.Amazing guitar solos.This song resembles a blues song more than a country one.The whole song is just a free for all guitar jam.I love it.My number one pick of the album.(A+++)
TRACK 12
I Wanna Be A Cowboy Too
D.C.-I think that Bob should have put this tune on track 11 and closed the album with the Boogie.This is a nice country tune that is done very well,but it doesn't have the intensity of the Boogie and therefore falls in the shadow of a great tune and comes out on the dim side for that reason.(A)
C.S.-Like track 10 this is a typical country song.I don't care for the lyrics in this one either.The vocal harmonies,guitars and rhythm section play very well.Overall not bad.(B-)
Chris' Overall Impression:
This is a well put together album.Though,I am not the biggest country lover out there,I did like this album.The lyrics are extremely hilarious on a lot of the songs.There are a couple of songs that talk about being a good old boy,those are the ones I can't stand.This is what I like to call a "changeover" album,because it has captured my interest in a genre of music that I wasn't a fan of and made me want to hear more in the style of Bob Freedman.Good album.(A)
Donna's Overall Impression:
I found this album to have some of the best musicians in the country genre that I have come across in a long while.Bob definitely has the knack to put across some extremely comical lyrics along with some catchy melodies.Some of the songs are a bit short,but what you do get is high quality tunes.I was raised with country music being played in the home,so this is not a new genre to me.I was listening to Hank and also listening to Led Zeppelin because both have their own special qualities and places in a musical corner of my soul.This is why Downeast Reviews are not locked into one genre,we feel that all genre have something to offer the listener.Bob Freedman is such an artist that will fill a void in your life,he will most certainly make you laugh.He will also get you up dancing,and singing along.So as Chris said this is an album to bring you over to the country side of music, because this is quality country music at its finest. (A++)
So until next time keep your ears to the tunes, your eyes on the road,and keep in touch with us....Donna
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