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Old dirty dog, walkin’ down the street, no shadow did he cast.
Clock on the wall, no hands at all, no present, no future, no past.

You can’t save everybody. No word, no deed, no praise.
 You can’t save everybody.
 Everybody don’t want to be saved.

This CD has such a full, yet raw modern sound to an age old tradition of great songs sung by two real pros. Kane sings the first song with Welch on backup vocals and they trade off mainly throughout the whole album. Extra instrumentation is provided by Fats Kaplan on button accordion, banjo and fiddle. You get the idea...it’s roots music in the Americana backcountry tradition. Think of driving along an old, dusty highway...no street lights, just telephone wires strung for miles and miles. Sun overhead, in the broad light of day. Through a thick of emerald trees you come to an opening...a wide, open expansive plain which just off the highway sits an old farmhouse. You stop along the side of the road, leave your car and walk alongside this farmhouse to hear the sounds of some old-time acoustic music emanating from the side of the house that faces the plain. As you approach the porch you see and hear three men who are obviously performing this music for their love of it. And occasionally Claudia Scott shows up for some guest vocals. You feel welcome and you get the sense that you have just come across a special music-making occasion that you would have missed if you kept driving. 

Another highlight, besides the title track, is “Callin’ Me” sung by Kane. A song about a late night bout with insomnia. He sings “Ash to ash and dust to dust...I’ve done the best I can. If there’s someone who put me here, will He take me back again?” Great question! 

This album’s worth staying up for. Other highlights include Kevin’s “Till I’m Too Old To Die Young” Great lines like “Let me watch my children grow to see what they become. Lord, don’t let that cold wind blow till I’m too old to die young.” 

“Everybody’s Working For The Man Again.” about the overextending reach of corporations....entities like Walmart and Clearchannel without naming names. A great juxtaposition of modern day problems played with acoustic guitars and fiddle. “Yea, mom and pop, they had to close up shop...everybody’s working for the man.”

“A Prayer Like Any Other” is a plea from Welch for God to keep an eye out for his friends and family and even himself. A great way to close the album.

I’m much more familiar with Welch’s back catalog, but hearing Kane’s songs here and a few elsewhere, I think these two musicians compliment each other very well and I wouldn’t place one over the other for quality material. This is just a collection of great music. Their voices are distinctive so it’s not difficult to figure out who’s singing. And, if I had to pick a weak spot, it would be the song “Somewhere In The Middle” which reminded me lyrically, of all things, Billy Joel’s “I Go To Extremes” with lines like “Sometimes I’m good...sometimes I’m bad” and other opposite lines. I think it’s one of those songs musicians put on albums so as to not over-impress! It
makes for a decent bridge to the back half of the album which is definitely impressive. Anyhow, it’s a minor aside...

“History lesson number 1...there’s not a thing that can’t be done. Somewhere in this world of doubt...someone’s gonna work it out.” 

Enjoy the sunshine and what could be described as the shadowy depths of this marvelous album...

Chris Barlow  8/30/2004