Buddy Miller
CRUEL MOON
Hightone 8111
visit Buddy's and Julie's website
available on cd universe
This is one of the hottest, and most soulful discs I have heard in several years, by an artist that evidently feels quite secure with who/what he is. Buddy Miller is at this moment one of the hottest guitarists/producers in the field of country today. STOP and don’t be turned off by that ‘Country’ label. There is none of that watered down pabulum that passes for country music coming out of Nashville today on this disc. This is music that is from the earth in that it has roots and is a living breathing entity that is capable of nourishing the whole of the body. Buddy Miller has one of the most soul racking voices that has come across in a long time. This is the blues with some substantial country intonations and instrumentation. DOES MY RING BURN YOUR FINDER, which he and wife Julie Miller ( a hot-shot song writer on her own) co-wrote, is one of the finest true old style tormented country songs of love gone bad. That opens this disc and it closes with Roebuck Staples soulful/meaningful gospel gem IT’’S BEEN A CHANGE. In between these two are some of the finest songs around of many different styles, but all are firmly rooted in the heart. However they are all basically entrenched in the soulful regions of country, or the country regions of the blues (if you have to pigeonhole your music). He and wife Julie wrote 6 of the songs, two of those with the help of Jim Lauderdale. Steve Earle contributed one song along with some vocals. This disc has a powerful passion to it. The words leap off the disc painting vivid pictures that don’t tend to leave the memory too quickly or too easily. Whether he is singing his songs or the songs that others penned he takes these songs, and with his honest powerful emotion that his voice possesses he make the songs his own. This is one of the finest guitar players, soulful singers, and the selected producer for musicians who are putting forth original music today. He has been working with the likes of Emmy Lou Harris, Jim Lauderdale and Linda Ronstadt. Give yourself a wonderful treat and pick this one up.
Produced by Buddy Miller
Songs, time, writers, musicians
1 DOES MY RING BURN YOUR FINGER – 3:14 - Julie & Buddy Miller
bass – Byron House
drums – John Gardner
fiddle – Tammy Rogers
harmonium –Phil Madeira
guitar, banjo, vocals – Buddy Miller
2 LOVE MATCH – 3:38 – Paul Kennerly
bass – Byron House
drums – John Gardner
fiddle – Tammy Rogers
guitar – Buddy Miller
vocal – Steve Earle
3 I’M GONNA BE STRONG –3:31 – Barry Mann & Cynthia Weil
bass – Byron House
drums – John Gardner
Fender 400 – Steve Fishell
B3 –Phil Madeira
guitar – Buddy Miller
vocal – Joy Lynn White
4 LOOKING FOR A HEARTACHE LIKE YOU – 3:02 – Jim Lauderdale, Julie & Buddy Miller
bass – Byron House
drums – John Gardner
steel guitar – Al Perkins
accordion – Phil Madeira
guitar – Buddy Miller
vocal – Jim Lauderdale
5 CRUEL MOON – 3:15 - Julie & Buddy Miller
bass – Byron House
drums – John Gardner
mandolin – Tammy Rogers
Fender 400 – Steve Fishell
accordion –Phil Madeira
guitar – Buddy Miller
vocal – Emmy Lou Harris
6 SOMEWHERE TROUBLE DON’T GO – 3:15 - Julie Miller
bass – Alison Presswood
drums – Bryan Owings
fiddle – Tammy Rogers
percussion – Julie Miller
guitar – Buddy Miller
vocal – Julie Miller
7 IN MEMORY OF MY HEART – 3:22 – Julie & Buddy Miller
fiddle - Tammy Rogers
guitar – Buddy Miller
vocal – Julie Miller
8 SOMETIMES I CRY - 4:55 –Julie Miller, Jim Lauderdale & Buddy Miller
bass – Alison Presswood
drums – Bryan Owings
fiddle – Tammy Rogers
B3 –Phil Madeiria
guitar – Buddy Miller
Fender 400 – Steve Fishell
vocal – Joy Lynn White
9 I’M TOO USED TO LOVIN’ YOU – 3:24 – Julie & Buddy Miller
bass – Byron House
drums – John Gardner
fiddle – Tammy Rogers
steel guitar – Al Perkins
accordion – Phil Madeira
guitar – Buddy Miller
vocal – Jim Lauderdale
10 I’M NOT GETTING ANY BETTER AT GOODBYE – 4:03 – Steve Earle
guitars – Buddy Miller
steel guitar – Al Perkins
guitar – Buddy Miller
vocal – Joy Lynn White
11 IT’S BEEN A CHANGE – 3:46 – Roebuck Staples
drums – Don Heffington
guitar, bass – Buddy Miller
vocal – Julie Miller