Dave Carter Tracy Grammer - Drum Hat Buddha (12 tracks) +Album Reviews

THIS is what folk music is all about!

Kori Frazier | Kent, OH United States | 12/25/2001

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Over the last several months, five folk music fans, as well as Amazon and CDNow's Best of 2001 lists, have told me that this is one of best albums of this year. Finally, I decided to listen. And upon finishing my first listen of this album, I only had one question for myself: "What the heck took you so long?"I'm going to put this plain and simple: BUY THIS CD. There is not a track to be skipped on this album, and even if one doesn't find all the songs pleasing the first time, eventually he will. DRUM HAT BUDDHA represents everything that all music should be--Dave's music and lyrics and the harmonious combination of the two's voices make this an album not to be missed. From the phenomenal opening track "Ordinary Town" to the uplifting "236-6132," to the hypnotizing "Love, the Magician," each song possesses a unique charm and pleasing quality all its own. This CD is a true musical journey--you will be enthralled by the haunting "Tillman County," moved by the gorgeous "Gentle Arms of Eden," and if you don't at least tap your toes during "Highway 80 (she's a mighty good road)," you might want to check your pulse because you might be dead. Every song on this album is an absolute gem.However, the most important thing to keep in mind about this album is that one must not be mislead by the folk genre--this album is so unbelievable that anyone who doesn't find at least one thing they like about it, regardless of what kind of music they like, needs to have his head examined. DRUM HAT BUDDHA is surely one of the best of 2001 and is not to be missed!"

Original, Brand New Yet Totally Timeless....

Patrice Webb | Georgetown, California USA | 06/13/2001

(5 out of 5 stars)

"In some ways today's Folk Scene has never been healthier; however, few modern folkies come close to approaching the kind of literary heights that Dave Carter and Tracy Grammer offer in their music. Although seemingly complex, Carter and Grammer's recipe is simple: Combine one part stellar mandolin picking, one part intuitive fiddle playing with the almost prescient harmony of two voices, throw in the Yin and Yang of Carter's lyrics, and you have one of the most original folk duos to come along in years.In contrast with their first release, the mystically sparse "When I Go", and the Alt/Pop/Country of last year's "Tanglewood Tree", "Drum Hat Buddha" has an almost Beatlesque feel to it in that in places it is reminiscent of the Beatles "Norwegian Wood" with its delicately frenzied finger picking and Lennon-McCartney harmonies. In contrast with previous offerings, that only dance around the edges of the spiritual, this disk carries with it an almost evangelical shammanistic flavor that is as Christian, as it is Pagan, as it is Buddhist. In this CD, Carter sees the mystical in all things and sets out on an exploration of life with the Yin and its dark side, and the Yang of its light side.On the CD's opening track, "Ordinary Town", Grammer sings of the troubles of a small town visionary and the limits such a life imposes on the desire to be artful. "Tillman County" with its images of fire and brimstone, spins a tale of Biblical proportions of living at the mercy of Mother Nature. "Gentle Arms of Eden" becomes a joyful lesson in evolutionary biology in which we are reminded to make the best of this "only sacred ground we have ever known" and of the importance of putting our fate in the gentle arms of a higher power.Carter's singing with its charming Texas twang has always conveyed a sense of wonderment - he sings as though he is seeing the world for the first time - and Grammer's playing and singing has never been better or more confident. With music that has the feel of timeless old time folk with a modern sensiblity, this is truly a disk that will stand out as one of the more original releases of the year from a group that is one of the most original of the new millennium. This disk is a must have for folkies and lovers of the mystical alike."

Wonderful - Take a chance on this CD

Patrice Webb | 01/16/2003

(5 out of 5 stars)

"What can I say, from hearing Crocodile Man a few times on a 'sampler disk', I was so impressed that I bought this CD and also Tanglewood Tree (which has the Crocodile recording). These songs are full of soul and you cannot miss the virtousity of the musicians - the strings ache and bring tears to your eyes in places. If there was a single theme here it would be that all of the songs tell stories - some of them contain familiar legends, others are a new viewpoint on the familiar or rather humourous/sad observations of modern rural life.I highly recommend this and Tanglewood Tree. If you are looking for traditional folk or country, look elsewhere - this has an entirely different feeling though it shares from those forms. The songs are original and fresh even though many speak of times long past."

New to Carter and Grammer?

Patrice Webb | 02/14/2004

(5 out of 5 stars)

"I make it easy for you: listen to the MP3 "Ordinary Town". Most people are hooked right there but if you need more check out their web site. Some of the best song writting since Dylan picked up a pen, played with passion and soul by two great artist. It's the best mix of country, folk, and a little bluegrass. Each of their CDs is brilliant. Dave Carter passed away in July of 2002 just shy of 50, the victim of a heart attack. I know that one day he will be remembered as one of the great musicians of our time. Yeah, he's that good. Tracy Grammer is making certain the music lives on, but if you want to hear what the two of them could do... well this is about as good a place to start as any.You'll buy the rest of the CDs soon enough."

The best CD I own (besides their other two!)

Ceilidh King | Maine | 04/24/2005

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Roy Kasten (Amazon.com review) has it ALL wrong when he writes about Dave Carter's "clumsy exertion" and "faux Shakespearean syntax" - It is EXACTLY those moments when Carter is playing with language that make all three of his and Tracy Grammer's CDs pulse with life. You can be listening to a song for the 20th time and all of a sudden a phrase like "they would...dip and spin and skate the wind like feathers" (Annie's Lover - W.I.G) or "the sand in your teeth grindin' tiny white diamonds to moments of loss that you cannot explain" (41 Thunderer) hits you and you find yourself with a lump in your throat. And there are a hundred more where those came from. In addition, even beyond the sound of the language, and his deft use of alliteration and onomatopoeia, Carter intentionally merges the sacred with both natural images and profane ones (Gentle Soldier of My Soul/Farewell to Saint Dolores [T.T]), or the mythical with the literal (Merlin's Lament/Lancelot [W.I.G]. I am on my third copy of this CD because I keep wearing it out (and When I Go and Tanglewood Tree are getting just as worn - they are the three CDs that never come out of my car's player). If you love the sound of language, love to play with it and twist and shape it in new ways, then Dave Carter is your man. And kudos to his brave partner, Tracy Grammer, for carrying on his legacy!"

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