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John Stewart & Darwin's Army
John Stewart & Darwin's Army
John Stewart & Darwin's Army
Genres: Folk, Pop, Rock
 
  •  Track Listings (15) - Disc #1

In the 30 years between leaving the Kingston Trio in 1968 and recording this CD, singer-songwriter John Stewart has played with many fine backing musicians on stage and in the studio. But Darwin?s Army was Stewart?s first ...  more »

     
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CD Details

All Artists: John Stewart & Darwin's Army
Title: John Stewart & Darwin's Army
Members Wishing: 2
Total Copies: 0
Label: Appleseed Records
Original Release Date: 2/16/1999
Release Date: 2/16/1999
Genres: Folk, Pop, Rock
Styles: Traditional Folk, Contemporary Folk, Adult Contemporary, Singer-Songwriters, Soft Rock, Folk Rock
Number of Discs: 1
SwapaCD Credits: 1
UPC: 611587102522

Synopsis

Album Description
In the 30 years between leaving the Kingston Trio in 1968 and recording this CD, singer-songwriter John Stewart has played with many fine backing musicians on stage and in the studio. But Darwin?s Army was Stewart?s first real group effort since the Trio, positioning himself as chief among equals in this project spotlighting many classic folk songs, both traditional and contemporary. "I missed singing in a group, missed being one of three or four people singing together," Stewart explains. "Certainly this is a sound I personally wanted to get back to." So Stewart recruited wife and longtime singing partner Buffy Ford Stewart and rising young singer-songwriter-musicians Dave Crossland and John Hoke to tackle material as old as "Wild Mountain Thyme" and "Twelve Gates to the City," as nouveau classic as Bob Dylan?s "My Back Pages" and Tim Hardin?s "Reason to Believe," as surprising as "Somewhere Over the Rainbow" and "They Call the Wind Mariah," and as recent as Paul Simon?s "Boy in the Bubble," Crossland?s "Blood in the Fields," and Hoke?s "Dreamland." "The origin of a lot of the songs goes back to the Weavers and Pete Seeger," says Stewart, which helps explain why John broke out his banjo for some of the tunes, while adding his guitar and bass to others. Hoke contributes guitar and percussion, Crossland plays guitar, and Ford sings backing vocals and the occasional lead, as do Hoke and Crossland. The quartet spans generations and musical boundaries with its renditions of songs old and new, with each cover version unlocking a fading memory of the original and appending an energetic freshness. "We?ve been told that it?s not folk," explains Ford, regarding the newer songs. "Some people believe that unless it?s a classic old song, it?s not folk. That?s bull. Folk music is written every day. Folk music grows."

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CD Reviews

Doesn't want to leave my car.
Gloria Maitre | Victorville, Ca USA | 07/04/2002
(5 out of 5 stars)

"I agree with David, great travelling music. The Army is enjoying each other and having a blast. It is good to hear Buffy's incredible voice again. The only song I can do without is "Over The Rainbow", everything else is wonderful. I had to listen to "Mariah" over and over again, correct myself, I wanted to. "Dreamland" is the only new song but the old songs are pretty great too. "Don't It Make You Want To Go Home", the Joe South tune, they put their own twist on, same with "My Back Pages". I hope they record more together. I'm still smiling, the music put me in a good place and I like it there. They love the music and each other and it shows. The liner notes are excellent and should not be skipped."
Bittersweet
Carol J. Simmins | Silver City, New Mexico United States | 08/15/2000
(5 out of 5 stars)

"For those of us who were 60's children, for those who still keep a guitar in the back of the closet be prepared to go back in time. These were the first songs we heard and learned to play, the songs we have too easily forgotten. To hear'Wild Mountain Thyme'alone is worth the cost of the CD.When you add 'Silver wings' and 'Mariah' you have a true treasure. John gets better with age. I can only hope Vol. II is in the works. For true Folk Song lovers this is a 'must have'."
Mostly pleasant, but with some embarrasing moments.
Carol J. Simmins | 05/30/1999
(3 out of 5 stars)

"Some pleasant stuff here, but as a whole, quite disappointing. Sloppiness is fine if it has style, and some sense of purpose--but this doesn't. The "originals" by group members John Hoke and Dave Crossland are uninspiring (the former) and dreadful (the latter). And you can hear the worst version of "They Call The Wind Mariah" (mispelled in the title)that one can even conceive. And Buffy (who was so wonderful on Signals Through The Glass") sounds out of practice and flat--especially on "Reason to Believe".On the plus side, John Stewart sounds great in Don't It Make you Wanna Go Home, Coal Tattoo, Silver Wings, and Bay of Mexico--its light, bouncy, but relevant music that conjures up favorite moments from the old "hootenanny" days. And you get to hear his great frailing style banjo on "Darlin' Corey".For those of you wanting updated nostalgia, buy John Stewart's The Trio Years--wonderful modernized re-arrangements of some great songs that he recorded not nearly so well with the Kingston Trio."