Search - Junior Brown :: Guit With It

Old school country by a new guitar wizard.

08/09/1999

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Junior Brown is the most exciting musician to come along in any genre of music for a long time. This is the cd that broke him onto the music scene back in 93, and remains one of my personal favorites in my collection.Junior plays his own invention, the guit-steel, with amazing finesse and flair. A combination of a single pick-up Tele style guitar with an attached steel guitar, which enables him to switch back and forth between the two with ease, which adds a dimension to his music and playing never before heard.One can hear this wizardry on such cuts as "Sugarfoot Rag," which Brown closes with a flurry of rockish style chords a la Jimi Hendrix, and the 11 minute jam "Guit-Steel Blues," in which Brown really shows off his abilities with this instrument.Don't think that these are the only tracks in which one hears his magical fingers perform with prowess, nearly every track on the album features another example of this virtuoso's capabilities. But one must appreciate his songwriting talent as well. It varies from a traditional sound, as in the final track "The Gal From Oklahoma," which sounds as though it could have come out the dust bowl America of the 1930's, to the more humorous tracks such as "My Wife Thinks You're Dead," and "Holding Pattern."All in all, if you appreciate good music, not just good country music, but good music as it is performed by a master of the craft, then this is the cd for you."

Guit this CD!

Matthew Parks | DURHAM, NC USA | 06/11/2000

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Critics are forever comparing Junior Brown to Jimi Hendrix, but Stevie Ray Vaughn is actually a much better point of reference. For Hendrix, it was guitar first, everything else came second. With Hendrix, it's like the song was part of the guitar playing. Vaughn played as good as anyone, but his playing was always part of the song. . . and so it is with Junior Brown. Take for example his letter-perfect cover of Red Simpson's "Highway Patrol"--they sound nearly identical, but Brown's version subtly manages to far outclass the original. Throughout the album, Brown manages to fit incredible guitar work inside fairly conventional, tradition-sounding country songs such as the outstanding "My Wife Thinks Your Dead," "Doin" What Comes Easy to a Fool," "You Didn't Have to Go All the Way," and "Holding Pattern," all the while drawing on a diverse repetoire of influences including country, rock, blues, and even some Hawaian Steel-style guitar. The only time Brown cuts lose and lets the guitar take over is on the indulgent 11-minute + opus "Guit-Steel Blues". . .just to show you what he could do if he wanted to, I guess. Throughout, Brown manages both to produce songs that will please fans of traditional honky tonk music without once succumbing to the now numerous cliches of the genre."

Definitely One to See

Russell Diederich | Littleton, CO United States | 01/23/2002

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Junior Brown is a guitar enigma. He's a little bit country, a little bit western, a little bit rock and roll, a little bit blues, a little bit surf.... In a live show, you never are quite sure what he'll be throwing your way. One thing is for certain, you will definitely be amazed. Although "Guit With It" isn't at the same intensity as his live shows, it is still a masterpiece of dazzling finger-work on the fretboard and slide. His hybrid guitar that's half Telecaster and half pedal steel (without the pedals - he does all the string bends with his ring finger behind the slide) is a sight to behold. It's even a greater treat to watch him play it. "Guit With It" is a playground to show off Brown's talents, and he has many. My favorite track on the album is the instrumental, "Sugarfoot Rag". A brilliant display of his flat-picking ability and fingers faster than light. He moves seamlessly between the Tele and the steel. He makes it trickier by adding vocals for the remaining songs. His voice is a low rumble that's very fitting to his playing. When Brown sings, you can't help but smile, especially with lyrics like "You're wanted by the police, and my wife thinks you're dead", which guest stars Jimmie Vaughan on guitar. His songs are full of humor and irony like "Party Lights" and "Highway Patrol", and he can even get a little romantic like the duet with his wife "So Close Yet So Far Away" and "The Gal from Oklahoma". Brown is definitely what country should be about. Everything he plays, no matter how far he strays, still has a twinge of country to it. Even if it is Jimi Hendrix's "Red House" underneath all that "Guit-Steel Blues" or "Foxy Lady" (sorry, you'll have to catch this one live) Brown is country at heart. If you're a guitar fan, you'll have to catch Brown live just to revel in his high-energy performances and amazing guitar work. He's easily worth twice the cost of admission, and you don't even have to like country to enjoy the show...or album."