Search - Mountain Heart :: Road That Never Ends

A Real KicKer!!!!

James Moulton | Abington,Pa | 05/14/2008

(5 out of 5 stars)

"This refreshing, cutting edge bluegrass group really has put out a real masterpiece on this recording.

Recorded at "The Ark" in Ann Arbor, Michigan on March 26, 07. They came out smoking and never looked back. The crowd propels them thru this fifteen song set.

Just a terrific recording with a more than stellar performance. The first really great song is by their newest member Josh Shilling. The song is a great Vince Gill like ballad called "Who's The Fool Now?". This guy can sing and the band has a sweet hi lonesome sound. Van Cleve,(fiddle player) does a really nice crowd erupting fiddle solo. Josh has the crowd clapping halfway thru the song. Josh is a great new addition to the group with his vocals, guitar and piano playing.

"God and Everybody" is an upbeat bluegrass kicker with great vocals, mandolin chops, banjo and some really good harmonies.

"Devil's Courthouse" is a full blown instrumental at full speed with everyone contributing. Adam Steffey is excellent on mandolin taking a great lead as is Van Cleve playing great fiddle, the crowd is going nuts!! Wow!!

"Gospel Train" is a great traditional gospel tune. They do an odd background sound called the nose horn.

OK, now things change up and they do a bluesy song by Josh called "It Works Both ways" This is a great performance, once again by Josh, playing some excellent blues guitar with the rest of the group joining in sounding like an acoustic blues song. Barry is great at throwing in some comedy in between songs.

"Heart Like a Roadsign" - Josh sings lead on this refreshing upbeat bluegrass tune. Very good chorus melody and harmony singing.

"Whipping Post" - Josh takes on this Allman Brothers classic by himself with the help of a piano. It really comes out nice as he does a jazzy, bluesy version of this classic.Josh has a great voice and is overall a very talented musician.

"Mountain Man" This is sang by Adam Steffey, a very classic type bluegrass tune. One of their first hits.

Mountain Heart is Adam Steffey(vocals and mandolin), Josh Shilling(vocals, guitar and piano), Jim Van Cleve (fiddle, vocals and group leader), Barry Abernathy(banjo, vocals, comedian), Clay Jones (guitar) and Jason Moore (Bass and vocals).

This is definitely worth checking out. A very hot bluegrass group with a great recording.



"

+1/2 -- Live bluegrass with blues and jazz flavorings

hyperbolium | Earth, USA | 11/02/2007

(3 out of 5 stars)

"Given that bluegrass is basically a live musical form, the differences between studio and live albums are heard mostly in the feedback between band and audience, the flashes of energy this injects into the performance, and the arc of the set list. Playing tight is a bluegrass band's bread-and-butter, and something they hone year round at shows and festivals, so it's no surprise that Mountain Heart's jazz-and-jam take on bluegrass and string band sounds is both sharp as a tack and free enough to swing on stage.



The instrumentalists hot-pick their way through both "Road That Never Ends" and "I'm Just Here to Ride the Train," barreling along with all signals green, and the crowd roaring their approval as the flat-picks fly on mandolin and guitar. The track rhythms are reprised for the a capella gospel "The Gospel Train," with vocal percussion that harkens back to The Persuasions. Mountain Heart sings of men on the edge, on the lam and running headlong into dead ends, but even though they sing high and lonesome, the relentless energy of their playing keeps their songs from descending into truly desolate or sorrowful terrain.



The newest member of Mountain Heart, guitarist/pianist Josh Shilling slows things down for the moving country weeper "Who's the Fool Now," and comes to the fore again for his acoustic blues, "It Works Both Ways." Most impressive of all is his scat-jazz piano-solo take on the Allman Brothers classic "Whipping Post," though at 5'38 there's barely time for the audience to warm up their lighters. A pair of instrumentals, "#6 Barn Dance" and "Devil's Courthouse" further illuminate the band's chops, with the latter's interplay of fiddle and mandolin shining especially bright. 3-1/2 stars, if allowed fractional ratings. [©2007 hyperbolium dot com]"

This album is soooo good!

Trent Steele | Greensboro, NC | 12/14/2007

(5 out of 5 stars)

"This new guys voice is awesome. What a great idea to place him in this group. Those new to bluegrass will really enjoy this album! They are just as good in concert as well."