Search - Tim O'Brien :: Fiddler's Green

His musical acumen demonstrates keen insight and creativity.

J. Ross | Roseburg, OR USA | 10/24/2005

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Playing Time - 47:34 -- Over the years, multi-instrumentalist Tim O'Brien has shown the unusual knack to be equally comfortable with jazz, bluegrass, swing, and Celtic music. The eclectic acoustic musician, originally from West Virginia, is certainly not afraid to walk the line between several genres of music. Thus, he's become one of the purveyors and ambassadors of Americana music. Besides being a fine singer with a definable sound, Tim plays guitar, fiddle, bouzouki, and mandolin on this album.



The title cut is a bounding tale of the sea written by Pete Goble which speaks of a sailor being "lured by the tradewinds" to find that enchanting but mythical utopia with women, music and sustenance. When Tim wants a rousing Celtic feeling ("Land's End/Chasin' Talon), he supplements his own mandolin with the support of guys like Jack Doyle (guitar), Kenny Malone (djembe, cajon), Casey Driessen (fiddle), Dirk Powell (bass), Seamus Egan (low whistle). The bluegrass line-up ("Look Down that Lonesome Road") enlists veteran sidemen like Charlie Cushman (banjo), Jerry Douglas (resophonic guitar), Dan Tyminski (guitar), and Dennis Crouch (bass). What is particularly nice is that Tim's arrangements range from a fiddle/vocal solo ("A Few More Years") or guitar/vocal solo ("Buffalo Skinner") to full ensembles that incorporate dynamics into the genesis of their songs like "Fair Flowers of the Valley" that features Tim singing with his sister, Mollie. Another lean, but very successful, arrangement is the duo "Foreign Lander" (Tim's fiddle/vocals with Edgar Meyer playing arco bass) that presents a ballad of a rambling soldier conquered by his love's beauty.



The last third of the album (4 songs) has a good cross-section of Tim's approach. His original and high-stepping old-timey "Train on the Island" introduces Chris Thile (mandolin) and Stuart Duncan (banjo, fiddle). While the twin fiddling is spectacular, I missed hearing some vocal harmony on the refrain "train on the island, hear that whistle blow." After the lean "A Few More Years," we're treated to perhaps one of the best arrangements ever of an old favorite, "Long Black Veil." Dan Dugmore's pedal steel gives the song its unique eeriness, and the duo is sung with Darrell Scott. Tim closes the project with "Early Morning Rain," from a profound troubadour not too unlike himself, Gordon Lightfoot. The sweet notes of bouzouki, fiddle and mandolin weave their way effortlessly between the words.



O'Brien is a minstrel with great command of his lyrics and melodies. Besides being a songcarrier for traditional music, he's also a songsmith of contemporary songs that could've been written hundereds of years ago. His musical acumen demonstrates keen insight and creativity. With his astute approach of emphasizing diversity, Tim O'Brien offers a set with plenty for everyone. (Joe Ross, staff writer, Bluegrass Now)

"

O'Brien's Ticket to "Fiddler's Green"

T. Yap | Sydney, NSW, Australia | 10/16/2005

(4 out of 5 stars)

"Prime Cuts: Look Down that Lonesome Road, Early Morning Rain, Fair Flowers of the Valley



Years ago O'Brien had a hit with Kathy Mattea and it caused enough commotion to garner the attention of RCA Records. Nevertheless, RCA could not commercialize O'Brien and deeming the CD O'Brien turned in as not radio-friendly. Subsequently, with the album shelved, O'Brien was dropped from the label. In hindsight, that decision proved to be fortuitous as the years of wondering in the wilderness has molded O'Brien to become one of the best avant-garde bluegrass stalwart. His ensuing CDs have proven that O'Brien has had the skills in crafting songs that harkened back to the venerable traditions of old yet masking a perspicuous breadth of insights that defiles time and genres. Further, O'Brien's skill as a scribe has also been taken noticed, most prominently by the Dixie Chicks when they cut his co-composition "More Love" on their hit-studded "Home" record.



Nevertheless, for fans of O'Brien, 2005 is non peril: for O'Brien has decided to release not one, but two records under his own Howdy Skies imprint. Both of which are concept albums with their own distinctives. "Fiddler's Green," an acoustic based bluegrass album with an Appalachian/Irish accent, finds these 12 paeans revolving around the theme of a mythological utopian known among Irish sailors as "Fiddler's Green." Hence, these songs are stories revolving around the lives of sailors who dreamt, traveled and live for such an arcadia. And since most of these songs were written long ago, they sometimes draw upon language, rhymes and meter patterns that can be quite foreign to the unacquainted. However, like good wine the appreciation of this record is an acquired taste. It takes a few listens to be drawn into the songs' compelling narratives, and solely because of this, this can be a drawback for the uninitiated.



Among the highlights is "Fair Flowers of the Valley," which tells an eerie tale of murder and romance between a convict and three ladies underscored with great dramatic effect by O'Brien's guitar, John Doyle's bouzouki and Mollie O'Brien's haunting harmonies. On the traditional "Foreign Lander," O'Brien succinctly captures the angst of a sailor whose love for the sea makes him willing to sacrifice everything, even the lady of his life. With a crispness of spring in the air, the beautifully romantic "Pretty Fair Maid in the Garden" finds O'Brien telling the story of a courtship with a tilt in his gleeful tenor. "First Snow" is the first of two instrumentals and with its simplicity of its melody and O'Brien's virulent fiddling, this is first class stuff. Taking a minimalist approach, most of these songs are only backed up the simplest instruments all of which are unelectrical. Most of the time this works, putting the emphasis on O'Brien's vocals; this is particularly true of the road wearisome "Look Down that Lonesome Road" and a bluegrassy take of the relatively more modern Gordon Lightfoot's "Early Morning Rain." However, on certain tracks such as "Foreign Lander" and "Buffalo Skinners" the playing tends to be too loud creating a dirge-like quality to the songs.



Whether or not one shares the same ideology as that presented in "Fiddler's Green," there is a sense of innocence, beauty and romance that these songs present affixing a ring of thought to our perception of life, travel, eternity and love. And there's something in O'Brien's emotive nuances that draws the listener in, into the intricate lives of his characters and he won't let go until we too have vicariously walked in their shoes. These are stories that ought to sail in our consciences for years to come and "Fiddler's Green" is the ticket to ride."

I finally jumped

moonwomanone | down around the No Hotel | 01/14/2006

(5 out of 5 stars)

"I've been 'aware' of Tim O'Brien since I saw Hot Rize on Austin City Limits, some years ago. But what attracted me to THIS particular CD was hearing his take of Gordon Lightfoot's Early Morning Rain.



He got me. First lick of the first song (Pretty Fair Maid in the Garden)pushed me off the fence and solidly into Tim O'Brien fandom.



He says, in the liner notes "This is intimate music, good for a quiet morning or an evening at home. A few solos,a duet, some spare acoustic ensembles. There's a good dose of fiddling, and about half the songs are traditional. Traditional music sometimes seems mysterious, but it's always familiar."



That's it. I know more than one song on the CD, but somehow he makes even the ones I don't know feel like re-introductions to old friends.



Congrats for the Grammy nomination, Tim. It should have happened a long time ago."