Search - Various Artists :: Gift: A Tribute to Ian Tyson

The Gift is a gift to all Ian Tyson fans

Brad Averill | Eugene, Oregon United States | 08/02/2007

(5 out of 5 stars)

"I got my copy of The Gift, a Tribute to Ian Tyson, on Monday. I got it from Stony Plain since I was not patient enough to wait for Amazon.

I recommend it. It's got 15 songs plus a brief 2-minute interview with people who know Ian. With only 15 songs, an awful lot of his really great stuff is being left out, but it is a nice collection, all in all. The artists covering his work range from the well known to the unknown (at least, unknown to me). The cuts on it are, in order: Four Strong Winds - Blue Rodeo, MC Horses - Corb Lund, Blue Mountains of Mexico - Jennifer Warnes, What Does She See - Chris Hillman, Red Velvet - Gordon Lightfoot, The Gift - David Rea, Range Delivery - Cindy Church, Smuggler's Cove - The McDades, Some Kind of Fool - Amos Garrett, Old Cheyenne - Tom Russell, Someday Soon - The Circus in Flames with Buddy Cage, Will James - Ramblin' Jack Elliott, You're Not Alone Anymore - Stewart McDougall, Summer Wages - Good Brothers, Moondancer - Jeff Bradshaw, Interviews.

Only one of these is a real dog (my opinion, of course): Someday Soon. What a shame that this would be a dog when there are so many wonderful covers out there. But, so it goes. Tom Russell and Ramblin' Jack Elliott really add nothing to their covers, but they are OK. The rest may or may not measure up to Ian's covers of the same material; but, then, that is to be expected because one is going to be hard pressed to find a singer or bandleader out there who is better than Ian!

There are several cuts I particularly like already. The cover of Four Strong Winds by Blue Rodeo is a bit more amateur than Ian's versions, but it works. It is engaging.

Jennifer Warnes reading of Blue Mountains of Mexico is just wonderful, perhaps the standout on the album. I always have liked the song. Her version harkens back to the intricate arrangements of the late 60's with beautiful strings, strategically placed bells (gongs) and lush vocal layering. This is really nice!

Chris Hillman's rendition of What Does She See sounds like a cross of The Desert Rose Band with The Sons of the Pioneers. Very nice "cowboy" harmonies and one of Chris's gentlest vocals. Herb Pedersen, of course, is on this cut. It is refreshing, it gives me a little tingle when I listen to it.

David Rea's performance of The Gift is quirky, as you would expect from David Rea. His vocals are deep and raspy and sound like he has been living out on the range for the last 40 years. In that sense, it is a match for the song's content. It is not the smooth interpretation that Ian gives on the Ian Tyson Cowboy Classics album.

Range Delivery by Cindy Church is straight off Ian's last album, Songs from the Gravel Road.

Some Kind of Fool (Amos Garrett), You're Not Alone Anymore (Stewart McDougall) and Moondancer (Jeff Bradshaw) are all performed by the same band, with these three being the core of that band, and they are all excellent. Amos's voice, if you have not heard him sing before (I hadn't) is a surprise, a pleasant one. His cover of Some Kind of Fool is a lot of fun. You're Not Alone Anymore's arrangement takes more from the last Ian & Sylvia album (of which I have a rare copy culled 35 years ago from the 2nd hand bin at the Kent Community Store) than from Ian's arrangement on And Stood There Amazed. And that is a good thing because I like the earlier arrangement better. Moondancer is an instrumental.

The short interview is entertaining and I won't spoil the surprise. But it surely captures Ian and the crowd around him.

All in all, I recommend this one highly. Even if you are just a tepid Ian fan."

Some Misses, But Mostly Hits: Five Stars for the Best of It

Mark D. Prouse | Riverdale (Bronx), NY | 05/11/2008

(5 out of 5 stars)

"A long-time Ian & Sylvia and Ian Tyson fan, I discovered this CD quite by accident. One look at the roster was enough to get me to purchase this unheard, and besides, it was being sold as overstock -- only a year old (!), so it was cheap! Luckily, the music isn't. Gold and silver all the way. The other reviewers here have already said much that I would have, so I'll be brief.



First, Jennifer Warnes makes one of those rare, really great covers that tops the original, so I'll add my vote to the others,' who singled this one out. When sadness is this utterly beautiful, who can resist? "Blue Mountains of Mexico" is painfully nostalgic for me, too, as it reminds me of the American Southwest where I spent my first four decades. The faux Mexican cantina arrangement is only a foil for some of the best singing the wonderful Jennifer Warnes has ever done. If melodic, passionately sung music can bring tears to your eyes, watch out for this track. Better be alone, with a Corona!



Secondly, and I'll conclude with this: No one on this project delivers a less-than-heartfelt performance. Some tracks are better than others, and many try but can't top Ian's own renditions. Also, Tyson is a prolific songwriter with a long career history, and many of his fans will complain that some of their favs were left out -- inevitable, unless you can afford to produce a triple-disc tribute! Anyway, Gordon Lightfoot, whose aging voice is thinner these days, manages to keep up a standard, Ian's musical kindred soul, Tom Russell, does his own thing with "Old Cheyenne" to soulful effect, Blue Rodeo adds youthful energy on the beautiful "Four Strong Winds," and former members of one of Ian's old bands, The Great Speckled Bird, add flavors of deja vu to some of his finest songs.



Love Ian Tyson? You will probably love this, as I do."

Ian Tyson Fan Treat

Charles A. Meyer | New York | 04/09/2008

(5 out of 5 stars)

"If you are a fan of Ian Tyson, this is a gift for you as much as it was intended to be a tribute to him. Of all the cuts, a couple do not do the original justice or just weren't selections I would make (there are so many to choose from!). Of the others, half are spectacular interpretations, the other half really good."