 |
Landon Teague "Rt. 4, Box 146"
by Jay Johnson |
| I was
wholly prepared to dislike Landon Teague’s latest release, Rt. 4 Box
146, on Insider Records. In fairness, however, I have a similar
reaction every time someone hands me a CD, purported to be country, by
someone I’ve not heard. My innate bias tells me that if the artist
hasn’t long since started his or her deep six holiday, or their name isn’t
George, Merle, Willie or Billy Joe, then it can’t be real, authentic
country music. In this instance, I proudly stand corrected because
Landon Teague is pretty damn good! Upon first listening I was struck by several qualities not the least of which being Landon’s skillful guitar playing. Additionally, the deep resonance of his voice is augmented by a chameleonic quality allowing him to evoke artists such as Waylon Jennings and Lyle Lovett, depending upon the inflection and effect being sought. Initially, familiarity influenced me to like the Robbie Robertson penned "Up On Cripple Creek" best, but that’s since changed. Don’t get me wrong. Landon’s vocals and “lead yodel” would make Richard, Levon, Rick, Garth and Robbie proud of this cover of the classic song by The Band, but Landon Teague is a helluva songwriter in his own right. He wrote, or co-wrote, ten of the twelve songs on the CD. The songs run the gamut of human experience and emotion. There’s lament over unrequited love in "Why Do All the Good Ones Slip Away", nostalgia for the innocence and fun of childhood in "Tryin’ To Be a Boy Again", my personal favorite, and common sense advice from “Uncle Ray” in "Tell Ol’ Sally". It’s obvious that Landon Teague has a deep appreciation for his heritage, both familial and musical. He sings of family members, friends, musical influences, such as Steve Earle and Guy Clark, and God. The symbolism in "The Tree" is direct and powerful and the overall tenor of "Fever and Chills" is haunting, yet engaging. Let me say again that Landon Teague, and this
CD, are pretty damn good! One last thing, I had to do some research,
but, as result of listening to this CD, I learned what a Billy Cook saddle
is! Despite my deep love for Texas music I guess I have a long way
to go… Email Jay about this review |
|
|
|
|
|
All content © 2005 Miss Lana's Texicana Music Central. All rights reserved. No part of this site may be reproduced or copied without the permission of the site owner. This includes html code. The opinions noted in this article do not necessarily reflect the opinions of MissLana.com and its affiliates. |
|
|
Texicana Music Central
|
|
