Tracklist
01. You Know What To Say
02. The One That Got Away
03. A Loving Man
04. All I Need To Know
05. Hell Outta Dodge
06. The Truth Is
07. Only Love Can Take It Away
08. Only We Know
09. Deep Down Where You Love
10. Dream Train
Australian music legend, Brian Cadd, said in an interview that he was 77 years old and he can make a country music record if he wanted to, or words to that effect.
Truth be known, at 8 years old, he was listening to Hank and Smokey et al on Perth radio. Scratch the surface of most of the songs that Cadd has written for himself and others and you’ll find a vein of country.
Best known for Let go (arguably one of Australia’s best ever songs), Gingerman and Arkansas Grass, it wasn’t a massive leap for Brian to create this country album.
This, however, is all country, from song one through to the last track. There’s no rip offs or murders of legendary country artists’ songs, it’s all Cowboy Cadd. A very classy cowboy.
The first song has hints of The Mavericks and that’s a good place to start.
Cadd has obviously researched the elements of what makes a great country song. He’s looked into the subjects covered and he realises that there are more kinds of country music than any other genre of music – 94 to be precise.
While he doesn’t do all 94, he goes close. The country blues of the title track, the country rock vibe of several tracks and some good, solid, down home feels.
Cadd enlisted one of the most in demand producers of the moment, Lindsay Waddington to co-produce and play 12-string guitar, baritone guitar, dobro, lap steel, mandolin, electric guitar and acoustic guitar, along with a mega-list of instrumental talent including Michel Rose, Doug Gallacher, Gus Fenwick, Brendan Radford, Lawrie Minson, Peter Robinson, Jamie Rigg, Clare O’Meara and Kirk Lorange. Jen Mize and Vika and Linda are the speccy back up singers.
The Aussie Rock Icon had mega hits long before a lot of the young ones giving it a listen were born. They may have heard a song or two that their grandparents’ played (my vintage) or maybe on the radio. The truth is, Brian moved to Nashville long before others did, wrote for some big artists and is probably in the top 5 most recognised music heroes in Australian Rock Music history.
All of that aside, this is not a Beyoncé does country debacle. This is a polished production of a very carefully crafted album. This is not a novelty album or let’s do a country album for the sake of it album.
I think that this album was inevitable. With a voice that is a fusion of Joe Cocker and Kenny Rogers and songs that run the gamut of emotions – it is lyrically and musically an album to be taken seriously.
The calibre of artists performing on this album add credibility and even more country authenticity.
There’s a lot of heart and soul in this album – there’s nothing bubblegum about it.
Any album that has a title with train in it has me sold from the start.
The Truth Is is probably my favourite track, but Only We Know is up there and All I Need To Know are pretty close to it.
Brian Cadd shows the bandwagon joiners and pretenders how it’s done. Then again, he always has. I think Axiom and The Seekers were the first Aussie bands that I remember. I still play both….
Cowgirlup 