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This is a blast of fresh air: half an hour or so of exuberant mountain music played with a huge sense of fun and a real rocking drive. Todd Novak's day job is as the front man for The Cowlicks, but long association with Ralph Stanley and his family (including playing at Dr Ralph's birthday party) has led to this album being made with The Clinch Mountain Boys (Ralph Stanley's band, in case you didn't know). From the opening bars of the title track, this is music to put a smile on your face. Steve Sparkman's banjo drives the tune, but so does Todd Novak's vocal. If the whole band were a stagecoach team, then these two would be the lead horses working in perfect tandem. There's a superb balance between speed and grace; this is sharp and precise, driving along at quite a lick whilst giving the impression there's plenty of time in hand.
These are all Todd Novak's songs (apart from Roosevelt's Train) and he has a way of borrowing from various styles to make his own brand of music. There's a few slower songs here (The Number andI Love It When It Rains in particular) where the mountain music instrumentation seems a slightly odd fit on songs built for some other genre - nice enough songs but when it comes down to it, it's the fast ones that really work. There's plenty of highlights: Ralph Stanley sharing lead vocals on It's A Long Road is one, for sure. Hearing Todd Novak rap out the words ofCherokee Lakeat machine-gun speed is another...ach, heck it's mostly just pure dead brilliant and those Clinch Mountain Boys are a wonder to hear. If you liked what Steve Earle did with the Del McCroury Band, you'll love this.
John Davy
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Comment by Todd Novak on February 4, 2012 at 18:33 toddnovakmusic.com Check out more reviews, Pics, and find out about performances!
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Matt Urmy and Mary Gauthier recording Sweet Lonesome at Quonset Hut Studios
Its Medicine Show Wednesday every second wednesday of the month join Rob Ellen on UK Country Radio.com, 8pm, repeated 4pm on the following Thursday.
This Medicine show was first broadcast on UkCountryRadio.com in Jan 2011 and features a concert features Matt Urmy as his album Sweet Lonesome has this month entered the Euro Americana Chart at 3. Sweet Lonesome was the first album to be recorded at the recently refurbished legendary Owen Bradley's Quonset Hut Studios, the first Nashville Studio where The Nashville Sound was fostered. I'll be looking back at some of those great recording from the perspective of one of Nashvilles rising stars Matt Urmy.
The Medicine Show Broadcasts the Second Wednesday Of The Month on UKCountryRadio.com and every Wednesday on www.nevisradio.co.uk Broadcasting Health and Happiness From The Highlands Of Scotland www.themedicineshow.eu .
Frequencies and channel numbers
FM: 102.3 MHz. - RDS name: Nevis_FM (Skye & Mallaig)
FM: 102.4 MHz. - RDS name: Nevis_FM (Loch Leven)
FM: 96.6 MHz. - RDS name: Nevis_FM (Fort William)
FM: 97.0 MHz. - RDS name: Nevis_FM (Glencoe)
The Medicine Show Presents Benny Gallagher @ Acoustic Strathpeffer Coffee Shop Session,
Coffee Shop Cromarty Buildings Strathpeffer Ross-shire. Scotland IV14 9dg 01997 421500. (By Dingwall) March 6th ticket £15 On sale here and from the venue only 30 available, so "Don't Be Late Don't Hesitate".
"In an intimate evening of songs and stories about his days as a Staff Writer with The Beatles Publishing Co. Apple, Legendary Singer-Songwriter Benny Gallagher will perform all of the hits he penned for McGuinness Flint and Gallagher & Lyle - songs that have since been recorded by:
Art Garfunkel, Bryan Ferry, Colin Blunstone, Donavon Frankenreiter, Don Williams, Elkie Brooks, Fairport Convention, Garth Brooks (Concert in Central Park), Judith Durham, Little Anthony and the Imperials, Mary Hopkin, Phil Everly, Ricky Nelson, Ringo Starr, Rita Coolidge, Status Quo, Simon and Garfunkel (Concert in Central Park), The Fureys, and Lemon Jelly to name but a few..... along with some great new songs from his latest Album ‘At The Edge of the Wave’
For 40 years and more, Benny Gallagher has been writing, composing, arranging and performing timeless classics. Small wonder then that, with Graham Lyle, he was one of the first songwriters to be signed by Apple Publishing. Success as an artist quickly followed when the legendary McGuinness Flint stormed the charts with When I'm Dead And Gone and Malt and Barley Blues.
Then came seven more albums and world tours with the majestic Gallagher & Lyle - by which time Benny’s reputation was cemented as one of the UK’s foremost songwriters of his generation. 
Benny Gallagher in conversation with Rob Ellen Acoustic Strathpeffer
… Continue 
The Medicine Show every second Wednesday of every month is featured on UK Country Radio.com this months show featured No Comebacks in conversation and a Celtic Connections preview, www.ukcountryradio.com to listen to live feed 8pm Jan 13th (repeated 4pm next Thursdays) www.themedicineshow.eu for feeds to Nevis Radio Medicine Show every Wednesday 10pm (GMT) and more info on all Medicine Shows.
Here is the play list for UKCountryradio.com show (In conjunction with The AF Collective Radio
Intro Hungry Hash House Ramblers - Cherokee Shuffle
Arty Hill and The Long Gone Daddies - I'm a Long Gone Daddy - Montgomery on my Mind
Hanks Williams - Faded Love and Winter Roses - The Hanks Williams Story
Daddy - Wash and Fold - For a Second Time
Professor Longhair - Tripitinas 1945 - Tripitina
No Comebacks - Interview
No Comebacks (with PJ Proby) - Corrina Corrina - Back In The Saddle Again
Bob Wills and his Texas Play Boys - San Antonio Rose
Eric Brace and Last Train Home - My Baby Just Cares For Me - Six Songs
Phil Lee - Neon Tombstone - East Nashville - Vol 3 More Songs From The Other side
AJ Roach - Cold As Christmas - Dogwood Winter
Robby Hecht - Chemicals - Late Last Night
Gandalf Murphy and The Slambovian Circus Of Dreams - Radio -A Good Thief Tips His Hat
Furnace Mountain -Winters Nights - Fields Of Fescue
Here is the podcast enjoy
Rob Ellen
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