TED & ALICE MILLER
Adults Don’t Speak
One
Track Mind – Crier – Sarcastic Depression – Summertime Fades – Theresa –
Adults Don’t Speak – Valentine’s Day – You Won’t Ruin – Silver Linings –
Slippery Slide – River – Cemetery Space Concerns
Track Mind – Crier – Sarcastic Depression – Summertime Fades – Theresa –
Adults Don’t Speak – Valentine’s Day – You Won’t Ruin – Silver Linings –
Slippery Slide – River – Cemetery Space Concerns
One
of my very favorite folk-country acts in the entire upper Midwest is
Ted & Alice Miller. This engaging couple make their home in upper
Nebraska living a very un-urbanized life. Small town life ultimately
talks about lots of ‘stuff’ including muddy water. “Crier” is a
sure-fire Americana ‘rock’ style song with lots to say. So does
“Sarcastic Depression” singing about the slippery slide with a banjo
telling us there’s nothing slippery about that. Recorded at Pony Creek
Studios in Sioux Falls, SD, even though I favor a softer more acoustic
style of music, I find this CD incredibly engaging. It’s a kind of
reversion to a time when folk music and rock music was just beginning to
meld, but more likeable, more original, more inspiring. Harmonica on
‘Summertime Fades’ takes us right back to that incredibly entertaining
old-timey duet singing sounding like it was coming right off the front
porch of a beautiful cabin in the hills. Chad Conrad is the ‘mind’
behind Pony Creek Studios as well as the ear, and he did a top-notch job
putting this CD in it’s proper order. “Adults Don’t Speak” the primary
CD ‘name’ is interesting, mostly because of the heavy bass throughout.
It’s not rock and it’s not folk, but it sure is original. If I could
compare this to any famous artist, I guess it would be David Bowie. On
the other hand it’s definitely what’s happening in rural roots music in
America among the young. Last song is also a super good acoustic
number. “Take me out to the dump.” in a cemetery of course.
Controversial as it might seem, this very subject is a constant concern
of the elderly. Even though I’m strictly a ‘traditional’ country music
lover, I have always had a soft spot for any kind of ‘original’ music
that is written with ‘soul’ being the ink in the pen. That’s
plentifully available here from Ted & Alice. This couple does an
amazing ‘live’ performance of their music, certainly their originals.
Their messages are loud and clear. Listen up Adults, stop yelling and
start talking.
of my very favorite folk-country acts in the entire upper Midwest is
Ted & Alice Miller. This engaging couple make their home in upper
Nebraska living a very un-urbanized life. Small town life ultimately
talks about lots of ‘stuff’ including muddy water. “Crier” is a
sure-fire Americana ‘rock’ style song with lots to say. So does
“Sarcastic Depression” singing about the slippery slide with a banjo
telling us there’s nothing slippery about that. Recorded at Pony Creek
Studios in Sioux Falls, SD, even though I favor a softer more acoustic
style of music, I find this CD incredibly engaging. It’s a kind of
reversion to a time when folk music and rock music was just beginning to
meld, but more likeable, more original, more inspiring. Harmonica on
‘Summertime Fades’ takes us right back to that incredibly entertaining
old-timey duet singing sounding like it was coming right off the front
porch of a beautiful cabin in the hills. Chad Conrad is the ‘mind’
behind Pony Creek Studios as well as the ear, and he did a top-notch job
putting this CD in it’s proper order. “Adults Don’t Speak” the primary
CD ‘name’ is interesting, mostly because of the heavy bass throughout.
It’s not rock and it’s not folk, but it sure is original. If I could
compare this to any famous artist, I guess it would be David Bowie. On
the other hand it’s definitely what’s happening in rural roots music in
America among the young. Last song is also a super good acoustic
number. “Take me out to the dump.” in a cemetery of course.
Controversial as it might seem, this very subject is a constant concern
of the elderly. Even though I’m strictly a ‘traditional’ country music
lover, I have always had a soft spot for any kind of ‘original’ music
that is written with ‘soul’ being the ink in the pen. That’s
plentifully available here from Ted & Alice. This couple does an
amazing ‘live’ performance of their music, certainly their originals.
Their messages are loud and clear. Listen up Adults, stop yelling and
start talking.
REVIEW BY BOB EVERHART – President, National Traditional Country Music Association for Country Music News International.