JOHNNY GREENWOOD
50th Anniversary Album, All Australian Songs
Australia’s Bert Hinkler – Jindawarrabell –
A-U-S-T-R-A-L-I-A – The Little Kangaroo – Just Saddle Old Darky – Mary
My Wildflower Sweetheart – Old Horsemen – Out On The Warrego – Lance
Skuthorpe’s Daring Leap – A Picture Of Home – Where The Bellbirds Call –
The Wobbly Boot Hotel – Bluey The Cattle Dog – Shadows On the Trail –
Out On The Queensland Ranges – The Bracewell Pioneers
A-U-S-T-R-A-L-I-A – The Little Kangaroo – Just Saddle Old Darky – Mary
My Wildflower Sweetheart – Old Horsemen – Out On The Warrego – Lance
Skuthorpe’s Daring Leap – A Picture Of Home – Where The Bellbirds Call –
The Wobbly Boot Hotel – Bluey The Cattle Dog – Shadows On the Trail –
Out On The Queensland Ranges – The Bracewell Pioneers
Fifty years is a very long time to be singing, picking, and
recording a musical genre that can be definitely labeled ‘country.’
Johnny Greenwood stays true to the measure in everything he does with
music. This particular album is exactly what early American country
music was all about. Songs with stories. Songs done honestly and
sincerely with the heart evermore deeply involved. This album is also a
very good ‘memory’ package of some incredibly well written songs, but
much much more, it’s incredibly well recorded. To hear the fiddle
actually take the lead instrumental is absent in American country music
today. Oh sure we have an occasional modern urban style artist called
‘country’ who do it simply because they should, but it is rarely
selected as a representative artistic work called ‘country’ music.
Johnny Greenwood has no problem being real country. It’s a great part
of who he is, and definitely why he’s managed to keep his love of the
music alive for fifty years no less. He recorded a lot of his great
songs for RCA Victor in Australia, and has performed them
internationally. A good sign of a good writer is the simple fact that
other recording artists want to do your songs. So it is in the case of
Johnny Greenwood. Even though he has been pursuing his ‘country music
road’ his entire life, this album is a definite reflection of who he is
as an artist, and definitely who he is as a performer. The ‘date’ on
this particular CD is1963-2013, which celebrates his 50 years, but now
in 2017, add another four years to that, and lo and behold Johnny
Greenwood will soon be celebrating his 55th year of ‘real’ country
music. Johnny Greenwood is definitely an authentic ‘country music’
artist. This CD is just loaded with some incredibly good country story
songs, even a Jimmie Rodgers run on the guitar now and then. Super
music from a super writer, performer and recording artist. He
brilliantly used the typical instrumentation to ‘create’ ‘real’ country
music. Acoustic guitar, Dobro, harmonica, fiddle, mandolin, banjo,
mixed brilliantly so that every instrument, every vocal utterance, every
musical sound is appropriately heard and admired. I can’t even pick a
‘favorite’ song from this wonderful expression of true country music,
they are all super good. Off this album goes to the Rural Roots Music
Commission, even though it’s a couple of years old, they do not judge
music for their CD of the Year awards according to when it came out.
ALL music in the vein of ‘real’ country music is eligible, so it shall
be for Johnny Greenwood.
recording a musical genre that can be definitely labeled ‘country.’
Johnny Greenwood stays true to the measure in everything he does with
music. This particular album is exactly what early American country
music was all about. Songs with stories. Songs done honestly and
sincerely with the heart evermore deeply involved. This album is also a
very good ‘memory’ package of some incredibly well written songs, but
much much more, it’s incredibly well recorded. To hear the fiddle
actually take the lead instrumental is absent in American country music
today. Oh sure we have an occasional modern urban style artist called
‘country’ who do it simply because they should, but it is rarely
selected as a representative artistic work called ‘country’ music.
Johnny Greenwood has no problem being real country. It’s a great part
of who he is, and definitely why he’s managed to keep his love of the
music alive for fifty years no less. He recorded a lot of his great
songs for RCA Victor in Australia, and has performed them
internationally. A good sign of a good writer is the simple fact that
other recording artists want to do your songs. So it is in the case of
Johnny Greenwood. Even though he has been pursuing his ‘country music
road’ his entire life, this album is a definite reflection of who he is
as an artist, and definitely who he is as a performer. The ‘date’ on
this particular CD is1963-2013, which celebrates his 50 years, but now
in 2017, add another four years to that, and lo and behold Johnny
Greenwood will soon be celebrating his 55th year of ‘real’ country
music. Johnny Greenwood is definitely an authentic ‘country music’
artist. This CD is just loaded with some incredibly good country story
songs, even a Jimmie Rodgers run on the guitar now and then. Super
music from a super writer, performer and recording artist. He
brilliantly used the typical instrumentation to ‘create’ ‘real’ country
music. Acoustic guitar, Dobro, harmonica, fiddle, mandolin, banjo,
mixed brilliantly so that every instrument, every vocal utterance, every
musical sound is appropriately heard and admired. I can’t even pick a
‘favorite’ song from this wonderful expression of true country music,
they are all super good. Off this album goes to the Rural Roots Music
Commission, even though it’s a couple of years old, they do not judge
music for their CD of the Year awards according to when it came out.
ALL music in the vein of ‘real’ country music is eligible, so it shall
be for Johnny Greenwood.
RECORD REVIEW BY BOB EVERHART, President, National Traditional Country Music Assn., www.music-savers.com for Country Music News International