ROD EDDIE & ROD BRANDT
Dusty Roads
Dusty Roads – We Made It – If The Walls Could
Talk – The Spirit of Tamworth – Like Confetti On The Wind – Every Turn
Of The Wheel – Deja Vu – One Man’s Heaven – It Was Only An Accident –
Every Second Word – Build A Bridge – How Do We Explain – Bums On Seats –
They Can’t Be Beat – The Kuranda Track
I’ve always been a fan of songwriters who
take the time and talent to ‘tell a story’ in their country music
originals. All of the songs on this interesting CD are originals
written by Rod Eddie. Some of his stories and experiences are ‘every
day’ kind of happenings, but he brings each and every one of them to
life with the help of Rod Brandt who provided the melody lines to all of
the songs.
These two “Rods” are mates of the truest
kind living in Australia. Rod Eddie is a quite competent
songwriter-singer, and Rod Brandt has been playing the instruments of
‘real’ country music for a very long time, in this case rhythm guitar,
lead guitar, steel guitar and added some vocal harmonies. He’s also the
winner of a “CD of the Year” award at our National Old Time Country
Music Festival which is now held at the Christensen Field House in
Fremont, Nebraska, October 3-4-5-6, 2019.
These two mates began their partnership back
in 2005 when Rod Eddie asked Rod Brandt to do the music to his lyrics.
Rod Brandt agreed to do that. He recorded the songs on his own 4-track
deck which suddenly decided to stop working. And there the songs stayed
for a very long time. Recently he took the old player out of the attic
and tried to make it work again. Not much happened until he cleaned it
out from top to bottom, and lo and behold, there were Rods original
songs, still as neat and pretty as the day he recorded them.
There are several
really good songs on this recording. The title song “Dusty Roads” is a
really good rendition of experience. I also like “Build A Bridge.” For
a couple of reasons, it’s a good song AND I just finished an excellent
book by Australian novelist Markus Zusak called “Bridge of Clay.” Both
experiences were a delight for me.
Once Rod Brandt had re-found the recorded
songs, the race was on. He transferred them onto a computer in
Audacity, and then proceeded to edit and master them. That prompted Rod
Eddie to get them out to the public, as well to a substantial list of
country music recording artists needing new material. Quite frankly, I
believe even today’s so-called country artists in Nashville would find a
song or two that they could do, and even start sounding country again.
RECORD REVIEW BY Bob Everhart, President, National Traditional Country Music Assn., www.music-savers.com, for Country Music News International Magazine & Radio Show