No One Above You (The Early Years 1991-1998) by Neal Casal
By Alan Shipston for Country Music News International Magazine
On September 12, 2025 , the Neal Casal archival album, No One Above You (The Early Years 1991–1998) was released, presenting thirteen previously unavailable studio recordings and demos by the late songwriter and guitarist.
Silver Dollar begins the journey through the mind of a celebrated and gifted songwriter while weaving powerful guitar images onto the musical canvas. Vocally, Neal pleads with the listener to take him in while singing, “Tales of a lifetime are haunting me tonight” finishing with “down to my last silver dollar, down to my last chance.” This opening track sets the tone for his storytelling style with a definitive roots rock feel.
The third cut, recorded in the spring of 1992, is a mid tempo country rocker called Someone Else’s Shoes punctuated with a slide guitar intro. Complete with Eagles like harmonies sung by Angie McKenna, Casal laments about losing one’s way and seeing the world through someone else’s shoes. Electric guitar licks thread their way through the song with ease creating a great shining backdrop for the bittersweet lyric. Neal’s guitar work shimmers on the fifth song, Indian Summer while he sings, “Indian summer gives us all a second chance.” His strong voice rises above the mix delivering the hope of finding love again.
Primarily recorded between 1991 and 1995, in the years before Casal’s debut album Fade Away Diamond Time, the songs collected on No One Above You, embody his creative process leading up to that introduction. Casal archivists and producers Gary Waldman, Jim Scott, and Jon Graboff have compiled and remixed the tapes, adding subtle additions to these original takes, with performances by John Ginty, Dan Fadel, Angie McKenna, Jeff Hill, Graboff, and Alex Koford.
Casal was a consummate collaborator, a definitive roots guitarist who could be found playing alongside Willie Nelson, Shooter Jennings, The Jayhawks, and Phil Lesh. First rising to prominence as lead guitarist for Ricky Medlocke’s Blackfoot, he was also a member of Ryan Adam’s band the Cardinals with whom he recorded three albums. Neal played in the Chris Robinson Brotherhood, Hard Working Americans, Beachwood Sparks, The Skiffle Players, Gospelbeach and Circles Round the Sun. Casal appeared as a guitar player in the Gwyneth Paltrow movie, Country Strong.
Valley of the Fallen, written in 1991 by Neal on a gifted Washburn mandolin, appears as the tenth song spinning the tale of a hopeful visit with his past. You can hear the raw guitar work on this demo reaching out through the strains of the wistful and slightly anguished lyric, ”Maybe I’ll go if that river’s winding slow, to meet you in the valley of the fallen.” Mandolin and mournful slide guitar take the composition into the fade. Nearing the end of the album, Second Hand Flowers, penned by Tom T. Hall, continues on the theme of looking for long lost love by traveling to Miami for a hopeful meeting with a past girlfriend. Fingerpicked acoustic brightens the pensive vocal as Casal unravels a suffering story with a sad ending.
Rolling Stone magazine offered this quote from a 2016 interview. As a teenager, Casal became obsessed with the music of the Rolling Stones and the Grateful Dead. “Those groups opened my eyes and ears to the best music, literature, film and art of all kinds. I bought every record and book that they ever spoke about in interviews and tried to follow their instructions on how to dig in and do good work.” Having released twelve solo albums, Neal Casal did the work both as artist and songwriter leaving many fans with a memorable musical collection.
No One Above You includes unheard Casal compositions alongside covers of Tom T. Hall, The Incredible String Band, and Floyd “Red Crow” Westerman. Among the originals, the hallmarks of Casal’s songwriting remain evident, even in these early days. The release is also prefaced by a personal recollection from Gary Waldman, Casal’s longtime manager and friend, recalling the events that led him to pursue a solo career and his evolution from these nascent studio days into a respected songwriter and guitarist.
An aural and visual treasure, No One Above You, is a fitting elegy for fans and a welcome introduction and indoctrination for anyone who needs a reminder that love is real.