Tom Rush – TOM RUSH****

Long John/If Your Man Gets Busted/Do-Re-Mi/Milk Cow Blues/The Cuckoo/Black Mountain Blues/Poor Man/ Solid Gone/When She Wants Good Lovin’/I’d Like To Know/Jelly Roll Baker/Windy Bill/Panama Limited

This self titled LP from Tom Rush, accompanied by acoustic guitar, consists of an eclectic choice of folk and blues songs evoking the depression era in America.

“Tom's voice is as solid as is his guitar playing, and the accompaniment is stellar too. Great pick of songs and it is not a problem that none of them are self penned. A surprisingly complete and convincing album.”

“The last of Tom's white man blues albums before he ventured into the folk and rock realms of his career. The songs are all interpretations and they are done quite well. It's a secret undiscovered gem for a selected group of listeners who like this genre.”

“Rush is faithful to the traditions on this album, which features excellent acoustic guitar work and vocals that are uniformly convincing. Half the songs on the record are traditional. He treats these with reverence and interprets them originally. There is nothing fake or posed in the way Rush presents folk music and blues songs. Further, the collection is eclectic - not just blues or folk songs but a delightful mix.”

“While Rush was eventually eclipsed by some of his contemporaries, he was true to tradition and the idioms of American music. Moreover, his virtuoso acoustic guitar playing was fresh and authentic. This disc is particularly valuable because of the music it contains and the high level of musicianship.”

“The cover photo tells you precisely what the record sounds like - depression era classics presented with flinty integrity and urbane polish at the same time. The song choice is a tasteful mixture of white and black sources, but Rush never has to indulge himself in vocal 'impressions' to get to the meaning of a song. He lets the interplay between his voice and his brilliantly unflashy guitar work do the job. Tom Rush's voice is deep and rich, his guitar playing flawless, the tunes varied but cohesive.”

“This is a surprisingly well crafted album, with no single weak spot in it. To the average rock/pop fan this isn't of much interest, but folk fans have different standards. Every track is a cover version.”