Name: Ghosts of Hallelujah
Brand: Sugar Hill
SKU: 61395
Price: 12.18 SGD
Availability: InStock

Performer Notes

The Gourds: Jimmy Smith (vocals, acoustic & electric guitars, bass, percussion); Claude Bernard (vocals, acoustic guitar, accordion, Wurlitzer piano); Kev Russell (vocals, acoustic guitar).
Additional personnel includes: Max Johnson (vocals, electric & pedal steel guitars, banjo, mandolin, fiddle); Keith Langford (drums, percussion).
Recorded at Laurels Ranch, Comfort and Arlyn Studio, Austin, Texas in October-November 1998.
Personnel: Claude Bernard (vocals, guitar, electric guitar, accordion, organ); Max Johnston (guitar, electric guitar, dobro, banjo, mandolin, fiddle); Mike Stewart (organ); Keith Langford (percussion).
Audio Mixer: Andy Taub.
Recording information: Laurel's Ranch, TX (10/1998).
The Gourds' third full-length, Ghosts of Hallelujah, finds them evolving their sound quite successfully with the addition of multi-instrumentalist Max Johnston and new drummer Keith Langford. Both presences are immediately noticeable on the opening romp, "Up on High," where Langford's idiosyncratic drum riff leads the tune and Johnston's relaxed, secure fiddling supports Jimmy Smith's if-the-Pogues-were-from-Texas swagger. The songwriting of both Smith and Kevin Russell has more strength than ever before. Their trademark ability to articulate striking, lovely, and humorous emotions via turning the oddest cryptic and poetic phrases in rock & roll is present and abundant, as always. With Langford's confidence boost to the rhythm section and Johnston's proficiency on dobro, banjo, fiddle, and guitar, the Gourds immediately seize the chance to explore more complex arrangements, resulting in some their most inspired songs to date. Russell's honky tonk lurch "Ghosts of Hallelujah" and lovely "Flat Baritone" are standouts, showcasing a more streamlined approach, while Smith's trilogy of songs, "Bean Bowl," "My Time, Yer Time," and "Son of Bum" give the bizarre tendencies of the Gourds a fair workout. Claude Bernard shines all over the album, cooking up memorable melodies for consumption on accordion and mag organ (a toy organ thrown into a dumpster by Richard Buckner, then rescued and used here, according to the liner notes). His accordion work on tracks like "January 6" and "County Orange," as well as the previously mentioned trilogy, provide a low-key yet graceful propulsion to the entire album, moving it along without a single wasted note. The result is a great batch of first-rate songs held together with exceptional chemistry rarely achieved by a group of musicians, and what's even more significant is that this new chemistry and excitement were caught on tape. ~ Gregory McIntosh

Professional Reviews

Spin (11/99, p.193) - 7 out of 10 - "...the Gourds blend collegiate smart-assness with workaday smarts, throwing dobros, mandolins, fiddles, and banjos into twangisgh songs that are almost always tightly constructed and finely observed....[they] are unafraid to tackle Americana..."

Dirty Linen (8-9/99, p.69) - "...one of Austin's best-kept secrets....a swirling mixture of acoustic rock laced with country and a range of other less obvious influences..."

Album: Ghosts of Hallelujah
#	Song Title	Time
1)	Up on High
2)	Ghosts of Hallelujah
3)	Gangsta Lean
4)	County Orange
5)	Ladies Choice
6)	January 6
7)	Pair of Goats
8)	Fine Leather Truck
9)	Bean Bowl
10)	My Time, Yer Time
11)	Son of Bum
12)	Flat Baritone, The
13)	(The New Way Of) Grievin' & Smokin'
14)	Rugged Roses
15)	Lowlands

Album: Ghosts of Hallelujah
#	Song Title	Time
1)	Up on High
2)	Ghosts of Hallelujah
3)	Gangsta Lean
4)	County Orange
5)	Ladies Choice
6)	January 6
7)	Pair of Goats
8)	Fine Leather Truck
9)	Bean Bowl
10)	My Time, Yer Time
11)	Son of Bum
12)	Flat Baritone, The
13)	(The New Way Of) Grievin' & Smokin'
14)	Rugged Roses
15)	Lowlands