Curb Records
2008
Father Time
About This Album
It has been five years since country songwriter Hal Ketchum released a new album in the United States. 2007 saw the issue of the excellent One More Midnight in the United Kingdom; there were plans for release in the U.S. in April of 2007 (three months later than in the United Kingdom) but they were scuttled in favor of Curb's typically erratic marketing strategies -- they shuffled out a makeshift best-of instead. Seek out the import: it's worth it. Ketchum left the American scene in fine form with 2003's The King of Love, and he returns even better here. There are 14 tracks that run the gamut from his trademark soulful and insightful ballads to some scorching acoustic bluesy funk tunes like "Millionaire's Wife," (a rocking murder ballad with killer backing vocals by Angela Primm and Gale Mays that make it reminiscent of Delaney & Bonnie). There's a great cover of Tom Waits' "Jersey Girl" included as well. Ketchum's version of the tune turns it inside out and makes it a country honky tonk ballad with pedal steel whining throughout that lends itself to being played in the local barroom. And Ketchum can sing about New Jersey all he wants -- he's a native New Yorker and his wife Gina is from New Jersey.
Track List (try tracks 2,5,6,7,10,11,13 and 14)

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