Dualtone (Red)
2004
Headed For The Hills
About This Album
One of the most immediately notable things about the ever-prolific Jim Lauderdale's Headed for the Hills is who's not listed on the cover: lyricist Robert Hunter. Hunter does not perform on the set, but he co-wrote every song. If you are incredulous in wondering why Hunter should receive a billing credit, the answer is simple: there is an elegance and beauty to this album that would never have existed without him. Lauderdale is a fine songwriter, but he does not possess the romantic historical classicism and formalism that Hunter does. In fact, with the possible exception of Bob Dylan, no one in American roots music does. On first listen, what grips the listener is how much of a piece these songs are. They feel like a song cycle of life slices from the rural edges of American life. Rich with guitars, fiddles, harmony vocals, mandolins, and a distinct lack of drums, this is back porch, Saturday night music, played among friends while observing the passing day, the surrounding terrain, legends, and the places in the heart that are not easily given over to conversation. Hunter is a master at communicating the interconnectedness of all three; he has the ability to make the commonplace epic, which he does with Lauderdale's stunning, out-of-antiquity melodies.
Track List (try tracks 1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8 and 9)

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