Average Reviews:
(More customer reviews)Reasons this is a 5 star album---tracks 1, 4 and 9; great vocal harmonies (to be expected from Gillian and David); David's guitar playing (of course); and the overall Rawlings-style production that makes the music sound so effortless.
One thing that leaves me slightly disappointed is the limited new material (tracks 2 and 3 have been released on other albums and tracks 4 and 8 are covers). I've been told that one could also argue that track 5 is a semi-cover since the melody was taken from an old blues song, but since I was not familiar with that song, it was new to me. So out of 9 songs only 5 of them were "new". To be fair though, the Oberst/Young cover is so fantastic, it kind of has a life all its own. It's just been so long since their last album, I really wanted MORE.
The main thing that I am not crazy about is the heavy-handed Old Crow Medicine Show bleed into the Gillian and David sound. I know this is simply a matter of taste--I like OCMS and own a couple of their albums--but I would prefer that their influence be more subtle. Tracks 6-8 could easily appear on an Old Crow album with guest vocalists David and Gillian. I'm not a purist who despises the idea of them straying from their usual two guitar/two vocals routine. I just don't love the idea of Gillian and David sounding like guests on their own album.
But if you're a fan, you're going to buy this album and you're going to like it. It's nice to see David Rawlings get the accolades he deserves and I'm excited to add this to my collection.
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A Friend of a Friend is the first record by Dave Rawlings, the guitarist, producer, singer, and songwriter best known for his work with Gillian Welch, Old Crow Medicine Show and Robyn Hitchcock. Ketch Secor, Willie Watson, Kevin Hayes and Morgan Jahnig of OCMS join Rawlings and Welch on this record beside newer friends Benmont Tench from the Heartbreakers and Nate Walcott of Bright Eyes.
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