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Smither, Chris - Leave The Light On CD Cover Art
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Chris Smither Leave The Light On CD

 Chris Smither Discography of CDs
4 stars (1 Customer Review)

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Chris Smither doesn't do much here that he hasn't done throughout his long career, but there's no crime in consistent excellence. That career, launched during the Boston folk revival of the late '60s, has now encompassed a dozen albums, with a lengthy hiatus throughout most of the '70s and '80s as Smither battled the demons of alcoholism and addiction. He re-emerged in the early '90s as a wizened troubadour, equally adept at self-deprecating humor and heartbreaking balladry, and he continues that tradition on Leave the Light On. As is typical of all his releases, the album's 12 songs split the difference between folk and blues. Smither's propulsive acoustic fingerpicking, heavily influenced by bluesman Lightnin' Hopkins, is as unobtrusively impressive as ever. He's not flashy, but he plays exactly what fits each song. Multi-instrumentalist Tim O'Brien and neo-gospel acolytes Ollabelle contribute fine, understated accompaniment, but Smither is the real star here, wrapping his raspy baritone croon around his increasingly pointed, literate songs of hope and regret. Smither has a knack for selecting exemplary covers, and the sampling on Leave the Light On is no exception. Peter Case's forlorn "Cold Trail Blues," mentor Hopkins' harrowing "Blues in the Bottle," and Bob Dylan's "Visions of Johanna" (offered as a slow, meditative waltz) fit the ruminative, downcast mood perfectly. But his originals hold their own with the stellar covers, and, if anything, he continues to improve as a songwriter. The title track is an unapologetic refusal to grow old and quietly fade away, while "Shillin' for the Blues" probes the kind of 3:00-a.m.-stare-at-the-ceiling introspection that is equal parts despair and resolute conviction to carry on. "Origin of Species" is a hilarious sendup of the biblical creation story and the theory of evolution, while the rollicking "Diplomacy" is one of the few protest anthems of the Bush era that isn't full of sputtering, inarticulate invective, and that actually exhibits wit and insight: "We got some freedom, we got the iPod store/We got the savior, you couldn't ask for more/Take it or leave it, it's the deal of the day/And if you leave it, you get it anyway." That kind of incisive commentary fuels the entire album, and if the barbs seem more pointed than usual, perhaps they reflect the impatience of a man who has never suffered fools gladly, and who is doing some of his best work in what by all rights ought to be the twilight of his career. This very fine release is proof, if any is needed, that the light is still on, and shining very brightly. ~ Andy Whitman

Personnel: Chris Smither (vocals, guitar); Sean Staples (vocals, banjo); Tim O'Brien (vocals, mandocello, mandolin, fiddle); Anita Suhanin (vocals); David "Goody" Goodrich (guitar, kalimba); Jazer Giles (accordion, piano); Lou Ulrich (bass instrument); Mike Piehl (drums, percussion); Olabelle (background vocals).

Dirty Linen (p.67) - "Smither's musical roots are in country blues, and that tradition is deeply etched in his comfortably world-weary voice and quick, flowing fingerstyle guitar..."
No Depression (p.104) - "With Tim O'Brien on mandolin and members of Ollabelle contributing harmonies, the songs are carefully calibrated soundscapes."
Leave The Light On Music


Detailed Leave The Light On Music Information



List Price $17.98 (You save $4.03)
Category Rock/Pop Albums, Folk CDs, Blues, Folk Music
Label Signature Sounds
Orig Year 2006
All Time Sales Rank   18951  
CD Universe Part number 7251339
Catalog number 2001
Discs 1
Release Date Sep 19, 2006
Studio/Live Studio
Mono/Stereo Stereo
Producer David Goodrich
Engineer Mark Thayer
Personnel Tim O'Brien - vocals, mandocello, mandolin, fiddle
Tim O'Brien - vocals, mandocello, mandolin, fiddle
Chris Smither - vocals, guitar
David "Goody" Goodrich - guitar, kalimba
Anita Suhanin - vocals
MIke Piehl - drums, percussion
Jazer Giles - accordion, piano
Lou Ulrich - bass instrument
Olabelle - background vocals
Sean Staples - vocals, banjo
Chris Smither Leave The Light On Songs


Chris Smither Leave The Light On Album Track Listing



1.Open Up
2.Leave the Light On
3.Shillin' For the Blues
4.Seems So Real
5.Origin of a Species
6.Cold Trail Blues$0.99
7.Diplomacy
8.Father's Day
9.Visions of Johanna  
10.Blues in a Bottle
11.John Hardy
12.John Hardy Reprise
Leave The Light On Music Review


Customer Leave The Light On Reviews 




Average Rating: (4 out of 5 stars) 4 stars

4 stars Almost a 5...
This is a must-have for anyone who likes blues, blues rock, or country blues. Original, smart, clever songs that will rock and move you!
Submitted by Rita-bjhsn31in5u (Vancouver, Wa., USA)
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