Reviews in English, German and Italian (including an interview in Italian):
Track listing:
1. (I'm A) Road Runner
2. I'll Stop Loving You
3. Rock Of Your Love
4. Julie's House
5. Didn't Start Livin'
6. The Moon Is A Harsh Mistress
7. Livin' It Down
8. Working on Love
9. Payola Blues
10. Dimming of the Day
"Road Runner"
Review by Bill Yates, Roots66.com
"Road Runner" is Albert Lee's latest album. Lee, the British-born country rocker is a widely-praised guitarist who played with Emmylou Harris' Hot Band, Vince Gill, Brad Paisley, Joe Cocker, and many more. His influences were Buddy Holly, Gene Vincent, Jerry Lee Lewis, and other early rockers. His last album, "Heartbreak Hill," his first solo effort in fifteen years, earned a Grammy nomination and was reviewed here 10/9/03. Thank goodness he didn't wait another fifteen years. And let's hope he doesn't wait another fifteen before his next album.
The title song, "(I'm a) Road Runner," is an expounding of the urge to keep moving on. "I'll Stop Loving You" is really about how he'll not stop lovin' you. The "Rock of Your Love" is both the solid ground and where the singer has run aground in this nice song by John Hiatt. Leo Kottke's "Julie's House" is another song that shows Thomas Wolfe may have been right when he said that you can't go home again. "Didn't Start Livin'" is a rockin' expression of the discovery of love.
"The Moon Is a Harsh Mistress" is best known as the title of Robert A. Heinlein's 1966 science fiction novel but here Jimmy Webb's lyric is a metaphor for the loss of love. Well, she's out livin' it up while he's busy "Livin' It Down." The old gal dumps guy thing again. The upbeat lyrics of "Working on Love" tell the truth: this is the way to keep making love work. Lots of nice instrumental work. Lee's own "Payola Blues" is over seven minutes of just great guitar playing. Buddy Emmons has some very nice turns here. Richard Thompson's beautiful "Dimming of the Day" is an enchanting duet with Albert and Alexandra Lee.
Albert Lee has done it again. "Road Runner" is a fine successor to "Heartbreak Hill," full of wonderful guitar work supporting a nice collection of songs. Lee is a master of the extended guitar variation, improvisation, and build on a song. Here he is ably supported by other master musicians. Buddy Emmons on pedal steel deserves special mention as do bassist Bob Glaub and percussionist Don Heffington. Alexandra Lee's duet with Albert on "Dimming of the Day" is a moving treat. The recorded sound is great. If you like great guitar work and just plain good music, "Road Runner" delivers in spades.
My Favorite Songs: "Dimming of the Day," "Rock of Your Love," "Didn't Start Livin'"
(Bill Yates)
Albert Lee - Road Runner
Review By Jim Moulton, CSO Staff Journalist
Road Runner is a very appropriate title for this solo release of Albert Lee. The man is the king of tele players enduring a long tenure, a country picker from England no less. Lee's first hot American gig after playing in England for many years was with the famous hot band of Emmylou Harris. He has influenced many a telecaster picker with his twangy tones, sweet fills and flat out kickin' solos. This CD is very eclectic with Lee also singing some great songs.
His band is himself on vocals, electric and acoustic guitars, mandolin and keyboards. His co-producer Steve Fishell plays lap steel on a couple of songs. The executive producer is his wife Karen. Legend and friend Buddy Emmons on pedal steel, Buddy Miller and Jon Randall sing backup vocals on a couple of tracks. My only beef is the mix is over compressed a bit in the mastering process by Jim Demain of Yes Master. The levels on my stereo are maxed out a lot which makes for some distortion and lack of dynamics, but the music here is much more than an over db-ed disc.
A very good selection of songs and Lee's vocals surprised me as I didn't know what to expect. Overall this is an Americana sounding record and the Americana chart is where you will find it. What this record is about is Albert Lee tearing it up on his tele, it is interesting to hear him play piano and guitar on the same track. He is an excellent pianist.
Let's zoom in on some songs: "The Moon Is A Harsh Mistress" (Jimmy Webb) - This is a beautiful ballad with some great acoustic guitar, mandolin and Emmons on steel. The song really pulls you in. Lee's vocals sound great here, very animated and into the song.
"Livin' It Down" (Delbert McClinton) - Mid tempo country rocker, honky tonker, great backup vocals, some great guitar by Lee, he plain works it out, what command of the guitar this man has as he jumps up and down the fretboard melodically and effortlessly. This whole CD has a live quality to it, after some tracks, you can hear some laughter. "Had my ducks in a row and she shot em".
"Working On Love" (Keith Sewell) - A hot fast paced rockabilly number. This might have some of his hottest pickin' as he trades off riffs with steel player Emmons. Reminds me of an up tempo Vince Gill song. Great lyrics "Don't get so downhearted, we're under construction".
"Payola Blues" (Albert Lee) - This is a fast paced instrumental that is seven minutes long. The bass of Bob Glaub is great here. Lee and Buddy Emmons are featured, mostly the intensely focused Lee on guitar playing in a zone. Lee is still at the top of his game. Brent Mason, Brent Rowan, Vince Gill and later Brad Paisley definitely have been influenced by this world renowned picker.
Possibly the last track is the best "Dimming Of The Day" (Richard Thompson) - A slow paced duet with
Alexandra Lee, just a pretty melody with sweet delivery and the vocals are great.
Albert Lee is the consummate guitarist and a great interpreter of songs. Though most of his work is done for others like Patty Loveless's last CD Dreamin' My Dreams, Lee is more than sufficient on his own. Although not country radio material, it does have some Grammy stuff on it. If you like hot electric country pickin' and Americana music, this disc is a real winner.
From the AMG:
“As a guitarist, Albert Lee has no equal.” — NO DEPRESSION
English-born guitarist Albert Lee is world-renowned as one of the all-time great country pickers. His unique style influenced an array of famous guitarists who followed in his distinctive footsteps—including Vince Gill and Brad Paisley, among them. In addition to his solo acclaim and incredible array of sideman gigs, Lee's tenure in Emmylou Harris' Hot Band and the indelible mark left by his seminal work "Country Boy" mark the accomplished English guitarist’s legacy as legendary!
Albert Lee’s new album Road Runner—the follow-up to his GRAMMY-nominated album Heartbreak Hill -embodies Lee's distinctly unmatched abilities!
Road Runner includes songs by Leo Kottke, Jimmy Webb, Delbert McClinton, and Richard Thompson, among others. Lee can rip some of the most staggeringly adroit fretwork since James Burton first strapped on a Telecaster.”
If Albert Lee fans have grown used to his commitment to a handful of good songs and extraordinary guitar work, then Road Runner will not disappoint. Lee and his band kick off with the title track, an easy-rolling rocker with a little vocal help from Buddy Miller. Lee follows with a solid set list that includes selections from John Hiatt, Leo Kottke, and Richard Thompson. These songs all receive tasteful renditions, but the real fun comes with uptempo fare like Billy Burnette and Tony Colton's 'Didn't Start Livin', and Delbert McClinton/Benmont Tench/Gary Nicholson's 'Livin' It Down'. It doesn't hurt that Lee has enlisted the talents of drummer Don Heffington, bassist Bob Glaub, and steel guitarist Buddy Emmons on Road Runner. Guest appearances by co-producer Steve Fishell on 'Didn't Start Livin' and 'Rock of Your Love', along with guitarist Mark S. Cohen on the latter, also add something extra to these arrangements. One of the coolest exchanges on the album is between Lee and Emmons' guitar and steel for the last minute and a half on 'Working on Love'. Guitar freaks, of course, will enjoy the album, but so will country music fans looking for tuneful songs that fall somewhere between the rough edges of alternative country and the glitter of Nashville."
And an interview in Italian by Riccardo Cappelli:
ROAD RUNNER
Intervista con Albert Lee
Mai titolo fu più azzeccato per il chitarrista inglese; così come il celeberrimo Road Runner (bip bip, per intendersi) fa dannare Wil Coyote sfrecciando tra le gole del Grand Canyon a velocità supersoniche, così da anni Albert Lee fa dannare i chitarristi country sfrecciando ad altrettanta velocità sul manico della sua chitarra.
Classe 1943, personaggio tranquillo e innamorato tuttora del proprio strumento, Albert si racconta in questa intervista attraversando gli oltre quarant’anni di una carriera senza particolari scossoni che rispecchia la sua serenità nel vivere suonando, senza preoccuparsi della fama e del successo che molti artisti ben meno meritevoli hanno invece avuto; va tuttavia detto che mentre il vento del successo quando è cambiato ha chiuso la carriera di innumerevoli personaggi, Albert ha proseguito imperterrito del suo passo e ad oggi è un personaggio forse di nicchia, ma venerato e rispettato da tutti gli addetti ai lavori come un vero e proprio simbolo della chitarra country. Lee da anni risiede in California, ed è proprio dalla sua casa di Malibu che ci risponde allegramente quando là sono appena le otto di mattina…
Ciao Albert, partiamo subito con il tuo nuovo album “Road runner”, che è basato principalmente su delle cover…
A: Sì, lo è, sai, non trovo tanto tempo per scrivere canzoni, sono molto impegnato on the road…
Come hai selezionato i brani da incidere ? Li hai riarrangiati in versione country o erano già originariamente in quello stile ?
A: Beh, ero familiare con la maggior parte delle canzoni, e ad alcune di esse ho cambiato l’arrangiamento; per esempio “Road runner” era un brano rhythm & blues così l’ho riarrangiato in versione country con l’aiuto di Steve Fishell, il produttore; non ero sicuro se avrebbe funzionato ma credo che alla fine sia andata molto bene.
I pezzi sono strutturati principalmente nel formato canzone, forse sacrificando un pochino il lavoro solistico rispetto ai dischi del passato; tu che ne pensi ?
A: Tu credi ? Non lo so, penso che ci siano un sacco di assolo su questo disco; sai, ci sono delle lunghe code strumentali alla fine di alcuni pezzi ed un brano interamente strumentale, e ovviamente credo che ci debbano essere perché è quello che la gente si aspetta da me, ho cercato di mettere più chitarra possibile… credo che molta gente non si aspetti che io canti, forse si aspettano un disco strumentale, ma mi piace anche cantare (risate)…
In ogni caso le parti solistiche sono fantastiche come sempre; nel brano d’apertura, appunto “Road runner”, c’è un solo velocissimo dove sembra che ci sia un delay; questo mi ha fatto venire in mente un trucchetto che ho visto fare a Scott Henderson per rendere molto più complesso quel che usciva dalla sua chitarra rispetto alle note che suonava su un brano country, proprio grazie all’ausilio del delay; funziona così anche nel tuo caso ?
A. Beh, uso il delay come una singola ripetizione, ma sai, è molto difficile incastrare le note pennate con quelle ribattute dal delay mantenendo perfettamente il tempo. Credo che sia un sound interessante, è qualcosa che non ho certamente inventato ma che mi piace molto usare.
Alla fine di “I’ll stop loving you” così come a metà di “Livin’ it down”, ci sono dei fraseggi che ricordano molto le sonorità della pedal steel; usi lo string bender per ricreare quel sound o utilizzi la chitarra normalmente ?
A: Oh yeah, ho uno string bender. Sai, ho la mia Music Man Signature standard ma ho anche un modello con il B-bender montato che mi piace usare. Non lo adopero moltissimo on the road, ma lo utilizzo in studio, mi piace il sound del B-bender.
C’è modo di ottenere quelle sonorità anche senza l’utilizzo del B-bender ?
A: Beh no, puoi fare determinate frasi con il B-bender che non puoi fare davvero in nessun’altra maniera; posso fare dei bending senza di esso ma col B-bender non perdi mai l’intonazione perché è un meccanismo che alza il B di un tono, mentre quando lo fai con le dita in realtà lo fai ad orecchio.
Su CHITARRE di dicembre in edicola l'articolo completo con la recensione del nuovo disco di Albert Lee.
Albert Lee - Road Runner
By Andy Ellis | June 2006 ("Guitar Player")
When Albert Lee cuts loose with his trademark country licks—clucky lines and spanky double-stops that are often drenched with spiraling synchronized echo—notes spill from his fretboard like sawdust blowing from a chainsaw. Several cuts on Road Runner feature Lee’s blazing chops, but he generally downplays his legendary hot picking in favor of melodic solos within songs. There are moments of killer guitar playing—the tail end of “(I’m a) Road Runner” is sheer echo-sonic madness, the instrumental “Payola Blues” is packed with wall-to-wall jamming, and “Didn’t Start Livin’” is a honky tonk rave-up—but the album’s overall focus is less on fretwork and more on songs and Lee’s vocals. He doesn’t have the soulful pipes of Delbert McClinton or Travis Tritt, but he can carry a tune, and, as with Eric Johnson or Robben Ford, the serviceable singing is simply part of a package that includes fearsome picking. Pedal-steel giant Buddy Emmons adds beautiful, liquid textures throughout the album (he and Lee trade wicked eights in “Working on Love”), and Steve Fishell guests on bluesy lap steel.
(Sugar Hill).
Eine Rezension zu Road Runner in deutsch / a review about Road Runner in German von:Kultur che24
Brit-Pop, Nashville und Rock mit 60+
Albert Lee hat in den 50 Jahren seiner Karriere mit der halben Welt gespielt und Platten aufgenommen. Das reicht von Chris Farlowe über Eric Clapton direkt nach Nashville und zu Emmylou Harris, in deren legendärer Hot Band Lee neben seinen zahllosen Studiojobs er jahrelang wirkte. Bei einem so berühmten und viel beschäftigten Gitarristen würde man sofort denken: "Dies ist wieder so ein Virtuosenalbum.." - aber nicht hier:
Lee schlägt die Brücke von seinen Wurzeln im Britischen Pop und Blues zum modernen Country so gekonnt, so lässig und so entspannt, dass der Hörer keine Sekunde überhaupt merkt, dass hier mit Lee und der Legende Buddy Emmons an der Steel Guitar zwei Virtuosen unterwegs sind. Die technischen Fähigkeiten der Musiker ordnen sich vollständig unter die Musik. So lange Du nicht versuchst, etwas von diesem Album nachzuspielen, bekommt man nur die Musik mit:
Wunderbare, entspannte Rhythmen, Klangwände aus vielen Gitarren, die sich in überraschenden Harmoniewechseln zu dem von Brian Wilson, Paul McCartney und J.S. Bach gehüteten Olymp des Pop aufschwingen. Das Songmaterial reicht von den 60ern bis heute. Und ordnet sich musikalisch ein zwischen den Everly Brothers, Clapton, Paul McCartney und Emmylou Harris eigenen Werken. Kein Wunder: Lee hat mit diesen Musikern (bis auf den Beatle) viel gearbeitet. Sogar Songwriter John Hiatt ist vertreten.
Und doch klingt es immer nur nach guter Musik. Lee ist nicht der größte Sänger vor dem Herren. Aber seine Musik landet so gekonnt zwischen Brit-Blues, Pop, alternative Country und Nashville - es ist die reine Freude. Und dass Sound und Produktion über jeden Zweifel erhaben sind, versteht sich bei DEM Künstler von selbst.
Gut gefallen haben mir die unauffälligen, aber immer songdienlichen Vocal-Supports: Jon Randall mit seiner wunderschönen Stimme, Mark S. Cohen und Bekka Bramlet geben den Songs Farben mit, ohne sich in den Vordergrund zu drängen. Ein sehr rundes, entspanntes und musikalisch praktisch perfektes Album - altersweise und doch frisch.
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Eine weitere Rezension zu Road Runner in deutsch / another review about Road Runner in German: By. baerchenrecords.com
Herrliches neues Album von einem der größten und einflußreichsten Country-Gitarrenvirtuosen, der mit seinem unverwechselbaren Stil in den letzten, gut 30 Jahren, Maßstäbe, nicht nur in der New Country-/Countryrock-Szene setzte! Emmylou Harris' ehemaliger Gitarrist zaubert eine hochkarätige Ansammlung absoluter Retro-"Hot Band"-typischer Country-Knüller aus dem Hut, die die goldenen Jahre dieser Truppe, aber auch den frühen Stil Rodney Crowell's oder Vince Gill's in voller Blüte in das Jahr 2006 transportiert! Auch gesanglich bringt Lee eine Top-Leistung! Die Songs, zumeist recht dynamisch, strahlen eine ungeheure, zeitlose Frische aus! Dabei bedient er sich immer wieder gezielt und sehr geschickt ausgewählter Coverversionen, die er in seinem unverkennbaren Stil, voller Klasse und ausgefeilter Musikalität interpretiert!
Seine Spielfreude ist zu jeder Minute spürbar! Immer wieder begeistert Lee mit diesem grandiosen Picking, diesen fantastischen "jaw-dripping, speed-picking", so sauber abgegrenzt und doch so ungeheuer virtuos, mit fliegenden Fingern gespielten, mitreissenden Gitarrenläufen, vor allem bei dem prachtvollen, über 7-minütigen, bestens und absolut melodisch strukturierten Instrumental (es ist die einzige Instrumental-Nummer auf dem Album) "Payola Blues"! Die Scheibe beginnt allerdings mit einer tollen Uptempo-Version des alten Holland/Holland/Dozier-Heulers "(I'm a) Road runner"! Ein typischer "Hot Band"-Retro Country-/Countryrock-Rhythmus mit viel Drive, eine klasse Melodie und im zweiten Teil ein absolut grandioses, völlig locker und lässig vorgetragenes Gitarrensolo, wie es eben nur Albert Lee spielt, machen gleich diese erste Nummer zu einem absoluten "Hit"!
Weiter geht's mit der wunderbar melodischen Country(Rock)-Nummer "I'll stop loving you" (prima, die klimpernden Piano-Ergänzungen, im übrigen ebenfalls von Albert Lee selbst gespielt), gefolgt von einer exzellenten, Steel-getränkten, eine schöne californische Frische vermittelnde Fassung von John Hiatt's "Rock of your love", gespickt mit tollen, transparenten Gitarren-Licks! Ganz stark auch die entspannte Version von Leo Kottke's "Julie's house", die von würziger, rootsiger Lap Steel durchzogene Countryrock-Nummer "Didn't start livin'" (wie eine Mischung aus den frühen Rodney Crowell und Vince Gill, mit einem dezenten Schuss NRBQ-Flair), das lockere, mit feinen Mandolinen-Klängen angereicherte, semi-akustische Jimmy Webb-Stück "The moon is a harsh mistress", der mit viel Dampf abgehende Rockin' Country-/Roots-/Honky-Tonkin'-Boogie "Livin' it down", bis hin zu der wunderschönen Version von Richard Thompson's "Dimming of the day", die Albert Lee in einem grossartigen Duett mit seiner Tochter Alexandra vorträgt! Musikalische Wegbegleiter sind u.a. Bob Glaub (Bass), Don Heffington (Drums), Buddy Emmons (Pedal Steel), Steve Fishell (Lap Steel), sowie Buddy Miller, Bekka Bramlett und Jon Randall (Background Gesang)!
Albert Lee wird seine Magie wohl nie verlieren. Ein grossartiges Album.
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