TOM PAXTON: Redemption Road
TOM PAXTON
Redemption Road
Pax Music
From his early days in the ‘sixties Greenwich Village scene hobnobbing with the likes of Dylan and Baez, to the veteran performer he is today, this Grammy Lifetime Achievement winner keeps cranking out quality folk. His latest album is a great collection of originals and one traditional song, done with a crack shot band of mostly acoustic instruments guided by producer Jim Rooney at his Nashville studio.
The disc opens with the upbeat bluegrass “Virginia Morning,” featuring some mighty fine Dobro from Al Perkins and of course, good solid harmonies. Vivid images of another landscape appear in “Buffalo Dreams,” about his Oklahoma heritage, with help from Cathy Fink’s banjo. “Ireland” also paints a lovely picture, this time around a sweet love story. He’s an expert at singing about important issues. Paxton gets right to the heart of it in “If the Poor Don’t Matter” and adds, “Then neither do I.” There’s a biting blues rap in the middle, along with some tasty jazz-flavored guitar. He shows his whimsical side, with help from buddy John Prine, on “Skeeters’ll Gitcha,” where he tells us about insects as big as robins. (Better get those screens mended.) “Time to Spare” is a thoughtful look back, and the wistful “The Losing Part” looks at what happens next, when dreams don’t come true.
I love “The Battle of the Sexes” – he details where many famous couples went wrong, from Adam and Eve, to Samson and Delilah. Martha Washington never should’ve asked George if she looked fat in that dress. The uplifting “Come On, Holy” has a great chorus that’s perfect for singing along. “The Mayor of Macdougal Street” is about his dear friend, the late Dave Van Ronk, of course – “No one replaced him yet and no one will.” Janis Ian offers a beautiful harmony on the title cut, a thoughtful ballad where Paxton muses, “Time alone will know my name.”
The CD ends with a Celtic prayer and an appropriate line, “Good night and joy be with you.” Indeed. Be sure to catch this joy now because Paxton plans to retire from performing after 2015. Fortunately for us, we can hear him over and over again on this wonderful album.
— Jamie Anderson