plorentz's Full Review: This Old Road [Digipak] by Kris Kristofferson
For This Old Road, his first studio album of all new material in more than 10 years, Kris Kristofferson has gone back to his roots - way, way, way back to his roots - with a collection of 11 songs that sound like they were conceived around campfires and barrel fires, in musty canvas tents and empty freight cars, or collected field-recording style from the words of anonymous tramps and hobos from another century. This new grizzled grandfather persona may seem a little incongruous with his movie-star rugged good looks (the dude is hawt), but very well in touch with the wand'rin' balladeer sound of earlier records like "Me and Bobby McGee". And as the revered singer-songwriter approaches his 70th birthday, This Old Road offers a simple assessment of where he's come from, where he's going, and - right now - what's goin' on. It starts with a sigh and ends with an epitaph, and if you haven't learned anything in the half hour between the two, then, son, you just plain weren't listenin'.
Backed by a small acoustic combo of Stephen Bruton (guitar/mandolin), Jim Keltner (drums), and producer Don Was on piano - all of whom taking extra special care not to draw focus - Kristofferson delivers these songs with un-self-conscious warmth and wisdom, his voice high up in the mix, almost a capella in some parts, so that you can here every crackle and buzz and break in it. His reminiscences of days past range from reverent hymn ("Wild American"), to raucous boogie ("The Show Goes On"). And even his most joyous moments are tinged with hurt and regret. In the folk waltz "Holy Creation", he considers the pain of a failed marriage, but ultimately celebrates it for having given him a chance at fatherhood.
On songs like "Pilgrim's Progress", he evokes the populist spirit of Woody Guthrie, asking if he's "young enough to believe in revolution" over a simple three-chord singalong. Elsewhere, as on "The Burden of Freedom" and "In the News", he gets blatantly topical with the kind of lyrics that'd get him booed off the stage by Toby Keith audience. On the latter, he deftly and poignantly juxtaposes verses related to the Scott Peterson trials with others denouncing the war and our abuse of the environment:
And as she sank into the darkness
With their baby son inside her
A little piece of truth and beauty died.
The intimacy of these songs can almost be oppressive at times, but they never come off preachy - even if they do set out specifically to school you in a few things. In "Chase the Feeling", he addresses an addict with a sly, been-there-done-that wink in his voice - Ain't you handsome when you're high? - the gives the song a more three-dimensional relevance. The message isn't a facile "just say no". It's more along the lines of "some of us just have to learn the hard way".
Ultimately, this record is a celebration of life and love, truth and beauty, justice and mercy, in all the forms they might take. It's also a celebration of his friends, and he name-drops a bunch of them over the course of the disc. But the best moment is in the closing "Final Attraction", which he introduces as having been inspired by watching from the wings as his friend Willie closed out a show. The song ends as he exhorts the singer to "go break a heart" for those who've left us - Johnny Cash, June Carter, Mickey Newbury - and, as he says, "maybe one time for me". It's shivery and sad and joyous and wonderful all at once. And on This Old Road, Kris Kristofferson makes us all a part of that story - his story - just as, over the last 40 years, he and his songs have become a part of many of ours.
- - - - -
BECAUSE YOU NEED TO KNOW:
"This Old Road" by Kris Kristofferson
New West Records
Released 3/7/06
Produced by Don Was
37 min.
SONGS: This Old Road - Pilgrim's Progress - The Last Thing to Go - Wild American - In the News - The Burden of Freedom - Chase the Feeling - Holy Creation - The Show Goes On - Thank You For a Life - Final Attraction
Kris Kristofferson has always identified himself first and foremost as a writer, and true writers know that what works best is giving a piece of thems...More at Buy.com Marketplaces
Epinions.com periodically updates pricing and product information from third-party sources, so some information may be slightly out-of-date. You should confirm all information before relying on it.
![This Old Road [Digipak] by Kris Kristofferson](http://di1.shopping.com/images1/pi/3e/42/ca/2005396088-177x150-0-0.jpg)
- Add to My Yahoo!: 
- Add to Google Homepage: 
© 1999-2009 Shopping.com, Inc.