The 1981 Listening Post - Whiskey River - Whiskey River

 Reviewed by Paul J Zickler

Released: 1981 Whiskey River Whiskey River Genre: Country Rock Rating: 3.75 out of 5 Highlights: Calico Eyes Tryin' To Get You Off My Mind Rainbow In The Rain Whiskey River sounds familiar from the get go. They’re not country enough for Nashville, but they’re also not the Eagles or Poco. You will hear banjo, lap steel and fiddle, but also sweet electric guitar solos and lyrics completely unrelated to pickup trucks or rodeos. There’s a little Allman Brothers in there, but they’re not going to bust out 20 minute versions of any of these songs. The Laurel Canyon gang are a clear influence, but not enough to be distracting. In the end, Whiskey River just seems like some guys who grew up listening to a lot of different music and didn’t worry much about getting pigeonholed into any particular category. If this came out 20 years later, it would be Americana, but in ‘81 it was country rock. The requisite cover is a medley of Bob Dylan’s Long Time Gone (only available in ‘81 via bootlegs and folk versions) and Leadbelly’s When I Was a Cowboy (often covered, usually less than successfully). It never really takes off the way the better originals do, but it’s not terrible. There are a couple of duds (Northern Town, Streetwise), but most of the album feels as comfy as a faded pair of jeans and well worn flannel shirt. It took me a couple of listens to appreciate Rainbow in the Rain, a John Denver-ish ballad that features Bobby Emmons (from Waylon Jennings’ band of Outlaws) on piano. The other ballad, Calico Eyes, opens with a nicely strummed 12 string and then breaks into lovely three part harmony with judicious steel guitar and mandolin. It’s not hard to imagine the Byrds recording it with someone like Emmylou Harris on backing vocals. On the rocking side, Tryin’ to Get You Off My Mind chugs along like Head East, albeit with prominent fiddle right next to the guitar jams. Dacoteh reaches for that “American Indian” sound (as it was called back then), but also has a central chord pattern that echoes Crazy Train. Hickory Maiden wears its folk roots a little more proudly than the others, but a solid bass line and tightly written chorus keep it moving along. Cheyenne Lady definitely has Neil Young/CSN genes, which is OK by me. There are a few other tracks that don’t stand out, but also don’t get in the way of enjoying the record. Most of the songs were written by Danny “D.T.” Naslund, the Minnesota Cowboy folk singer. Many years afterwards, Danny commented on Facebook, “Although I may have written the words and music, I’ve always felt those songs truly belong to my friends in Whiskey River.” Nice folks, making music together. Grab a beer, pull up a chair and take it easy.