John Stewart & Darwin's Army

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John Stewart & Darwin's Army

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I agree with David, great travelling music. The Army is enjoying each other and having a blast. It is good to hear Buffy's incredible voice again. The only song I can do without is "Over The Rainbow", everything else is wonderful. I had to listen to "Mariah" over and over again, correct myself, I wanted to. "Dreamland" is the only new song but the old songs are pretty great too. "Don't It Make You Want To Go Home", the Joe South tune, they put their own twist on, same with "My Back Pages". I hope they record more together. I'm still smiling, the music put me in a good place and I like it there. They love the music and each other and it shows. The liner notes are excellent and should not be skipped.

Some pleasant stuff here, but as a whole, quite disappointing. Sloppiness is fine if it has style, and some sense of purpose--but this doesn't. The "originals" by group members John Hoke and Dave Crossland are uninspiring (the former) and dreadful (the latter). And you can hear the worst version of "They Call The Wind Mariah" (mispelled in the title)that one can even conceive. And Buffy (who was so wonderful on Signals Through The Glass") sounds out of practice and flat--especially on "Reason to Believe".

On the plus side, John Stewart sounds great in Don't It Make you Wanna Go Home, Coal Tattoo, Silver Wings, and Bay of Mexico--its light, bouncy, but relevant music that conjures up favorite moments from the old "hootenanny" days. And you get to hear his great frailing style banjo on "Darlin' Corey".

For those of you wanting updated nostalgia, buy John Stewart's The Trio Years--wonderful modernized re-arrangements of some great songs that he recorded not nearly so well with the Kingston Trio.