Rules of Travel
Rules of Travel
Rosanne Cash Photos More from Rosanne Cash
10 Song Demo
Black Cadillac
The Very Best of Rosanne Cash It’s oddly coincidental that Rosanne Cash’s first No. 1 country hit was “Seven Year Ache.” As it turns out, it’s been seven long years since her previous album, 1996′s 10 Song Demo, and though she’d written an album’s worth of songs after that, her voice suddenly gave out due to a polyp on her vocal chords. Thanks to voice therapy, Cash was able to resume singing and recording, and the result is the hauntingly beautiful Rules of Travel. Tastefully produced by husband John Leventhal and featuring guest appearances by Sheryl Crow, Steve Earle, Teddy Thompson, and Johnny Cash, the album is
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Her best CD–and the best so far in 2003,
This long-awaited CD makes the delay almost seem worth it. Every song is a keeper, and some will break your heart.
The opening song, Beautiful Pain, written by Craig Northey, features a beautiful, upbeat tune and backup vocals by Sheryl Crow. 44 Stories evokes the wonder of getting to know someone, with deep lyrics.
I’ll Change for You, with help from Steve Earle, is one of the most lyrically creative songs you’ll hear all year, all about obsession.
It’s on the next three tracks that this album becomes a classic. Rules of Travel, the title cut, might just be the loveliest song Rosanne has ever performed. The music builds to a tremendous hook, supporting some clever lyrics. Unique instumentation supports the catchy music. A masterpiece.
September When It Comes is the emotional center of this album. It’s a tune about mortality, and when Rosanne’s father, Johnny Cash, sings his verses, you will feel chills. Another classic.
Hope Against Hope, written by Jakob Dylan and Joe Henry, rocks smoothly, bolstered by layered instruments and a catchy chorus.
The next two tunes, Will You Remember Me and Three Steps Down, aim for more introspection and depth. The latter features the vocals of Teddy Thompson, son of Richard and Linda Thompson.
Closer Than I Appear would have fit very comfortably on Rosanne’s Rhythm and Romance or King’s Record Shop albums. It’s very much a throwback to those days when she produced unique country music, and it’s great to hear Rosanne in that mode again.
Speaking of throwbacks, Western Wall is almost a carbon copy of the version that appeared on Ten Song Demo. The song deserves to be heard again, and it fits well with this album.
Finally, Last Stop Before Home, written for (but unrecorded by) Linda Ronstadt, ends the album in a mellow groove accompanied by some haunting lyrics.
John Leventhal’s production is stunning, as usual, with surprising elements layered with more traditional elements. And Rosanne’s lyrical depth, honesty and self-examination are as strong as ever.
One wishes there was some forum where these songs could become the big popular hits they deserve to be, but in the interim, pick up a copy. It’s the best album of this year, and ranks with Rosanne’s classics.
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|Rosanne Cash’s Amazing Journey,
I had kind of forgotten what a unique voice Rosanne Cash has been over the years until I saw her play a brief live set on our local cable channel in Philadelphia. As soon as I heard her sing the wonderful title song and the poignant “Last Stop Before Home,” I knew I had to find this CD. I’m glad I’ve rediscovered her emotive, husky voice again, especially having heard the backstory about her near seven year fight to regain her voice after polyps were discovered on her vocal cords.
“The Rules Of Travel” is easily Rosanne’s best album since the dark “Interiors,” the chronicle of her breakup with then husband Rodney Crowell. Eleven ruminations on the pain of love and loss, her voice conveys the deep-hued melancholy that first struck me with its honesty back when “Blue Moon With Heartache” made me a fan. Producer and new husband John Leventhal frames each song with great care, making the guest appearances sound like more than random duets. Steve Earle adds his gritty tone to “I’ll Change For You,” underscoring that song’s ultimate falsity. As much as the change is wished for, there’s no way it’s ever going to come. Teddy Thompson (son of folk legend Richard Thompson) has picked up the same kind of wanderer’s eloquence his father has mastered over the years for “Three Steps Down.” (Which, by the way, is one of three songs Rosanne did not have a hand in wirting, but was cowritten by Marc Cohn of “Walking in Memphis” fame. Jakob Dylan of the Wallflowers and Joe Henry also contribute good work.)
But the best of the lot has to be “September When It Comes,” a duet with Rosanne’s father Johnny. It certainly becomes hard to remain separated from the song when the elder Cash sings “They will fly me like an angel to a place I can rest.” It’s an amazing moment on a great album. Maybe Rosanne won’t break back into the spotlight with “The Rules Of Travel,” but if you’re reading this, you can certainly do your part by getting yourself a copy.
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|Beautiful Pain,
This is Rosanne Cash’s first album since 1996′s TEN SONG DEMO. She suffered fractured vocals and had to undergo surgery. Here she returns, with RULES OF TRAVEL. Cash wrote 9 of the 11 songs. There are many musical guests such as Sheryl Crow, Teddy Thompson, Johnny Cash and Steve Earle. They all work well with Cash.
The album opens with “Beautiful Pain”, with Sheryl Crow. The song is short and sweet. A true standout is the duet with her father Johnny Cash on “September When It Comes”. It’s simply beautiful and breathtaking, and touching to hear father and daughter sing together. “Western Wall” is a nice stripped back acoustic song that was also on her TEN SONG DEMO album.
The album still features the introspection that fans and admirers have come to expect from Cash’s songwriting, which is comparitively just as great as the two tracks she did not write (Beautiful Pain and Hope Against Hope, which was written by Jakob Dylan from The Wallflowers).
The title track boasts a wonderful chorus, an extremely well written song. “I’ll Change For You” is another great track, a song featuring Steve Earle. Other highlights include “Hope Against Hope”, “44 Stories”, “Last Stop Before Home” and “Will You Remember Me”.
A nice, mature album. I sure wasn’t disapointed. One of the better albums to come out so far this year.
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