Chicken & Egg

by Tim O'Brien

Overview

At the nearly 20-album mark, Tim O'Brien has proven his mettle as one of the premier folk/bluegrass artists in America. He keeps cranking out new songs tested over time on the road, plays wonderfully on a variety of stringed instruments (acoustic guitar, banjo, mandolin, or bouzouki), and always has a good sense of humor. This collection of tunes recorded in Nashville should delight anyone who has come within ear's length of his music, showcasing why he's one of the best at what he does. Using a core band with bassist Mike Bub or Dennis Crouch, fellow string player Stuart Duncan (violin, cello, mandolin), and drummer John Gardner, O'Brien makes headstrong music with a light-hearted air. The funny, cautionary tale of Adam and Eve in "You Ate the Apple" sets a good tone, but then O'Brien and friends jam on classic traditional songs like "Suzanna" and Woody Guthrie's bouncy "The Sun Jumped Up" featuring veteran harmonica player Ray Bonneville. Of the songs O'Brien wrote or co-wrote, themes of domesticity, brokenhearted blues, and sinner/saint dualities creep in. The blue collar anthem "Workin'" could easily be a standard down the road. Vocally, the leader shouts and croons just a bit, but essentially produces down-home music without overt Southern or mountain inflections. Chicken & Egg is another triumph for a truly great musician, conceptually and otherwise, and is dedicated to his recently deceased father Frank A. O'Brien, Jr.

Product Details

Release Date:	07/13/2010
Label:	Howdy Skies
UPC:	0670832100522
catalogNumber:	1005
Rank:	64878

Tracks

1. You Ate the Apple
2. My Girl's Waiting For Me (River Driving)
3. Suzanna
4. Sinner
5. Gonna Try To Make Her Stay
6. The Sun Jumped Up
7. All I Want
8. Workin'
9. No Way To Stop the Flow
10. Not Afraid O' Dyin'
11. Letter In the Mail
12. Old Joe
13. Mother Mary
14. Space Between the Lines

Album Credits

Performance Credits

Tim O'Brien   Primary Artist,Acoustic Guitar,Banjo,Bouzouki,Fiddle,Mandolin,Piano,Vocals
Ray Bonneville   Harmonica
Mike Bub   Bass
Dennis Crouch   Bass
Stuart Duncan   Banjo,Fiddle,Mandolin,Bass (Vocal),Cello
John Gardner   Drums
Darrell Scott   Vocals
Joel O'Brien   Foot Percussion
Charlie Cushman   Banjo
Bryan Sutton   Acoustic Guitar,Mandolin,Electric Guitar,Baritone (Vocal)
Abigail Washburn   Vocals
Luke Reynolds   Steel Guitar
Chris Stapleton   Tenor (Vocal)
Sarah Jarosz   Vocals

Technical Credits

Woody Guthrie   Composer,Lyricist
John Hadley   Composer
Tim O'Brien   Composer,Producer
Jimmy Stewart   Composer
Dan Berggren   Composer
Hal Cannon   Composer
Martie Maguire   Composer
Jonathan Byrd   Composer
Dave Ferguson   Engineer
Luke Reynolds   Composer
Wayne Scott   Composer
Ronna Rubin   Publicity