Reviews

THE OLD-TIME HERALD WINTER 2001

Tim Rogers: fiddle, vocals; Ben Keogh: Guitar, vocals; Bill Whelan: 5-string banjo
Cotton Eyed Joe / Wild Bill Jones / Buffalo Girls / Cruel Willie / Raleigh and Spencer / Happy Hollow / Tennessee Stud / Sail Away Ladies / Greasy String-Rooshin Rabbit / Been All Around The World / Rock of Ages / Grey Cat / Icy Mountain / Old Dan Tucker / Bool Weevil / Booth / Sandy Boys / Hard Times

The instrumentation throughout this album of old-time string-band music is simple and straightforward; a fiddle carries the melody above a flatpicked guitar bass line while a clawhammer banjo provides backup and counterpoint melody. Such a formula could become tiresome repeated for more than an hour over 18 selections, but these musicians keep the music fresh and enjoyable by the use of subtle changes in approach from selection to selection, i.e., a solo fiddle introduces the selection, "Icy Mountain," and lays out the theme. The banjo then enters and the two instruments restate the melody in duet until the guitar joins them and adds a melody in counterpoint. On the selection "Hard Times," the banjo opens with the melody line, which it turns over to the fiddle, which then carries the melody gently behind the vocal and in the breaks between the verses. There are a couple of selections, "Happy Hollow" in particular, which go on long enough and without enough variation to not entirely avoid being repetitious. This is a minor matter, however.

The Rough Deal Stringband's approach to performance emphasizes the music rather that the musicians - there are no flashy banjo or guitar solos on this album. Some of the songs are performed slower that usual. "Old Dan Tucker" is taken at a relaxed pace with a gentle swing. It is an approach they use to good effect. Two-thirds of the selections are vocals. The songs include familiar pieces, such as "Tennessee Stud," "Wild Bill Jones," "Cotton Eyed Joe," and "Old Dan Tucker." There are also less well-known selections. "Cruel Willie" is a song dealing with the familiar "love 'em and leave 'em" theme except that, in this case, a woman gets the upper hand rather abruptly. The singing is good - even if occasionally a little thin on the higher notes. But this is not a singer's album; this is really old-time string-band music with vocal accompaniment - not the other way around.

The recording quality is good and the balance is excellent. Every selection on this CD has a clear transparency that makes it possible to distinguish all of the instrumental and vocal lines. The lyrics come through clearly; in only a few places do any of the words get lost in the mix. The notes are brief. They list the selections, give production credits and (more or less) identify the musicians. We are told who plays fiddle, who plays banjo, who plays guitar, and who sings - but not on which selection. Since the band members always play the same instruments, you can always tell who is playing, but never who is singing.

The Rough Deal Stringband is not an American string band, but you wouldn't know it from the sound of the music. Although Tim Rogers is from the United States, this is an Irish band composed primarily of musicians who, while not born to the U.S. old-time music tradition, have come to love it and have made it theirs. They have also produced a very enjoyable CD that is a pleasure to listen to selection after selection.
A.V. Shirk