To be right up front this is not a bluegrass review, but I’m a firm believer that good music is good music, and great music is better!
Those of us old enough, or retro enough, to journey into bluegrass accompanied by some of the classic “country-rock” bands of the 60’s may well reminisce about the sweet sounds of The Byrds or The Flying Burrito Brothers. Well, the good news is that Chris Hillman is back with ‘Bidin’ My Time’, his first studio album in ten years. The great news is that he’s brought some great tunes and some good friends along with him (David Crosby, Roger McGuinn, Tom Petty, Herb Pederson)
Bidin’ My Time opens with a shining retake of ‘Bells Of Rhymney,” a Pete Seeger song that the Byrds covered on their debut album. The song sets the bar for the rest of the album, great harmony and lush acoustics that will make you feel right at home.
“Bells of Rhymney”
On the second (and title) song of the album Chris takes a new song and manages to make it a trip down memory line… getting out of the city and meeting with old friends, and it sure sounds like those old friends are playing in the band. There’s no flash or showing off in the sound, rather they sound SO comfortable playing together.
Farther down the set list is”‘She Don’t Care About Time” that will have you tapping your toes to the jangly sound of an old Byrds tune. The album will also take you on a tour of ballads and country rock in between.
The last song is an unexpected gem, a cover of Tom Petty’s “Wildflowers.” Tom Petty produced this album, but not only does Chris make this song his own, it also shows Tom could fit right into this music scene and hang with the best of them.
While there’s no groundbreaking music here this is one album you really should add to you music selection.. you won’t be disappointed!
Rounder Records
