Danny Barnes opens the album with an original composition
titled “Isotope 709,” a bright, fun instrumental number. And right away the
darkness begins to lift, like the government is being gently swept aside by the
rising notes of the music. The place of this music is not a place for lies and
hatred; those just can’t exist here. You’ll know what I mean when you pop in
this disc. This tune has a delightful ending, and is followed by “Black
Diamond,” an instrumental written by Don Stover and included on Things In Life. This is one of my
favorite tracks. It makes me feel like the world is a good and happy place, and
maybe it is. It certainly is while this song is playing. There is something
friendly and warm about this track, something inviting and disarming and fun.
“Factory Girl” is the first of the album’s tracks to
feature Danny Barnes’ vocals. It’s a song written by Mick Jagger and Keith
Richards, and originally included on The Rolling Stones’ Beggars Banquet album. It totally works as a bluegrass song, with
its playful lyrics. “Waiting for a girl
and her knees are much too fat/Waiting for a girl, she wears scarves instead of
hats.” That’s followed by another of my favorites, an instrumental
rendition of “John Hardy.” I’ve heard a whole lot of versions of this song over
the years, and this one with just banjo and fiddle stands up with the best of
them. Danny Barnes also presents “Bill Cheatum” as a banjo and fiddle duet.
Danny Barnes’ rendition of “Rockwood Deer Chase” begins
with a bit of noodling, like warming up for the wild number that soon emerges.
This instrumental was written by Don Stover, and was included on Things In Life. And oh man, Danny Barnes’
work on banjo is fantastic. Can we somehow broadcast this track to the entire
nation? I feel like it could very well be the antidote to what ails the
country. That’s followed by a fun version of Eddie Shelton’s “Blue Ridge
Express.” There is such a joy to the playing, and it transfers so easily to the
listener. And for that, I am thankful. We all could use a bit of help these
days in raising our spirits. “Steel Guitar Rag” will work to that end too, with
its cool, relaxed back porch vibe. Halfway through, it goes in a different
direction. This is yet another of my favorites.
“Charlie” is the second of the album’s tracks to feature
Danny Barnes’ vocals. This playful song about a man of deficient character was
written by Danny Barnes. “He wound up
sitting in a federal can/Out in ten years and do it all again/Charlie was a
no-good man/He woke up doing the worst that he can/Charlie was a no-good man.”
The album’s final vocal track is “Get It While You Can,” also written by Danny
Barnes, and it is another of the CD’s highlights. Interestingly, on this tune
Danny plays 12-string guitar. I love the cool vocal line of this song. “I got a pickup truck on blocks/And my
landlord changed the lock/I got my hat in hand/Standing in the welfare line/You
best get it while you can.” This tune is great fun, with some excellent
playing.
“Ole Liza Jane” is not one that Don Stover wrote, but
still one that he included on Things In
Life. This fast-paced instrumental tune makes me happy. It’s followed by “Paddy
On The Turnpike,” another song that Don Stover recorded but did not write. On
the original vinyl issue of that record, it was listed as “Patty On The
Turnpike,” but on the CD it’s “Paddy On The Turnpike.” Sort of like when people
mistakenly write “St. Patty’s Day.” Speaking of which, happy St. Paddy’s Day,
everyone.
CD Track List
- Isotope 709
- Black Diamond
- Factory Girl
- John Hardy
- Rockwood Deer Chase
- Blue Ridge Express
- Steel Guitar Rag
- Charlie
- Bill Cheatum
- Eight More Miles To Louisville
- Farewell Blues
- Fireball
- Get It While You Can
- Flint Hill Special
- Ole Liza Jane
- Paddy On The Turnpike
- Foggy Mountain Special
Stove Up was released
on March 3, 2017 on Wendell Records. It was made available as a download on
November 30, 2016.
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