Blue Highway Albums (9)
'Through the Window of a Train'
Release Date 1/1/2008
Tracks 12
Label Rounder
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What The Critics Say
Blue Highway have been dominating the bluegrass charts since they came on the scene in the late '90s, and Through the Window of a Train is another impressive addition to their canon. The bandmembers wrote or co-wrote every tune here and while they still hew to their traditional playing, many of the tunes will surprise purists with their liberal slant. Wayne Taylor's "Homeless Man" tells the story of a Vietnam vet who dies of exposure after a lifetime of wandering the streets in a post-traumatic daze. When they sing "In this land of plenty where so many have it all, he sleeps in an alley half a block from city hall," it brings a lump to your throat. Rob Ickes drops notes that fall like frozen teardrops from his Dobro. "Two Soldiers" is another implicitly antiwar song, the tale of the two uniformed men who show up on the porch to announce that a son or daughter is never coming home. This is the kind of tune that can easily be over-sentimental, but the vocals and instrumentation here are understated, making the song an emotional blockbuster. "Blues on Blues" could easily be a mainstream country hit, a plainspoken song about broken hearts and lost love with hot picking from Ickes on Dobro and Shawn Lane on mandolin. "Life of a Travelin' Man," "Just Another Gravel in the Road," and the title tune are typical songs of hard times, wanderlust, and lost love, elevated by the band's stellar harmonies and signature musicianship. The instrumental "The North Cove" pays homage to the Celtic roots of bluegrass. The tune ends with a double-time jig that showcases Jason Burleson's banjo, Tim Stafford's guitar, and Lane's Irish-flavored fiddling. ~ j. poet, All Music Guide
What The Critics Say
Combining crack musicianship, solid vocals, and good songs, Blue Highway gained a reputation as a premiere bluegrass supergroup in the mid-'90s at Rebel Records. Between 1995 and 1998, the band cut three albums for the label, It's a Long, Long Road, Wind to the West, and Midnight Storm. And as so often happens, the band, for one reason or the other, moved on to a new label. But as the Rebel compilation states, it all started here, and Lonesome Pine collects cuts from all three albums to create a portrait of a young bluegrass group on the make. Listening to early cuts like "In the Gravel Yard" gives the impression that members Shawn Lane, Wayne Taylor, Tim Stafford, Jason Burleson, and Rob Ickes knew what they were about from the start. Blessed with three lead singers, a distinctive dobro player, and fine harmony, songs like the lead track sound traditional without sounding old-fashioned. One oddity is that Lonesome Pine is only 44 minutes, which means there should've been room for nearly 30 more minutes of music on this disc. This takes nothing away from the 13 songs here, but the album, as excellent as it is, could've been an even more definitive collection. ~ Ronnie D. Lankford, Jr., All Music Guide
What The Critics Say
Absolute quality has been a hallmark of Blue Highway's canon, and Marbletown doesn't lower the standard one bit. Starting with the title cut (by Mark Knopfler), the album is a series of peaks, from the aching "Tears Fell On Missouri," about a woman knowing her husband has left her and their children, to "Three Finger Jack," with its stunning mandolin and banjo work from Jason Burleson. By now these guys know how to make all the pieces fit together perfectly, and they do. They are all consummate musicians -- and they're gifted writers too, well worth every accolade that's been heaped on them over the last decade. Some pieces do stand out, even amidst the high quality: "Quarter Moon," with its lovely harmonies, is a gem, while "Wild Bill" offers a delicious melody for the story of Wild Bill Hickock. Once again, Blue Highway have delivered. ~ Chris Nickson, All Music Guide
What The Critics Say
Contemporary bluegrass supergroup Blue Highway's gospel album Wondrous Love shines brightly with reverent harmonies and hard-earned precision. Expertly recorded and produced, each voice gets equal space and every instrument's strum is clean and warm, intimate and clear. Peppering their repertoire with a handful of a cappella spirituals, the band not only demonstrates their ability to harmonize like a choir, but when the music kicks back in after these vocals-only tracks it reminds the listener of Blue Highway's strong pickin' ability as well. Pure and honest, reverent and welcoming, bright and rollicking, clear and convicted, Blue Highway have continued their winning streak of terrific albums by picking a theme close to their hearts and making it available to everyone who will listen. Far beyond being just one of the best bluegrass-gospel albums of the year, Wondrous Love could easily stand on critics' lists as one of the best albums of the year. ~ Zac Johnson, All Music Guide
'Still Climbing Mountains'
Release Date 9/11/2001
Tracks 14
Label Rounder
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What The Critics Say
Consistently turning in the best contemporary bluegrass performances on record, Blue Mountain continues their streak with Still Climbing Mountains. Vocalist Tim Stafford and the exceptional dobroist Rob Ickes are well-worth every IBMA award they've won, and the songs remain as strong as any the band has recorded before. An early highlight is the blistering instrumental "Monrobro," featuring some of the fastest dobro playing on record, and the rousing harmonies of "Danville Pike." Producer Jerry Douglas may have something to do with the dobro-centricity of the album, but the band is certainly playing to their strengths, and the help they get from Alison Krauss and legendary country drummer Kenny Malone on the spiritual "Seventh Angel" only makes their best qualities stronger. In a year of many terrific bluegrass releases, Still Climbing Mountains ranks among the best of them. ~ Zac Johnson, All Music Guide
What The Critics Say
This is Blue Highway's first album for the Ceili label and it's an auspicious piece of work. The group members are all reaching the peak of their musical powers, both in terms of their instrumental prowess and their vocal skill. Factor in the strong songwriting of Shawn Lane and Tim Stafford and it all adds up to one of the most polished acts in bluegrass. The album features not only fiery instrumental work, as in "Lonesome Hearted Blues," but also a wonderful a cappella, rhythmic gospel number, "I Am Near the Gate" (written by Lane), a couple of tunes that approximate country music rather well ("Lonely Old Town" and "That Could Be You"), an evocative folklike version of Stafford's "Clay and Ottie," and the Western-flavored bluegrass sound of "I Hung My Head," a song written by Sting. Dobro player Rob Ickes is the primary IBMA award winner in this group but, as this self-titled release indicates, Blue Highway is a versatile and creative outfit. This album clearly ups the ante, but there's reason to believe that Blue Highway will achieve results at this level for some time to come. ~ Philip Van Vleck, All Music Guide
What The Critics Say
Contemporary bluegrass at its best, this album contains masterful playing, inspired singing, and memorable songwriting. Blue Highway turn in an affecting vocal and instrumental performance on guitarist Tim Stafford's haunting "The Rounder," as well as ripping through a cover of Merle Haggard's "Huntsville" and showcasing their gospel side on a soul-stirring arrangement of the traditional "God Moves in a Windstorm." Shawn Lane's lonesome tenor is pleasing, as are the harmony blends and the lead vocals of the rest of the band. Ace Dobro player Rob Ickes -- voted 1996 Dobro Player of the Year by the International Bluegrass Music Awards -- shines throughout, rounding out this band's second effort and making it more than a worthwhile choice. ~ Jack Leaver, All Music Guide
'It's a Long, Long Road'
Release Date 7/4/1995
Tracks 12
Label Blind Pig
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