Bob Woodruff Albums (2)
What The Critics Say
With a change of record labels, Woodruff returns with a strong follow-up to his 1994 debut, Dreams and Saturday Nights. Taking a decidedly more roots rock and pop approach in the production, these songs are still more country than most of the modern stuff, and Desire Road isn't likely to alienate anyone who was grabbed by Woodruff's excellent debut. Hook-laden melodies abound, driven along with jangly 12-string guitars that still have a lot of meat to them and merge a Beatles/Byrds melodic sense with a Creedence-like earthiness. In fact, the album kicks off with Fogerty's "Almost Saturday Night," a country-rockified version that doesn't have too far to stretch. Woodruff continues with potent original songs, such as "That Was Then," a song about an aging musician who just has to keep playing, which sounds like a continuation of the character he introduced with "Hard Liquor, Cold Women, Warm Beer," the unforgettable song from his first album. "All That Love Has Worn Away" takes a delicious guitar figure à la British Invasion and sets it off against a Spanish-sung chorus with an intoxicating melody, which makes the song as wonderfully unusual as it is compelling. Throw in a couple of Arthur Alexander R&B gems (including "Everyday I Have to Cry" and "If It's Really Got to Be This Way") handled with loving care, and you have a record you'll want to visit again and again. ~ Jack Leaver, All Music Guide
'Dreams and Saturday Nights'
Release Date 3/29/1994
Tracks 11
Label Elektra/Asylum
See Album Tracklist and Review
What The Critics Say
A wonderful, but mostly overlooked debut from this talented native-New York singer and songwriter. The album's leadoff track, "Bayou Girl," garnered some airplay, but unfortunately did very little to gain Woodruff any substantial audience in country music. Woodruff's songs deal with typical country music subject matter: failed romance, broken dreams, and more. But what makes these stories and characters so believable is the yearning and a hint of vulnerability in which Woodruff emotes, both in his lyrics and vocal delivery. Whether it's a musician's dreams worn down by rejection ("Hard Liqour, Cold Women, Warm Beer") or the trapped feeling of becoming a father too soon ("Poisoned at the Well"), Woodruff's words paint unforgettable pictures of everyday longing and frustration. To convey a feeling, he's even willing to leave clever wordplay and convention at the door and simply wear his heart on his sleeve. Musically, Dreams and Saturday Nights is roots country with sharp rock & roll sensibility; the lack of contemporary-Nashville production slickness is refreshing. The legendary James Burton plays lead guitar on almost every cut and an album highlight is a duet with Emmylou Harris on the lonesome ballad "I'm the Train." ~ Jack Leaver, All Music Guide
