Chris Hillman Albums (10)
What The Critics Say
Despite his long standing as one of the pioneering figures in country-rock thanks to his work with the Byrds, the Flying Burrito Brothers, and Manassas, Chris Hillman's recordings from the 1990s have made it clear that what he loves best is kicking back with a fine bluegrass band (usually featuring his buddy Herb Pedersen) and picking his guitar or mandolin on a stack of songs in the classic manner. That's certainly the formula on The Other Side, which Hillman described as an album of "songs to soothe and uplift the soul," and while it's hard to say where the opening acoustic cover of "Eight Miles High" fits into this template, most of the tunes are new Chris Hillman/Steve Hill compositions that in a gentle but straightforward manner deal with matters of faith. Hillman's take on bluegrass-gospel speaks of the fact this is a genre he's long been comfortable with, and there's a graceful give and take between the casual and the passionate on these sessions, in which the players take their picking and their message very seriously while staying in a comfortable, easygoing groove throughout. The Other Side is a quietly joyous collection of bluegrass-gospel tunes with occasional detours into matters of the heart, and if neither Hillman nor his bandmates work up much a hard sweat on these recordings, that's not to say they're not giving their all in their own low-key way, and this is truly back porch music at its most inspiring. ~ Mark Deming, All Music Guide
What The Critics Say
Here's the perfect antidote for country fans who mourn the loss of old-school flavors in lieu of the modern polished pop crossover approach. First the pedigrees for those who know the names but can't place them: Hillman is one of the great innovators of California country-rock, with legendary associations including the Byrds, the Flying Burrito Brothers, Manassas, and other post-Byrds and Burrito lineups featuring former members. Pedersons crystal-clear tenor has graced the work of artists like Vince Gill, Johnny Rivers, and Linda Ronstadt, along with his bands the Dillards and the Laurel Canyon Ramblers. These two met as members of the Desert Rose Band and, all these years later, still apparently love folk, bluegrass, and old country -- styles which make up the bulk of the influences on this easy-going-down project. There are lots of crisp, twangy guitars and a colorful 17-track run featuring familiar themes like love, heartache, and living life the hard way. "Backporch Boy" is an instrumental bluegrass prelude, followed up by traditional honky tonk flavors on the she-done-me-wrong song "There You Go" and "Problems" (the perfect cross of country instrumentation and Everly Brothers harmonies). Other highlights are the lament "Invitation to the Blues" and "Better Man Than That," which sounds like one of those classic, Eagles-flavored early-'70s Southern California classics. There are also gospel elements here and there on pieces like "The Old Cross Roads." Affiliated with Narada and Virgin, Back Porch Records is billed as a roots rock and Americana label, and this disc offers a throwback to various classic styles that are all at once comfortable and challenging. ~ Jonathan Widran, All Music Guide
What The Critics Say
This is a solid album of new and old songs by one of the founding fathers of country rock. Chris Hillman has a wonderful voice, great pop instincts, and a finely developed talent for splicing together country, bluegrass, and four-chord rock & roll. A highlight is a cover of the Searchers' "When You Walk in the Room" -- two minutes of pure jingle-jangle pop perfection. Although "Like a Hurricane" (the title track is a Hillman original, not the Neil Young song) seldom reaches the heights of "Bakersfield Bound," Hillman and Herb Pedersen's outstanding 1996 tribute to hard California country, this former Byrd and Flying Burrito Brother can still teach the young country crowd a thing or two. ~ Joel Roberts, All Music Guide
'Bakersfield Bound'
Release Date 5/21/1996
Tracks 13
Label Sugar Hill
See Album Tracklist and Review
What The Critics Say
Between more commercial projects, Chris Hillman has a tendency to revert to more traditional sounds. A couple of years after the demise of the Desert Rose Band, he reconstituted its primary members -- himself, Herb Pedersen, and Jay Dee Maness, along with some studio players -- for this genre exercise that finds him and Pedersen making like the Wilburn Brothers, the Louvin Brothers, the Everly Brothers, and Buck Owens with Don Rich, among other country vocal teams, and cutting material by and/or associated with Boudleaux and Felice Bryant, Merle Haggard, Hank Williams, and Skeeter Davis. The duo is steeped in this material, and they perform it with authority and conviction. Having refreshed themselves by returning to their roots, it will be interesting to see what they do next. ~ William Ruhlmann, All Music Guide
What The Critics Say
Chris Hillman was never the songwriter of the caliber of Gene Clark, Gram Parsons, or Stephen Stills, his bandmates back in the heady days of folk-rock and early country-rock, so it's not surprising to see him mine the treasures of traditional Nashville once he broke free as a solo artist. Desert Rose is his second album for the Sugar Hill label, and it features largely the same crack backup musicians as on Morning Sky, as well as a lineup of breezy country tunes by the likes of Jimmie Rodgers, and Acuff-Rose publishing. Hillman again plays mandolin, and the use of banjo and fiddle on this record further add to a bluegrass feel. The title track, a Hillman original, would later be used as a name for his band, and you can sense Hillman's contentment at leaving his rock baggage behind. This is a pleasant, understated affair, great music to unwind to while sipping cold lemonade on a hot summer day. ~ Peter Kurtz, All Music Guide
What The Critics Say
A back-to-the-roots album (of sorts), Hillman has given up the bass in favor of the mandolin and acoustic guitar for this mostly acoustic album of other people's tunes. The band is made up of people with whom Hillman has worked over the years and it's obvious they are comfortable together. Listening to this album is almost like eavesdropping on a group of friends making music in their living room. ~ Jim Worbois, All Music Guide
What The Critics Say
This is not one of those records that transcends the period in which it was made. It could easily be confused with Fools Gold, Firefall, or any one of a number of bands from the late '70s. ~ Jim Worbois, All Music Guide
What The Critics Say
Having recently departed Souther, Hillman, & Furay, this album more heavily reflects his association with Manassa than anything he did with SH&F. A nice batch of songs overall but the high point for me is the killer version of the bluegrass standard "Take Me in Your Lifeboat" that closes the album. ~ Jim Worbois, All Music Guide
What The Critics Say
The Hillmen, who started out as the Golden State Boys, were part of the emerging West Coast bluegrass scene during the early '60s, although this release seems to be their only recording together. Featuring Chris Hillman on mandolin, Vern Gosdin on guitar and lead vocals, along with bassist Rex Gosdin and banjo player Don Parmley providing harmony, the Hillmen cover a wide range of material in these studio sessions, covering traditional tunes, standards from bluegrass and folk, as well as original works. Most of the arrangements are brief and to the point, but there's plenty of phenomenal picking for bluegrass fans. The group's exciting miniature "Blue Grass Chopper" is their best instrumental showcase, while it's hard to beat the strong vocals in the traditional favorite "Barbara Allen." The group broke up around the time that Hillman left to join the fledgling rock group the Byrds in 1964. Issued originally on the long since defunct Together label, it was finally reissued on CD (adding a previously unissued track) by Sugar Hill in 1995. ~ Ken Dryden, All Music Guide
What The Critics Say
This is one of the more obscure recordings in the vast discography of Chris Hillman. The group the mandolinist nominally leads, with fellow Flying Burrito Brothers alumni Bernie Leadon (on acoustic guitar) and Al Perkins (on Dobro), plus fiddler David Mansfield and bassist Jerry Scheff, focuses on inspirational and gospel tunes from several eras, all in a quasi-bluegrass setting. The tight four-part vocal harmonies, with either Hillman's tenor or Leadon's high tenor leading the way (Perkins is the lead singer for Don Reno's "I'm Using the Bible for My Road Map") are complemented by the band's understated playing. Hillman proves himself to be a more effective lead vocalist than Leadon, shining especially in Lester Flatt and Earl Scruggs' "God Loves His Children" and Bill Gaither's "It's Beginning to Rain." The date wraps with a lively bluegrass instrumental of Leon McHuliffe's "Panhandle Rag," finally giving the musicians a chance to stretch out as instrumentalists. It is likely that many fans of Chris Hillman never saw this A&M LP during the brief time it was available during the 1980s, since it wasn't filed in stores with his other recordings under rock or country. Yet his love for this genre, already hinted at in several of his more mainstream albums, is sincere throughout this hard-to-find record. ~ Ken Dryden, All Music Guide
