Chicken & Egg

by Tim O'Brien

Overview

At the nearly 20-album mark, Tim O'Brien has proven his mettle as one of the premier folk/bluegrass artists in America. He keeps cranking out new songs tested over time on the road, plays wonderfully on a variety of stringed instruments (acoustic guitar, banjo, mandolin, or bouzouki), and always has a good sense of humor. This collection of tunes recorded in Nashville should delight anyone who has come within ear's length of his music, showcasing why he's one of the best at what he does. Using a core band with bassist Mike Bub or Dennis Crouch, fellow string player Stuart Duncan (violin, cello, mandolin), and drummer John Gardner, O'Brien makes headstrong music with a light-hearted air. The funny, cautionary tale of Adam and Eve in "You Ate the Apple" sets a good tone, but then O'Brien and friends jam on classic traditional songs like "Suzanna" and Woody Guthrie's bouncy "The Sun Jumped Up" featuring veteran harmonica player Ray Bonneville. Of the songs O'Brien wrote or co-wrote, themes of domesticity, brokenhearted blues, and sinner/saint dualities creep in. The blue collar anthem "Workin'" could easily be a standard down the road. Vocally, the leader shouts and croons just a bit, but essentially produces down-home music without overt Southern or mountain inflections. Chicken & Egg is another triumph for a truly great musician, conceptually and otherwise, and is dedicated to his recently deceased father Frank A. O'Brien, Jr. ~ Michael G. Nastos

Product Details

Release Date:	07/13/2010
Label:	HOWDY SKIES
UPC:	0670832100522

Tracks

1. You Ate the Apple
2. My Girl's Waiting for Me (River Driving)
3. Suzanna
4. Sinner
5. Gonna Try to Make Her Stay
6. The Sun Jumped Up
7. All I Want
8. Workin'
9. No Way to Stop the Flow
10. Not Afraid o' Dyin'
11. Letter in the Mail
12. Old Joe
13. Mother Mary
14. Space Between the Lines

Album Credits

Performance Credits

Tim O'Brien   Primary Artist,Mandolin,Banjo,Piano,Fiddle,Guitar,Vocals,Bouzouki,Guitar (Acoustic)
Dennis Crouch   Bass
Joel O'Brien   Foot Percussion
Luke Reynolds   Guitar (Steel)
John Gardner   Drums
Ray Bonneville   Harmonica
Mike Bub   Bass
Darrell Scott   Vocals
Sarah Jarosz   Vocals
Abigail Washburn   Vocals
Charlie Cushman   Banjo
Stuart Duncan   Banjo,Cello,Fiddle,Mandolin,Bass (Vocal)
Bryan Sutton   Guitar,Mandolin,Baritone (Vocal),Guitar (Acoustic),Guitar (Electric)
Chris Stapleton   Tenor (Vocal)

Technical Credits

Ronna Rubin   Publicity
Jackson O'Brien   Assistant Engineer,Mixing Assistant
Sue Meyer   Design
Dave Ferguson   Engineer,Mixing
Jimmy Stewart   Composer
Joel O'Brien   Mixing Assistant,Assistant Engineer
John Hadley   Composer
Luke Reynolds   Composer
Martie Maguire   Composer
Woody Guthrie   Composer,Lyricist
Jonathan Byrd   Composer
Tim O'Brien   Composer,Producer
Wayne Scott   Composer
Dan Berggren   Composer
David K. Shipley   Mastering
Michael Wilson   Photography
Hal Cannon   Composer