If you like good music...
7/24/2009 10:59:14 AM
If you like good music...let's say string music with vocals and an Appalachian flair, you're in for a treat with the latest release by West Virginian Clinton Collins and The Creekboys.
My little brother Randy is a Creekboy playing acoustic and upright bass, percussion and drums and also sings backup vocals on the album.
Coon hunters will recall the band headlining the entertainment at the 2006 AKC World Hunt in Warsaw, Ind., and at the Black Gold - Gold Medal Championship in early 2007.
Junebug is the title of the CD which also features background vocals by my neice Miranda Fielder, Randy's eldest.
Here's a review from a Bluefield, West Va., newspaper:
Collins' Junebug strikes a unique chord
Bluefield Daily Telegraph/Bill Archer
Junebug, the latest CD release by Clinton Collins and The Creekboys, is a powerful compilation of stories set to song by a collection of gifted musicians whose love for the unique pathos born of the heights and depths of life in the Appalachian Mountain region shines through on every song.
Collins recorded the entire CD in his home recording studio in Mercer County, but it has a distinctive sophistication that could only come from the work of an intense artist who sets out with a sound in mind, and works to achieve that exact sound. Of course, it doesn't hurt that the Creekboys includes Randy Fielder, who supplies the drive for the CD with his work on the upright bass and percussion, as well as Dale Elswick, whose incredible guitar work on songs like, The Long Journey Home, pushes the envelope of excellence while remaining rooted in the context of each selection.
"Junebug is my attempt to continue writing about living here in the Appalachian Mountains". Collins said. “The Long Journey Home sets the tone for the enti re project. So many times we overlook the obvious beauty and riches of our lives that's around us. We lose our childlike wonder as we grow older and forget the things that matter most.”
Each song strikes a unique chord that resonates through the entire CD, with songs like Portal of Light tracing Collins autobiographical journey through life as a third generation underground coal miner, who heeds his father's advice:
“A breath of fresh air is gonna clear my head. It makes me think of
you.”
Still, in the powerful Junebug Bride, Collins examines the bittersweet theme of how sorrow, hope, sadness and joy can be entwined in a moment, with music serving as a lilting reminder of Scots-Irish roots of mountain music.
The CD has a lot of surprises including Colby Elswick's excellent claw hammer-style banjo on Junebug on a String, as well as Nicole Walters’ soulful lead vocals on Sun Is Risin and sharing the leads with Collins on Resurrection Day. Creekboys Fielder and Elswick blend well with Collins, Miranda Fielder and Jessica Elswick on several sides. While some cuts carry a heavy message, there is pure fun in When You Gotta Go.
Collins released Junebug in June, and so far, the CD is officially selling like hotcakes, he said.
People can learn more about the CD by visiting
(www.clintoncollins.com) or can order the CD at (cdbaby.com) (iTunes), according to Collins.
The Junebug CD is available for $15 including shipping:
Lost Cauz Records
Rt. 1, Box 128 C
Bluefield, WV 24701
www.clintoncollins.com
Email: Clinton@clintoncollins.com
Bookings: (304) 589-3697 or (276) 988-5701
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