Tags
Best albums of 2012, Blogcritics, Country Universe, David Hoffner, Dennis Brunnenmeyer, Hearth Music Blog, Independent Clauses, John McEuen, KVMR, Martha Redbone, No Depression, Peter Chianca, Popheaven Magazine, Sam Gazdziak, Songs of William Blake, Ted Gioia, The Garden of Love, Wicked Local
New York, NY — Martha Redbone’s beloved The Garden of Love – Songs of William Blake, produced by Nitty Gritty Dirt Band Founder and Grammy Award Winner John McEuen and David Hoffner has landed on many Best Recordings of 2012 lists:
As of January 7, 2013:
Blogcritics: My Ten Favorite Recordings of 2012 (No. 1)!
“Martha Redbone Roots Project – The Garden Of Love – The Songs Of William Blake. When most people refer to Americana or roots music they tend to forget about two important musical traditions. Redbone and her band created an album which blends the Native, African, and Anglo/Irish/Scot American roots of North American music with the words of poet William Blake. The result are wonderfully vivid versions of Blake’s work. With Redbone’s splendid voice leading a masterful group of musicians, you’ll not only gain a new appreciation for the poems but broaden your definition of roots music. ” Richard Marcus
Country Universe’s Top Albums of 2012
#40
The Garden of Love – Songs of William Blake
Martha Redbone Roots Project
Individual rankings: Sam – #12
The combination of a modern soul singer, an 18th-century Romantic poet and bluegrass music shouldn’t work, at least on paper. However, when there are talented people like Martha Redbone and John McEuen of the Nitty Gritty Dirt Band involved, the results can be fantastic. Redbone and collaborator Aaron Whitby drew from the works of William Blake and McEuen and a host of talented musicians helped recast the poems as bluegrass songs. The resulting songs sound more like Harlan County than Blake’s native London, and Redbone’s vocals are gorgeous throughout. For music lovers, discovering hidden gems like this album is the equivalent of finding a winning lottery ticket on the street. – Sam Gazdziak
Pete Chianca’s 22 stellar songs from 2012/Wicked Local:
““I Rose Up At The Dawn of Day” from “The Garden of Love,” Martha Redbone Roots Project. Redbone’s album sets William Blake’s poetry to rich, twangy Americana, and this gospel stomper shows just how effectively she does it.”
Ted Gioia: The 100 Best Albums of 2012 (all styles, all genres):
No. 1. Martha Redbone
The Garden Of Love: Songs Of William Blake
Americana / Britannia Fusion
Heaven Magazine (The Netherlands) Top Ten List from Pieter Wijnstekers
A List of Lists: No. 5 on Hearth Music Blog’s choices on No Depression
HEARTH MUSIC (blog)
- Rayna Gellert – Old Light
- Jenny Ritter – Bright Mainland
- Le Vent Du Nord – Tromper le Temps
- O’Brien Party of 7 – Reincarnation Songs
- Martha Redbone’s Roots Music Project – Garden of Love: The Songs of Wiliam Blake
- The New Young Fogies – Volume One
- Zoe Muth & the Lost High Rollers – Old Gold
- Black Prairie – A Tear in the Eye is a Wound in the Heart
- Eric Bibb – Deeper in the Well
- John Doyle – Shadows & Light
Top 36 Songs of the Year: independent clauses
No. 17. I Rose Up At The Dawn of the Day
On Radio Host Dennis Brunnenmeyer’s list.
And 2013 has begun with the Martha Redbone Roots Project charting at No. 5 for January on the EuroAmericana Chart.