Sep 14
Hillman’s latest CD is his best
The Other SideChris Hillman
One of the most enjoyable shows I’ve seen recently was a Chris Hillman and Herb Pedersen show (see concert reviews). I was reminded of Hillman’s recent CD, The Other Side, maybe because they covered so much of this CD in their concert. After repeated listenings, I have to come clean; this is one of Hillman’s finest moments.There are many aspects that make this a grand CD. One facet is the fine songs. There are some covers, but most are by the great songwriting team of Chris Hillman and Steve Hill. They have written together for years and have produced some superb songs, particularly many of the Desert Rose Band hits. Check out all those fine CDs if you never have. Half of that great band is on this CD, not only Hillman and Pedersen, but also Bill Bryson on bass.
The production duties are up to Pedersen’s usual high standards. This has a much laid-back feel, a good deal like a bunch of buddies sitting on the porch, picking guitars and singing their hearts out. If you don’t like that sound, you won’t like this recording. If you embrace that sound, you’ll fall in love with this disc. Any CD that features Herb Pedersen singing harmony and playing guitar,with a little banjo thrown in automatically ups the ante.
“The CD opens with the Byrds classic, “Eight Miles High”. Instead of the soaring Rickenbacker guitar licks on the original, you’ll hear a revamped version with mandolin and dobro. …Hillman and Pedersen enhance the song and make you wonder why you’ve never heard it done like this before.”Rickey Lamb
This does not take away from the center of this CD, which is very much Chris Hillman. As many performers age, it appears many times the vocals don’t improve as they mature. Many are unable to hit those high notes they reached in their younger days. Hillman slaps that mentality in the face with first-rate vocals, some of his finest ever. His guitar and excellent mandolin playing are at the center of this sound.
The CD opens with the Byrds classic, “Eight Miles High”. Instead of the soaring Rickenbacker guitar licks on the original, you’ll hear a revamped version with mandolin and dobro. There are still the tight, imaginative harmonies. It might be sacrilegious for someone else to do this song, but with Hillman being one-fifth of that landmark group, he certainly has the credentials. This time, Hillman and Pedersen enhance the song and make you wonder why you’ve never heard it done like this before.
Next on the disc is “True Love” which is the title track to an old Desert Rose band disk. This is a nice version of that great song, quieter and more thoughtful.
Every song is very much like setting at a campfire, late into the night, and hearing lilting harmonies and beautiful, acoustic instrumentation. This is evidenced on tracks like, “Drifting” and the title track, “The Other Side”. As well as, “Heaven is my Home” and Touch Me”.
There are exceptionally strong spiritual elements throughout this disc. This is evidenced by “Heavenly Grace” and “Our Savior’s Hands”. Both of these tracks are written by Hillman/Hill and show an unbelievable spiritual depth. They are very soft, pretty and demand the listener to think of the world to come.
I have heard several versions of the Manassas’ standard throughout the years, “It Doesn’t Matter”. Hillman co-wrote this with Stephen Stills who was his band mate in Manassas in the 1970s. Firefall also did a great version of this classic song. I don’t think it has ever been done any better than on this CD.
The next song is one Hillman co-wrote with Tom Russell and Richard Sellers called “Missing You”. This is a lively song with those signature harmonies of Hillman and Pedersen. This features some nice fiddle work by Gabe Witcher and great Dobro work by Sally Van Meter.
My favorite song on the CD is an incredible remake of a traditional, “The Water is Wide”. Hillman and Pedersen did a great arrangement of this classic. This is very bare-bones production with some haunting Dobro licks. You will hear one of the most beautiful love songs ever written and those voices will certainly bring chills up and down your spine. This song will certainly bring a tear to the most hard-hearted of people and make you hug your sweetie a little tighter.
What can be said of Chris Hillman that hasn’t been said before? If you’ve never heard him, start with this CD. If you’ve never seen him live, run to one of his shows. He is a phenomenal talent that is a true visionary. It is great to see that he is still making some of the finest music of his career, as evidenced on this unbelievable disc. Will it hold up to repeat listening? I can emphatically say, “Yes”.
Hillman and Pedersen, incidentally, are scheduled to perform Wednesday, Sept. 19, at the Uncle Pen Days Festival in Bean Blossom, Ind.
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