ANDREW MCKNIGHT: Turning Pages

Andrew McKnight

Turning Pages

© 2001 Falling Mountain Music (783707365626)

CD IN STOCK. ORDER NOW. Will ship immediately.

(About MP3 downloads at CD Baby)

The singer/songwriter's 3rd CD is a powerful original collection of stories, reflections and letters, and blends folk music foundation with blues, Appalachian and country rock sounds.

notes

Where contemporary singer/songwriter Andrew McKnight’s first two albums focused largely on the stories of rural characters and their relationship to the land, his third effort turns his considerable vision towards the landscape of the soul. Among this collection of stories, reflections and letters can be found some of his most stunning songwriting gems; imagining the “Diary” of Thomas Jefferson and his longtime slave mistress Sally Hemings (a duet with Mary Byrd Brown), the humorous and bluesy ode to Hoagy Carmichael (“Bad News”), the simple driving clarity of “Winter”, the haunting diary of a Virginia farm boy on “The Road to Appomattox”, and a provocative hard-edged collaboration with renowned urban folk poet Chris Chandler on “Jesus and the Nighttime Train”.

“Gorgeously stark string work, feel-good melodies and a healthy dose of the past make Andrew McKnight’s music a disarming delight... McKnight’s vocals have a lovely tenor-range timbre well-suited for his brand of acoustic country flavored folk/pop. His is a voice that evokes a reflective, pensive and insightful sense of Americana.” (Joey DiGuglielmo, The Journal)

“refreshing delivery and writing style...Talent, enthusiasm and real content make this a welcome album in a time when so many people out there seem to be mostly fluff and packaging. I especially liked the somber Civil War ballad, “The Road to Appomattox” for its powerful yet agile lyrics, traditional sound, and intense passion.” (Marilyn O'Malley, Victory Review)

“ “Diary,” McKnight’s duet with Mary Byrd Brown, is an outstanding song about Thomas Jefferson’s affair with Sally Hemmings. It’s a moving song that brings the characters, especially Jefferson, to life...”Jesus and the Nighttime Train” is another interesting song, this time about the lack of faith that drives us to war.” (Rebecca Swain, Green Man Review)

reviews

Please log in to review this album.

  • Turning Pages
    author: Ralph Wileczek

    Poignant and moving performed flawlessly by one of the most amazing voices to grace this planet. The stories are gripping and compel me to play this CD over and over again… I will never grow tired of this elixir for my soul. Give it a listen you will thank me for it.

  • works a wealth of acoustic variety into the contemporary folk mix
    author: Richmond Times-Dispatch (review by Bill Craig)

    On this third CD, Virginia-based singer-songwriter Andrew McKnight shifts his attention, in his own words, "away from rural characters and their relationship to the land and towards the landscape of the heart and soul." In addition to some very, very pleasant middle-of-the-road folk-pop tunes ("Western Skies," "Stardust," "When I Grow Up"), McKnight works a wealth of acoustic variety into the contemporary folk mix with the bluegrassy "Nothin' But A Man," the quasi-funky "Riley's Life" and "Bad News," a bluesy tribute to Hoagy Carmichael. The best of the not-ready-for-coffehouse cuts is "Jesus and the Nighttime Train," a dark but hopeful faith statement. But in sound and in lyric, McKnight finds the comfort zone with the effective melodies and sharp writing of his ballads. Both "Turning Pages" and "22" effectively re-create the rewards and pains of past relationships. And while it may be more historical fiction than historical fact, the Sally Hemings-inspired "Diary" is a pretty gripping five minutes of music.

  • a very enjoyable album
    author: Rambles (review by Nicky Rossiter)

    Andrew McKnight is described as a poet, geographer, historian and naturalist, and the tracks on Turning Pages bear out those claims. From such a polymath we are presented with a varied and wide-ranging selection of tunes. These range from memories of another performer in "Stardust" to a tribute to Hoagy Carmichael in "Bad News." A personal favourite of mine is "Diary," on which he duets with Mary Byrd Brown. It features Thomas Jefferson speaking to Sally Hemmings and brings history to life in haunting manner. "Company Town" is one of the staples of such an album, presenting the old tale of the mining industry and its effect on a community. McKnight brings a good performance to the song. History is again evident on the Civil War epoch offering titled "The Road to Appomattox," this time with a folk tempo. "Jesus and the Nighttime Train" ends with the enigmatic line "whatever comes easy ain't worth the sacrifice," which sums up this lovely song about finding faith in a world dominated by media reports on hopeless events. There is a track here called "When I Grow Up" and it takes our hopes for growing up that extra step into the future. One expects a tale of the job one wants to do but here McKnight moves it on to enjoying life after the career when he can "retire to the back road, live closer to the land." The title track, "Turning Pages," appears to be a letter to a partner in a short-lived romance. It has some poetic turns of phrase that lift it to a high level. As with many of the songs, I may be giving a wrong interpretation but that's how I hear it. Turning Pages is a very enjoyable album, but not everyone will enjoy all the tracks because he uses a variety of styles. I am sure you will like more than you dislike. (Well done also on not only providing the lyrics but also a very important paragraph of explanation.)

  • Talent, enthusiasm and real content make this a welcome album
    author: Victory Review (review by Marilyn O'Malley)

    Environmental engineer turned songwriter, guitarist and vocalist, McKnight has a refreshing delivery and writing style. Talent, enthusiasm and real content make this a welcome album in a time when so many people out there seem to be mostly fluff and packaging. His subject matter ranges from history and nature to America and the trials of being human. Keith Dill appears here and there with some winsome fiddle and mandolin. Ralph Gordon brings that mellow cello into "Diary" and plays bass on many other tracks. Other musicians include: Robbie Magruder on drums; Jeff Arey on banjo and mandolin; Don Porterfield on fretless bass; harmony singers Terri Allard, Mary Byrd Brown and John Rickard; the spoken word of Chris Chandler and the percussion of Marco Delmar. This album is put together well, with a few surprises like the "bluesy ode to telephone anxiety" in "Bad News," and the rocking drive of "Jesus and the Nighttime Train," amid a repertoire that is mostly folky with a strong Appalachian influence. I especially liked the somber Civil War ballad, "The Road to Appomattox" for its powerful yet agile lyrics, traditional sound, and intense passion.

email

Please log in to email this artist.