Drive Time for Doyle

We’ve tossed some good-natured barbs at Doyle Lawson of late since his decision to bring former Quicksilver bass player Carl White back on drums. Despite some of the grief we took, our intention was never to berate Doyle, but merely to poke some fun at the irony of seeing one of the fiercest defenders of traditional bluegrass and Gospel music raveling with a drummer.

Well now he’s done it again – adopting a more modern marketing concept for his new CD! Instead a full album-length release, Drive Time (available today – 3/29) is a 7-song EP. It includes a number of new songs, a new cross-tuned Doyle Lawson mandolin instrumental, and covers of a couple of familiar numbers.

One is the Paul Simon song, Gone At Last, which gets a rip-roarin’ treatment that caught the approving ear of the composer.

“Doyle Lawson & Quicksilver have done one of the best covers I have ever heard of a song of mine. It’s definitely the fastest.”

Gone At Last: [http://traffic.libsyn.com/thegrasscast/gone_at_last.mp3]

Doyle and the boys tracked with Simon for his upcoming album, So Beautiful or So What, due April 12. They sang with Paul on the song, Dazzling Blue, which is sampled on Simon’s site.

They also ably cover Dan Seals’ Love On Arrival, which is being released to radio as a single.

Love On Arrival: [http://traffic.libsyn.com/thegrasscast/love_on_arrival.mp3]

You can hear audio samples for all 7 tracks, and purchase either a audio CD or digital download of Drive Time from Doyle’s web site, Crossroads Music or iTunes.

Here’s video of the boys on Country Store, another song from the new album. They were performing at the Children’s Hospital in Birmingham, AL as part of Doyle’s ongoing Children’s Hospital and Arena Tour.

 

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About the Author

John Lawless

John had served as primary author and editor for The Bluegrass Blog from its launch in 2006 until being folded into Bluegrass Today in September of 2011. He continues in that capacity here, managing a strong team of columnists and correspondents.