For many who have been closely following the world of bluegrass, Randy Barnes is known primarily as one of the consummate sidemen in the genre, having worked for numerous artists such as Lou Reid & Carolina, Rhonda Vincent & The Rage, Marty Raybon & Full Circle, and Joe Mullins & The Radio Ramblers, among others. Though he is currently a member of the band, Fast Track, Barnes’ debut self-titled solo release on Mountain Fever Records allows us to hear his capabilities out front.
The opening track, There Goes Another Piece Of My Heart, was written by the great Junior Sisk and sets the tone for what Randy is offering us with this project. Like most of the songs featured on this release, this particular selection nicely straddles the fence between traditional and contemporary sounds. Along with Barnes on guitar, bass, lead and harmony vocals, he is accompanied by his brother, Danny Barnes, on mandolin and harmony vocals, as well as Elmer Burchett on banjo and Jeff Partin on dobro.
Can’t You Hear Me Calling is the first of several familiar bluegrass standards on this project. With strong vocal work from Randy and Danny Barnes, this track also features powerful instrumentalism from Jason Barie on fiddle and Dillon Abney on banjo. Another selection recorded by this same backing cast is the Flatt & Scruggs song, I’ve Lost You. Like the aforementioned track, it is well executed.
I Ain’t Leaving by Elmer Burchett has a nice mid-tempo groove, and provides one of the best examples of Randy’s vocal ability. Along with Burchett on banjo, as well as Randy and Danny Barnes on guitar, bass, and vocals respectively, they are joined again by Partin on dobro, and Randy’s former Radio Ramblers bandmate, Chris Davis, on mandolin.
The strongest selection on this album by far is No One To Love Me Now. Written by Randy’s father, William Barnes, this has a strong traditional feel and will no doubt become a favorite for whomever listens. Randy is accompanied here by brother Danny again on mandolin and harmony vocals, Partin on dobro, Gibson Davis on banjo, and Kati Penn-Jenkins on fiddle.
Whistle Pig is an instrumental cowritten by Danny Barnes and Elmer Burchett. While Jason Barie’s fiddle particularly stands out here, there are great performances from Danny and Elmer, Jeff Partin on dobro, and Randy Barnes on rhythm guitar and bass.
Randy Barnes has shown us with his debut solo album his capabilities that go beyond his vocals and instrumentalism. Each of the twelve selections here contains extremely solid supporting casts, showing Randy’s ability to assemble the right combinations of players in order to make his performance even greater, which is a culmination from years of being surrounded by top rate musicians.
As his former boss Lou Reid succinctly put it, “It’s about time Randy Barnes comes to the forefront.”
That’s a comment in which I believe we can all agree.
