Johnny Hermidas. You may never have heard of him, but on August 31, 2005, he hit a grand slam in his first major league at-bat. Who does that? Likewise, in May 2018, The Travelin’ McCourys hit a grand slam with their first album, aptly named The Travelin’ McCourys. This first album won the Grammy Award for the Best Bluegrass Album of The Year. How do you follow up such a shockingly successful start? Well, in the case of the Travelin’ McCourys, you take your time, record new songs when you are not on the road, and surprise your fans with an unannounced album release seven years later! One Chord That Rings True is that long-awaited album.
One Chord That Rings True is a line almost hidden in their third song, Passing Through. The album was produced by Ronnie McCoury (mandolin, vocals) and joined by younger brother Rob McCoury (banjo, vocals), Cody Kilby (guitar, vocals), Jason Carter (fiddle, vocals), and Alan Bartram (bass, vocals). Several singles from this album were released in the last three years, but the album was an unexpected gift!
Runaway Train: What a phenomenal choice for their opening cut. With a soulful lead vocal by Ronnie, and yes, he does sound a lot like his old man Del (and no one’s complaining)! The vocal similarity is not because Ronnie tries to mimic his dad; the vocal qualities are in his DNA, and formed by 41+ years of them singing together. But The Travelin’ McCourys are their own band. They honor the past but intentionally push into new ground, never to be the Del McCoury Band 2.0. As Ronnie once quipped, “What would be the point of that?” The instrumental work on this cut is brilliant. Jason Carter shows why he is one of the top fiddlers anywhere. Although this is likely his last album with the band, as he has just moved on to a solo career, his replacement, Christian Ward, seems to have stepped nicely into Jason’s ginormous shoes. As always, Cody Kilby brings his A game on his lead guitar solos.
This is a story of a frustrated man who thinks of himself as a runaway train – a man with an unexplainable, sabotaging pattern of pushing away the women he loves. He experiences the sorrow, hurt, and pain that his heart has tried to conceal. He begs his new love to “forget those little things” and “let them slide,” and ride with him on the runaway train, promising that their love will be stronger. This soulful pleading echoes the sentiment, but not the vibe, of James Brown’s Please, Please, Please. I guess in love, hope rings eternal.
Whole of the Moon: This is an emotive song from the Scottish Irish folk-rock band, The Waterboys, with a sweet lead vocal by Alan Bartram. He proffers,
Girl, you see things I can’t.
You know things, I don’t.
I saw the crescent;
you saw the whole of the moon.
I need you! As always, Alan lays down a rock-solid rhythm, Rob adds some tasteful up-the-neck banjo work, and Cody and Ronnie shine on their breaks while Jason deftly weaves his fiddle in and out.
Passin’ Through: This is the song that “hides” the album title. It serves up some hard truth; not depressing but honest: We are only passing through! It’s a guitar-forward tune with Ronnie on the lead vocal.
It’s a mighty world we live in,
but we are only passing through.
One thing that is certain,
one chord that rings true,
it’s a mighty world we live in,
but the truth is we are only passing through.”
Hear the long, drawn-out harmony, “Passing through . . . Passing through.” As a guy who had had seven heart surgeries, this truth resonated with me. Life on earth is short. This song was released during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic when old and young alike discovered the brevity of life, and the importance of making each moment count.
White Wheeled Limousine: This song was written by Bruce Hornsby, who recorded a bluegrass-ish album with Ricky Skaggs in 2007. It’s refreshing to hear a bluegrass vocalist whose rich, hard-traveled baritone is worthy of singing lead — friends, that voice belongs to Jason Carter! Cody Kilby, who spent 14 years with Ricky Skaggs and Kentucky Thunder, shreds on his Tony Rice-esque break (2:49-3:10) that gives way to Ronnie and Jason having a Jean-Luc Ponty moment, followed by Ronnie serving up a “mando jam” which transports the listener to a late-night jam at FloydFest or MerleFest.
Daydreamer: I love this song primarily for the instrumental breaks by each band member and the instrumental interplay. Here, Jason Carter’s fiddle shows why he is a six-time IBMA fiddle player of the year, and has three Grammys. The words of this song are the truth most road warriors live:
When I’m down and lonely,
So lonely that I don’t know what to do
She’s the one and only
The only one I come running to
When I’m blue, when I’m blue, Oh so blue
Rumor has it that this song about a strong and faithful woman back home was written to honor and appreciate their wives, and to honor Mama Jean McCoury.
Why Do I Feel Like Running? This is an up-tempo driver, with Jason serving up a hard hewn, Kentucky baritone vocal. Here, he wonders why he didn’t turn out sweet like his mama, but is a rambling, tough guy who likes to be on the run like his dad. “I keep on running!” Ronnie, an eight-time IBMA Mandolin Player of the Year, serves up a mind-bending break on his mandolin. Cody shreds his guitar lead. Rob shows why so many banjo players wonder if the man ever sweats and how he plays so effortlessly? And yet, his banjo work here is sassy
Lonely Night: Dr. Ralph used to call a song like this “lonesome.” And so, it is.
Lonely night, how are you friend,
I see you’ve come back to me again
The day you leave is outta’ sight
So come on in, welcome home, lonely night.
Another beautiful, honest lead vocal by Alan Bartram with tight harmony by Ronnie. Jason’s fiddle break here shows why he, like friends Michael Cleveland and Stuart Duncan, are the GOATS in the fiddle universe.
I Like Beer: Rob McCoury ambles up and sings lead on this honky tonk number from the pen of the late Tom T. Hall; for those who have struggled with the Devil’s juice, as I have, alcohol may not be very funny, but I would still encourage a listen. For those paying attention, there is a subtle message about hard liquor here, but it is unapologetically, a song about beer!
This may be the only happy song ever written that includes a pedal steel. I Like Beer transports you to an Oktoberfest biergarten, or perhaps to a roadside beer joint with good old boys drinking longnecks and putting quarters in the jukebox.
I like beer,
it makes me a jolly good fellow. . .
Whiskey is too rough,
champagne costs too much,
and vodka puts my mouth in gear.
While beer is an acquired taste and may be a “brawler,” The Travelin’ McCourys are neither.
