Landslide Records: 40 Years
Landslide, 2021
9/10
Listen to Landslide Records: 40 Years
I’d say that celebrating the 40 year anniversary of a record label with a double disc collection of some of the best and brightest to appear on the label is a grand idea, and Landslide Records have done just that with a diverse collection of household names as well as lesser known but equally great outfits in the area of roots, blues, jazz and many more genres.
Tinsley Ellis & The Heartfixers start the listen with the soaring, gritty and rhythmic blues of “Drivin’ Woman”, and it isn’t long until Damon Fowler treats us to the warm and rugged “Make The Best Of Your Time”, where Mike Kach’s keyboards make an indelible impression.
Further into disc 1, Sean Costello’s “Motor Head Baby” offers a raw and dynamic rocker that showcases Costello’s soulful pipes and meticulous guitar playing, while Geoff Achison delivers an atypical version of Americana on “Skeleton Kiss” that’s poetic and soothing amid the breezy melody. Dave Bartholomew exits this disc with a playful jazz tune that’s got plenty of brass and vocals to highlight the fusion of “Jazz Fest In New Orleans”.
The 2nd disc is equally great, and includes “Mr. PC”, which is a swift and detailed blues rocker from The Derek Trucks Band, as well as the eclectic rock of “Travelin’ Light” thanks to the always impressive Widespread Panic.
Further along, The Brains deliver the New Wave nods of “Dancing Under Streetlights”, and the rockabilly fun of “Little Honky Tonks”, courtesy of Steam Donkeys, is just as exciting. Deeper still, Jan Smith’s “Woman Your Guitar” displays incredible guitar playing from Smith and Jeff Vogelgesang’s precise mandolin as some folk ideas arrive in her Appalachian influenced song craft.
Few labels will ever last as long as Landslide or accumulate a roster as revered. If you’re a fan of the label, these 33 songs will remind you of all the things you love about their southern focused artists, and, for the first time listener, prepare to be exposed to handfuls of superbly created and timeless music that characterizes the spirit of the south perfectly.
Travels well with: Mary Lou Fulton- We’ll Tell Stories; Zac Harmon- Long As I Got My Guitar