Search - Flatlanders :: Hills & Valleys (Dig)

The best Flatlanders album yet

J. Jaber | Seattle, WA USA | 03/31/2009

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Like a fine wine, these guys just get better with age. Jimmie Dale Gilmore and Joe Ely have always had a real talent for putting together excellent backup bands, and this album features some of their best, as usual. The quality of the production and playing here is superb. The poetic quality of their lyrics gets better with each passing year, and the liberal use of their "either/or, both/and" phrases make it signature Flatlanders. ("It goes without saying that I must say, some things are better left unsaid" -- reminds me of a verbal yin/yang symbol--nobody else has the creativity to do this and repeatedly get away with it with such style!)



While every track is outstanding in itself, there are three which, for me, make this record such an exceptional experience. "The Way We Are" is a fantastic rocker -- if you've got the blah's or life's just feeling too hard at the moment, crank this one up to full volume and dance around the room for three minutes, you're guaranteed to feel 100% better afterwards. (While Jimmie Dale Gilmore is normally known for his heart-wrenchingly beautiful ballads, this man can rock!) And then "Free the Wind" is an exquisite hymn to the higher power and eternal truth behind it all. But then the one that finishes me off completely is "There's Never Been", the final track, sung with such power and beauty by Joe Ely. The harmonies and guitars are so subtle and moving, it'll break your heart wide open.



If this doesn't get a Grammy nomination, I'd be awfully surprised (but in what category??). The Flatlanders are in a category all their own. All Jimmie, Joe and Butch fans are in for a real treat with this one. I feel honored to be able to give it the first five star review (which, I'm sure, will be the first of many)."

The Beatles of Americana

markfromphilly | Philadelphia, PA USA | 04/16/2009

(5 out of 5 stars)

"I have every solo Flatlanders album as well as all of their previous group efforts -- more than 30 in total. In my book, there are no better writers, singers, and players around. This album is full of gems from start to finish. The first song, Homeland Refuge, is simply ingenious. It tells the story of a family forced to leave California for the Dust Bowl after their home is foreclosed by, as Joe puts it, "the so-called Security and Trust." In two years of reading about the financial crisis I have never come across anything as insightful as the use here of "so-called". The re-invocation of Woody's Dust Bowl Refugees is clear. And speaking of Woody, this album's version of Sowing on the Mountain may be the best interpretaion I have ever heard of a song by the great man. It's hard to pick a favorite on this record but if I had to, I'd go with Thank God for the Road. Butch is at the top of his game. I'm not clever enough to describe how perfectly this song is constructed and delivered; you'll just have to listen. But I could say that about every other song as well. Cry for Freedom has the timeless quality of a Biblically-inspired spiritual that sounds instantly antique. Borderless Love should be a hit around the world if there is any justice. The variety of styles is wide-ranging: blues, folk, country, reggae-waltz (!); it's all here. Jimmie's voice remains as clear as a bell, almost holy, and Joe and Butch are like reliable old friends. In terms of the quality of the writing, I'll just say that listening to the Flatlanders is like attending a writing masterclass by some of the best wordsmiths on the planet. They make you think about and look at the world much differently. Highly recommended."

This record grows on you.

Adrienne | Texas | 04/24/2009

(5 out of 5 stars)

"This record has had a strange effect on me. Usually I get fatigued from listening to any particular music too many times, but the opposite is true of Hills and Valleys. Some of the songs have a healing quality and a timelessness to them. Great music. My favorites are Borderless Love, Free The Wind, Love's Own Chains, Homeland Refugee, After The Storm, Thank God For The Road (best if heard while driving). I've heard many people say this is the Flat's best record yet. Hear them live if you get a chance."