Shine a Light: Field Recordings from the Great American Railroad
Recorded at train stations between Chicago and L.A.—you can actually hear passengers bustling in the background—*Shine a Light* captures Billy Bragg and Joe Henry rambling through classic railroad tunes in fine folky form. They cover ramshackle blues with a ragged take on “The Midnight Special,” while their weathered voices mingle beautifully on the lonesome Americana of “In the Pines,” creating a somber vibe. The nostalgic “Early Morning Rain” caps things off with a pensive melody that conjures sing-alongs on a porch in spring.
The Essex folk-punk troubadour and Grammy Award-winning NYC songwriter pair up to celebrate the legacy of The Great American Railway by re-interpreting twelve songs from the likes of Hank Williams, Lead Belly, The Carter Family and more.
So it's no great surprise that two accomplished part-time folkies, Billy Bragg and Joe Henry, would cook up a project like Shine a Light: Field Recordings from the Great American Railroad.
It's fitting and almost inevitable that English singer/songwriter Billy Bragg and American singer/songwriter and noted producer Joe Henry should do a record together.
Album Reviews: Billy Bragg & Joe Henry - Shine A Light: Field Recordings From The Great American Railroad
Brit-American duo cross a continent digging into folk music's railroad mythology. CD new music review by Thomas H Green.