Album review: STEVE MARTIN & THE STEEP CANYON RANGERS – The Long-Awaited Album

Rounder Records/Decca [Release date 29.09.17]

Steve Martin, not content with being a comedian, actor, playwright and author, has in recent years found a new area of success with his banjo playing. He has released albums previously with the Steep Canyon Rangers and one with Edie Brickell, picking up awards and fans along the way.

The album’s title is a little pun on the fact their last album together was back in 2011, although they did back Martin and Brickell on their live album of 2014. From start to finish this is an album to savour and enjoy, plus there is a lot of banjo playing.

The rousing ‘Santa Fe’ gets things off to a flying start and then we have an early album highlight in the lead single ’Caroline’. Steve Martin said in an interview that “research has shown that there are many, many songs with the title Caroline. However, this is the only good one.” Status Quo for one may argue the toss on that one, however this song is very good featuring Steve Martin’s vocals. He’s not a great singer but has the comic timing and delivery to carry it off on this tale of love gone wrong. Same applies on ‘Strangest Christmas Yet’, that has some great lines like ‘the children have built a roaring fire, too bad it’s in the drive and with a stolen tyre’.

You don’t have to be bluegrass lover to enjoy the album, as songs like ‘Bad Night’ and ‘Canadian Girl’ are not unlike Chris Hillman or David Crosby, strong both in lyric and melodies.

The light hearted songs sit well with the more serious lyrical songs, plus there are three barnstorming instrumentals in ‘Office Supplies’ (although you could imagine Steve Martin adding some suitably witty lyrics to a tune with this title), ‘Promontory Point’ and ‘Angeline The Barista’. Each one a short, but fine example of the playing of Steve Martin and the Steep Canyon Rangers, in particular the fiddle playing of Nicky Sanders.

Listening to the musicianship on here you can see why both Steve Martin and the Steep Canyon Riders gain so many awards and praise. The long wait has been worth it and hopefully it won’t be quite so long until these two musical talents record together again. ****

Review by Jason Ritchie

Featured Artist: JOSH TAERK

Since early 2020 Josh has been entertaining us with exclusive monthly live sessions, streamed via Facebook.
In 2023 he signed a recording deal with Sony in Canada and released a new single on 15 September.

Next session: Sunday 1 December

Check out videos here: https://www.facebook.com/getreadytorockradio

David Randall presents a weekly show on Get Ready to ROCK! Radio, Sundays at 22:00 GMT, repeated on Mondays and Fridays), when he invites listeners to ‘Assume The Position’. The show signposts forthcoming gigs and tours and latest additions at getreadytorock.com. First broadcast on 3 November 2024.

UK Blues Broadcaster of the Year (2020 and 2021 Finalist) Pete Feenstra presents his weekly Rock & Blues Show on Tuesday at 19:00 GMT as part of a five hour blues rock marathon “Tuesday is Bluesday at GRTR!”. The show is repeated on Wednesdays at 22:00, Fridays at 20:00). This show was first broadcast 29 October 2024.

How to Listen Live?

Click the programming image at the top of the page (top right of page if using desktop)

Listen via Windows Media Player. Click or tap here and “open file”
Listen via other media player (eg. VLC) Click or tap here and “open file”

Get Ready to ROCK! Radio is also in iTunes under Internet Radio/Classic Rock
Listen in via the Tunein app and search for “Get Ready to ROCK!” and save as favourite.

More information and links at our radio website where you can listen again to shows via the presenter pages: getreadytorockradio.com

Power Plays w/c 11 November 2024

ARCANE MOON Hello Sun (indie)
S8NT ELEKTRIC XTC (Long Branch Records)
ARCANA KINGS Here We Go (Curtain Call Records)
KLOGR face The Unknown (Zeta Factory)
BEYOND UNBROKEN Dance With The Dead (FiXT)
REVENGIN Decadent Feeling (Wormholedeath)

Featured Albums w/c 11 November 2024

09:00-12:00 The Best of 2003-2023 (Melodic Rock)
12:00-13:00 The Best of 2003-2023 (Melodic Hard Rock)
14:00-16:00 The Best of 2003-2023 (Singer Songwriter)