With
A Song In My Heart
Holly Near
An excellent collection of songs about life and
love sung with Holly Near's distinctive clear and soothing voice
and passion. Anyone with a romantic streak and a liking for good
female vocalists should really enjoy this. It contains nothing to
offend conservative sensibilities. -- Anonymous Review
Brought back recent memories of seeing Holly and
John in Providence, RI. The arrangement is not overdone and the
sound is great. I played it at home for the folks at Christmas and
now have to purchase another for myself! -- Anonymous Review
![This Train Still Runs [LIVE]](../images/cover_near_h15.gif)
This
Train Still Runs [LIVE] Holly Near
What a treat! After ten years this new joint
Holly Near and Ronnie Gilbert (the former Weaver) album had been
long awaited! "This Train Still Runs" is a marvelous collection
of nineteen songs, all recorded live! The stirring title track,
composed by Janis Ian and Jess Leary, fittingly opens this diverse
celebration of Ronnie's seventieth year, and one know immediately
that one's in for a a fine hour of vocal and lyrical brilliance.
Some of the songs are just so beautifully sung
and so beautifully harmonized, such as the touching "Music In
My Mother's House" and the poignant "Home Is Where The
Heart Is", which won't fail to move the listener (and which
was earlier recorded by Holly with Mary Travers of Peter, Paul and
Mary and which was chosen by Warner Brothers as the single to
promote the trio's "Lifelines" album). The latter song
("Home Is Where the Heart Is"), "Marie", Mimi
Farina's "In The Quiet Morning" and Janis Ian's
"Through The Years" are perhaps the most moving in this
eclectic collection.
Also, as one can expect from this much-loved
duo, there are here a number of humorous and not to mention catchy
songs such as Near's "It's About Time" (it's about love)
and Gilbert's "Agitator". And, of course, Harburg and
Laine's "When I'm Not Near The Girl I Love", with its
amusing and clever lyric and Holly's and Ronnie's inimitable vocal
delivery, will doubtless succeed in bringing a warm glow and comic
smile to the listener.
The closing medley of "When The Stars Begin
To Fall", Woody Guthrie's "Pastures of Plenty" (a
firm favorite of mine ever since their 1983 rendition on
"Lifeline") and Phil Ochs' uplifting "Power And
Glory" is quite something, a suitable and subtle questioning
of patriotism and what it means, both good and bad.
Of course, if you're already a fan of Holly Near
and Ronnie Gilbert you won't need to read any reviews, but, if
you're new to them you've found something that really will
surprise and delight. -- Anonymous Review
