by Robert Spalding

Created on: January 01, 2009

The best album of 2008 is one that, assuming the store you were in even had it, you most likely overlooked. "Charlie Louvin Sings Murder Ballads and Disaster Songs" is beautiful piece of American music history from an all but forgotten master. Charlie and his brother Ira performed country and spiritual music in the forties, fifties and early sixties until their breakup. Ira was killed in the mid sixties in a car accident but Charlie continued to make music to some success.

Now in his eighties Charlie Louvin managed to put out two albums this year, "Sings Murder" being the second. From the picture on the cover it is easy to imagine Charlie as your grandfather or favorite uncle. His voice, though, has a world weariness to it. Much like Johnny Cash, to whom comparisons rightfully or not will be made, Charlie Louvin is a man who lets his emotions and experience show when he sings. The pain of losing a brother and the sorrow that comes with it is clear in "My Brother's Will" a song about a freak hunting accident and the promise made to a dying brother. On "Mary of the Wild Moor" the strongest song on this very strong album Louvin sounds as if his heart is breaking both for Mary and then for her father who first turns his back on her and then, predictably, regrets doing so when he finds her dead the next day.

There are songs though where the smiling man on the cover shines through. On "Dixie Boll Weevil" Louvin joyously sings the part of the brave weevil as he tells the tale of the bug who is just looking for a home. On songs such as "Wreck of the Old 97" and "Darling Corey" his voice is vibrant and lively even though the tragic ends to these songs are not in doubt.

Aside from Louvin's vocals the two things that make this album work are the familiarity of the songs, all traditional or "old time" songs, and the production. The songs themselves all have a familiar feel to them even if the listener has not heard them before Louvin's intimate knowledge of each song gives them a familiar feel and unlike so many other "American Songbook" type retrospectives the listener need not be a music "snob" to enjoy these songs. Quite the contrary, these are everyday songs for everyday people.

The production is handled brilliantly by Mark Nevers who managed to find a perfect balance. It would be so easy to overproduce this album, Louvin's voice clearly is not that strong anymore and it would be tempting to strengthen the vocals in production but Nevers did not. It would also be tempting to drastically under produce this album to try to give it a more raw or "old time" feel but again Nevers avoids temptation to give us the perfect balance of strength and fragility. The steel guitars heard throughout the album never overpower anything else nor do the fiddles and Louvin's voice is always center stage without blotting out the music.

The production is what truly solidifies this album which would otherwise be solid but is now spectacular. Granted an all but forgotten octogenarian singing traditional folk and blue grass songs may not be for everyone but if you enjoy folk, country or even the roots of rock and roll this album is for you and is far and away the best thing I heard all year.

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