Album Notes

"It's hard to ignore the subtle symbolism of the backward-tracked guitars on "Bigger Stones", the opening song of Comanche Moon's fourth CD, "Old Dogs". Almost 20 years ago, the song was the opening track to the Beat Farmers' first album, "Tales of the New West", and songwriter Paul Kamanski is looking back to redefine and reclaim it and other songs as his own.

Several songs on "Old Dogs" will be familiar with Beat Farmer fans and others who have followed Kamanski's career, and it's fair to say the originals left little room for improvement, but Kamanski explains the new versions are his way of putting the older songs to rest. Yet in doing so he also breathes new life into them.

Songs he wrote in his 20s about broken dreams and growing old sound that much more poignant when he sings them in his 40s, but the real maturity has come in the band's sound, augmented with steel guitar, violin and backing vocals on several tracks.

The result may be nostalgic for Beat Farmer fans who remember the band's version of Kamanski's "Bigger Stones" and "Hollywood Hills", and fans of Comanche Moon will recognize other songs from the band's past recordings and performances, but the new arrangements and augmented sound make the 13-song CD sound fresh.

"Old Dogs", possibly the best work by on the the best songwriters from the region".

Gary Warth, North County Times