Neil Carswell has shed his skin from the days of his band Copperhead like a Cobra ready to mesmerize old and new fans
alike. Good Man’s Journey is a great southern blues-rock album in the tradition of the Allman Brothers and bands that make similar music.
Carswell has that roughly hewn southern whiskey vocal style that makes all the words come across with maximum impact. I mean you can really ‘feel’ it when he sings. He has a little help from his friends too. Johnny Neel (keyboards, Allman Bros.), Barry Goudreau (guitar, Boston), Stu Kimball (guitar, Bob Dylan), and Chris Anderson (guitar, The Outlaws), lend their experience and tasteful playing to the mix. If you look at the all people involved, they have the necessary background,styles, and resumes to help Neil perfect this recording. Carswell and Anderson also combined their efforts to produce the CD.
“The Cain Preacher” kick starts the proceedings with some scorching blues-rock guitar courtesy of Goudreau, with
Carswell belting out the lyrics as if he held every word dear to his heart. It all should come across that way when you are playing deep down southern blues-rock. This release is different from Carswell’s previous work, it is more down to earth,bluesy, and richly colored with some slower grooves, although it does have its share of rockin’ moments too. What it all boils down to is this- if you love the blues and southern rock, this CD is for you.
Some of the more emotional and meaningful tracks that struck a chord in my heart were “Poor Side Of The Tracks” and “Never Been Born.” For a heavy dose of reality and a taste of the cards dealt unfairly at times in life, “Poor Side Of The Tracks” cuts right to the bone. “Never Been Born,” is a heart-wrenching track about Mom and her struggles to teach you right from wrong while you are growing up. That was one hell of closer for my ears; it got right in the crosshairs of my feelings and thoughts and hung on tight from beginning to end. It always helps when it is all backed by some incredibly good music and a vocalist that knows how to delivery the goods.
Neil Carswell is man with many talents musically, but his ability to sing a song that you will never forget is a gift from the gods that anyone with an ounce of soul and feeling could understand. Good Man’s Journey has been one of the highlights of 2006 for me. Growing up on classic rock helped me to zone in on this music and artists like this are a reminder of what it used to sound like.
Credits:
Johnny Neel: Keyboards
Barry Goudreau: Guitar
Stu Kimball: Guitar
Chris Anderson: Guitar
- Review by By Keith "MuzikMan" Hannaleck
NEWS RELEASE
2/20/08
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Neil Carswell, the driving force behind the legendary southern rock band, Copperhead, is working on his next solo project, and it will be totally fan supported. Y'all heard that right...fan supported, and that means you, the fans, will fund, contribute to, perform on, and even name Neil's next album. To launch this Neil has put together a long list of prizes for your donations that will go towards recording and production. Everything from CDs and t-shirts to actually performing on the CD itself. You can also co-write a song with Neil, or have Neil do a house concert for you and your friends. There will also be an exclusive producer’s club where people can listen to songs in the making, vote on song selection and the album artwork, and even name the album. You can see the full list of opportunities at www.neilsnextrecord.com
Here’s what people are saying about Neil Carswell and Copperhead:
Carswell has an enviable history by anyone’s standards, with collaborators and affiliations ranging from renowned producers such as Tom Dowd to legendary performers as Johnny Neel (Allman Brothers) and Barry Goudreau (Boston). Make no mistake about it, Carswell’s place in rock history is now secure thanks to the tremendous popularity of his recordings with Copperhead and solo releases".....
"Neil Carswell is a man with many talents musically, but his ability to sing a song that you will never forget is a gift from the gods that anyone with an ounce of soul and feeling could understand." - Keith "MuzikMan" Hannaleck
“Copperhead is the truest example of new-breed southern rock purity in motion, featuring Van Zant-esqu vocalisms blended with a modern-day hard rock onslaught. - All Southern Rock e-zine.
If you enjoy classic or southern rock and roll, or pop/rock artists as diverse as Joe Cocker, Sammy Hagar, Kid Rock, Rod Stewart, or Guns and Roses you'll enjoy the music of Neil Carswell. – RadioIndy
You can listen to Neil’s music at www.neilcarswell.com and watch the Copperhead “Whiskey” video on YouTube at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LpUraBetVG4&feature. Don’t forget to check out www.neilsnextrecord.com and join in on creating Neil’s Next Record. Get involved today!
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