It’s always interesting to listening to any Tribute CD—either for entertainment or curiosity especially a semi known group as Brother Cane.  Although they had their fans, they were by no means one of the biggest bands of their day—but this has no bearing on their notable contributions to rock music.  The artists on this Tribute CD all bring their own original interpretations to the mix.  As far as my favorites, Catch 22’s “Hung On A Rope,” The Pozers’ “Machete,” and Black Label’s “Hard Act to Follow” are the three stand outs as far as originality while staying true to the original vibe that made us like Brother Cane.  In my opinion these 3 artists take the songs to a new level by not sacrificing the original intent.  If you are an Alice in Chains fan then Leaderdog’s “And Fools Shine On” and HalfDown Thomas’ “Kerosene” deliver the goods.  The only song that is by far out of place is Rollin’ in the Hay’s bluegrass version of “Got No Shame.”  This one starts off the CD and really should be buried at the end or not on there at all.
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To most Birmingham music fans (and to many around the world), Brother Cane is a sacred institution. Though they only had 3 albums and a handful of major radio hits during their brief career, this 90's Southern rock/metal band won the hearts of the working class masses. Led by charismatic front man Damon Johnson, Brother Cane's original lineup also included Roman Glick, Scott Collier, and Glenn Maxey (with David Anderson replacing Maxey on the second and third albums). Competing in a genre with bands such as Tesla, the Black Crowes, and the Screamin Cheetah Wheelies, Brother Cane stood out of the crowd due to their catchy songwriting and hard-driving sonic assaults. Damon Johnson's lyrics were also unique, as they often eschewed rock clichés in favor of philosophical and spiritual concerns. In honor of this fantastic band, 18 local, regional, and national artists have combined forces for the Brother Cane tribute album. The first six tracks are off Brother Cane's most well-known album, their 1993 self-titled debut disc. The next five tracks are plucked from their second album, "Seeds". The final seven songs are from the band's swansong album, 1998's "Wishpool".
       
  The disc kicks off with local act Rollin In The Hay's bluegrass version of Brother Cane's biggest hit, "Got No Shame". Unfortunately, this sounds very weird and hokey, plus the really low, deep vocals are hard to take. Next is "Hard Act To Follow" by amazing local
act Black Label. This is a faithful rendition with solid guitar work and soulful vocals (which sound a lot like Tesla). The third track is King Virtue's synth-pop take on "Woman". Though decent, this seems like a poor choice of bands to cover a Southern rock
song. The fourth track is "The Road", powerfully rendered by local hard-rockers Loaded Dice. With a vocalist reminiscent of Collective Soul's Ed Roland, RAIN satisfies with their version of "That Don't Satisfy Me". "Stone's Throw Away" is one of Brother Cane's heaviest songs, and Lonesome Moe serves up a tasty version, complete with some meaty guitar solos.

  Female-fronted Catch 22 offers a limp 80's metal/punk attempt at "Hung On A Rope". Next is local metal band Leaderdog's heavier-than-thou version of "And Fools
Shine On", a nifty cover which can also be found on the band's album "Speak". Another local alt rock act, HalfDown Thomas, sets this album ablaze with their inspired edition of "Kerosene". Brooklyn Shea sounds like Belly with their female alt-rock take on
"Breadmaker". However, the highlight of this entire disc is Mike Farris (former Screamin Cheetah Wheelies frontman) doing an acoustic take on "The Voice Of Eujena". Man, can Farris sing! In fact, this version sounds better than the original.

   The title track from "Wishpool" gets an 80's alternative treatment from David Aaron, with guitars ringing like U2 and vocals reminiscent of the Psychedelic Furs. Sweatin Booze's delivery of the poppy "Where Was I To Know" is another highlight, this
being a personal favorite of mine from the Brother Cane catalogue. "Mirror Ball", as done by the group XIII, is close to the original and one of Brother Cane's slower songs. The Pozers do a good job with "Machete", which sounds similar to Core-era Stone
Temple Pilots. Regional/national act Southern Rock All-Stars skillfully handle the hit "I Lie In The Bed I Make", with the unique vocals giving it a slightly different feel. Female-led alternative band Eden Automatic provide another highlight with their version
of "The Truth". With Concrete Blonde-like vocals, Eden Automatic takes this song and makes it their own. Finally, while Saylor Anderson's rendition of "Lead My
Follow" is interesting, it does not appear to improve on the original. Also, at the very end is a promo ad by Damon Johnson for RADD (Recording Artists Against Drunk Driving), a worthy cause.

   There are a few misses on this tribute album, but overall it hits the mark. Fans of Brother Cane or any of the bands featured on this album can pick up a copy from www.rocktraxrecords.com. It's good to see these classic songs given such classy treatment, and with news of a recent one-night reunion show, perhaps this
is not the end of the road for Brother Cane...
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Being an original rock band from Birmingham, AL is a difficult task to overcome. Many great musicians try their hand, but always seem to fold in the end. Brother Cane is the one band that I can remember overcoming that task full force, emerging with three #1 hit songs with “Got No Shame,” “And Fools Shine On,” and “I Lie In The Bed I Make.” The band also continued an assault of top ten songs that along with relentless touring, kept the band building momentum throughout their illustrious 6 year career. This album is a tribute to that band that overcame all obstacles and inspired numerous bands to never give up. 

The tribute starts with the renegades of bluegrass putting their unique twist on Brother Cane’s first hit single “Got No Shame.” The twang of bluegrass is not for everyone as my wife pointed out to me while reviewing this, but being that I have enjoyed this bands twist on Kiss and AC/DC, I find myself humored by their abstract flavor. Other unusual takes include King Virtue’s psychedelic cover of “Woman,” Brooklyn Shea’s alternative industrial rock flavored cover of “Breadmaker,” and David Aaron’s disturbing take on “Wishpool.” 

But fear not Cane fans, there are some artists that have decided to go the traditional route with their take on their favorites. Black Label (“Hard Act To Follow”), Loaded Dice (“The Road”), Halfdown Thomas (“Kerosene”), Mike Farris (“Voice Of Eujena”), and The Pozers (“Machete”) all offer memorable but direct versions. But my favorite tracks seem to mix original style with the artist adding their own unique flare. Catch 22’s cover of “Hung On A Rope” brings a Joan Jett like perspective without taking away from the original formula, and takes the lead as my favorite take. Leaderdog also take notice by getting the most amazing guitar sound on the hit Brother Cane song “And Fools Shine On.” There are so many great bands giving their respect on this album that I could go on and on about the amazing work done to make this tribute so fitting, but the only way to experience these masterpieces is to grab yourself a copy from http://www.rocktraxrecords.com/projects.htm and let it lead you to your own conclusion. But be sure to also check out any and all of the releases from Brother Cane. 

Written by: Tommy Black
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E chi se lo sarebbe mai aspettato!??! Un tributo ai Brother Cane!??! Non so quale importanza abbia questa band per la Rocktrax Records e cosa abbia rappresentato la band negli States, ma sicuramente qui in Italia la band dell'Alabama è ai più sconosciuta. 
Ricordo il gruppo nella prima metà degli anni 90 con il singolo di "Got No Shame" e un album che andava contro il dilagare del grunge con un sound che prendeva spunto da Lynyrd Skynyrd e Cry Of Love. In seguito il gruppo capitanato da Damon Johnson aggiornò le proprie sonorità e uscirono altri due ottimi episodi nella loro discografia: "Seeds" nel 1995 e "Wishpool" nel 1998.
A distanza di 6 anni dal loro utlimo album il vocalist dei Loaded Dice, Roland Edger, mette insieme 18 gruppi che rivedono ed interpretano alla loro maniera i pezzi che hanno fatto la storia del gruppo di Birmingham.
La già citata "Got No Shame" viene riproposta in maniera quasi irriconoscibile perchè sorretta da mandolino e chitarre acustiche, un curioso country molto distante dalle sonorità originali, al contrario, la versione di "Hard Act to Follow" dei BLACK LABEL è abbastanza fedele a quella edita.
Dal momento che commentare tutte le composizioni mi risulta difficile cercherò di segnalarvi quelle che più mi hanno convinto come ad esempio la ballata sudista "the Road" rifatta dai LOADED DICE, e l'hard rock di "That Don't Satisfy Me" dei RAIN entrambe le song tratte dal disco di debutto. 
Dal secondo album vengono coverizzate 5 song e pregevoli sono le versioni di "Hung On A Rope" dei CATCH 22 e le moderne "And Fools Shine On" e "Kerosene" suonate da LEADERDOG e HALFDOWN THOMAS. Le ultime tracce del CD sono dedicate a "Wishpool" tra cui "Where Was I To Know" (SWEATIN' BOOZE), "I Lie In The Bed I Make" (SOUTHERN ROCK ALLSTARS) e "Lead My Follow" (SAYLOR ANDERSON).
Se siete dei fan dei Brother Cane è una bella chicca da aggiungere alla vostra collezione, se invece vi avvicinate a loro solo ora, procuratevi prima i loro album.
Moreno Lissoni
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