Victory Review

by Nancy Vivolo

 

David Grier - Live at The Linda
2007 Dreadnought Records (#0701)

Victory Review 1-09
Down home and lovable, David Grier charms the crowd with Live at the Linda in Albany, New York and I'll tell you what - can he ever play that guitar! Flawless, smooth as silk and rich as a three layer cake, Grier just glides into song after song with a little bit of that ah, shucks humor tucked in between the tunes. "High Atop Princess Cove" has the quality of a Celtic Aire while "As it Rolls to the Sea" has the taste of salt spray under billowing sails. This is a rather proud little number that stands well on its own. Melancholy, and perhaps a rainy day, has to have been the inspiration behind "Road to Hope" as the minor chords draw out a certain longing. Still, Grier makes it sound so easy and relaxed rather than troubled. The entire CD feels like you're hanging out together in his living room with the wood stove going and a pot of soup bubbling away. He manages to capture the essence of a storyteller with impromptu tomfoolery between songs creating a sweet country charm and sense of familiarity. The intro to "Red Haired Boy" gets a bit on the windy side, however, but once he launches into the song you realize the wait was worth it. (Okay, I know some of you skip over the intro with some of that new technology, but I kind of enjoy that live theater illusion; dim the lights please.) "The End of a Good Day" is just that conjuring up a vision of a blue and yellow windsock flapping in the breeze with rose tinted clouds in the distant sky. You might as well be leaning on a porch rail taking it all in, hanging on every note: what a picture. Grier does a tender version of "Killing Me Softly" which is both strong and vulnerable at the same time. The dynamics, color, and strength of this CD make it easy to forget that this is a solo recording. He can really make that Martin D-28 sing in full voice.
(Nancy Vivolo)