A classic of bluegrass and country crossover, 1977's
Mac Wiseman Sings Gordon Lightfoot masterfully matches
Wiseman's famous country croon with
Lightfoot's old-time country-folk tunes, all with a great backing band including
Eddie Adcock on banjo and Clay Smith on acoustic guitar.
Wiseman has a real knack for combining down-home flavor with vintage Vegas or Hollywood panache -- as on the
Willie Nelson-meets-
Neil Diamond "Rainy Day People." "Summertime Dream" has a rollicking but pretty arrangement and features
Wiseman really belting it out. "For Lovin' Me" and "Early Morning Rain" maybe aren't as deep and emotive as
Lightfoot's versions, but
Wiseman turns them into shuffling, thoughtful bluegrass tunes with a little more levity than the originals. Finally, "Ribbon of Darkness" is the real winner here -- it's
Hank Williams,
Marty Robbins, and
Willie Nelson all wrapped up in a nostalgic two and a half minutes of country and bluegrass. Fans who bought this LP in 1977 are sure to be delighted to find this slice of memory on CD, and for those -- whether country or bluegrass fans -- who are new to
Mac Wiseman,
Mac Wiseman Sings Gordon Lightfoot will make a great entry into his canon. ~ Charles Spano