You've got to figure that there's something to do with record contract machinations in
Kate Campbell's curious decision to re-record 29 of the 33 songs on her second (Moonpie Dreams), third (Visions of Plenty), and fourth (Rosaryville) albums, all originally released on Compass Records, and instead issue them on two albums,
The Portable Kate Campbell and this one, released on the same day, August 10, 2004, on Compadre Records, along with a reissue of her debut album,
Songs From the Levee. The obvious thing to say is that if you own those earlier albums, you probably don't need this one, which features re-recordings of "Older Angel," "Waiting for the Weather to Break," "Signs Following," and "Delmus Jackson" from Moonpie Dreams; "Jesus & Tomatoes," "This Side of Heaven," "Sing Me Out," and "Funeral Food" from Visions of Plenty; and "Heart of Hearts," "Who Will Pray for Junior," "Ave Maria Grotto," and "In My Mother's House"from Rosaryville. (There is also one new song, "Would You Be a Parson.") But if you own those albums, you are no doubt a
Kate Campbell fan, so you may be interested to hear her reinterpretations of these old favorites. The companion release,
The Portable Kate Campbell, contains the singer's more serious and substantive songs of the period, making it closer to being a best-of, but this one is devoted to the more personal, spiritual, and oddball tunes she is also known for. ~ William Ruhlmann