Comments on: Album Review: Dierks Bentley, Up on the Ridge

By: skinny b

skinny b — Fri, 22 Apr 2011 20:53:53 +0000

Hey this album should be around 4.5 stars and if the sole reason for some of you state differ due to senor and pride then you need to listen again.The object was to do something different and i really believed it was pulled off. Solid work, better than these hurry sing along pop country stuff.

By: Travis McClain

Travis McClain — Wed, 28 Jul 2010 21:30:52 +0000

Incidentally, for those who are interested, the latest episode of Dierks’s podcast radio series (Dierks Bentley’s The Thread) is dedicated to discussing this album. I just downloaded it, but haven’t played it yet to be able to comment on how insightful or interesting it is, but it runs 51:06 and it’s free.

By: Leeann Ward

Leeann Ward — Mon, 26 Jul 2010 05:16:48 +0000

Travis,
Thank you for the correction.

By: Craig

Craig — Sat, 24 Jul 2010 17:10:08 +0000

Musically, this album is great. Lots of talented individuals have contributed, and it shows. Chris Thile (formerly of Nickel Creek) and his new band Punch Brothers may not be as well known as some of the others, but they are perfect in this supporting role. I understand where reviewers are coming about suggesting Dierks’ voice is perhaps the weak link on the album, but I think that is more a credit to the ability of the various musicians who contribute here, as opposed to a knock against Dierks.

As for songs, “Pride” surprised me….never would have through that a bluegrassy rendition of a U2 song could be pulled off so well.

If I had to pick a weak link, it would be the title track “Up on the Ridge”….but still not a song I’d skip when listening to the album. The rest of the tracks are solid, and a refreshing change of pace for country music.

By: Travis McClain

Travis McClain — Tue, 20 Jul 2010 18:57:50 +0000

This is the first album I’ve heard in quite a while from anyone where I actually felt like the artists making it were having fun from start to finish. As for the covers, I think it’s important not to ask whether they hold up to the original recordings, but whether these arrangements work in the context of this album. I have to say, I think every one of them does.

Also, “Rovin’ Gambler” isn’t a Dierks original. It’s in the public domain and he arranged it.

By: billj

billj — Thu, 01 Jul 2010 19:41:58 +0000

I could not read this review because some stupid M&M add popped up right in front of the article. It did not go away.

Great.

By: Theresa

Theresa — Thu, 01 Jul 2010 18:24:35 +0000

Well, the song “Up on the Ridge” made me sit up and take notice, enough so that I went searching for the artist on the web so that I can go buy the album.

By: Steve from Boston

Steve from Boston — Sat, 12 Jun 2010 10:28:44 +0000

Carol Ann, references to other artists in context are not hijackings, you asked for clarification as to the relevance of the Loveless reference, so I gave you one, albeit perhaps an overly lenghty one. Certianly no hijacking intended, and sorry if it came accross that way.

By: Steve from Boston

Steve from Boston — Sat, 12 Jun 2010 10:21:17 +0000

There is a converse to the timing argument as well..it can be said that it is precisely BECAUSE a given artist is at the height of their career that it is not such a risk for them to undertake somthing different, since they have already secured a solid foundation that mininmizes risk should the creative project founder.

Brad Paisley’s mostly intrumental album Play was also called risky, but his career, like Dierks was (and is) on such solid ground that could easily sustain and recover from any single commercial disaster.

If Patty’s Mountain Soul album had failed, that may well have finished her off commercially, so there was a risk there as well. But thankfully Mountain Soul garnered sufficient commercial sucess to sustain her recording career, and certainly enough artistic acclaim to secure her place as one of the true and timeless artists of Country and Bluegrass music.

By: Carol Ann

Carol Ann — Sat, 12 Jun 2010 10:08:20 +0000

I understand, it just seems like hijacking a Dierks Bentley thread to again discuss Patty, when it really belongs in a Patty discussion.

Moving on-

I WILL say that I like this record better than just about any of his last ones.