John D. Loudermilk - Elloree, Vol. 1

All Music Guide

Although this album is about as inscrutable in tone and intention as the average Loudermilk LP, it's preferable to most, chiefly because the production is so sparse. The acoustic arrangements emphasize Loudermilk's own guitar and occasional harmonica, although Norman Blake adds some mandolin and dobro. As Loudermilk often segues from one song to another without a break, there's an intimate living-room feel to the proceedings, accentuated by occasional indications that Loudermilk is not taking the project entirely seriously (he breaks into bird whistles at one point, for instance). The program is something of a greatest-hits set, with "Tobacco Road," "The Lament of the Cherokee Reservation Indian," "Google Eye," and "Abilene" all present, although these are not all Loudermilk's first versions of these compositions (if any are); it's at least the third time around for "Tobacco Road," in fact. The versions of "Lament of the Cherokee Reservation Indian" and "Tobacco Road" are bluesier and ...more down-home than you might expect, though he punctures "Cherokee"'s effect with pseudo-Indian war chants and a flip spoken aside in the middle. On lesser-known items like "The Jones'" and "Ma Baker's Little Acre," it's really hard, as always, to figure out where Loudermilk is coming from -- if he's trying to offer social protest, social satire, or just make up some silly ditties reflecting the absurdity of contemporary society. - Richie Unterberger, All Music Guide Read more Less