Our Shangri-La

Gerald Haslam, author of "Workin' Man Blues"
Rick and Patty have avoided Nashville cliches and assembled a series of performances as genuine as chrome on a Peterbilt...

Product Description
Our Shangri-La, the new album of duets from veteran Southern California country singers Rick Shea and Patty Booker not only exemplifies the West Coast's once vibrant honky-tonk tradition, it damn well resurrects a free-wheeling artistic spirit that is in danger of extinction. Recorded with ace musicians, the album mixes brand new originals with a couple of choice old favorites into a complex and rewarding series of emotional and psychological statements. Our Shangri-La draws from the Wynn Stewart-Jan Howard/Buck Owens-Rose Maddox school of California pairings even as it drives contemporary expression dramatically forward, the classic blend of standard approach and chance-taking that has always characterized California country.

Our Shangri-La

Our Shangri-La,Rick Shea,Patty Booker,Tres Pescadores,Bakersfield Sound,Country,Pop,Rick Shea and Patty Booker redefine the country duet in the vein of Rose Maddux and Buck Owens of Wynn Stewart and Jan Howard.

Average customer rating: Revitalizing the Country duet the golden days of duets Country Music The Way It Should Be

Our Shangri-La Rick Shea , and Patty Booker Manufacturer: Tres Pescadores ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD General | Country | Styles | Music Honky-Tonk | Country | Styles | Music General | Traditional Country | Country | Styles | Music General | Country | Indie Music | Stores | Music Similar Items: I Don't Need All That Fire & Brimstone Trouble and Me The Buffalo Show Highways and Honky Tonks ASIN: B0000DEYH6 Release Date: 2003-10-14

Tracks:

1. When Will I Ever Learn
2. I'm No Good Without You
3. Summer Wine
4. Just a Matter of Time
5. I Know What's Wrong (But I Just Can't Get It Right)
6. Our Shangri-La
7. There's Fewer Things All the Time
8. You Take Me For Granted
9. The Bull and the Beaver
10. You
11. Baby That Ain't True
12. Fat Daddy
13. The House That We Once Lived In

Album Description

Our Shangri-La, the new album of duets from veteran Southern California country singers Rick Shea and Patty Booker not only exemplifies the West Coast's once vibrant honky-tonk tradition, it damn well resurrects a free-wheeling artistic spirit that is in danger of extinction. Recorded with ace musicians, the album mixes brand new originals with a couple of choice old favorites into a complex and rewarding series of emotional and psychological statements. Our Shangri-La draws from the Wynn Stewart-Jan Howard/Buck Owens-Rose Maddox school of California pairings even as it drives contemporary expression dramatically forward, the classic blend of standard approach and chance-taking that has always characterized California country.

Customer Reviews:

Revitalizing the Country duet.......2004-01-25

Duet singing has fueled country music since its beginnings, both in family acts like the Delmores and Louvins, and superstar pairings like Dolly & Porter and Conway & Loretta. Nashville's recent duets have tended more toward marketing events than career paths, leaving those outside the mainstream to carry the torch. Shea and Booker, veterans of Southern California's honky-tonk scene, fan the flames of the country duet with a strong dose of the Golden State's recalcitrant twang.

The pair of singer-songwriters first met as disc-mates on 1992's "A Town South of Bakersfield, Vol. 3." Then, as now, they charted a course through Bakersfield, with Shea's tenure in Dave Alvin's Guilty Men adding a helping of roots-rock energy. Booker's voice is reminiscent of Rosie Flores, but together with Shea, especially on tunes like "The Bull and The Beaver," they recreate the high-low magic of The Kendalls.

Beyond a few covers, such as the trail-dusted "Summer Wine," the duo's own arrangements and songs form the album's impressive core. The spare "You Take Me for Granted" would break the heart of Merle Haggard's original protagonist, and Shea's "Just a Matter of Time" crackles with the magnetism of Johnny & June.

Shea's production keeps the voices front-and-center without short-changing the fine instrumentalists who set up the album's mood. Special mention must be given to steel player Gary Brandin, whose haunting runs, bell-like peels and weeping bends are nearly a third voice within the duets. This is an exquisite album that impresses upon first play, and reveals more charms with every spin.

the golden days of duets.......2004-01-05

Our music-if you are reading this you know what I mean-doesn't get much radio play as it falls between the niches, but in our kind of music a renaissance of glorious male female duets is taking place, and this is a prime example. Rick and Patty play off each others voices and styles beautifully; there is no way that a solo artist can make this sort of thing happen-not a bad track on the cd, hardly a bad 5 seconds. Chip Taylor and Carrie Rodriquez are the current aces in this area, but that is mostly because of their totally masterful song-writing- in terms of musicality there is little to chose between the acts-and there is no higher praise than that.

Country Music The Way It Should Be.......2003-12-31

A magnificent album from start to finish, and every cut is a gem. Patty Booker has an incredible voice and range from the depths of sorrow to sheer joy and the best of honky tonk. Rick Shea is an outstanding musician, song writer and vocalist. The pairing of their soulful and distinctive voices gives an added dimension to the songs that make them duets in the best sense of the word, as their voices wonderfully compliment each other. The material and performances are all first rate with outstanding original songs and terrific interpretations of classics.

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2. Pianistic Indiscetions
3. Polish Jazz V.3
4. Polk Salad Annie Live [Import] [Live]
5. Radio Favorites
6. Rebels & Outlaws: Music From The Wild Side Of Life
7. Roll Out the Red Carpet
8. Segundo [Live]
9. SGB0024 (Karaoke CD&G)
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Music Album