We Are All Drifters – A Tribute to the Continental Drifters – 2 CD & Book
There are 25 tracks on this ambitious showcase performed by varied artists who respect the work of the decade-long career of The Continental Drifters. Some artists will be notable & others not so much. If accustomed to the varied genres these artists come from familiarity may be wider.
CD 1 (48:12) features Don Dixon, Rob Laufer, Marshall Crenshaw, Rosie Flores & CD 2 (58:06) has Caitlin Cary, Garrison Starr, Kim Richey, Steve Wynn (of the Dream Syndicate), Dayna Kurtz & two members of R.E.M. Other names appear as part of a group. It’s a consistently interesting program with capable & entertaining musicians & singers.
The music should be listened to when reading the detailed 58pp perfect bound ¾” spine-authorized biography “White Noise & Lightning – The Continental Drifters Story,” by Sean Kelly. An interested audience will find it a compelling read.
The 25-track CD tribute We Are All Drifters – A Tribute to the Continental Drifters (Dropped Sept 27/Independent/Cool Dog Sound Books) was produced by Sean Kelly & David Jenkins. The covers in this showcase are done respectfully & aren’t expected to compete or draw parallels to the originals. The musicians represented aren’t all Americana-roots-folk/rock-oriented artists so their take on the songs comes from their own musical “neighborhood.” A few are strictly pop-oriented, bluesier, or hard-edged. This is to be expected from voices that are of another genre. The versions aren’t poor, they’re just presented in a different interpretation.
The covers will remind listeners why so many Continental Drifters tunes were so well defined & could easily be interpreted by many diversified artists & styles. Such as the funky arrangement & David Gilmour-hybrid guitar bite of Derrick Anderson’s “No One Cares” cover – it’s quite different & compelling.
So, it’s a compilation of established artists & not so well-known names but the songs are all well-written & their efforts to sweeten & refresh the Continental Drifters repertoire – are well done.
Highlights – CD 1: Rosie Flores (“Christopher Columbus Transcontinental Highway”), Annette Zilinskas (“Dallas”), The Iguanas (“Side Steppin’ The Fire”), Tara Austin & Lyn Bertles (Tomorrow’s Gonna Be”), Robbie Rist (“Invisible Boyfriend”) & Debbi Peterson & The Minus 5 (“Who We Are, Where We Live”).
CD 2: Caitlin Cary (“I Want To Learn To Waltz With You”), Derrick Anderson (“No One Cares”), John Cowsill (“Watermark”), Kim Richey & Kettle of Hawks (“Snow”), Dayna Kurtz & Robert Mache (“A Long While”) & Garrison Starr (“Mixed Messages”).
Musicians – Too numerous. Musicians are listed on each song in the 6-panel CD package.
The color image is courtesy of the Continental Drifters website. CD & music samples available @ Bandcamp & https://www.continentaldriftersbook.com/ & https://continentaldrifters.com/
Review: “Best of the Continental Drifters – White Noise & Lightning” (Omnivore Recordings). https://americanahighways.org/2024/09/10/review-continental-drifters-best-of-the-continental-drifters-white-noise-lightning/
