Charming enough as a simulation of the moment when Nashville songwriters discovered hippie-dom, or at least connected with the agonies of songwriters such as Paul Simon, Robbie Robertson, Bob Dylan and Dolly Parton, Deana Carter’s The Chain stands as a typically flawed covers record.
Videos by American Songwriter
Label: Vanguard
[Rating: 3 stars]
Charming enough as a simulation of the moment when Nashville songwriters discovered hippie-dom, or at least connected with the agonies of songwriters such as Paul Simon, Robbie Robertson, Bob Dylan and Dolly Parton, Deana Carter’s The Chain stands as a typically flawed covers record. What it offers is some amazing guitar playing from Carter’s father Fred Carter Jr. Parton’s “Love is Like a Butterfly” receives a suitably light treatment, while “The Boxer” benefits from a droll, magical guitar figure. For all the obvious skill and intelligence on display, The Chain ultimately seems like an essay in taste, which isn’t a bad thing. But Deana Carter ought to know that covering Robertson’s “The Weight” is an exercise in futility. Its fake-gnomic, weary tone is beyond Carter’s slightly grainy, little-girl voice.
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