CD
Fan Review
For
a Royal Shakespearean actor from England who has trekked to the
stars, fought magnetic mutants, and talked bluntly, Patrick Stewart
makes quite the convincing country crooner.
Unlike
his equally musically inclined intergalactic predecessor, Stewart
actually sings these cowboy classics (with the exception of “Ringo,”
and to great effect). And he does a pretty fine job of it.
It
certainly helps that Stewart is backed by a top-notch band of
musicians, including Ethan Eubanks (drums/percussion/vocals), Andrew
Sherman (piano/accordion/vocals), Jim Campilongo (guitars), Jon
Graboff (pedal steel/guitars/vocals), and Jeff Hill (bass).
But
Stewart really goes for it and gets into the character of these
Western ditties, giving it his all as he belts out his unique brand
of British country twang in pitches I wasn’t previously aware that
he was capable of. In fact, if I didn’t know beforehand that this
was Patrick Stewart, I wouldn’t have recognized his voice for the
most part (he does sound somewhat like himself on his gleefully giddy
interpretation of “Here Comes Santa Claus.”)
If
you like country (and Christmas) music and Patrick Stewart, you’re
in for a real treat. What could have easily been an exercise in pure
hokeyness (not altogether a bad thing in itself) manages to be both
kitschy and classy thanks to Stewart’s talents and penchant for
having a grand old time.
I
do reckon there’s a future for Patrick Stewart in them there
musical hills.
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