Review from Roots Time

NEIL CARSWELL
GOOD MAN'S JOURNEY
Label: East winds records
Neil Carswell, main member of the southern rock band “Copperhead” has now released his solo project to the world. This CD is an extension of the rough southern rock sound of the work he did with Copperhead. Neil got a little help from his friends on this CD with legends such as Chris Anderson (guitarist, Outlaws), Johnny Neel (keyboards, Allman Brothers), Barry Goudreau (guitar, Boston), and Stu Kimball (guitar, Bob Dylan). Carwell’s voice is rough and powerful and reminds me of Robert Plant in several of the numbers (Plant without his high voice). This CD is bluesier in contrast with the Copperhead CDs, and a slower tempo which turns to hard hitting rock from time to time and as a whole has more rock character then what we would get from a typical southern rock band, like the Allman Brothers, a group which is sometime compared to Neil’s work in the press. “Good Man’s Journey” is less southern rock than pure rock. “The Cain Preacher” for example almost sounds like a Led Zeppelin song with Neil singing like Robert Plant on Bourbon, and Goodreau and Andersen pouring their souls out on guitar. The title song “Good Man’s Journey” is along the same line – it starts out softly and goes to a bluesy rock sound similar to Led Zeppelin especially in Neil’s vocal style.

The ten songs on this CD are divided in one half heavy rock (the beginning half of the CD) and the second half with more rootsy-blues songs. “Ruby Jane” and “Glasses of Wine” have a sound similar to Bon Jovi or Aerosmith. “Righteous Side” is a song that starts out quiet song and ends with Neil singing in a strong powerful voice with Kimball and Andersen playing guitar at full strength. There is a southern link on “Edge of the Green” similar to the Allman Brothers and might be my favorite track on the CD, which is hard to say because “Poor Side of the Tracks” is a beautiful song with full feeling and conviction. To me, the second half of the CD is more enjoyable and “Walking Out On You” is a great zesty, bluesy song, with beautiful passages sung with such feeling. The last track on the CD is almost a complete acoustic ballad that shows that Neil sounds right at home singing a ballad or a hard hitting rock song with a voice that is strong and yet beautiful. This CD will be enjoyed by fans of Aerosmith, Led Zeppelin and even Bon
Jovi.
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