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"Get on Board" Review
Mac McHale and the Old Time Radio Gang
by Dale Lockman of Face Magazine
If you long for the good old days of honest, straight-ahead music with songs about real people and the simple things in life, check out the new recording by long-time Maine performers Mac McHale and the Old-Time Radio Gang. They just released their tenth CD, “Get On Board” (2003 Fishtraks FT1440). Nothing groundbreaking here; that’s not its purpose…just good old songs, sung in good old style, sweet harmonies, interesting instrumentation and swell playing in tight arrangements.
The regular “Old Timers”, Mac McHale, John Roc, Dick Monroe and Smokey Valley, recently welcomed a new member, Sally Roc, on bass and harmonies. Ms. Roc adds new strength and fullness to the group’s vocals and her presence also means that the group’s sound now features more of former bass player John Roc’s strong, rhythmic and melodic mandolin playing.
The instrumentals, enjoyably competent, are not particularly slick, just basic good instrumental performance with tasteful touches of ornamentation… and oh how they capture that old time feeling!
The voices, as with the instrumentals, are not trained and sterilized. The singing is heartfelt and true; McHale’s lead vocals are right as rain, and reflect the essence of the old time music. With the Rocs’ harmonies, the sound is just right. But it’s not the spotless, perfected production of Nashville we music consumers have come to expect. This is real people singing real songs. Delightfully honest!
An unlikely accordion solo on the classic “Long Black Veil” adds a fitting sadness to the song which is otherwise done in an upbeat style. Particularly nice mandolin and dobro breaks in there, too.
A spirited arrangement of the old time fiddle tune, “Daly’s Reel”, features John Roc’s sharp and straightforward mandolin style and Smokey Valley’s clear and clean fiddling.
The Radio Gang does justice to an old bluegrass standard “You Tried to Ruin My Name” written by Wilma Lee Cooper, with a consummate fiddle intro by Smokey Valley, tight three part harmonies, and beautifully done instrumental break with accordion and dobro. Seems odd, but it works really well.
In addition to being an interpreter and revivalist of old time music, Mac McHale is also a songwriter adept at capturing the old style of blending lyric and melody. “Get On Board” contains two of his originals: A gospel-style song, “God’s Ship”, which has a wonderfully sing-able chorus, with call and response parts for the audience, and “Down In Memory Lane”, a classic sounding bluegrass style song of lost love, with another very sing-able chorus. Great for car listening/singing along!
The recording comes to a close with an old Grandpa Jones classic, “Old Rattler”. Performed in the quintessential old-time style, this song is a bit of a surprise in that it highlights Mac McHale, who is most often seen behind his guitar, but is heard here playing clawhammer banjo.
Along with the music, the engineering and sound quality are worthy of note. “Get On Board” was recorded at the studio of band-member John Roc, but although the music may be homespun, the sound is far from home cooked. It’s crystal clear, well-balanced, and professionally recorded.
If you are wanting the hot, rambling new-age-y licks of “newgrass”, this may not be your cup of tea. But if you want the hear the roots of that music, the popular songs of the early 20th century that eventually gave rise to the hotter and slicker material you most often hear today, this is a good listen and a delightful treatment of the sweet old songs, and some new ones done in the old style.
Dale Robin Lockman is a musician, producer of live music events, booking agent and music journalist living in Kennebunk, Maine. She performs with the trio Mom’s Home Cookin’, www.momshomecookin.com.
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