The Great Escape [CD]

On his new album, The Great Escape, Chris Stamey known for his work in The dBs, the Big Stars Third concerts, returns to the electric guitar sounds and melodic lyricism that informed his classic 80s solo records Its Alright, Fireworks, and 2004s Travels in the South but with a twist! This time out, alongside adroit pedal-steel aces Eric Heywood (Jayhawks, Pretenders, Alejandro Escovedo) and Allyn Love, Mipsos Libby Rodenbough, and Chatham County Lines John Teer and Dave Wilson, hes found a distinctive spin on the 70s Southern California country-rock flavors of the Byrds and the Flying Burrito Brothers. Theres also a vibrant version of a lost classic, the Alex Chilton / Tommy Hoehn composition She Might Look My Way, remembered fondly by Stamey from his late 70s live performances with Chilton and the (unreleased) studio recording of it they did together for Elektra Records at Todd Rundgrens studio. Here, it features two world-class fellow producers: Mitch Easter (Lets Active), on drums and Terry Manning (Ardent Studios producer/engineer/guitarist; Staples Singers, Led Zeppelin, ZZ Top). Most tracks, however, are expertly anchored by Rob Ladd (The Connells) or Dan Davis (Six-String Drag) on drums, often accompanied by co-producer Jeff Crawford on bass. The Great Escape, the first release in decades on seminal indie label Car Records (on which Stamey had issued recordings by Chris Bell, Mitch Easter, and himself in the late 70s and early 80s), will be available on CD, digital downloads, and streaming platforms, via a joint venture with Schoolkids Record, and includes two bonus tracks: an electric version of Back in New York, augmented ‡ la Tom Wilsons electrification of The Sounds of Silence, and a stream-of-consciousness celebration of a surprise early-morning phone call with the one and only Van Dyke Parks. 1. The Great Escape 2. Realize 3. She Might Look My Way 4. Heres How We Start Again 5. I Will Try 6. Dear Friend 7. Greensboro Days 8. Back in New York 9. The Sweetheart of the Video 10. The Catherines Wheel 11. Im a Prisoner of This) Hopeless Love 12. The One and Only (Van Dyke Parks) (Bonus Track) 13. Back in New York (Electric Mix) (Bonus Track)

• Format Detail: CD
• Format: CD
• Genre: Rock