From other reviews I've read from him, this critic doesn't lavish his praise too often.
http://www.dallasnews.com/sharedcontent/dw...n2.3e326e9.html
Full Version: Dallas concert review
Long live the king
Vince Gill is still the most talented performer in genre
By PUNCH SHAW
SPECIAL to the STAR-TELEGRAM
SPECIAL TO THE STAR-TELEGRAM/MICHAEL FUENTES
Vince Gill is touring in support of his new release, These Days.
DALLAS -- Vince Gill just called, and he wants his country music crown back.
The platinum-selling country star who has seen his raging popularity flag just slightly in recent years delivered a concert at the Meyerson Symphony Center on Monday night that served notice that his is not a talent that can be dormant or ignored for long.
Touring in support of his stunningly audacious new release, These Days -- a four-disc, 43-song masterpiece that points country music in more directions than a compass sitting on a box of magnets -- Gill and his 17-piece backing ensemble reminded all gathered that he is still the most talented performer in his genre and, what's more, that he has taken things up a notch with the release of this box set.
Gill played seven different guitars, a mandolin and even a little fiddle in the course of the two-hour-plus show that opened with a few old favorites (One More Last Chance, Don't Let Our Love Start Slippin' Away and When I Call Your Name) before diving into the new material with the zeal of a man who has something to prove.
All those new numbers -- including forays into country-accented rock, jazz, blues and bluegrass -- went over well, with Faint of Heart, Give Me the Highway and the Elvislike rocker Sweet Thing among the standouts.
Some performers who find themselves in a bit of a slump choose a new direction and reinvent themselves.
Fortunately for us, Gill was wise enough to instead loosen the reins on his muse and allow himself to do all the things he does so well.
When hearing this Oklahoma native, the hardest thing is always trying to decide whether he is more impressive as a vocalist or a guitarist. This concert, which was a benefit for Central Dallas Ministries, leaves that question unresolved.
And, in addition, his highly personal and candid between-song chatter ranged from hilarious to poignant and always added something special to what he was about to play.
So dust off that throne and step aside to let the real king pass. These Days are clearly among the best days this incredible artist has ever seen.
GRADE: A+
'Days' makes the night
COUNTRY REVIEW: Gill's ambitious new CD set gets crowd's approval
12:00 AM CST on Tuesday, October 31, 2006
By MARIO TARRADELL / The Dallas Morning News
Vince Gill knows the art of selling a song. Not the well-known tunes. Those are the surefire audience hits. We're talking tracks from a just-released CD that most folks haven't heard.
MELANIE BURFORD/DMN
'This ain't Billy Bob's,' Vince Gill says in reference to the Fort Worth honky-tonk as he looks around the Morton H. Meyerson Symphony Center.
Well, in Mr. Gill's case make those four CDs, namely his multidisc box set of all-new, original material, These Days. Before a nearly sold-out house Monday night at the Morton H. Meyerson Symphony Center, during a gig that benefited Central Dallas Ministries, the Oklahoma-born singer, songwriter and guitarist dared to pack his almost two-hour set with a slew of fresh cuts.
He opened with two staples, "One More Last Chance" and "Don't Let Our Love Start Slipping Away," to put everybody in his six-string-picking hands.
But when he launched into "When I Call Your Name," his breakthrough traditional country ballad from 1989, it was his cue. Mr. Gill had promised to perform a handful of songs from his themed discs (a rocking record, a ballads collection, a traditional country opus and a bluegrass effort) using a more familiar tune to grease the wheels.
Done! "When I Call Your Name" was the bridge to performing three of the traditional country numbers: the slow shuffle "Out of My Mind," the fiddle-kissed "Some Things Never Get Old" and the twin-fiddles-soaked "This New Heartache." Each one brimmed with authenticity, from the masterful command of tempos to the expert musicianship.
Mr. Gill brought a 17-piece band with him that included four horns, conga drums, banjo, fiddle, steel guitar and upright bass. The sound emanating from the stage at the acoustically perfect Meyerson was a big old banquet for the ears.
At the center stood a man who likes to share plenty of witty banter between songs, and then gets serious when it's time to play. His fluid yet high lonesome tenor caressed the stunning melody of "I Still Believe in You," which paved the way for selections from his ballads CD.
"The Reason Why," his current single, and "No Easy Way" were quite good. But when he did "Faint of Heart," a duet with Diana Krall on record, it felt like we were witnessing a new jazz-pop standard, the kind of song stylists will be covering for years to come. For extra magic, add all four horns and sultry guitar playing from Mr. Gill.
The platform was full of musicians for "Faint of Heart," but they all disappeared when Mr. Gill took an acoustic guitar and softly crooned "The Key to Life" from 1998's stellar The Key.
It was time for bluegrass, folks. Joined by five players on fiddle, banjo, upright bass and vocals, with Mr. Gill on mandolin, they jammed at high speed to "All Prayed Up," "Cold Gray Light of Gone" and "Give Me the Highway." Later, with full band, he did "Molly Brown," the moody, dark bluegrass number about a doomed interracial relationship.
Without stopping to take a breath, Mr. Gill and company dove into the rocking stuff. "Workin' on a Big Chill" was pure roadhouse R&B with dashes of rock and blues; "Sweet Thing" found them going at it with a vengeance; and "Cowboy Up," a sexy double-entendre number, was deliciously bluesy thanks to the horns and piercing guitar playing.
The crowd roared its approval. If everybody in that venue doesn't go out and buy a copy of These Days, then nothing else can sell that package. This show was way better than any music video.
Vince Gill is still the most talented performer in genre
By PUNCH SHAW
SPECIAL to the STAR-TELEGRAM
SPECIAL TO THE STAR-TELEGRAM/MICHAEL FUENTES
Vince Gill is touring in support of his new release, These Days.
DALLAS -- Vince Gill just called, and he wants his country music crown back.
The platinum-selling country star who has seen his raging popularity flag just slightly in recent years delivered a concert at the Meyerson Symphony Center on Monday night that served notice that his is not a talent that can be dormant or ignored for long.
Touring in support of his stunningly audacious new release, These Days -- a four-disc, 43-song masterpiece that points country music in more directions than a compass sitting on a box of magnets -- Gill and his 17-piece backing ensemble reminded all gathered that he is still the most talented performer in his genre and, what's more, that he has taken things up a notch with the release of this box set.
Gill played seven different guitars, a mandolin and even a little fiddle in the course of the two-hour-plus show that opened with a few old favorites (One More Last Chance, Don't Let Our Love Start Slippin' Away and When I Call Your Name) before diving into the new material with the zeal of a man who has something to prove.
All those new numbers -- including forays into country-accented rock, jazz, blues and bluegrass -- went over well, with Faint of Heart, Give Me the Highway and the Elvislike rocker Sweet Thing among the standouts.
Some performers who find themselves in a bit of a slump choose a new direction and reinvent themselves.
Fortunately for us, Gill was wise enough to instead loosen the reins on his muse and allow himself to do all the things he does so well.
When hearing this Oklahoma native, the hardest thing is always trying to decide whether he is more impressive as a vocalist or a guitarist. This concert, which was a benefit for Central Dallas Ministries, leaves that question unresolved.
And, in addition, his highly personal and candid between-song chatter ranged from hilarious to poignant and always added something special to what he was about to play.
So dust off that throne and step aside to let the real king pass. These Days are clearly among the best days this incredible artist has ever seen.
GRADE: A+
'Days' makes the night
COUNTRY REVIEW: Gill's ambitious new CD set gets crowd's approval
12:00 AM CST on Tuesday, October 31, 2006
By MARIO TARRADELL / The Dallas Morning News
Vince Gill knows the art of selling a song. Not the well-known tunes. Those are the surefire audience hits. We're talking tracks from a just-released CD that most folks haven't heard.
MELANIE BURFORD/DMN
'This ain't Billy Bob's,' Vince Gill says in reference to the Fort Worth honky-tonk as he looks around the Morton H. Meyerson Symphony Center.
Well, in Mr. Gill's case make those four CDs, namely his multidisc box set of all-new, original material, These Days. Before a nearly sold-out house Monday night at the Morton H. Meyerson Symphony Center, during a gig that benefited Central Dallas Ministries, the Oklahoma-born singer, songwriter and guitarist dared to pack his almost two-hour set with a slew of fresh cuts.
He opened with two staples, "One More Last Chance" and "Don't Let Our Love Start Slipping Away," to put everybody in his six-string-picking hands.
But when he launched into "When I Call Your Name," his breakthrough traditional country ballad from 1989, it was his cue. Mr. Gill had promised to perform a handful of songs from his themed discs (a rocking record, a ballads collection, a traditional country opus and a bluegrass effort) using a more familiar tune to grease the wheels.
Done! "When I Call Your Name" was the bridge to performing three of the traditional country numbers: the slow shuffle "Out of My Mind," the fiddle-kissed "Some Things Never Get Old" and the twin-fiddles-soaked "This New Heartache." Each one brimmed with authenticity, from the masterful command of tempos to the expert musicianship.
Mr. Gill brought a 17-piece band with him that included four horns, conga drums, banjo, fiddle, steel guitar and upright bass. The sound emanating from the stage at the acoustically perfect Meyerson was a big old banquet for the ears.
At the center stood a man who likes to share plenty of witty banter between songs, and then gets serious when it's time to play. His fluid yet high lonesome tenor caressed the stunning melody of "I Still Believe in You," which paved the way for selections from his ballads CD.
"The Reason Why," his current single, and "No Easy Way" were quite good. But when he did "Faint of Heart," a duet with Diana Krall on record, it felt like we were witnessing a new jazz-pop standard, the kind of song stylists will be covering for years to come. For extra magic, add all four horns and sultry guitar playing from Mr. Gill.
The platform was full of musicians for "Faint of Heart," but they all disappeared when Mr. Gill took an acoustic guitar and softly crooned "The Key to Life" from 1998's stellar The Key.
It was time for bluegrass, folks. Joined by five players on fiddle, banjo, upright bass and vocals, with Mr. Gill on mandolin, they jammed at high speed to "All Prayed Up," "Cold Gray Light of Gone" and "Give Me the Highway." Later, with full band, he did "Molly Brown," the moody, dark bluegrass number about a doomed interracial relationship.
Without stopping to take a breath, Mr. Gill and company dove into the rocking stuff. "Workin' on a Big Chill" was pure roadhouse R&B with dashes of rock and blues; "Sweet Thing" found them going at it with a vengeance; and "Cowboy Up," a sexy double-entendre number, was deliciously bluesy thanks to the horns and piercing guitar playing.
The crowd roared its approval. If everybody in that venue doesn't go out and buy a copy of These Days, then nothing else can sell that package. This show was way better than any music video.
These are excellent reviews. I think Vince has gathered some more fans. He has been getting great reviews and well deserved . I would not be able to pick a favorite song because I believe Vince does nothing that isn't way above par. This is one of my favorite lines from the Dallas review. I love this song .
But when he did "Faint of Heart," a duet with Diana Krall on record, it felt like we were witnessing a new jazz-pop standard, the kind of song stylists will be covering for years to come. For extra magic, add all four horns and sultry guitar playing from Mr. Gill.
Mary Anne and Belardd ,Thanks so much for posting the excellent reviews.
You go Vince
But when he did "Faint of Heart," a duet with Diana Krall on record, it felt like we were witnessing a new jazz-pop standard, the kind of song stylists will be covering for years to come. For extra magic, add all four horns and sultry guitar playing from Mr. Gill.
Mary Anne and Belardd ,Thanks so much for posting the excellent reviews.
You go Vince
HELLLLLOOOOO COUNTRY RADIO...DO YOU HEAR WHAT EVERYONE IS SAYING?????? WHY AREN'T YOU PLAYING THE SONGS? Kay S.
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