Marley’s Ghost Celebrates 40 Years by Re-Imagining Classic Country on “Honky Tonk’ (ALBUM REVIEW)

Marley’s Ghost is a roots band that has proven capable of moving in several directions over its four decades together.  One element of consistency is that they once again enlist Larry  Campbell, who produced their last two albums.  Campbell, of course, has been a mainstay of Bob Dylan’s band and the late Levon Helm’s band. And those two icons were fixtures in The Band. Yes, it’s almost heretical to compare any band to that unit, but there are some similarities. Marley’s Ghost is a band of six, most of whom play multiple instruments and five of whom are lead vocalists. Besides, both play distinctly American music. And, The Band did a covers album of original rock n’ roll songs, entitled Moondog Matinee, just as Marley’s Ghost pays tribute to the country genre here. Partly through Campbell’s urging as well as the band’s sensibilities, they dig deep here into the classic country sound. 

Seattle-based Marley’s Ghost is obviously steeped in tradition, but they aim to contemporize or at least revitalize these classic sounds. They are well-equipped to do just that. Here is the lineup: Mike Phelan – guitars, dobro, bass, fiddle, lead and harmony vocals; Jerry Fletcher – keyboards, accordion, lead & harmony vocals; Ed Littlefield Jr.– pedal steel, lead & bass vocals; Dan Wheetman – bass, National steel guitar, fiddle, guitar, lead & harmony vocals; Jonathan Wilcox – mandolin, lead & harmony vocals; and Bob Nichols – drums, percussion. They started with country and reggae, Bob Dylan, and generally an eclectic repertoire. Then, over the last three records, including this one and a gospel record (The Woodstock Sessions), they have taken a deep dive into a specific genre. 

The rollicking, Western swing-like “Invitation to the Blues” kicks off, written by Roger Miller and popularized by Ray Price.  The pedal steel, fiddles, and barroom piano combine to set the tone for a highly danceable set. Webb Pierce’s “Honky Tonk Song” features Fletcher’s bouncy piano and a chorus of five voices. Mel Tillis’ “Brand New Mister Me” offers tearful balladry through the mourning fiddles, while George Jones’ “Burn Another Honky Tonk Down” delivers a sarcastic but deliberately confident strut, not as blazing as the famous “White Lighting,” but close. Somehow, five songs in, Dolly Parton and Porter Wagoner’s “Just Someone I Used to Know,” to these ears, is the most familiar to the Golden Age of country radio. It was written by Jack Clement who produced two albums for the band. It sets the stage for others such as Waylon Jennings’ “Only Daddy That’’ll Walk the Line,’’ sung by Littlefield Jr., and the casual take on Paycheck’s “Motel Time Again, sung by Wilcox.”

The others are a bit more off the beaten path. “Slowly,” by Hank Williams Jr., is a slow-dancing gem, imbued by Littlefield Jr.’s pedal steel. According to the band, the original was the first song to feature the steel guitar. Father Hank, the Father of Honky Tonk, is a requisite on this album. “Rockin’ Chair Money” is not one of his well-known songs, but the chorus foreshadows Elvis with – “I’m gonna rock, yeah rock, oh baby rock, rock on down the line.” Merle Haggard’s “If I’d Left It Up To You” was not one of his 38 number-one hits, though a staple in the band’s repertoire, it feels like a hidden gem. Nonetheless, there were few writers better than Haggard, making this a standout track.

Jimmy Walker’s “Detour” may well be the most joyous rouser, the beginning of which echoes strains of Commander Cody’s “Hot Rod Lincoln,” yet as the song evolves, it’s a feature for pedal steel and the group’s patented five-part harmony. There are two Red Foley songs, the slow-waltzing, better-known “Midnight” and the closer, the high-spirited, galloping “Birmingham Bounce,” a feature for Fletcher.  Sandwiched in between is the classic, “Waltz of the Angels,” a hit for Wynn Stewart, as the full-throated band members sing their hearts out, with Wilcox in the lead, over the teeming fiddles and pedal steel.

This heavy dose of tradition and inspired playing by Marley’s Ghost has us returning to simpler, innocent times. In that sense, it is deeply refreshing.