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Willy Porter
The Trees Have Soul
The Music Box's #4 album of 1997
First Appeared in The Music Box,
November 1997, Volume 4, #12
Also Appeared in The Music Box,
February 1998, Volume 5, #2
Written by John Metzger
Though this is a re-release of Porter's debut for Don't Records, this album was not available
nationally until early 1997. You still may have to search for it, but it's worth seeking out.
While The Trees Have Soul is not as polished as Dog-Eared Dream, it offers more of
an insight to Porter's live performances. Porter is a talented songwriter, guitarist, and vocalist,
and this release allows him to fully display all of his abilities.
The two-part Zak's Tale allows Porter's guitar playing to speak for itself. This pair of
songs brings to mind the instrumentals of Jorma Kaukonen and Michael Hedges, as does the wonderful
title track, which is my favorite on the album. This song combines the best elements of the disc
into one fantastic song that will take you on quite a spiritual and emotional journey.
Porter can play in just about any style, and on this album he mixes things up quite well.
Fullerton Express and Moonbeam are upbeat, rhythmic grooves, while Reach (which
was added to the re-release) features tender vocals. Porter's voice may be the sweetest since David
Crosby, and the closing Southwind is the closest I've ever heard anyone come to sounding like
Crosby.
Porter has a live album due this Spring that is sure to blow your mind. In addition, Porter has
an excellent new batch of songs that will hopefully make their way onto an album in the near future.
This disc is available from Amazon.com.
To order, Click Here!
For UK orders, please
Click Here!
Ratings
1 Star: Pitiful
2 Stars: Listenable
3 Stars: Respectable
4 Stars: Excellent
5 Stars: Can't Live Without It!!
Copyright © 1997 and © 1998
The Music Box
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