It's a modest title, ain't it? Standard Songs for Average People. It's quiet, unassuming, and makes no pretension about its worth or importance.
It's also a title that's equal parts accurate and misleading; Standard Songs is such a beautiful, worthy album that it deserves a far less reserved title, and yet it's so comfortable, mellow, and soothing that its title fits.
I'll admit upfront that I had never heard of Mac Wiseman prior to this record; I guess living in the UK means the Bluesgrass hero has been off my radar. That said, up until I saw him live back in 2005, I was unaware of John Prine too. Ignorant fool that I am! Since seeing him on stage, it's fair to say I've adored Prine's work. He's a great lyricist, and has a unique charisma as a performer.
You won't find any of Prine's lyrics on this album though; it's a compilation of covers performed by Prine and Wiseman, backed by a great set of musicians. The Opry's Carol Lee Singers also appear on half of the album's tracks, with a sound that reminds me of The Carter Family's backing work with the late Johnny Cash. Much of the album has that sort of feel to it; somehow feeling old-fashioned, yet clearly a recent piece of work - oddly timeless.
It's a magical soundscape. Songs covered range from Kris Kristofferson's "Just the Other Side of Nowhere" (a personal favourite of mine), to "Old Cape Cod", "Old Rugged Cross", and the album's opener "Blue Eyed Elaine". The voices of Prine and Wiseman sound old and experienced, yet not in a gruff over-the-hill kind of way. They sound hopeful, content, and at peace. It's blissful.
There's much fun to be had too: "Don't Be Ashamed of Your Age", "Pistol Packin' Mama", and "Saginaw Michigan" - a track Prine performed when I saw him, the inclusion of which makes me a very happy man - will all put a smile on your face, just as certainly as the performers had a smile when they recorded it, I'd wager. The beauty of this album is the range of emotions covered: aside from the fun, tracks like "Old Dogs, Children, and Watermelon Wine" have a sense of melancholy to them, while "Old Rugged Cross" keeps its chin up and tries to be hopeful in the face of adversity.
You can almost picture Prine and Wiseman recording this, or at least settling down to decide what to record. Despite an age difference of over twenty years, they seem to have a genuine chemistry and compatibility that enriches each song on the album. And despite the fact that Prine is twenty years Wiseman's younger, his voice is such a well worn instrument (perhaps in no small part due to the throat cancer surgery he experienced in 1998) that there's nothing but a sense of equality amongst the two of them. They're just two old dudes putting the world to rights, reminiscing, and having a little fun.
In short: I adore this album. It travels across a range of emotion and sentiment, is never anything other than a splendid joy musically, and sticks with you long after you've finished listening to it.
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