Currently available from Brambus Records:
From a Distant Shore - CHF 25, € 16, US$ 16
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After nearly twenty years of cooperation with brambus, Richard Dobson presents his 12th cd for the label and it is again a very strong piece of American songwriting at the border of country music in the styles of Tennessee and Texas, recorded in short time at the studio of German origin Thomm Jutz in Nashville (he does way more then excellent work in his studio there!) eleven new songs and brambus speeded up to be able to release the CD right on time for his big performance at the Albisgüetli Country Festival in Zurich, sharing the night with Rosanne Cash!
There is not much news left to say to Richard Dobson and his songwriting, he is outstanding and was nominated as “Songwriter Of The Year” in Texas in 2008 or titled as “Hemingway Of Country Music” by Nancy Griffith. If you listen to this or any of his earlier albums, you will fast find out why! Dobson was always lined up in Texas songwriter favourites together with his friends Guy Clark and the late Townes Van Zandt and that is exactly the spot he deserves! Take a moment of your time for a moment of excellent songwriting and for excellent artists on Richard Dobson’s side on this new Nashville production. more: www.richard-j-dobson.ch
Back At The Red Shack - CHF 25, € 16, US$ 16
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If an artist records over ten CDs for a label, he is part of it and a true friend. We cooperate with RICHARD DOBSON since our beginning and it is always a pleasure to meet and hear him. He is on the road since many years and started long ago in Texas, recording at the Red Shack Studio – and after many many years, he is back there. This CD brings some of his very old and successful songs for the first time (officially) on CD and some new songs – in best Texas songwriter tradition! We do not say more, but leave the next lines to Richard Dobson to introduce a bit further:
“People say when you come back to a place that it looks smaller than you remembered, but there never was a lot of room at the Red Shack. I recorded my first two records there, with Rock Romano at the controls. It went by another name then, and the recording gear of course has changed, but the place looks much the same. When I thought about recording in Texas again with my old compadres it didn’t take long to figure where to go.
A few words to the songs:
’63 Mercury: First released in 1994 on Mankind, on Sundown Records, an Austin company that went out of existence a week later.
Aunt Betty’s Lament: her story in her own words.
Aye Chihuahua: Not to be confused with the European disco hit, a real city and desert state in northern Mexico.
Baby Ride Easy: One of the first songs I wrote, Guy Clark made a demo of this song when I first moved to Nashville in 1972; since recorded by Carlene Carter and Dave Edmunds, and the Carter Family; once performed by Johnny and June Carter Cash on a Christmas TV special.
Suited Me: a paean to my blue-collar offshore days on boats and drilling rigs.
Living and Dying for Love: First released on our Live at the Station Inn LP in 1998, recorded by Idaho legend, Pinto Bennett.
There Ought to be a Law: From the same LP, I wanted to take another run at this one, because it still feels so good.
Never Say Never: We always play this song, first released on The Big Taste, my second LP.
Close Calls: a happy song, I guess it doesn’t have to be about anything.
Over All Over Again: Also released on The Big Taste; I wrote this song for Freddy Fender and pitched it to him a couple of times.
Salty Kisses: Another from the same LP, a song about going to the beach.
Hard by the Highway: from my hitchhiking days.
Walking my Blues Away: let us all praise dogs and mockingbirds.
Hard Work Talking Blues: My father tried hard to instil the work ethic in me; and he partly succeeded
RICHARD DOBSON will play the Albisgüetli-Country-Festival in Switzerland mid February and is around in Europe throughout the year, more detailed dates to follow, on request or on his webpage: www.richard-j-dobson.ch
ON THISTLEDOWN WIND - CHF 25, € 16, US$ 16
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There was a trail we followed on interstate and back roads, a time-worn groove in my mind between Texas and Nashville that later became a trail across the skies to Europe. One journey, one tour blended into another, and with time the poles switched; so that home became here, Texas and Tennessee back there. But it did not seem to matter so much, which you called home. I consider it nothing less than a small miracle that I came to know Thomm Jutz, and toured five years with his band. Who would have imagined he would win the U.S. State Department green card lottery and move to Nashville? In a way we traded places. In retrospect it seems inevitable the wunderkind from the Black Forest would come to know the same people I had worked with years earlier, among them the musicians and singers who appear on this CD: Pat McInerney, LeAnn Etheridge, Fats Kaplin, David Olney, Mark ‘Sergio’ Webb, Catherine Craig, and Mark Barker.
These songs came to me as stories, and a couple in dreams; unbidden, out of long habit. There are no co-writes here, leaving me alone to take credit or blame. Like children we bring songs into the world with the best intentions; they turn out how they will.
Counting back I realize this is our tenth CD release with Paul Rostetter and Brambus Records. Speaking of small miracles: to have all of these still available, intact and in one place, this calls for celebration…. Break out the champagne and join us.
Richard Dobson
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Manch ein Fluss strömte durch das Leben des 62jährigen Texaners – von Chile bis Michigan, Texas und Tennessee bis in die Schweiz.
Diese Flüsse, der Strom des Lebens und der unablässige Fluss der Kreativität im Leben eines Künstlers manifestieren sich in den zwölf Stücken seines siebzehnten Albums. „A River will do“ ist bereits die vierte CD, die Richard Dobson gemeinsam mit seinem musikalischen Partner und Produzenten Thomm Jutz herausbringt. Sie verbindet den musikalischen und produktionstechnischen Ansatz der drei vorherigen Alben: Rockiges rockt heftig, Country klingt nach deep Country und folkiges klingt authentisch.
Vignetten des Lebens in den Südstaaten, die wahre Geschichte einer Frau aus dem Kosovo, die Gedanken des im freiwilligen Exil lebenden Songschreibers über das Leben und die Liebe fügen sich zu dem herausragenden Werk eines Künstlers zusammen, der beweist, dass die interessantesten literarischen Songwriter auf den Nebenschauplätzen am äußersten Rand des kommerziellen Erfolgs tätig sind.
Begleitet von seiner strassenerprobten Band packt Dobson all seine Hoffnung, seine Leidenschaft und seine Wut in jeden einzelnen Song. Mit 62 ist er auf dem Höhepunkt seines Schaffens angelangt. Seit langem betrachten ihn Künstler wie Guy Clark, John Prine und Nancy Griffith als einen der ganz Großen – eine Meinung, die auch von einer großen Fan-Gemeinde in Europa geteilt wird. Mit diesem Album beweist er auf eindrucksvolle Weise, wie recht sie haben. Und seine Songs fließen weiter – wie ein Fluss ...
Doppelgaenger limited edition (with Thomm Jutz) - CHF 25, € 16, US$ 16
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Richard Dobson hat sich nicht nur in Texas sondern längst auch in Westeuropa einen hervorragenden Namen gemacht als urechter Interpret von starken Songs und Leute wie Nancy Griffith haben ihn als den "Hemingway der Country-Musik" betitelt! Seine aktuellen Produktionen werden mit starker Bandpräsenz eingespielt, dieses Album kommt da speziell dazwischen und ist ein Album für Fans und Sammler seiner Songs, pur und direkt, nur Stimmen und Gitarren, wobei Dobson von seinem nun schon langjährigen Begleiter Thomm Jutz unterstützt wird. Das Album ist in limitierter Auflage im Markt und Dobson schreibt dazu: "This project had its beginning somewhere between beers and the long road days on the autobahn. Starting in early 2001, Thomm Jutz and I decided on a song selection guided by no other criteria that what would work for two acoustic guitars. The collection would take on a form and cohesion of its own, born of the unconscious selection process. I wanted to try some traditionals and I wanted to do some of the songs that first inspired me to pick up the guitar, hence the Woody Guthrie." Das Projekt ist inzwischen ausgereift und ein spezielles Meisterwerk geworden!
This is a special production in between the regular line of Richard Dobson's releases and presents him on big request without his band line up, strictly acoustic, pure and direct, only together with his side guitar master Thomm Juth, a special product available mainly for fans and collectors as a limited edition. ""This project had its beginning somewhere between beers and the long road days on the autobahn. Starting in early 2001, Thomm Jutz and I decided on a song selection guided by no other criteria that what would work for two acoustic guitars. The collection would take on a form and cohesion of its own, born of the unconscious selection process. I wanted to try some traditionals and I wanted to do some of the songs that first inspired me to pick up the guitar, hence the Woody Guthrie. These are the ones that worked, recorded live using a stereo microphone, with no overdubs. The plight of the homeless is an ongoing theme here. Now as in Woody's time, now more than ever. Some of these are songs from early years, songs that brought me lots of joy. I hope we're able here to pass some of that joy along". These are Richard Dobsons liner notes to the new album. There is nothing else to say then to recommend everyone to enjoy this pure masterpiece!
Hum Of The Wheels - CHF 25, € 16, US$ 16
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Globel Village Garage - CHF 25, € 16, US$ 16
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Salty Songs - CHF 25, € 16, US$ 16
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Love Only Love - CHF 25, € 16, US$ 16
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One Bar Town - CHF 25, € 16, US$ 16
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Amigos (Richard Dobson sings Townes Van Zandt) - CHF 25, € 16, US$ 16
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Hearts & Rivers - CHF 25, € 16, US$ 16
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Blue Collar Blues - CHF 25, € 16, US$ 16
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Back Tracks - CHF 25, € 16, US$ 16
 A compilation CD with 21 tracks from two earlier releases, Save The World and True West |
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Richard Dobson is a poet, a musical visionary whose songs are timeless vignettes, everyday tales of everyday folk. So far fame has eluded this Texan giant but like Guy Clark he refuses to forego his artistic principles in the search for money and glory.
These days his fan club includes John Prine, Steve Earle and Nanci Grifth, whose plugging of her hero in concert has done the man's career no harm at all.
Dobson hails from Texas but he travelled extensively, learning to play guitar in South America. Faced by the draft in the sixties, Dobson enrolled at the University of St. Thomas, Houston, and joined the Peace Corps. He served a musical apprenticeship in Texas folk clubs alongside Guy Clark and Townes Van Zandt, then it was off to Nashville, but few of his songs --save a David Allan Coe cut of Piece of Wood And Steel -- were being recorded. He quit Nashville for the Texas Gulf Coast and released an album, In Texas Last December. From that point he picked up a larger following, culminating with a cover of Babe Ride Easy in Dave Edmunds and Carlene Carter which persuaded him to give Nashville another shot.
He's still there, still a cult act and writer and still making records. ...State of the Heart, is a live album and deserves more than mail order promotion. Nanci Giffith calls him "the Hemingway of Country Music" and it's almost a crime that more people haven't discovered the sensitivity and poetry of Richard Dobson.
-- Andrew Vaughan, St. Martin's Press / New York
