Jimmy Sturr seems to believe that polka is America's pan-roots music, capable of blending in with every other type of roots style. Bluegrass? No problem. He asks Rhonda Vincent to do some singing on a couple of tracks, including (surprisingly) a version of the Carpenters' song that gives the album its title and "Rocking Alone in an Old Rocking Chair." Then Arlo Guthrie helps blend polka and folk, performing his hit "City of New Orleans" with the band. Things don't work as well on "This Land Is Your Land," which has far more ...
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Jimmy Sturr seems to believe that polka is America's pan-roots music, capable of blending in with every other type of roots style. Bluegrass? No problem. He asks Rhonda Vincent to do some singing on a couple of tracks, including (surprisingly) a version of the Carpenters' song that gives the album its title and "Rocking Alone in an Old Rocking Chair." Then Arlo Guthrie helps blend polka and folk, performing his hit "City of New Orleans" with the band. Things don't work as well on "This Land Is Your Land," which has far more oompah than swing, but a polka version of "Devil Went Down to Georgia," featuring some hot, swinging fiddle from Frank Urbanovitch, is enough to get the hardest heart beating faster. Closing with "God Bless America" might be a patriotic gesture, but it's played relatively straight, when a twist might have been more pleasing. Sturr continues to explore the possibilities of polka, but at times you have to wonder whether his all-things-to-all-people take on the music doesn't end up stretching it a bit too thin. ~ Chris Nickson, Rovi
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Add this copy of Top of the World to cart. $73.14, new condition, Sold by Entertainment by Post - UK rated 3.0 out of 5 stars, ships from BRISTOL, SOUTH GLOS, UNITED KINGDOM, published 2002 by Rounder.
