Search - Kevin Welch :: Beneath My Wheels

Beneath My Wheels
Kevin Welch
Beneath My Wheels
Genres: Country, Folk, Pop
 
  •  Track Listings (12) - Disc #1

The dazzling songwriting and masterful balance of artfulness and soulfulness that Kevin Welch served up on his first three albums--1990's self-titled debut, 1992's Western Beat, and 1995's Life Down Here on Earth--have mad...  more »

     
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CD Details

All Artists: Kevin Welch
Title: Beneath My Wheels
Members Wishing: 0
Total Copies: 0
Label: Dead Reckoning
Release Date: 6/22/1999
Genres: Country, Folk, Pop
Styles: Americana, Contemporary Folk, Singer-Songwriters
Number of Discs: 1
SwapaCD Credits: 1
UPC: 705375001422

Synopsis

Amazon.com
The dazzling songwriting and masterful balance of artfulness and soulfulness that Kevin Welch served up on his first three albums--1990's self-titled debut, 1992's Western Beat, and 1995's Life Down Here on Earth--have made him a cult figure among connoisseurs of cutting-edge country songwriting. Along the way, Welch's vivid originals have been covered by everyone from Waylon Jennings and Roger Miller to Ricky Skaggs and Trisha Yearwood. Nineteen ninety-nine's Beneath My Wheels, his first album in four years, is nothing short of a masterpiece. It's also a reminder of the great music that often results when an eminently gifted artist takes off the commercial blinders of country radio and simply follows his noblest instincts. In Welch's case, these instincts run from `70s-style California country-rock to hardcore blues-gospel to searing blues-rock (Mike Henderson's electric lead work is a driving force throughout). No doubt quite a few of these songs will be plundered by far less imaginative name-brand artists, but why bother hearing greatness second-hand when you can go right to the source? --Bob Allen

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CD Reviews

Country music for grown ups!
Elizabeth T. Anderson | Las Cruces, NM USA | 07/21/2000
(5 out of 5 stars)

"I came to Kevin Welch's music in a roundabout kind of way. Several years ago I happened to see the "Life Down Here on Earth" video (the title track from his 3rd record) on a Canadian country channel. As I fan of seventies folk rock, I found myself drawn to the intelligent lyrics and to the music, which blended influences from traditional country, rock and blues, with a dash of celtic thrown in for flavor. Before I saw the video I was completely unaware of what, it turns out, is called "alternative country." What a relief! "Beneath My Wheels" showcases Welch's most mature songwriting yet. The songs on this record are, naturally, of a slightly different tenor than his earliest work. These songs, especially the title track, are proufoundly self-reflexive. If you've never heard his work, "Beneath My Wheels" is as good a place as any to start. But don't cheat yourself - collect 'em all. One of the greatest joys of following a gifted songwriter's career is watching him grow up, and getting some perspective on your own life thrown into the bargain. Kevin Welch is today's answer to Willie Nelson, Johnny Cash and Merle Haggard. You might call him a junior Highwayman. His label, Dead Reckoning, which he co-founded with Kirean Kane, is a gold mine of talented, grown-up songwriters. Viva alt-country!"
Beneath My Wheels
Lori S. | Nashville, TN | 07/12/2000
(5 out of 5 stars)

"So you call yourself a connoisseur of music. Do you own Beneath My Wheels? Have you heard of Kevin Welch? That's alright, we forgive you. Come on in and pull up a chair.Trying to describe Kevin Welch is like trying to describe flying, but here goes. Beneath My Wheels is a musical journey. Don't get on board the spaceship unless you want to leave planet Earth for awhile. Anna Lise Please is a love song for grown-ups. Fold Your Wings is deliciously seductive. I'm still not sure what a Hill Country Girl is, but I really want to be one. Bastard Nation takes the public debate of adoption to a personal, one on one level. And if you've ever been in love, you've been on the Shores of Stone.I own the Kevin Welch collection--Kevin Welch, Western Beat, Life Down Here on Earth, Beneath My Wheels, and they tell me Live in Melbourne is in the mail. I've been watching him perform for about nine years. Kevin is a master storyteller. He incorporates well-crafted lyrics and magical melodies, and delivers them in that rough around the edges, yeah-I've-seen-it-all-but-I'm-still-a-believer voice.So be good to yourself. Get Beneath My Wheels. It's cheaper than therapy and a lot more fun."
Not just another pretty voice
B. Holder | Cedar Crest, NM United States | 06/27/2000
(5 out of 5 stars)

"Kevin Welch is an Oklahoman who had lived in Nashville long enough to co-found a CD label ("Dead Reckoners") and produce/play on more than a dozen excellent albums.You can call it "Americana" or "alternate country" or whatever, but Kevin Welch's songs are so well-written, and his voice has become soooo charming and persuasive that perhaps the grace of God is the only reason he isn't a well-known personality in the lives of millions of country-music-lovin' radio listeners.I've been listening to Kevin for about six years. I've seen him live a couple of times but have never met him. I know it's "tacky" or at least un-p.c. to bring up a person's looks when doing a music review but Kevin Welch is a whole persona, and his stance and posture lends itself to his performance. He is graceful in every way, and yet very very humble in his heart.This CD is a wonderful song compilation. The sweetness of "Anna Lise Please" might be what your ear catches on the first listen, and "Everybody's Gotta Walk" might remind you a bit of Dylan's "Got To Serve Somebody", but listen again. Listen to Kev's voice on the achingly lovely "Fold Your Wings", and dance around a little bit to "Bastard Nation", but listen to the words, too. The title track, "Beneath My Wheels", is fun to sing with. He probably hates being called "a romantic writer," but he IS one. There are no cool-ly scary songs on this CD so you might have to buy one of his previous CDs if you want the full picture. I get the sense that Kevin is an important artist, someone who can change lives with songs. He's not just another pretty voice!"