A great cd-deserves an GRAMMY
Matthew Weaver | North Carolina | 02/02/2000
(5 out of 5 stars)
"Wagoner's Lad is one of the greatest cd's that has ever been made. All the lyrics and songs were written by my friend Mike Craver. He is a talanted singer,songwriter,musician,stage performer, and I am proud to know Mike as my friend. I first met Mike in 1994 when we started the production of "Smoke on the Mountain" for which Mike was the music arranger/writer of the show. His talents go along way. His cd will give all you listners great pleasure in hearing the ballads of family stories from years gone by. Our American Heritage in music is preserved in "Wagoner's Lad." My favorite song on the Cd is "Dewberry Place" my second favorite song is "Wagoner's Lad" I also like "One Day When Now is Gone" All the songs speak to me in their own way. Buy a copy of this Cd, and you will be playing it again and again. Check out Mike Craver's website and give a listen to a new song that was wrote, "Life on a Bean Bag." It is a great song, and you will tap your feet and nod your head in time to the music, and the song will bring a smile on your face. I even had the privledge of playing a little banjo on the song!Thanks Mike! Mike has written numerous, successfull theater shows like "Radio Gals" "Oil City Symphony" "Smoke on the Mountain" and many more. If a theater company puts on one of these productionsin your city, I encourageyou to go see it, (you might even see Mike performing in the shows at times)you will enjoy the shows. Mike has performed all over the United States from "A Prairie Home Companion" performed for ten years with the "Red Clay Ramblers" and tons of theater productions all over America. My hat is off to you Mike!"
A Tour de Force
James Skrydlak | Pella, Iowa | 05/14/2002
(5 out of 5 stars)
"Mike Craver tells stories of the people and places of the North Carolina Piedmont where he grew up. Some of the songs are funny. Some are tender. Some are harrowing. All are masterpieces.This CD compares to Ian Tyson's "Cowboyography" in its masterly exploration of a single place and way of life, and to it, Tim O'Brien's "Odd Man In" and John Hartford's "Aereo-Plain" in its demonstration of the immense and varied talents of a single songwriter and performer. In each case, the artist, without regard to popularity or genre, has simply followed his own path in creating a CD that gives a peek inside the artist, and has done it with the utmost art and craft in both creation and performance.I've listened to this CD a lot, and I find something new to like every time."
Track Listings (13) - Disc #1
