Reviews

The Season of My Heart

Producer - PoetMan Records/Acoustic Rainbow

"What a wonderful collection of Seasonal music. It's definitely a unique project. I don't think I've ever seen an all-original collection like this before. Karen's voice is perfect for the songs, and Roger Williams Dobro playing is incredible. I love the imagery of the lyrics. Folk, Bluegrass, and even some Americana and Country stations could all potentially play this music"

Dave Higgs/Bluegrass Breakdown
Nashville Public Radio

"Man, you've done it! This is a beautiful project-unlike any I've ever heard before... full of good cheer, great times, priceless memories and some wonderful sentiments. It took me straight back to my childhood when Christmas was still a magical and mysterious event. Plus you've written some tunes that are destined to become Christmas Classics... "Heavenly Peace", "Follow The Star", "Waltz Of The Falling Snowflakes", "Decorate The Tree With Love" and the title track rank high on my favorite meter. Congratulations on a wonderful project. Finally, somebody does an all-Christmas project right! Well done!!"

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Al Shusterman KCBL Radio "Backroads Bluegrass"

"Powerful is the best way to describe this great CD. This is the first Seasonal CD that sounded as though it was recorded at a friend's home & not in a recording studio. I got a very warm feeling listening to this project. The vocals, both lead and harmony, were exceptional. The fervor & enthusiasm in their voices as they sang each song sent chills down your spine. I really loved the song selection. As all the songs were original material, you really had to concentrate on the lyrics in order to get the full impact of these wonderful songs. Hearing this CD once was not enough. It needs to be played several times in order to fully appreciate the combination of their fine voices & the great lyrics of each song. The instrumental work was tasteful and meshed perfectly with the material being sung. Needless to say, the audience response for this CD was overwhelming. While playing the entire CD, my request line never stopped ringing. It is rare to have a strictly Seasonal CD that generates this much feedback. Each & every song was requested to be played again. I know that I will be playing several cuts each week until it is played in total again. I hope I don't wear this CD out!!!

Thank you very much for sharing your fine project with us.

Cordially,
Al Shusterman
KCBL Radio "Backroads Bluegrass"
Sacramento, California

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Acoustica Magazine

"13 original Christmas tunes by gifted songwriter, guitarist and vocalist Rick Lang... assisted by Dave Dick on banjo, guitar, mandolin and vocals. Roger Williams handles the dobro... Bob Dick carries the bass, guitar and vocals... and Karen Lincoln Wilber contributes powerful and very pleasant vocals to the project. Yes, Christmas tunes, perhaps a bit early, but I can assure you that once this project hits the streets, it will be gone in a flash.

It is really nice to hear this collection of 13 fresh Christmas tunes! ŒSleigh Bells' features ripping dobro, banjo and guitar leads from start to finish. If Santa's reindeer have this tune in their sleigh CD player, they are in for big trouble! ŒI Dreamed That I Was There' tells of a dream whereas he was witnessing the events of the Holy Christ Child in a manger, a beautiful tune performed to perfection. The project is well produced, offers a new and different selection of Christmas tunes for your Seasonal enjoyment... even a full-blown Œblues' style tune ŒSleigh Full Of Toys'... done with acoustic Bluegrass instruments of course!"

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Out Where the Wildflowers Grow

Bluegrass Unlimited 1992~

"The next time anyone tells you that the only worthwhile original Bluegrass music comes on big labels from Southern Bands, toss this release right back at them and make them eat their words. New Hampshire-based Rick Lang has so far been known only as a songwriter whose tunes have been recorded by Southern Rail and the Lonesome River Band but he has saved up 12 real good original tunes for himself and put them on this, his first and very welcome solo album.

Lang credits Pete Goble as a source of inspiration and the parallel is very clear. Both draw on standard Bluegrass themes but manage to create new songs which feel traditional, but somehow approach the subject matter in a non-clichéd way. There is an overall honest feeling of sadness which pervades the songs which cover lost love, desire for home, death of parents, trucking and the like. Yet somehow, there is a nice lingering sense of not having heard it said this way before and which gives the songs a freshness that the subject matter might not suggest.

This is an important and very worthwhile release, nicely packaged (complete with lyric sheet). Assuming that Lang has not exhausted his warehouse of songs, we have here a new and exciting voice, one very much deserving of being heard."

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