Gary Nicholson – Common Sense
Qualified Records
12 songs – 45 minutes
The casual music fan may not recognize Gary Nicholson’s name, but they will most certainly have heard more than a few of the 700+ recordings of his songs that have been released. The Garland, Texas, native and two-time Grammy award winner has written tracks across multiple genres, including country (Willie Nelson, George Strait and Waylon Jennings), blues (BB King, Buddy Guy and Keb’ Mo’), pop (Ringo Starr and Neil Diamond), rock (Fleetwood Mac and Phish), folk (John Prine), bluegrass (Del McCoury) and Americana (Guy Clark). Fittingly, over 30 of his compositions have been recorded by Delbert McClinton, another artist who comfortably straddles multiple genres.
Nicholson came of age in the turbulent sixties, a time when he also experienced the healing power of music to unite. His latest release, Common Sense, finds him focused on addressing the current polarity in American politics, a twelve song collection that speaks to the divisions the country faces with both hope and humor. With a crack band and some stellar guests, typically superb songs and fine production by Nicholson and Kevin McKendree, Common Sense is a hugely enjoyable, uplifting release that is impossible to listen to without a smile and a renewed sense of optimism.
Nicholson sings and plays acoustic and electric guitars. He is joined by McKendree on piano, organ, electric guitar and bass; Jim Hoke on harmonica, dobro, saxophone, steel guitar and acoustic guitar; James Pennebaker on electric and acoustic guitars; Lynn Williams on drums; Mike Joyce on bass; and Harry Stinson on backing vocals. They are joined at various times by Rick Vito on slide and 12 string guitars; Anson Funderburgh, Colin Linden and Yates McKendree on guitar; the McCrary Sisters on backing vocals; Chris Carmichael on strings and arrangement; Luke Bulla on fiddle and mandolin; Richard Bailey on banjo; David M. Santos on acoustic bass and Kenneth Blevins on drums. On “Make Good Trouble”, Nicholson brings in an entirely different band, with Mike Finnegan on electric piano and Hammond organ, Hutch Hutchinson on bass, Tony Braunegal on drums, John Jorgensen on guitar and the McCrary Sisters and Perry Coleman on backing vocals.
As one might expect with such an array of instrumentation, the songs on Common Sense run the gamut of American song, from the AOR of “Follow The Money” (with great slide guitar by Vito), the upbeat pop-rock of “What A Little Love Will Do” and the droll folk of “Bob Dylan Whiskey” to the country rock of “Worry B Gone” and the soul-blues of “All That Makes Me Happy Is The Blues”.
Nicholson sings in a pitch-perfect, road worn voice that suits the songs perfectly, imbuing them alternatively with hope, belief and frustration, often with a large slice of humor on the side. The acoustic folk pop of the title track reminds us that “If you’re going hunting, you’re going to need a gun. If you’re going to school or church, you shouldn’t need one. If he’s acting crazy and talking really mean, don’t let him go buy an AR-15.” The beautiful piano-driven ballad that closes the album, “There’s No Them”, emphasizes that “There’s no ‘them’. There’s only ‘us’. There’s no other. We are one.” And the strummed acoustic folk of “Woody’s Dream” considers a fundamental question: “I wish every single soldier in every single war, would stop and remember what it is he’s fighting for. Lay down his guns and close his children close, and try to remember what matters most. And think about what it would be like… to let the rich folks fight.”
Common Sense is a simply fabulous release. Hugely recommended.
