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CD cover
Read the Road Signs
2006
available online at CD Baby |
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| | Reviews | | | | latest CD review - USA
"...a great new blues artist...." (Tom Villano)
“ Carol Bean’s new album is a delight. I could say she is a great new blues artist but this album is much more than that. She is versatile in her styles, vibrant and delivers an earthy quality in her songs that make you want to listen over and over.”
Tom Villano
Freelance music editor (Robocop, Sex in the City ...etc)
Hollywood CA USA
| | | | NZ Blues Review- Mike Garner
http://www.blues.co.nz/features/article.php?id=317
Wellington's vibrant music scene is well represented on Bean's latest album. Along with her regular collaborators, there are numerous guest musicians forming the palette from which she creates her music. It spans 'American' from alt country to bluegrass, blues and reggae. 'Mt Misery', for example, has mandolin, fiddle and BVs over a bluegrass waltz. 'Kicking and Screaming' (about going to the dentist!) has fiddle paired with banjo in another country laced song.
Mike Petrie supplies country rock guitar on several tracks; 'Evidence', 'Crossing the dirty river', 'Hard Drive Blues' and 'Vitamin Yes'. These are strong tracks, with Petrie delivering beautiful melodic electric slide guitar on the album's first two cuts. "Power Of The People" delivers a political message over a reggae rhythm. Other material is quieter and more introspective, discussing American cartoons and their "cultural invasion" or jazzy in "Catch". We hear Bean's own guitar in "Lucky in Love" deftly playing acoustic over a wistful, quite backing. The album finishes with the beautiful 'Looking Like A Holy Man' where Bean demonstrates some wonderful story telling.
All the songs are her originals and she also arranged and produced the album. She delivers her lyrics with a voice that is sometimes soft and close and at other times punching out the words. The title track "Crossing The Dirty River" pulls together all the best features of this album, good lyrics sung with conviction and a beautiful voice, strong musicianship and searing lead guitar.
The album is available at on line outlets but is distributed in NZ by Ode so you can order it from your local CD store if they don't have it on the shelf. | | | | Carol Bean: Crossing the Dirty River | Elsewhere by Graham Reid
4 April 2010
This album by peripatetic British-born, LA-raised country-blues rocker singer-guitarist Bean -- now resident in NZ -- has been around the stereo for perhaps so long I forgot to post it.
With a tight, revolving door band which includes slippery and earthy guitar by Mike Petrie, Robbie Duncan, Mark Laurent and Ray Ahipene-Mercer, Bean delivers some serious messages and is at its best when she errs to the gritty, personal blues end rather than bemoans the cultural imperialism of American cartoons.
When the mood drops on Catch she reveals another, more intimate, side however which is heard at its best in the reflective Looking Like a Holy Man right at the end.
Over the long haul Bean's vocals lack the necessary range for some of the material here, but when she gets the band kicking you know she must shake walls in pubs and clubs. | Elsewhere by Graham Reid
| | | | NZMusician Magazine March 2010
Carol Bean: Crossing the dirty river
On this follow up to Bean's 2006 album "Read the Road Signs", you get a real sense that many of the lyrics have been drawn from her own experiences, but interestingly she's set them in a very eclectic range of musical styles ranging from straight blues shuffles, country rock and ballads. Each track works very well individually and the running order of the whole has been given careful consideration allowing it to flow despite the changes. 'Kicking & Screaming' has a hook so strong that it's hard to get it out of your head and is my favourite. There are touches of EmmyLou Harris here as well as Lucinda Williams and Bonnie Raitt in some of the rockier numbers without it being derivative.
The album features many well know Wellington players including George Barris and Elluiotte Fuimaono on bass, Ray Ahipene-Mercer and Michael Petrie on guitars, Richard Klein on fiddle and Lester Mundell on harp. Recorded at Robbie Duncan's Braeburn Studio, it's easy to hear the laid back atmosphere and Duncan has also done a fine job with the overall sound production. (DelThomas) | | | | Indie-CDs review by Julie Barnes - AUSTRALIA
Gutsy, rockin' blues woman!
Carol Bean's 2006 album release Read The Road Signs showcases this gutsy, rockin' blues woman well. The twelve tracks are all her own original works of art, covering thoughts and observations on life, love, luck, dreaming, fate and the importance of taking personal responsibility for your own life whilst at the same time acknowledging the magic of community and the impact every one of us has on each and every one of the lives and souls we meet and pass on our journeys.
The song writing on Read The Road Signs is honest and brave. The descriptive story-like lyrics demonstrate an eye for history and consequences, and the album does justice to Carol's passion for blues music which is the subject of Downstairs Blues.
Carol takes the lead vocal and plays guitar on all the tracks, and is backed by a bunch of very competent musos with a feel for the groove she works up on many of the numbers. The band rocks it up and then drops it right back down again for the entertaining range of moods covered by the song collection.
Track two, Eastbourne Jetty, features the sweet sounds of a handcrafted Weissenborn slide guitar; a variety that Carol explains was first made early last century for Hawaiian lap steel playing. A mix of keyboards, slide, bass, mandolin, harmonica, banjo and a variety of percussion instruments gives an essentially raw, uncomplicated but entertaining sound throughout the album. The saxophone on track twelve, Moana Jane, lends a beautiful late-night LA jazz feel, and this is one of my favourite tracks. I can predict that lots of my female friends will just love the song Saying No, about Carol's friend making an unfortunate choice of man. The final track My Paradise gives a little twist to a song about a much loved piece of the New Zealand countryside, Carol's current home country, and winds up the album well.
The opening track of this album is my least favourite number and so if you find your taste to be similar, I urge you to keep listening. Carol Bean is a strong, entertaining songwriter and performer and her work will satisfy the soul of blues fans and anyone who loves a good story keenly observed and well set to good music. Reviewed by Julie Barnes for indie-cds.com 2006
| | | | NZ Musician Magazine Vol 13 No 1. August/ September 2006
CAROL BEAN: Read the Road Signs - A new voice amongst our fine women of rock.
Wellingtonian Carol Bean is sassy and seductive - rock'n'country blues at its best. She delivers songs with a passion that draws you in for more. This debut album brings together her wealth of musical experience as a regular performer at events like the Martinborough Wine Festival and the legendary South of the Divide Concerts. Blues rock is in her blood--from teenage years in LA listening to blues musicians like Mississippi John Hurt at the legendary Ash Grove music venue. She plays a mean guitar, thanks to lessons from the great Ry Cooder. For her debut, she's assembled a talented cast -Clinton Brown [Warratahs, Wayne Mason Band] on bass, smokey sax from CL Bob's Blair Latham, plus Ray Ahipene-Mercer, John Broadbent, Paddy Burgin, and Steve Cournane - there are many others too, but I suggest you check this fine album out for yourself. It is nicely sound packaged by the able hands of Robbie Duncan at Braeburn Studio. www.carolbean.com
written by Liz Barry for "Fresh Cut - NZ Release on vinyl and compact disc" NZ Musician Vol 13 No 1. 2006, page 59
Liz Barry is a music reviewer for National Radio, ZENcast.com - webcast radio, and NZ television. Liz also favourably reviewed this CD on the Good Morning Breakfast TV Show, Monday morning August 7, 2006.
| | | | Australian HiFi
Jeb Tyler. HiFi's DownUnder music columnist
One of Carol’s many axes is a 1954 Martin that Ry Cooder spotted for her and she had to audition to be allowed to buy it. “It’s the same model Keith Richards plays ....which makes me almost famous” laughs Bean. Read the Road Signs is what NZ Musician magazine called rock ‘n country blues at its best. The blues permeate all the tracks but my overwhelming feeling was that a skilled, life-experienced songwriter was delivering superb songs backed by a great band (Blue Highway). Bean has a strong voice that just oozes personality and it’s obvious that everyone had fun making this music, because it really lives and breathes. This is a fabulous CD.
| | | | CAROL BEAN ~ THE WANTED SESSIONS
MIGHTY MIGHTY ~ THURSDAY 2ND AUGUST
Recent additions to the music scene around Wellington are the "Wanted Sessions" at Mighty Mighty - on the first Thursday of each month.
The past Thursday had a treat for lovers of real music. Carol Bean opened, with backing by Jim Nicolson on bass, Costa Botes on guitar and harmonica by Lester Mundell on the occasional song. Good music from each of the musicians, made special by Carol's vocals. It was the kind of music and kind of winter night where one set by Carol and her band weren't enough.
Carol learned guitar from Ry Cooder. She performs in several styles - blues, folk-blues, alt-country, roots, a bit of bluegrass, Americana -call it what you will, but this night let's call it alt-country at its best. Think of Lucinda Williams and Gillian Welch - and you'd be close. Carol did songs by both, as well as some of her own songs.
by Bill in NZ
For information on Carol Bean
www.carolbean.com/
and information on Mighty Mighty
myspace.com/mightymightybar
| | | | Carol Bean's CD is a breath of fresh air
20 years in radio
I spent 20 years in radio and now I am running a webstreamed radio show. Carol Bean's music is a breath of fresh air!
Thanks.
Greg McClure
Lomoc, California - www.goodhelpweb.com | | | | Wonderful, soulful, and hopeful
E. L'Hulliere, Bendigo
Music Review, NSW, Australia
| | | | Andrew Bicknell- Wellington Bluegrass Society 18 APRIL 06
Andrew is president of the Wellington Bluegrass Society and a mighty fine double bass player
Wellington is celebrating a renaissance of top quality individual recordings by local artists. No longer are we striving to cover or imitate overseas artists - instead we now have local artists releasing first class recordings of entirely their own songs, and with their own unique sound. It is indeed a time to celebrate this wealth of local talent that have achieved an international standard. Here is a teaser for Carol's album "Read The Road Signs":
"Recorded at Braeburn Studio by Robbie Duncan over the last year, this debut album is a collection of Carol's original songs; a mix of quirky alt country, raunchy blues, and quietly introspective stories. Carol's bluesy voice and various guitar styles are supported by a swag of stunning musicians including Steve Cournane on drums and percussion, Clinton Brown on bass, Mark Laurent, Ray Ahipene Mercer and Mike Petrie on guitars, the wonderful group Live Bait (Bernard Wells, Paddy Burgin, Ruairidh Morrison), Richard Klein on fiddle, Lester Mundell and John Broadbent on duelling harmonicas, and Bob Smith's atmospheric organ & keyboard sound scapes."
This is a stunningly produced album in all senses of the word - musicality, song writing, production, photography, layout, theme - all unified to produce this work of art in an album. Refer to Carol's website for a pictorial taste of her work:
http://www.carolbean.com/
What: Carol's CD launch for "Read The Road Signs"
When: Thursday 4th May 8:30pm to midnight
Where: Wellington Blues Club, Bristol Hotel, Cuba Mall, Wellington
| | | | Putting the Blues Back into Bluegrass
Carol Bean and her Mount Misery Bluegrass Band
Carol Bean at the Wellington Bluegrass Society Friday 15th June 2007 - a review
"Was it real bluegrass or was it not? Turns out it didn’t matter - it was so much fun nobody cared.
On Friday, 15 June, Carol Bean and the Mt Misery Bluegrass Band graced the Wellington Bluegrass Society stage, covering a wide range in a short time - from Ralph Stanley (‘Pretty Polly’) through Lucinda Williams (‘Jackson’) to Kieran Kane (‘Clean Getaway’). Although the band was formed relatively recently and this was their first gig, all are experienced, skilful and versatile musicians who are clearly at ease in front of an audience.
In short, they pulled it off. Something good was in the air that night. The evening started with a few floor spots. First up was talented local favourite Laura Collins. Next were two imports from farther north: Peter Dyer from Palmerston North and engaging duo Penni Bousfield - also from Palmy - and Kerry Turner from Tahora in the Taranaki back blocks.
Carol then played a few solo originals. Among these numbers was a personal Carol Bean favourite of mine: ‘Eastbourne Jetty’ from her recently released CD ‘Read the Road Signs’. Carol’s compelling, agile and expressive vocals are enough on their own to command one’s complete attention. For years she has fronted blues bands, including her current line-up Blue Highways - one of Wellington’s finest. No doubt this is how she came by her relaxed and good-humoured stage presence. Her presence and her pipes combined with the eclectic line-up to pump up an already receptive audience. There wasn’t a clunker in the set list nor a disappointed face in the room.
The Mt Misery Bluegrass Band provides sparkling instrumentals with Costa Botes on banjo and Beltona resonator guitar, Andrew Delahunty on mandolin, and Richard Klein’s soaring fiddle. Bluegrass Society host Andrew Bicknell provided the big driving bottom while Klein’s backup vocals added texture and punch."
by Peter Dyer
| | | | Riffin da Blues- Moana Radio
NZ Music Month (28 May 2006 7-9pm) 100% Kiwi blues
'Riffin' da Blues' with Mike Butler
Moana 1440(am) - IWI Radio Network
Tauranga, NEW ZEALAND.
Email: butlermike@xtra.co.nz
I am very impressed with Read the Road Signs, especially liked "Downstairs Blues" (see play list). There are other tracks that would fit my show's format and I will Email out my play lists as I play them. Congrats to Carol and everybody else that was involved in this project! Performance, production and song writing are all top notch! Well done!
Mike ‘Riffin' da Blues" Butler.
| | | | Alan Jones Access Radio 783 AM...Wellington 01 May 2006
Access Radio...Saturdays
This week I feature some songs to highlight Peace.... There is one maverick track from Carol Bean's new CD Read The Road Signs - a track chilling in nature called "Remember Me". I put this track in as this band is releasing the disc to the public at the Bristol Hotel next Thursday night May 4th.
Alan Jones www.accessradio.org.nz
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