What people search:
 | Title : Rules of Travel
Author : Cash, Rosanne
Release Date : 20030325
Binding : Audio CD
Regular Price : $17.98
Amazon.com Price : $12.99
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Editorial Reviews :
It's oddly coincidental that Rosanne Cash's first No. 1 country hit was 'Seven Year Ache.' As it turns out, it's been seven long years since her previous album, 1996's 10 Song Demo, and though she'd written an album's worth of songs after that, her voice suddenly gave out due to a polyp on her vocal chords. Thanks to voice therapy, Cash was able to resume singing and recording, and the result is the hauntingly beautiful Rules of Travel. Tastefully produced by husband John Leventhal and featuring guest appearances by Sheryl Crow, Steve Earle, Teddy Thompson, and Johnny Cash, the album is a showcase for Cash's trenchant, soul-baring songs about love and mortality. Nearly every song is infused with a brooding melancholy, even the ones with sweet musical hooks ('Closer Than I Appear,' 'I'll Change For You'). When you hear the poignant 'September When It Comes,' a duet with her father and one of the album's highlights, you can't help but be stirred hearing them sing, 'When the shadows lengthen and burn away the past/they will fly me like an angel to a place where I can rest.' Rules of Travel is an impressive musical return from one of our most gifted singer-songwriters--and her voice, by the way, sounds as good as ever. --David Hill
Buyer Reviews :
I think it would be difficult for Rosanne Cash to make a bad album. She's one of those artists that don't really fit into one particular genre, which is a good thing. This album is no exception. Her vocals are strong. Her song choices are good. She's always been a more than credible songwriter (check out '44 Stories') and a great interpreter of other songwriter's work ('Hope Against Hope' and 'Beautiful Pain' = A++). 'Rules of Travel' has a good mix of both.
While perusing her rosannecash.com, tracking the making of this album and listening to the few songs Captiol Records put on their website, a few things irked me. The inclusion of two previously released tracks ('Western Wall' and 'September When it Comes'); the amount of 'featured artists' on this recording and some production values. For the most part - all were laid to rest upon a full listening of the CD.
I had figured that 7 yrs between albums it would be all new material. 'Western Wall' isn't much (at all?) different than it appears on '10 Song Demo'. I thought maybe it would be more fleshed out - but it's not. Still a great song though. I will admit no one probably picked up 'Transatlantic Sessions' (a compilation CD) to hear 'September When it Comes'. The song is absolutely wonderful - on that original recording.
After listening to 'Rules of Travel', all but one of my 'featured artists' concerns vanished. 'Beautiful Pain' is a good opener and Sheryl Crow (whom I like, but seems she will appear on anything for anyone at anytime) is a good fit. She's almost backing vocal and her name was slapped on for name recognition and potential sales tie-ins. 'I'll Change for You' w/Steve Earle is extremely good and his rougher voice compliments hers perfectly. I'll be the first to admit that I don't know from Teddy Thompson, but I really really like his harmony vocal on 'Three Steps Down'. And maybe I'm too wedded to the original (and solo) version of 'September When it Comes' (and I will probably bed the only dissenting vote on this), but the addition of Johnny Cash not only doesn't add anything, but takes away from the original. The 'Rules' arrangement/instrumentation is altered from the 'Transatlantic Sessions' - the latter of which I found different than most of Rosanne's previous work.
My production concerns came with the few songs I had heard before the album's release. It is nothing horrid, just a bit distracting at first. John Leventhal seemingly incorporated familiar production values in the music. I swear I hear Shawn Colvin's '84,000 Different Delusions' in 'I'll Change for You' and 'The Rules of Travel' has elements of either Colvin's 'Sunny Came Home' or 'Facts About Jimmy' or 'Get Out of This House'. I can't quite place it. Also, the opening measures of 'Three Steps Down' is extremely reminiscent of 'Our Little Angel'. Though Leventhal didn't produce anything for Cash earlier than 'The Wheel' - some things seem holdovers from earlier productions ('Closer Than I Appear' could have been from 'Rhythm and Romance'). All of this is good. I find the balance of new and old very appealing.
(by rme1963)
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