Laughing Last

I guess you could call Buddy Miller a late bloomer. Here's a question for any baby boomers that might stumble across this post. How many people do you know that picked up the guitar in the 60s? OK. Now, how many of your garage band pals are still making a living playing music?

lonely...cricket...chirps

Buddy Miller has been hanging in there making music since the Summer of Love and didn't really start to get his due until The Summer of Bill and Monica when he landed a job touring with Emmylou Harris. That's a long time in the van but the skills he refined and the relationships he forged along the way have given us an amazing body of work.

The Best of Buddy Miller has 6 volumes, each album he's released since 1995's Your Love and Other Lies through 2004's Universal United House of Prayer. Not a speck of filler in 10 years. Off hand I can't think of another artist I'd say that about.

Buddy is a wonderful guitar player. His sparse, soulful style emphasizes touch, tone and taste over flash and speed. Hardcore guitar geeks revere him and you'll always find a cadre of these wretched souls huddled at the edge of the stage admiring Buddy's rare plastic pawn shop guitars and myriad effects pedals.

Being somewhat of a gearhead, Buddy has turned half of his Nashville home into a recording studio. The other half of the home he shares with his wife, singer/songwriter Julie Miller and an ever changing cast of wayward cats and possums. Ironically named Dogtown, the studio is a wonderful blend of vintage analog and digital technology and all of the Miller's albums over the last decade have been recorded there.

I love Buddy's organic way of making music. Once asked in an audiophile interview how he captured such vital drum sounds, Buddy responded "I work with really good drummers". By working with friends in the comfort of his home, the atmosphere is conducive to great performances. Then, it's just a matter of getting it all on tape or a hard disk, something Buddy's been doing since his Deadhead days on the West Coast.

Ever notice how the best Country singers have first names that seem to go with the job? Names like Lefty, Buck, Hank, Merle, Red and now Buddy. Yessir, Buddy Miller is probably the finest Country Western singer around nowadays. I wish I could post .mp3s of"A Showman's Life" or "That's How I Got To Memphis for you all to listen to as you read this then you'd know what I'm talking about. Hell I wish Country radio would play any of Buddy's music period but I'm not going to go there right now. My Blood pressure's been running a little high and all.

So if you miraculously find yourself reading this and you really love honest, meaningful music, Ryoushi says buy with confidence and treat yourself to all the Buddy Miller albums you can find.