3 Fox Drive - Listen To The Music (CD, 2005)

by Nigel Tuffman, 08/24/2005

Yep. I really like the Doobie Brothers. A lot. So if you’re going to do one of their songs, you’d better not screw it up or I’ll hate you for it. And if you decide to record one of their songs, and you even decide to open your CD with that song, you’re inviting comparisons and taking a serious chance at making even more enemies. Especially if you’re using bluegrass instruments – often that type of thing turns into a train wreck.

3 Fox Drive taken all of those chances, and guess what? I love it. They have adopted the Doobie’s “Listen to the Music” as sort of a theme song and open their CD with the song, and it’s great. The rhythm really cooks and that girl (I dunno for sure which one in this case) can wail!

3 Fox Drive began years ago as The Fox Family and now includes Kim Fox on guitar, powerful lead and harmony vocals, and some excellent songwriting (including 7 of the tunes on this project); Barb Fox on more soaring lead and harmony vocals; Joel Fox on right-in-the-pocket banjo and harmony vocals; Jim Reed with some very tasty mandolin and guitar; bass HOSS Mike Anglin; and Megan Lynch with some cookin’ fiddle. These guys all lay their vocals and instruments in there right where they’re supposed to be. Special guests on this project are Randy Kohrs on Dobro and Eric Darken on percussion, adding nice touches on several tunes.

On “Slow Me Down” Barb really lets loose, and this is one of my favorite cuts on the CD. GREAT singing all around, a great melodic hook, really cool instrumental flourishes from everyone, and a great groove that makes me want to dance – and I can’t dance. Just ask my wife.

“This Little House of Mine” tells the story of a move from the little girl’s perspective, and does it beautifully and forcefully. I guess I’ll keep my house until my kids are grown. “Short Walk to the Moon” is a beautiful love song written by Kim, again beautifully done. I could go on, but I’ll just say that they’re all really good songs, and really well done.

I guess I have to have at least one complaint, right? It irks me a little that the CD doesn’t identify who’s singing what on this CD. I just like to know the name of who’s knocking my socks off at any given time. There’s my complaint.

The best thing about this CD is that it’s fresh. Some songs have familiar themes, but they’re just not a rehash of old songs. They’re good new songs, written from a slightly different perspective. And there’s a real variety of rhythms and feels here. More bluegrass artists need to come to the realization that fresh material is really what can make or break a very talented bunch of musicians and singers as a band. With this new CD, 3 Fox Drive shows what can be accomplished when you put together that whole package.

Click here to visit 3 Fox Drive website