Church Street Blues, the 1983 Tony Rice release on Rounder, is one of the guitarist's most eclectic studio albums, ranging from British folk (Streets of London, House Carpenter) to contemporary country (Last Thing on My Mind) to gospel (Pride of Man). Any Old Time, associated with Jimmie Rodgers, and Orphan Annie bring further variety to a set that resists easy categorization. Rice's flatpicking is present throughout, but Church Street Blues is as much a singer's album as a guitarist's showcase, with Rice's developing vocal confidence given room to work across contrasting materials. One More Night and the title track frame the album's lyric range, from the devotional to the quietly plaintive. The record demonstrates the breadth of Rice's musical literacy at a productive early-career moment.
Tracklist
- 1 Church Street Blues 3:08
- 2 Cattle In The Cane 1:56
- 3 Streets of London 4:00
- 4 One More Night 2:14
- 5 The Gold Rush 2:18
- 6 Any Old Time 2:39
- 7 Orphan Annie 2:50
- 8 House Carpenter 4:27
- 9 Jerusalem Ridge 3:27
- 10 Last Thing on My Mind 3:18
- 11 Pride of Man 2:22
- 12 Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald 5