Cold on the Shoulder, Tony Rice's 1984 Rounder release, leans heavily into the folk and country repertoire that Rice had absorbed alongside his bluegrass foundation. Gordon Lightfoot's title track and Bitter Green appear alongside traditional material including John Hardy and Wayfaring Stranger, creating a set that sits comfortably at the intersection of the acoustic revival and the bluegrass tradition. Muleskinner Blues, associated with Jimmie Rodgers and central to the bluegrass canon, is one of the album's more traditional choices, while Fare Thee Well and Likes of Me pull toward folk balladry. If You Only Knew adds contemporary country inflection. Rice's guitar work throughout is controlled and purposeful, serving the song rather than the instrument, a discipline that marks his best recordings regardless of genre.
Tracklist
- 1 Cold on the Shoulder Source Recording 2:34
- 2 Wayfaring Stranger Source Recording 5:23
- 3 John Hardy Source Recording 3:29
- 4 Fare Thee Well Source Recording 3:21
- 5 Bitter Green Source Recording 2:45
- 6 Muleskinner Blues Source Recording 4:23
- 7 Song For Life 3:01
- 8 Why Don’t You Tell Me So Source Recording 3:11
- 9 If You Only Knew Source Recording 2:16
- 10 Likes of Me Source Recording 2:55
- 11 I Think It's Gonna Rain Today 2:40
