Best of Columbia Records Radio Hour 1 [Import]

The brightest moments belong to Bruce Cockburn, Shawn Colvin, Mary Chapin Carpenter and Rosanne Cash. Cockburn is benefitted by the always-tasteful upright bass of Rob Wasserman, which gives plenty of bottom to the inflective "Lord Of The Starfields" and the engaging "Lovers In A Dangerous Time." In fact, I prefer this version of the latter to the studio original.

Shawn Colvin is represented by an intimate "Polaroids", where her angelic voice is complemented by a variety of interesting rhythms. Mary Chapin Carpenter add supple harmonies on the great "Shotgun Down The Avalanche", and Colvin returns the favor for a gorgeous reading of Carpenter's "Come On Come Over" that gives a prime example of the benefits of hushed dynamics. Rosanne Cash, with help from John Leventhal, turns "Wouldn't It Be Lovely" into a country/folk swing, while former Talking Heads frontman David Byrne adds ideosynchric harmonies to "What We Really Want." Peter Himmelman also fares well with the intimate feel of "Raina."

Like most various artists compilations, though, the variety of music meets its limits in terms of acquired tastes. Your mileage may vary, but the Leonard Cohen songs feel out of place in comparison to the acoustic-based artists: Whereas most of the songs eschew warmth and human emotion, Cohen's are almost too cold and calculating. Darden Smith's "The Levee Song" is pleasant, but almost appears like a leftover in comparison to the other contributions.

The disc closes with a classy reading of a touching "Cry Of A Tiny Babe", with Cockburn aided by Lou Reed (who handles the second verse), Rosanne Cash (providing tasteful harmonies), and Wasserman. A fine touch to a CD that not only chronicles portion of the Columbia Records Radio Hour, but also as a fine sampler to artists whose works deserve plenty of attention.

For instrumental performance, it should be no surprise that the guitar work of Bruce Cockburn is dazzling and majestic - he is nothing less than a master. The innovative and understated stand-up bass of Rob Wasserman is showcased on several selections. A surprise for me is the finger-picking skills of Mary Chapin Carpenter: she holds her own ground. In comparison to the other tracks, Darden Smith's `The Levee Song" rocks. The Godfather of Melancholy, Leonard Cohen, is as gravel-sounding and as off-key as ever; but his poetry is wonderful. The standout track is `Wouldn't It Be Lovely' (from My Fair Lady) by Rosanne Cash. The audience is exceptionally quiet during the vocal, piano, and guitar song. Rosanne is breathtaking. In summary, Columbia Records Radio Hour features a hefty sixty-six minutes of "the best of the best" in a relaxed and friendly atmosphere.