Australiana meets the old west on a fine set of traditional country-inspired songs.
Australia is producing some great stuff in “our” part of the musical forest. This collaboration between American George Mann, who his press describes as a “songwriter’s singer,” and Mick Coates, who has made a career out of being quintessentially Australian, could, at first sight, have become a clash of opposites. By the time For the West has opened the album, though, we discover that we are actually in the presence of a partnership that draws the best from both sides of the Pacific.
“I thought the contrast of our voices, alternating lead vocals on the songs, would be an interesting blend, and we both love the kind of story-songs that we feature on this album,” George said. When the title Ghosts of the Old West came to him, George suggested to Mick that they each write a song with that title, though for clarity, Mick’s song is called The Ghosts of the Old West.
That Sweet Plaintalkin’ Country Girl is an old-timey-inspired song from Coates and features his Johnny Cash-influenced vocal. This was his first song, written 20 years ago. The Country could be the outback or the Midwest; it makes little difference to the lyrics. That is followed by Mann’s take on the album title. A narrative that takes us from El Paso to Phoenix and a story of rage, solved with a shotgun and mistaken identity, which could have been written at any time in the last hundred years. In Irons from Limerick City, which, as the title may suggest, is a story of transportation set in 1820. It’s a tale which Coates has in his own family tree. Structured as a simple Irish folk song, this is an effective addition to the canon of penal system ballads. They Call Her Dolly Parton was written about a woman George Mann met while singing for nursing homes.
Coates’ The Ghosts of the Old West is also set in Arizona and New Mexico, but is set out on the range with a more traditional take on the title lyrically and musically. The supporting cast of players working with the headline artists is extensive and impressive. Molly MacMillan’s piano is especially good on They Call Her Dolly Parton. Elbonee “SingTrece” Stevenson makes valuable supporting vocal contributions, as do Tim Ball on Violin and Rich DePaolo on electric guitars throughout the album. Most of the album was recorded over 4 days at Electric Wilburland while Coates was on a trip to the USA. “This was a more than worthwhile and unexpected experience for an old cowboy singer riding the twilight trail. I loved the idea and am glad that we were able to see it through”
There really isn’t a bad song on Ghosts of the Old West. When they met at the Maldon Folk Festival, Coates was doing a set of Johnny Cash tunes. His Cash-style baritone, “delivered with an Aussie accent, got George’s mind thinking, and when they began talking about making this album, The Ballad of Ira Hayes was an obvious choice. Not one of Johnny Cash’s better-known songs, but one of his most important.” The story of that meeting is told in Mann’s closing song ‘Til the Cows and ‘Roos Come Home. With the largest band sound of the album, it’s also another highlight. It’s interesting that most “Australian” song here was written by the American. It makes a good way to round up the collaboration with a honky tonk piano and more of the sweet harmonies, which are one of the hallmarks of this excellent country-based album rooted in both American and Australian pasts.
