CD Review - BILLY CHERNOFF - Magical Mystery Man

BILLY CHERNOFF
Magical Mystery Man
Old Hippy Records – OHRCD151
Produced by: Dave Hamilton
(10 Selections – Playing Time 38:18)
Down At The Rodeo / Your Cowboy Loves You / Somebody’s Baby / Magical Mystery Man / Even Poets Grow Old / Rodeo Miles / American Cowboy / My Old Compadres And Me / Stopped Into A Small Town / Hard Living Cowboy

Billy Chernoff is a veteran singer / song- writer, based out of Grand Forks, B.C. who has been on the music scene for four decades, first charting in the late 60’s (as Billy Charne) with a series of Top 10 singles for RCA. Every so often Chernoff surfaces with a new album; this latest collection is particularly interesting.

All of the songs on the album were written by Billy Chernoff with his music partner Dean Phillips. Chernoff’s writing, and the delivery of the material combines the ‘story-telling’ style of Tom T. Hall, with the Texas swing music of Red Steagall. It makes for a good listen. The songs deal with wide open spaces, cowboys and rodeos, and slices of life. Chernoff’s vocal work is not flashy, just down-to-earth and believable, and sometimes that’s where it counts most.

Some of the highlight tracks here come in the rodeo-flavored western tunes like American Cowboy, Down At The Rodeo, Your Cowboy Loves You, Rodeo Miles, and Hard Living Cowboy, which is given a Waylon & Willie “Good Hearted Woman” feel. Also strong is the two-step My Old Compadres And Me, and the story song Stopped Into A Small Town.

The album’s title track, Magical Mystery Man is something akin to what Tom T. Hall spun in his early career songwriting; and although a little overly-sentimental it has a special message that could generate some special attention.

Magical Mystery Man was produced by highly acclaimed guitarist / producer Dave Hamilton and recorded at studios in Calgary. The album also boasts some dynamite artwork and graphics, the best seen on a ‘Cancountry’ indie release in some time.