Music of the West
By Hugh McLennan
April - May 2009
 BANJOS, BRONCS & BUCKAROOS
Allen Christie
“Feedin’ hundred dollar bales to forty dollar cattle”… sound familiar? So do a lot of the lines in $5.27, one of the songs on Allen Christie’s latest project. It’s a highly listenable collection of songs with great variety, carrying the feel of prairie skies, long highways and small-town bars.
Allen has put a fascinating song selection together with the traditional Diamond Joe, a couple of real danceable songs such as Big City and You Wouldn’t Love Me. Both of these would get everybody onto the dance floor at a cowboy bar. Matt Robertson joins Allen for their collaboration, Sinners Greed. They also wrote the powerful Hills of Scotland. I wondered when Terri Mason’s masterpiece, The Ballad of Tamsen Donner would be recorded and I think Allen did justice to the haunting story.
There’s great musicianship here with too many outstanding players to list, but Allen has established a very identifiable style that’s pure, acoustic and very catchy. Banjos, Broncs & Buckaroos are all in this collection and a whole lot more great listening.
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