Bound To Ride: The Best of Larry Sparks

Album review

As a bluegrass performer, Larry Sparks has always been easy to like. Perhaps it has something to do with his distinct vocal style, or perhaps his speedy fingerpicking, or perhaps his choice of material. It could even have something to do with his ability to bridge the old and the new without seemingly to sacrifice either. Best of Larry Sparks: Bound to Ride offers a good overview of his work, drawing form a wide range of material, from 1975's Sparklin' Bluegrass to 2003's The Coldest Part of Winter. It is interesting, with all of this material side by side, to compare Sparks' work from 1975-1976 with everything after 1980. When listening to "You Could Have Called" from 1976, Sparks handles the song well, though his vocal is higher (more nasal) than his later material. In a sense, he is still finding his voice here, a voice that would emerge strongly on 1980's John Deere Tractor. The title cut from that album, written by Lawrence Hammond, remains one of Sparks', and contemporary bluegrass', finest moments. Here, Sparks easily evokes the disappearance of clean country living in both words and music, evocatively underpinning his vocals with Tommy Boyd's dobro. "John Deere Tractor" is joined by many other fine cuts, making Bound to Ride a good intro to Sparks' rich songbook.
© Ronnie D. Lankford, Jr. /TiVo