As it happened, I was flying to Seattle with my wife to pick up a truck and drive back home to New England, and took the opportunity to attend a house concert with Mr. Barnes in Portland Oregon. I had seen him twice before with JAB, but this was the first chance to see two full sets of his own songs. It was wonderful.
So I bought another copy of the CD at the show, to listen to in the truck. We have been listening to it for over a month, making our way across the states. Within the first week, my wife was singing along to "The Cat To The Rat"; by the second week we both were singing "Lighthouse" together in the truck, singing harmony with Danny Barnes.
That's the first time we ever sang together. I'll tell you something: if you never sang with your wife or husband, it's really worth a try. Makes you closer. People who sing in church already know this, it was new to me.
We are still some thousands of miles from New England (taking a very indirect route) and if the truck holds up as well as this album, we should arrive in good shape by spring.
So I am writing this not so much as a review, but as a thank you card. I want Danny Barnes to know that his music has added something sweet to our trip and to our lives.
