Night Train (Bill Morrissey album)

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Night Train
Studio album by
Bill Morrissey
Released1993
GenreFolk
LabelPhilo[1]
ProducerEllen Karas
Bill Morrissey chronology
Friend of Mine
(1993) 		Night Train
(1993) 		You'll Never Get to Heaven
(1996)

Night Train is an album by the American musician Bill Morrissey, released in 1993.[2][3] Morrissey promoted the album with a North American tour that included shows with Cheryl Wheeler.[4][5]

Production[edit]

The album was produced by Ellen Karas.[6] Morrissey's lyrics were inspired more by fiction writers than by other songwriters; he wrote the album in four weeks.[4][7] David Johansen sang on "Love Arrives".[8] Duke Levine played guitar on the album; Billy Conway and Johnny Cunningham played drums and violin, respectively.[9][10][11]

"Birches" is about a longtime married couple.[12] "Sandy" examines organized religion.[13] "Letter from Heaven" describes humorous encounters in heaven with famous deceased musicians, including Robert Johnson and Dizzy Gillespie.[14][15]

Critical reception[edit]

Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic[16]
The Encyclopedia of Popular Music[17]
Entertainment WeeklyA[18]
MusicHound Folk: The Essential Album Guide[6]
Orlando Sentinel[10]
Pittsburgh Post-Gazette[15]
The Republican[11]
Rolling Stone[19]

Entertainment Weekly wrote: "Morrissey’s creaky voice is the perfect instrument to tell these proud losers’ tales. Put simply, he is the best folk songwriter working today."[18] Rolling Stone stated that "Morrissey's songs capture the stark, hardscrabble milieus of a subterranean New England culture—rootless drifters, despondent cabbies, beery, down-on-their-luck deckhands."[19] The Atlanta Journal-Constitution concluded that Morrissey's "small stories focus on the subtle truths glanced between the observed subject and the subject observing."[20]

The Colorado Springs Gazette-Telegraph determined that "unlike the '70s sensitive men (Jackson Browne, James Taylor), who wore out their welcome by whining about messed-up relationships, Morrissey and his peers ... seem to address their male inadequacies with at least a snicker of humor"; the paper listed the album among the 20 best of 1993.[21][22] The Chicago Tribune noted that "Morrissey's characters are inevitably middle-aged, crumbling around the edges, and yet, somehow, dealing with it."[23]

AllMusic wrote that "the sound on this album is more stripped down, as basic as a Lou Reed record and just as effective."[16]

Track listing[edit]

No.TitleLength
1."Night Train" 
2."Sandy" 
3."Birches" 
4."Cold, Cold Night" 
5."Letter from Heaven" 
6."Ellen's Tune" 
7."So Many Things" 
8."Love Arrives" 
9."Blues in the Morning" 
10."Broken Waltz Time" 
11."Walk Down These Streets" 
12."Time to Go Home" 

References[edit]

  1. ^ "Bill Morrissey Biography, Songs, & Albums". AllMusic.
  2. ^ "Friend of Mine – The Bill Morrissey Tribute Concert – review". No Depression. Retrieved 12 July 2022.
  3. ^ Jarvey, Paul (30 Dec 1993). "Fishin' for fame; Bill Morrissey reels in a folksy following". Telegram & Gazette. p. C1.
  4. ^ a b Allen, Bob (14 Jan 1994). "Morissey's acoustic folk music is finally paying off". Features. The Baltimore Sun. p. 5.
  5. ^ Eichenberger, Bill (December 9, 1993). "'World Cafe' artists at First Unitarian". Weekender. The Columbus Dispatch. p. 8.
  6. ^ a b MusicHound Folk: The Essential Album Guide. Visible Ink Press. 1998. p. 567.
  7. ^ Racine, Marty (October 9, 1993). "Bill Morrissey comes calling with 'Train'". Houston. Houston Chronicle. p. 1.
  8. ^ Lamey, Mary (4 Dec 1993). "NIGHT TRAIN Bill Morrissey". The Gazette. Montreal. p. D5.
  9. ^ Rotondi, James (Mar 1994). "Songlines – Night Train by Bill Morrissey". Guitar Player. 28 (3): 120.
  10. ^ a b Gettelman, Parry (18 Feb 1994). "BILL MORRISSEY". Calendar. Orlando Sentinel. p. 8.
  11. ^ a b O'Hare, Kevin (September 12, 1993). "Bill Morrissey, 'Night Train'". The Republican. p. D2.
  12. ^ "Quick fixes – Night Train by Bill Morrissey". Stereo Review. 59 (4): 98. Apr 1994.
  13. ^ Armstrong, Gene (October 15, 1993). "Morrissey blends humor with bleak musical themes". Arizona Daily Star. p. 8E.
  14. ^ Reid, Robert (November 11, 1993). "Night Train Bill Morrissey". Waterloo Region Record. p. D8.
  15. ^ a b Finman, Sigmund (December 5, 1993). "ENTERTAINMENT". Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. p. E3.
  16. ^ a b "Bill Morrissey - Night Train Album Reviews, Songs & More | AllMusic" – via www.allmusic.com.
  17. ^ Larkin, Colin (2006). The Encyclopedia of Popular Music. Vol. 6. MUZE. p. 14.
  18. ^ a b "Night Train". Entertainment Weekly. Retrieved 12 July 2022.
  19. ^ a b Ransom, Kevin (Nov 11, 1993). "Recordings — Night Train by Bill Morrissey". Rolling Stone (669): 74.
  20. ^ Townsend, Bob (November 13, 1993). "FOLK". The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. p. L28.
  21. ^ Asakawa, Gil (26 Nov 1993). "SOUND ADVICE". Colorado Springs Gazette-Telegraph. p. D2.
  22. ^ Asakawa, Gil (7 Jan 1994). "The 'best' music of '93 might not ring a bell with top-40 fans". Colorado Springs Gazette-Telegraph. p. E3.
  23. ^ Kot, Greg (11 Mar 1994). "THE MORRISSEY THE MERRIER". Friday. Chicago Tribune. p. 5.
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