Chris Darrow | Artist Proof
One of the unfortunate aspects of liking country music is that, well…you have to tell people that you like country music. I mean, country music? The genre with the songs about sexy tractors, red solo cups, and saving-a-horse-riding a cowboy?
Modern popular country music is a sad shadow of its former self, so it’s understandable that many people view the whole genre with skepticism. Yet there was a time when country music offered more than the the hokey, formulaic songs we hear today. A recent re-release of Chris Darrow’s 1972 album, Artist Proof, is a reminder of this better time.
Artist Proof was Darrow’s first attempt at a solo record; the culmination of an accomplished studio musician stepping out of the booth (where he had backed such acts as Leonard Cohen, Linda Ronstadt, and James Taylor), and into the role of songwriter. The resulting album demonstrates Darrow’s proficiency at several instruments (particularly pedal steel), as well as his ability to write catchy, yet richly-layered country songs.
The album as a whole could be appropriately described as “Califorinia Country”; a subgenre masterfully cultivated in the late 60s and early 70s by acts such the Byrds and the Flying Burrito Brothers (basically anything associated with Gram Parsons). And with that in mind, Artist Proof would probably be enjoyed by any fan of Gram’s. I also suspect that some loyal fans of the Grateful Dead or CCR would enjoy the record.
The album starts with the instantly catchy, “Beware of Time,” featuring memorable dueling guitars riffs, and a harmonized refrain reminiscent of the Byrds.
Other standout tracks include the piano-driven “Keep on Trying,” and the pedal-steel-heavy “Shawnee Moon.”
Tracks such as “Move on Down the Line,” and “Lovers Sleep Abed Tonight” aren’t as immediately grabbing as the tracks mentioned above…but listeners are rewarded for repeat listenings as subtle composition turns and flawless pedal steel lines are gradually revealed.
Chris Darrow is still alive today–age 69. He has recorded other solo records after Artist Proof – though they’ve been a stylistic departure from his first effort; more akin to funk and R&B. Artist Proof exists then as a single hidden gem within the all-too-short-lived-era when country artists infused the traditional genre with adept musicianship and a novel approach to songwriting.
Forrest
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