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Review: ‘I Love: Tom T. Hall’s Songs of Fox Hollow’ (Red Beat Records)

Musician/producers Peter Cooper and Eric Brace came up with the brainstorm to re-record Tom T. Hall’s classic children’s album Songs of Fox Hollow front to back. With Hall’s blessing, they brought a wonderful group of like-minded country artists to Hall’s personal studio (actually a converted dog kennel on his farm, Fox Hollow) to reinterpret the album that had been a surprise hit for its originator in 1974.

Musician/producers Peter Cooper and Eric Brace came up with the brainstorm to re-record Tom T. Hall’s classic children’s album Songs of Fox Hollow front to back. With Hall’s blessing, they brought a wonderful group of like-minded country artists to Hall’s personal studio (actually a converted dog kennel on his farm, Fox Hollow) to reinterpret the album that had been a surprise hit for its originator in 1974. Some of the artists onboard are Patty Griffin (“I Love”), Buddy Miller (“Sneaky Snake”), Jim Lauderdale (“I Like to Feel Pretty Inside”) and Elizabeth Cook (“I Wish I Had a Million Friends”). These affectionate remakes honor all of the intelligence, humor and sweetness of Hall’s recordings. Yet the arrangements—featuring keyboardist Jen Gunderman, drummer Mark Horn, pedal-steel virtuoso Lloyd Green, Mike Bub on stand-up bass and guest guitarist Duane Eddy (!)—rock just a little harder than Hall’s originals. Also included is “I Made a Friend of a Flower Today,” a brand-new bonus song written by Hall and his wife, Dixie, and performed by Fayssoux Starling McLean and Tom T. Hall for this release.

Rediscover these songs, and remember that “kiddie” music really doesn’t have to set your teeth on edge. And check out an in-depth look at the production of I Love coming in the August issue of Mix.

Producers: Peter Cooper, Eric Brace. Recording engineers: Richard McLaurin, Alex McCollough, Troy Engle. Mixing: Alex Bednarik. Recording studio: Dixie and Tom T.’s Fox Hollow (Brentwood, Tenn.). Mixing studio: House of David (Nashville). Mastering: McCollough/Yes Master (Nashville).

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