Ron Vogel - Our Way Home

Hear The Track Here

It's been almost a year exactly since I first met the musical side of American alternative musician Ron Vogel. While reviewing Blazing (November 2009) I wrote that it was a 'nice slice of rock' which - I guess - does sound a bit like damning with faint praise. Subsequent tracks soon put paid to that initial lack of contact and have shown that Ron Vogel is a man of taste with a fine rock sensibility but that's not always every ones cup of tea is it? Well **** them I say, because it definitely is mine although I do admit to an inbuilt bias towards the American version that I do my best to suppress but sometimes - as you know to your cost - it will have its way. See that's the problem with giving me rock tracks - it's a bit like Russian roulette. With that thought running screaming down the passage ways of your mind, let's step lively and accompany Ron on Our Way Home.

Cue music indeed...

I blame McCartney (Ed: that would be Sir Paul to you Gilmore, you peasant!) for singlehandedly perpetuating the kind of music I refer to as treacle rock. Full of cute, fluffy images of home and hearth and goodness and light and give-me-a-*******-break will ya? Now I'm not as much as a nasty as I make out but there is only a certain amount of sugar I can take before I puke up bile and venom. Now I'm English so I come with a certain amount of whining tolerance built in, but I can't stand when its pathetic as well as whiny. McCartney's saving grace is that he is an incredibly gifted musician. Although on a different level, so is Ron Vogel, and although Our Way Home is billed as folk rock it's proper name should be Americana.

Whatever you want to call it, it is undeniably lively, well structured and played with much style which accounts for the string of good ratings I have given this guy in the past. And - get this - sugar free!! I have always been a fan of the human voice (except the whiny kind obviously) and growing up in the Golden Age am much affected by close harmony vocal work and - for my money - Our Way Home is a classic example of the right way to go about it. As good as the music and singing are, the song itself shines out of this track like a blinding light. I love songwriters who tell tales and Ron is a bit of a dab hand at that but this, this is surely one of the very best tracks I have heard from him so far. From the inspiring use of harmonica, to the beautifully tasteful vocals this song has everything I need and more besides.

And - get this - sugar free!! MUST HAVE Americana.