Rules Of Travel

Performer: Rosanne Cash
Artist: Sheryl Crow; Steve Earle; Johnny Cash; Teddy Thompson
Engineer: John Leventhal; Tom Schick
Producer: John Leventhal
Distributor: EMI Music Distribution

Notes: Personnel: Rosanne Cash (vocals, guitar); Sheryl Crow, Johnny Cash, Steve Earle, Teddy Thompson (vocals); John Leventhal (guitar, Wurlitzer piano, keyboards, bass, percussion); Rick Depofi (tenor saxophone); Tony Kadler (flugelhorn); Larry Farrell (trombone); Doug Petty (organ); Zev Katz (bass, upright bass); Michael Rhodes (bass); Dennis McDermott, Shawn Pelton (drums, percussion); Matt Keeler (drums); Catherine Russell (background vocals). Recorded at 12th Street Studio, Sear Sound, and New York Noise, New York, New York; Cash Cabin Studio, Hendersonville, Tennessee; Nashville, Tennessee. RULES OF TRAVEL was nominated for the 2004 Grammy Award for Best Contemporary Folk Album. Personnel: Rosanne Cash (vocals, guitar); Johnny Cash, Steve Earle (vocals); John Leventhal (guitar, Wurlitzer organ, keyboards, percussion); Tony Kadleck (flugelhorn); Larry Farrell (trombone); Doug Petty, Danny Louis (organ); Zev Katz (upright bass); Dennis McDermott, Shawn Pelton (drums, percussion); Catherine Russell (background vocals). Audio Mixer: Roger Moutenot. Recording information: 12th Street Studio; Johnny Cash Cabin Studio, Hendersonville, TN; New York Noise, New York, NY; Sear Sound Studios, New York, NY. At every level, Rules of Travel distinguishes itself. A latecomer to songwriting, Rosanne Cash delivers plenty of compelling material, fully comparable in quality to the album's two non-original cuts. She comes up with fresh and intriguing chord changes to end verses and choruses on the title track, and images whose rugged eloquence perfectly fits the early-morning mumble of Steve Earle on "I'll Change for You." On "September When It Comes," she switches to a more homespun, folkloric imagery that suits her father's weathered, timeless rumble. The production values change very subtly according to what best suits each song, from the Wallflowers-oriented roots rock saunter of "Hope Against Hope" to the shadowy urban swing of "Will You Remember Me" to the stark acoustic setting of "Western Wall." Though her voice is hardly the most impressive instrument in country music, Cash knows how to compensate by using an understated approach to more quietly highlight the essence of a song. Given the quality of what she gives herself to work with on Rules of Travel, it's a method that can't miss. ~ Robert L. Doerschuk Rosanne Cash started out at the vanguard of progressive country in the late '70s, but although you can't have deeper roots in country music than Johnny Cash's eldest child, she always had a broader vision in mind. Her definitive farewell to country came with 1993's THE WHEEL and she hasn't looked back since. Only one more album popped out in the 10 years between that career milestone and RULES OF TRAVEL, but it sounds like it was time well spent. With country ever further behind her, Cash goes down a deep, dark, introspective singer/songwriter path via dusky songs simmering with hurt, regret, and hard lessons learned. Cash's artful-but-not-pretentious lyrics are expertly framed by husband/producer/multi-instrumentalist John Leventhal, who plays the lion's share of the instruments and leads his wife toward a sonic state not dissimilar to that of his cohort Shawn Colvin (a crisp folk/rock/pop amalgam). Guest appearances by the likes of Steve Earle and Big Daddy Cash himself make for some variety, but it's Ms. Cash's trenchant, concise songwriting that's the star of this show.

Spin (5/03, p.116) - "...The record recasts her unnerving spell - brooding country-pop riffs that conceal devastating lyrics..." - Grade: A Entertainment Weekly (3/28/03, p.68) - "...Beautiful and melancholy folk-pop....TRAVEL...journeys to the tender, haunted heart of love and mortality..." - Rating: A- Uncut (5/03, p.96) - 4 stars out of 5 - "...RULES OF TRAVEL signals a striking reawakening for a too often overlooked talent....A deeply felt and accomplished return..."

In the early '80s, Rosanne Cash, oldest daughter of Johnny Cash, brought a much-needed rock sensibility to country music, which at the time was drifting ever closer to adult contemporary music. She came across as a bluesier, gutsier version of Emmylou Harris. In recent years, however, Cash has shunned the spotlight, preferring to focus on family life.

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