Music Review

Wheels of Fortune

Wheels of Fortune by Flatlanders, published by New West

Reviewed by John Morthland

January 2004

Buy it at Amazon

Now is now again for the Flatlanders, the Lubbock troika that released a comeback album in 2002, thirty years after its members, Joe Ely, Jimmie Dale Gilmore, and Butch Hancock, first disbanded. Wheels of Fortune (New West) is a pleasing set but one that doesn't share its predecessor's collaborative jitters. Unlike Now Again, which was mostly co-written, there's scarcely a shared credit here. Still, Ely's "Neon of Nashville" and Hancock's wry "Eggs of Your Chickens" are worthy additions, and a pair of Gilmore-penned gems are nicely resuscitated. Hancock—whose voice seems to be growing richer with age— delivers a sublime "Deep Eddy Blues," while Ely completely inhabits "Midnight Train." Otherwise, it's a mixed bag.

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