Better Late Than Never

MARY McCASLIN Mary McCaslin represents an unbroken link between traditional folksingers and today's quot;new folkquot; singer-songwriters. Her music ranges from ballads of the old west to her own songs of the new west and modern times. Regarded as a pioneer of open guitar tunings, and known for her distinctive vocal style, Mary's influences can be heard in many younger folk performers. She is also known for her haunting renditions of pop standards and rock classics, such as quot;Ghost Riders In The Skyquot;, quot;The Wayward Windquot;, the Beatles' quot;Things We Said Todayquot;, and the Supremes' quot;My World Is Emptyquot;. Her versions of the Beatles' quot;Blackbirdquot; and the Who's quot;Pinball Wizardquot; are made more unique by her quot;clawhammerquot; banjo accompaniment. Mary's musical influences are as varied as her repertoire: The western ballads of Marty Robbins, the guitar playing of Joan Baez and Joni Mitchell, the singing and banjo playing of Hedy West, and the vocal inflections of the Beatles and the BeeGees. Her songs have been recorded by Tom Russell (quot;Prairie In The Skyquot;), Bill Staines (quot;Prairie In The Skyquot;), Chris Williamson (quot;Circle Of Friendsquot;), David Bromberg (quot;Young Westleyquot;), Kate Wolf (quot;The Ballad Of Weavervillequot;), Stan Rogers (quot;Down The Roadquot;) and others. The Grand Canyon Railroad has used her song quot;Last Cannonballquot; for it's promotional television ad. BETTER LATE THAN NEVER Acres of Houses was inspired by a visit to the quot;ruralquot; area outside of Burlington, Vermont a few years ago. In the 1970s and early 1980s I recorded at the Philo Records Barn in North Ferrisburg, which is south of Burlington. Back then it was almost all farmland and houses were few and far between. During this visit my friend, singer and musician Rik Palieri, took me for a drive to show me how things had changed. Like everywhere else, houses are sprouting up where fields used to be. • The Lights of Spartanburg was written after the death of singer-songwriter Walter Hyatt, who was killed in the Value Jet crash in 1996. Singers Robin and Linda Williams were old friends with Walter. Returning home from a show the night of the crash, they happened to be driving past his hometown of Spartanburg, South Carolina when they heard the news on the radio that Walter was among the dead.They could see the lights of Spartanburg in the distance. • Unchained Melody is a song I've always loved. Most people associate it with the Righteous Brothers, but it has actually been around since the 1950s. • One of my great inspirations as a singer and banjo player is the late Hedy West.This arrangement of Bei Mir Bist Du Schön is a sort of quot;Hedy West Meets the Andrews Sisters.quot; • Mike Beck is a working cowboy who is also a marvelous singer-songwriter. He caught the real feeling of the Bakersfield Sound in Oildale. • Jim Ringer wrote Sabres and Guns and performed it on stage, but never got to record it.This is one of my favorite of his songs. A few years after his death I found a copy of the lyrics and started singing it. Soon it became obvious to me that it needed more of an ending, so I added the last verse. • Standing in the Doorway was inspired somewhat by Bob Simpson's song quot;Cornerstone Cowboy,quot; which is on the Prairie in the Sky album. Steve Netsky put the melody to my lyrics. • The arrangement of Losing End heard here is based on how I remember it being played by Robb Strandlund and Larry Blom.This is one of my favorite Neil Young songs. • It is a heartbreaking fact that children disappear every year and are never seen alive