Album Reviews 

4.0 out of 5 stars A tantalizing ride on the Tattoo Train  Reviewed in the United States on February 5, 2002

I'm the kind of listener who appreciates the quality of the music first, and the lyrics second. When I first hit play on John Farley's newest CD, "Tattoo Train," I left the station and went for an enjoyable ride along the musical rails of John's music. The disc opens with "Crazy Moon," a song which musically reminded me of a cross between Willie Nelson and Neil Young, and lyrically it's all John. When I first heard track 2, "Atlas," I said to myself, "I know this song. This is a cover of some good old classic that sits in the back of my memory." But after a few listens I realized, this wasn't a cover, but one of the songs that was on John's debut CD "Free The White Sands," (which I believe might be out of print now). The song IS and should be a classic for years to come. It's one of my favorites for sure (although I must admit I prefer the original version), and is a really great song on both of John's discs. Track 3, "Brazilian Rose" opens with a rain stick and a latin feel, but quickly heats up into an energetic, rocking, anthem telling about the destruction of the rain forest, and hopefully reminding us about the need for its preservation. Vocally, this song, to me, sounds like a cross between CCR's John Fogerty and Santana. A very powerful and awesome song.
Track 5, "Go Back Home," occasionally reminds me of the Beatle's "Norwegian Wood," musically, but quickly transforms into a very nice song that is easy to appreciate. It is another one of my favorites on this disc. Track 6 is the title track to the CD, and could be the best song on this disc. To me it sounds like a combination of Paul Simon's music overlayed with vocals that reminded me of something like a cross between Lou Reed and John Trudell. This is another one of those songs that should become a classic, it is THAT good.
Track 8, "will not sell my soul" has a funkier, bluesy sound that really reminded me of something that the late Stevie Ray Vaughn might have performed. It also reminded me of the style of ZZ Top back in the early days before they got really popular. Both of those artists I just mentioned are from Texas, so we will say that this song has a "Texas" feel to it, and if you don't understand what that means, let me just say that it feels good. Another great song for sure.
The last song on this disc, "Birds of Prey" may be the only song on the disc that I didn't really like. It starts off really good, but somewhere along the way, loses its way, at least to me. I had a hard time following the rythym and to me sounds like it should've had a second take. This is the one song that I liked the lyrics more than the music.
Overall, this disc is one I would highly recommend to music lovers everywhere. The combination of musical and lyrical styles makes this music really enjoyable, and I could, and have, just put this disc on repeat, and listen to it all day long.

"Song Writer that will grow on you."

By Listener on December 22, 2007

I bought this album not knowing what to expect. It's the kinda gambling I like to do; go to the music store and browse, find something that looks interesting and plop down my bucks. Usually I do pretty well and this turned out to be a good album. And it's been growing on me. Some albums are immediate hits, some never make it to my listening cycle and others I'll keep going back to and they eventually strike me. That's what this album does. If you like singer/songwriters with a gritty style and have the patience to delve into the material buy this album.

By Evie Preston on December 9, 2001

As an older listener, I enjoyed the synthesis of cool '70s music a la Cat Stephens with unusual instrumental sounds that seem very modern. This is the kind of music you can sit and listen to or file in the background as comfortable "tunes"; each song has an innovative flair, not hard rocking nor old fashioned droning but all very satisfying. There's a classical edge that appeals as being musically mature, the kind of music that should stand the test of time.