Land of Milk and Honey

I've been following Eliza Gilkyson on and off since her Santa Fe days, and her abilities as a singer and songwriter have grown with each new release. But, for the longest time, I felt her Linda Ronstadt-ie vocal mannerisms kept her from being as good as she could be."Land of Milk and Honey," is a big leap forward. It's as if all her music and lyric writing to date were preparing her for this work. Every song is top notch and filled with emotional intelligence, and her backup, as always, is terrific. And, I couldn't detect a bit of Linda!Thanks to "Folk Alley," for consistently playing her work. That's where I heard, "Peace Call," and jumped right to Amazon.com to buy the cd.Looking forward to hearing, "Paradise Hotel," which looks to be selling very well.Good on Eliza!

I "discovered" Eliza at the 2003 Woody Guthrie Folk Festival in Okemah, OK. I loved her voice, music, and lyrics from her first note, but it was Tender Mercies, the soon-to-be fourth song on this new CD (not yet released at that time), that reached in and touched--wrenched--the depths of my soul. I was an immediate forever-fan! Not a mother (or father) alive could hear the contrasted stories of the simple hopes a mother has for her children and not be touched by them. I've been waiting with baited breath for this new CD and couldn't be happier with the results. Eliza does it again--her best yet, in my opinion!

Eliza Gilkyson's new album is one great work from the witty, sarcasm laden "Highway 9" to the beautiful, heartfelt "Peace". In between she fills the spaces with deeply personal songs like "Not Lonely" and "Separated" as well as fun songs like "Wonderland" and "Running Away". The standout track has to be "Tender Mercies" where she uses her deep low notes in contrast to her tender high voice to share a mother's prayer for her children in a troubled world. I had the opportunity to hear her play this song live a few weeks back, and on the first hearing, she stunned the crowd with this song.If only this song could get some airplay, this could really be her breakout hit. I only wish the rest of the world knew about the talents of this great lady.

This collection is wonderful. I listen to it a lot, in lots of different settings.

Similar to Hard Times in Babylon....wonderful lyrics. If you like Eliza, you will enjoy this album. A nice range of instrumentation and vocals.

Excellent album in her classic style. All songs good and enjoyable. A must for anyone who has Gilkyson collection

Eliza Gilkyson has become one of my favorite artists. Lyrically she is thoughtful and thorough. She edits until it is right. She has a creative gift for melody and song construction, and her voice is true and expressive.That said, this release does use the human condition and social commentary as a recurring theme, and this makes it my favorite CD of hers. She has something to say, and she says it here - beautifully.

This is a wonderful CD, one that is very reflective of the times it was written in. Eliza has a truly beautiful voice. She explores tunings on her guitar that give her the room to use her voice in ways that are unique and very soulful. If you like her past works, you'll appreciate this effort. If you are new to her music, you are in for treat.

With her latest offering Eliza gets more political (as those who saw her on her recent UK dates will be aware her views on the recent Gulf Conflict are not far from those expressed by the Dixie Chicks) but unlike certain other musicians who have gone that route and failed, thankfully she is none the worse for this new direction.From the amazing cover photo from Kosovo (and referred to in the CD title song) to the range of songs covered, all serve to demonstrate that this artiste continues to develop her range in topics covered, lyrics and music. All the cuts show the usual impeccable musicianship seen on her previous Red House CDs using many of the same musicians plus again excellent production from Mark Hallman. While overall the CD is not as high on the personal happiness quotient seen in her last release ("Lost & Found"), it ranges wide and far from the Gulf Conflict and war and terror (Hiway, Tender Mercies and the "lost" Woody Guthrie song Peace Call) through sad songs on other's personal suffering (Dark Side of Town and Ballad of Yvonne Johnson) to personal reaffirmations of what a mature and independent lady thinks ((Not Lonely, Wonderland and Separated).As with all great recordings and performers, a CD that is being played regularly and leaves one eagerly awaiting the next release.