Ease Down the Road

Ease Down the Road
Studio album by
Bonnie 'Prince' Billy
ReleasedMarch 19, 2001 (2001-03-19)
Length44:02
LabelPalace
ProducerThe Continental Op
Bonnie 'Prince' Billy chronology
I See a Darkness
(1999) 		Ease Down the Road
(2001) 		Master and Everyone
(2003)

Ease Down the Road is the seventh studio album by American musician Will Oldham, and the second under his moniker Bonnie 'Prince' Billy. It was released on Palace Records on March 19, 2001.

Domino Recording Company also released a UK limited edition 2-disc version of the album (Domino WIGCD89X). The bonus disc contains tracks taken from a BBC Peel Session first transmitted on March 16, 1999. The lineup includes Will Oldham, Mike Fellows, James Lo, and Matt Sweeney.

Critical reception

Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic[1]
Drowned in Sound10/10[2]
The Guardian[3]
NME9/10[4]
Pitchfork7.9/10[5]
Q[6]
Uncut8/10[7]

Nathan Bush of AllMusic gave the album 4 stars out of 5, saying: "Seeming more confident than ever, Oldham's Ease Down the Road is a wonderful addition to a catalog that should earn him a place among the finest songwriters of his age, or any age."[1] Matt LeMay of Pitchfork gave the album a 7.9 out of 10, calling it "Oldham's most fleshed-out work to date" and "his most sonically diverse."[5]

The Wire included it on the "2001 Rewind" list.[8]

Track listing

No.TitleLength
1."May It Always Be"4:04
2."Careless Love"2:06
3."A King at Night"4:29
4."Just to See My Holly Home"3:40
5."At Break of Day"4:14
6."After I Made Love to You"3:53
7."Ease Down the Road"3:06
8."The Lion Lair"6:01
9."Mrs William"3:03
10."Sheep"2:54
11."Grand Dark Feeling of Emptiness"3:23
12."Rich Wife Full of Happiness"3:07
Japanese edition bonus track
No.TitleLength
13."Carolyn" 
UK limited edition bonus disc
No.TitleLength
1."What's Wrong with a Zoo?"4:29
2."I Send My Love to You"2:42
3."Stablemate"4:21

Personnel

Credits adapted from liner notes.

  • Todd Brashear – vocals, lap steel guitar
  • Matt Everett – violin
  • Mike Fellows – bass guitar
  • Paul Greenlaw – vocals, banjo
  • Catherine Irwin – vocals
  • Harmony Korine – vocals
  • Ned Oldham – vocals, guitar, bass guitar
  • Will Oldham – vocals, guitar, Nord Lead, percussion
  • David Pajo – vocals, guitar, bass guitar, Nord Lead, piano, percussion
  • Bryan Rich – guitar
  • Matt Sweeney – vocals, guitar, banjo
  • Jon Theodore – drums, percussion

Charts

Chart Peak
position
UK Albums (OCC)[9] 88

References

  1. ^ a b Bush, Nathan. "Ease Down the Road – Bonnie "Prince" Billy". AllMusic. Retrieved April 16, 2017.
  2. ^ Tudor, Alexander (July 27, 2012). "Album Review: Bonnie 'Prince' Billy – Ease Down the Road; Master and Everyone; Greatest Palace Music (reissued)". Drowned in Sound. Archived from the original on April 17, 2017. Retrieved April 16, 2017.
  3. ^ Clarke, Betty (March 9, 2001). "Bonnie 'Prince' Billy: Ease Down the Road (Domino)". The Guardian. Retrieved June 15, 2017.
  4. ^ Wirth, Jim (March 10, 2001). "Bonnie Prince Billy : Ease Down The Road". NME. Archived from the original on March 25, 2009. Retrieved April 16, 2017.
  5. ^ a b LeMay, Matt (March 31, 2001). "Bonnie "Prince" Billy: Ease Down the Road". Pitchfork. Retrieved April 16, 2017.
  6. ^ "Bonnie "Prince" Billy: Ease Down the Road". Q (175): 96. April 2001.
  7. ^ Young, Rob (July 9, 2012). "Bonnie 'Prince' Billy – reissues". Uncut. Archived from the original on July 11, 2015. Retrieved April 16, 2017.
  8. ^ "2001 Rewind". The Wire. December 2007. Retrieved November 22, 2018.
  9. ^ "Bonnie Prince Billy". Official Charts Company. Retrieved November 16, 2017.