Andrew Gold: Spence Manor Suite, CD

On the “Spence Manor Suite” album, multi-instrumentalist Andrew plays guitars, bass, keyboards, drums, fiddle and mandolin as well as singing lead and background vocals on all but two tracks, which feature guest vocals from co-writer Gary Burr. 

Andrew Gold first visited Nashville in the Seventies while touring with Linda Ronstadt.  Over the years he has written hit songs for country artists (Wyona Judd, Trisha Yearwood and  Kathy Mattea among others), but he returned there for an extended visit last year – staying in the famous hotel with the guitar-shaped swimming pool which is something of a music business legend – the Spence Manor and Suites. 

Hence his latest album – the Spence Manor Suite – written and partly recorded in his suite at the hotel. And it is without doubt one of the finest albums of his 25-year career. With help from top Nashville writers like Raul Malo of The Mavericks and  Gary Burr, Andrew displays his real affection for country-flavoured music, both traditional and contemporary.     

From the good-time feel of tracks like “Love Made Me Do It” and “Katie” to the bittersweet “Nowhere Now” and the Orbison-styled ballad “Are You Out There?”, Andrew’s songwriting has never been better.

Among his past musical collaborations has been work with Linda Ronstadt, Art Garfunkel, Carly Simon, James Taylor and Don Henley. His solo hits have been the subject of numerous cover versions, particularly “Never Let Her Slip Away”, and several of the songs on this new album echo his classic Elektra/Asylum albums of the late Seventies.