Album Review of
All Grassed Up

Written by Joe Ross
January 10, 2020 - 8:04pm EST
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Eddy Raven and Carolina Road are a potent combination for a winning album of “All Grassed Up” music, including many of Raven’s hits. A native of Louisiana born in 1945, Eddy Raven has been writing and recording songs since the late 1960s that incorporate his eclectic influences of Cajun, blues, rock and roll, and pure country. In a similarly adventurous vein, Pinecastle Records enlisted him to record with this fine, established band from North Carolina known for their contemporary bluegrass sound and charisma. It’s not the first time the pair has worked together, and Eddy Raven appears as one of many featured country artists on Carolina Road’s highly-acclaimed 2015 album, “Country Grass.”  The solid band’s personnel are Lorraine Jordan (mandolin, harmony vocals), Josh Goforth (fiddles, guitar, mandolin, harmony vocals), Ben Greene (banjo), Tommy Long (guitar), and Jason Moore (bass). Raven achieved his first #1 single with “I’ve Got Mexico,” and this latest arrangement of the song is well suited for mainstream bluegrass radio. The Oak Ridge Boys had a hit with Raven’s “Thank God For Kids,” and their grassed-up version should garner considerable airplay. Other standouts include “I Should Have Called” and “Operator, Operator” as well as something for those with an affinity for a standard traditional bluegrass offering, “Rollin’ in My Sweet Baby’s Arms.” All told, Raven has a nice bluegrass voice, his songs adapt well to the genre, and this album establishes a nice groove that’s full of energy. (Joe Ross, Roots Music Report)