Ian Tyson has been writing great songs for more than four decades. Raised on a Canadian farm, Tyson first hooked up with Sylvia Fricker in 1959; the couple (under the name Ian & Sylvia) made a number of successful folk albums before going their separate ways in 1975. Since that time, Tyson has become a prime ambassador of “cowboy culture”, recording sporadically and working on his ranch in Calgary.
With his first new disc in five years, Tyson examines some of the inevitable changes in Western life and the impact it has on everyday people. Recorded in Nashville, Toronto and Calgary, Los Herd finds Tyson surrounded by talented musicians, delivering his songs in a strong, clear voice. On the title track, he juxtaposes the images of cellular phones and fax machines with a blood red sunrise and a long-forgotten chant. On “Legends Of Cutting”, he remembers “working cattle the old cowboy way” and the men who cleared a path for subsequent generations of urbanized cowpokes.
Not all of this record is dedicated to thoughts of the Old West, however. It’s also filled with remembrances of a romantic troubadour who has lived a full life and is willing to examine his past. From the melancholy introspection of “Brahmas And Mustangs” to his heartfelt interpretation of “Somewhere Over The Rainbow”, Tyson’s art is imbued with a soft but direct emotionality. Like a lonesome cattle call, Lost Herd is a gentle reminder that home can still be found on the range.
