In 1997, Shenandoah almost threw in the hat after losing singer Marty Raybon. They had gone through several band member changes over the years, but the core group had remained the same. In early 1999, good friend and co-writer, Curtis Wright, came by the studio to write and jam on some new songs. The rest, as it is said, is history. There was chemistry in the songs that were coming out and the "new" Shenandoah was born. They have signed on with the independent label, FreeFalls Entertainment, and released their debut album with that label in 2000. It is aptly titled Shenandoah 2000. I think it is a very strong country album. All of the songs tell a story. It is an easy album to listen to.

"Building A Home" has a traditional sound and reminds us that no matter what type of "house" we live in, it is the people in it that make it a "home." Stuff doesn't matter; love and family are truly the important things in life.

"What Children Believe" has a ballad feel to it. It is talking about how life can be so simple and black and white in the eyes of a child. Once you become an adult you see the world in shades of gray, and there are fine lines between truth and lies/right and wrong.

"Something I Fell Into" is an up-tempo tune. He says he just "fell into" her. What a lucky guy. Brings home the fact that you often find love when and where you really aren't looking for it.

"I Really Don't Want To Know" is a true country "she left me" song. It is a slow song, and he is asking her if it is true, did she find somebody new? He is really missing her and wants to stick his head in the sand.

"Room To Run Around" reminds me a little bit of the "old" Shenandoah. He needs a place to relax and unwind. To listen to his voice echoing in the wide-open spaces, with no one telling him to turn it down.

"Hillbilly Hotel" is the story of life on the road for a country band. Great fiddle music. They have all the comforts of home in their 45' long rolling Holiday Inn. They even mention "Bubba" of "Bubba Can Dance" fame in this autobiographical song. It is catchy.

And I can't finish without mentioning the "fun" song of the album. "The Booger Song" is pretty much self-explanatory in title. I'm not sure why they felt the need to write a song on this subject, but it definitely has you in stitches while listening to it. Brings back memories of the beautiful days of childhood.

All in all, I really enjoyed this album. I have listened to Shenandoah for years, and I am happy they are continuing to tour and release new material. It has a slightly different sound from the original group, but not bad at all.

Song List:

1. Building a Home
2. Tied to a Tumbleweed
3. What Children Believe
4. Something I Fell Into
5. I Really Don't Want to Know
6. Room to Run Around
7. Hillbilly Hotel
8. When You Were Mine
9. Make the Best of It
10. Loving You Again
11. Lickity Split
12. The Booger Song

Listen to Audio Clips of a few of the songs at Amazon
All graphics © Shelly Fabian, with the exception of the album cover, used with permission of Free Falls Entertainment.

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