Stompin' Tom Connors — The Ballad Of Stompin' Tom

Stompin' Tom's 50th album (and 23rd of original material) sees him singing more songs about Canada and Canadians, complete with passion, compassion and humour. He's added a verse to "The Olympic Song" in recognition of the Vancouver 2010 winter games, and also re-recorded "The Hockey Song" to give it a fuller sound than the original favourite. While "Chase Me, Charley," about a woman courting a shy, young man, is done in jig time, Connors hopes to start a new dance craze among lumberjacks with "Bush Of Buctouche" (a.k.a. "The Doot Song"). His humour and fondness for good-looking, well-endowed women is all over "Chickee Pooh," but his more serious side comes out in the moving title track, which can be considered an abbreviated version of his Before The Fame book. Connors yodels a bit on that song and "The Cowboy's Broken Ring," but really lets loose with some impressive yodeling on his cover of Wilf Carter's "Take Me Back To Old Alberta," which is taken from his Stompin' Tom In Live Concert DVD. If you're not a Stompin' Tom devotee now, this album won't convert you. But if you are, this should make you feel right at home.

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