Title: Bubbafied (Studio Edition)
Artist: Chris Bellamy
Label: CD Baby
Product Type: COMPACT DISCS
UPC: 700261382074
Genre: Country

Bubbafied Review by Russell Johnson Being born on the bayou in Louisiana and spending my formative years in Alabama and back to Cajun country; with family roots in Texas, Kentucky and Tennessee going back to the 1600's, I consider myself an experienced pontificator in all things southern and especially what it means to be "Bubbafied". You don't have to be from the south to fully appreciate this state of being that is Bubbafied, but it helps. I can appreciate it - I am one - a bubba with over 25 years in the music business. It is with my roots and proclivities that I can highly recommend a new album in our midst - Chris Bellamy's "Bubbafied". Chris Bellamy's newest album combines infectious melodies with "gotcha now" stories that come together like a great bowl of gumbo with some jalapeno cornbread on the side. Being southern is not just about heritage it's about so many things, as is the music of this album. Chris weaves together intricate playing that you can stomp your feet to, draws you into a story and makes you want to move at the same time. The perfect marriage of music and lyrics. You can hear influences from every place in the south and all the various forms of music that provide such a rich blend. Is it Country? Yes. Is it Rock and Roll? Yes. Can you hear the jazz influence? Yes, it's snuggled up next to the blues with bluegrass poking it's head in every now and then. Classification of Bubbafied will prove to be frustrating to anyone who tries. It's Southern. It's the swamps of Louisiana; it's the everglades of the Keys, it's the peaks of the Blueridge Mountains; it's the Carolina Coast and the banks of a lazy Tennessee river all rolled into one. And in every locale, if you look, you'll see Bubba - just as with every song on this triumphant album. From the opening picking of "Bubbafied" to the closing chords of "Remember", this album is not just a fine collection of musicianship but it has the songwriting to match. It's a journey and a vacation all rolled into one. You can hear Carolina native Bellamy's influences as wide as Jerry Reed to Jimmy Buffet, from Chet Atkins to his cousins, The Bellamy Brothers - all known for rich stories and the incredible picking to back it up. Chris Bellamy is indeed a gifted musician and it is evident here. His combination styles of flat-picking combined with a refined finger-picking evoke many of the senses. You can smell the saltwater in "Ocean Zone"; you can feel the lazy breeze at the "River Ranch" and feel the sweat of "Amos Moses". "Love me like my Dog" speaks to ever southern man and both "The ballad of John Ashley" and "The Queen of the Everglades" take you into the real world of a Florida outlaw as well as any novel. It's a fine album in the true "album" tradition - a "Collection" of works that flow together seamlessly and not just a group of hopeful singles that is the trend today. Do yourself a favor. Find that lazy place, pop a cold one and let yourself get "Bubbafied"!

Tracks:
1.1 Bubbafied
1.2 Gator Huntin'
1.3 Love Me Like My Dog
1.4 Amos Moses
1.5 You Ain't Just Whistlin' Dixie
1.6 River Ranch
1.7 The Ballad of John Ashley
1.8 Queen of the Everglades
1.9 Swamp People Song
1.10 Ocean Zone
1.11 Your Guitar
1.12 I Remember
1.13 Nellie Bellamy Song and the Story of Bubba (Bonus Track)