Renegade Rail

“I traveled to the Wormy Dog in OKC to catch Stoney’s first full band
performace, and was treated to another band that I had not yet had the
chance to go and see. Renegade Rail… put on a fine show. These guys
seemed to be genuinely having a ball up there, and I love it when a band
appears to be having so much fun.” Make no mistake about it, these guys
rock.” - Todd Purifoy

Red Dirt Radio featured band,, where they received a 9.8 rating out of 10 for
their song, “Cardboard.” Skydog quotes: “I just got the best CD I've heard in
the last 10 years (at least) from a new band - the new Renegade Rail CD
called"Ragged". There ain't nothin' ragged about it...this baby is right!”
www.live365.com/skydog123 - Skydog's Reveiws

The importance of track sequence seems to be lost on many bands these days, or maybe it’s their “people” who always seem to want to frontload the “hits,” artistically defined sequencing be damned! I can’t tell you how many albums I’ve been listening to and come to a song that I know must be the last, only to find that it’s only track seven of twelve. Sequencing is part of what makes a record an album, rather than just a collection of songs. If for no other reason, Renegade Rail’s Ragged would be notable for its spot-on sequencing. Young bands, please listen to this record and note the way the tracks, when played in their proper order, pick you up, put you gently back down, and how the final song, “Crazy,” really feels like the final song. A quick look at the liner notes tells me that Mike McClure produced Ragged. McClure at the helm does not necessarily ensure the record will be good, but he is one of the producers, along with Adam Odor and Mark Addison, whose names let me know that I could be in for something very special. “Cardboard” is the opening track. It’s a catchy, country-rock tune about a guy escaping from an unhealthy relationship. “Fat Girls And Weed” is a tongue-in-cheek ode to just what the title says, and it’s surely a favorite at live shows. “Teach You How To Fly” makes great use of a fiddle and a plucking banjo as the backtrack demonstrates that this band’s country roots can shine through when needed. “Red Dirt” is a rocker that immediately appealed to me with its chorus, that shouts: Nashville there’s a thing or two That I really want to say. I’ll take Red Dirt any day. Hear, hear! Ragged has one definite standout track, though, and it’s “Need For Speed,” which is a pure rock tribute to NASCAR drivers. With its driving backbeat, screaming guitars, and fast pace, this is old-school rock at its best. The songs were all written by lead singer Mike Munsterman, with drummer Eric Kullman co-writing three (most notably “Need For Speed”), and producer McClure assisting on “Teach You How To Fly.” As much as I like this album, there is one song that could have been left off. “If This Ain’t Texas” provides a nice musical bridge between the softer “Just You And Me,” and the rocking “Need For Speed,” but there’s something about the song that seems out of place. I dunno, maybe I’ve just heard too many songs that declare Texas to be the motherland. Hell, tell me something I don’t know. Even with that slight misstep, though, Renegade Rail has reached some kind of pinnacle with Ragged. They have produced a record that is satisfying to both the country and the rock sides of me, and, most of all, they’ve produced a real album, complete with a beginning, an end, and a satisfying center. In these days of one-song downloads, that is a true accomplishment, and I thank them for it. (Review by Steve Circeo - Steve Circeo