VOA标准英语2011--Vince Gill Returns to Country Charts With 'Guitar Slinger'

Vince Gill Returns to Country Charts With 'Guitar Slinger¹'

It’s been five years since Country star Vince Gill appeared on the popularity charts. The Oklahoma native recently made a welcome return with his new album, "Guitar Slinger.”

“Guitar Slinger” is Vince Gill’s first new album since 2006. Gill wrote or co-wrote all of the 12 tracks, which deal with love, loss, hope, and faith. For the first time in his career, he recorded the collection in his new home studio. He says not using a rented studio helped create “a really warm record” that he also describes as one of his most diverse.

“It slants² in two halves in a sense," he said. "There’s a half that’s somewhat contemporary sounding. It’s not very traditionally driven. The second half of the record is [with] a lot of steel guitar playing by Paul Franklin and the songs are very different on the back half of the record. They’re much more traditional, a couple of really neat story songs. The first half is a lot of guitar playing - hence the title ‘Guitar Slinger’ - probably more-so than most records I’ve made in my past. I’m following what my ears and my heart are telling me to do. I don’t plan it, I just kind of react to it.”

Vince’s wife, Amy Grant, and their three daughters all contributed to the album. Grant co-wrote three songs, including their duet “True Love,” which also features her daughter Sarah Chapman. Siblings³ Corrina and Jenny Gill guest on the haunting track “Billy Paul,” a song Vince wrote after his friend of 20 years killed his girlfriend and himself. Other poignant⁴ songs include “Buttermilk John,” Vince’s tribute to his late steel guitar player John Hughey, and “Bread and Water,” which Gill says is loosely based on his late brother Bob.

The album’s lead single is the Grammy-nominated ballad⁵ “Threaten Me With Heaven.” Gill explains that he gained a special connection to the tune⁶ following the 2010 death of his friend Will Owsley.

“It’s a song I wrote with Amy my wife, and a fellow named Dillon O’Brian and another fellow named Will Owsley," he said. "This time last year, my friend Will [Owsley] took his life. He was a really gifted musician and a great singer and a tremendous guitar player. We wrote songs together and hung out together a bunch, and life just…he couldn’t get through it and struggled and took his own life.”

1 slinger   

投石者，吊物工人； 吊索

参考例句：

• I'm Rockwall Slinger and this is Merlin Greeves. ' 我是罗克沃尔。斯林格，这位是默林。格里夫斯。” 来自新概念英语第二册
• Remove the crankshaft oil slinger. 拆去曲轴抛油环。

2 slants   

（使）倾斜，歪斜( slant的第三人称单数 )； 有倾向性地编写或报道

参考例句：

• Most handwriting slants to the right. 大多数字体是向右倾斜的。
• That tree slants to one side because of the heavy winds. 因为刮大风，那棵树歪倒一边去了。

3 siblings   

n.兄弟，姐妹( sibling的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• A triplet sleeps amongst its two siblings. 一个三胞胎睡在其两个同胞之间。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• She has no way of tracking the donor or her half-siblings down. 她没办法找到那个捐精者或她的兄弟姐妹。 来自时文部分

4 poignant   

adj.令人痛苦的，辛酸的，惨痛的

参考例句：

• His lyrics are as acerbic and poignant as they ever have been.他的歌词一如既往的犀利辛辣。
• It is especially poignant that he died on the day before his wedding.他在婚礼前一天去世了，这尤其令人悲恸。

5 ballad   

n.歌谣，民谣，流行爱情歌曲

参考例句：

• This poem has the distinctive flavour of a ballad.这首诗有民歌风味。
• This is a romantic ballad that is pure corn.这是一首极为伤感的浪漫小曲。

6 tune   

n.调子；和谐，协调；v.调音，调节，调整

参考例句：

• He'd written a tune,and played it to us on the piano.他写了一段曲子，并在钢琴上弹给我们听。
• The boy beat out a tune on a tin can.那男孩在易拉罐上敲出一首曲子。