This Old Road - Kris Kristofferson
User Score
8.8 out of 10

Universal acclaim- based on 6 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 6 out of 6
  2. Mixed: 0 out of 6
  3. Negative: 0 out of 6

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  1. klassv
    Jun 4, 2006
    9
    deep and moving as life
  2. [Anonymous]
    Nov 5, 2006
    9
    Kris and his guitar. No fluff. Honest. Gruff. Music at its purest. Find out why Johnny Cash called him the best song writer in Nashville. Kristofferson shines and cements his status as a legend as he rides off into the sunset.
  3. Alan
    Aug 1, 2006
    9
    I have been an avid fan of KK's music for well over 30 years. I have enjoyed each (original) album, always considering, until now, "Kristofferson" to be his finest work. I have grown to appreciate that singer/songwriters of KK's calibre, should be presented in, what I call, an "intimate" environment. That is to say, a small venue where the performer and the audience can develop a "relationship". "This Old Road" does just that, by removing the "polish" of the fancy studio recordings and providing the listener the true emotion reflected in the voice and the music. I wonder how his earlier albums would have been received, if they had been presented in a similar fashion.… Expand
  4. LawrenceH
    Mar 20, 2006
    8
    While this work is so minimalist musically, bare bones spare in the songs' arrangements, the naked confessional voice of KK is haunting in its unabashed honesty. The lyrics fit the musical settings perfectly. There is an underlying theme to these songs, equating metaphorically the sense of powerlessness and vulnerability coming with aging and from the increasing intolerance and conservatism of our rulers and leaders. KK's bourbon-soaked voice is pitched just right for these songs. Perhaps the CD, already short could have been pruned a song or two to a 32 minute outing. The CD does become a tad monotonous 3/4 through, but the last song, albeit bordering on the corny, is a winner and fine closer to this excellent work.… Expand
  5. RustinT
    Mar 15, 2006
    9
    The songs on This Old Road share the same structural simplicity as the classics he's wriitten and so many artists have covered, but Kristofferson is singing with such a deep authenticity, an austere growling intensity, that the effect is haunting and, at times, chilling. This is a masterful work, rich with rebellion, insight, and melancholy.

Critic Reviews

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Metascore
74 out of 100

Generally favorable reviews - based on 15 Critics

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 11 out of 15
  2. Mixed: 4 out of 15
  3. Negative: 0 out of 15
  1. All Music Guide
    70
    Kristofferson is dead-on here, razor-sharp, economical in his language, and to the bone in his insight.
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  2. Amazon.com
    80
    His most consistently compelling release in decades.
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  3. Billboard
    70
    As a singer, Kristofferson remains a hell of an actor, but there is a lot to love about this record. [11 Mar 2006]
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