Philo/Rounder Records, 1984
Running Time: 38:38
Producers: Jim Rooney and Nanci Griffith
All songs by Nanci Griffith, except: "Roseville Fair" (Bill Staines), "Ballad of Robin Winter-Smith" (Richard Dobson), "Once In A Very Blue Moon" (Patrick Alger and Eugene Levine), "If I Were the Woman You Wanted" (Lyle Lovett). Nanci co-wrote "Ghost In The Music" with Eric Taylor.
Notable Participants: Pat Alger (acoustic guitar), Bela Fleck (banjo), Lyle Lovett (harmony vocals), Mark O'Connor (piccolo mandolin, mandolin, fiddle, mandola).
Excerpt from Stereo Review, December 1985
Performance: Exciting
Recording: Good
'Once in a Very Blue Moon' is just about how often a record like this comes along. After two previous LP's that stood her in fine stead on the folkmusic circuit, thirty-two-year-old Texas native Nanci Griffith has blossomed with an album that rides a fine line between folk and progressive country, an album that should establish her as one of the most exciting and literate performers to emerge since Emmylou Harris.
One of the things that strikes me most about this album is how genuinely sweet it is, how infused with a Sixties innocence while still retaining a savvy, hip edge......
Taking a big step forward in production quality, this Jim Rooney- produced album captures Nanci's voice beautifully. Some of her finest singing is here, accompanied by a larger, more countryish cast of supporting musicians. The songs cover a wider range of styles and tempos and include Bill Staines' "Roseville Fair," Lyle Lovett's "If I Were the Woman You Wanted," and the title track from Pat Alger. Among her own numbers are "Time Alone," "Friend Out in the Madness," and "Daddy Said," each of which combines lovely melodies and lyrics. "Spin on a Red Brick Floor" is her tribute to the Anderson Fair music club in Houston. An album this good doesn't come out more often than once in a very blue moon.