Product Description

"Southern Americana". Erik coins the musical style as a mixture of rock, blues, folk and acoustic music. "Off the Beaten Path" is an album written about the remote regions of our country and the people who reside within them...the Kenai Peninsula in Alaska, the New River Gorge in West Virginia, the Adirondack Mountains of upstate New York, the Cascade Loop in Washington, the Badlands in South Dakota and the North Georgia Mountains. 10 of the songs on the album are Erik s original compositions. There are also 3 versions of songs written by Gregg Allman, John Prine and Toy Caldwell respectively. The songs on the album are performed by some of the finest, experienced musicians in the Southeast. The vast majority of the album was recorded on the first take.....as they say "If you do it right, once is enough." Erik has been honing his craft for nearly 25 years and the songs on the album are a reflection of his diverse musical background. Erik plays all acoustic and electric guitars on the album and also served as the producer.

Track Listing

1. Southern Highway
2. New River Waltz
3. Wanderin' Blues
4. Bard of Ontario
5. I'll Be Loving You
6. The Kenai
7. I'll Wait Another Day
8. Saranac
9. Please Don't Bury Me
10. Multi-Colored Lady
11. Doriando
12. Off The Beaten Path
13. Badlands

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #786095 in Music
• Released on: 2007-07-24
• Number of discs: 1

Customer Reviews

Viel's "Off the Beaten Path" is right on track
The debut album by Erik Viel is 46 minutes of music loving delight. Songwriter/guitarist Erik Viel has compiled a satisfying body of work that is part blues, part folk, part jam, and all Americana. The album consists of 10 original songs including 5 instrumental and 3 covers by Greg Allman, John Prine, and The Marshall Tucker Band.

"Southern Highway" will take you back to the heyday of southern rock, while the aptly named "Wandering Blues" will have you tapping your toe and thinking of your favorite blues club. Four of the instrumentals "New River Waltz", "The Kenai", "Saranac" and "Doriando" are mellow, with the just the right degree of thoughtful introspection without becoming uninteresting.

"I'll Wait Another Day", in memory of Viel's grandfather, is a poignant reminder of our fond memories of our grandparents. The title song is a real delight, with Viel's smoky, hardscrabble vocals reminiscent of Woody Guthrie's singing of back country Appalachia.
The three cover songs "I'll be Loving You", "Please Don't Bury Me", and "Multi Colored Lady" are all excellent versions of the originals.

"Badlands", another instrumental, shows Viel's real ability on the guitar, as he lets it rip on the final song of the album to leave the listener glad he took the journey down this path.

While listening to the album, I'm reminded of discovering good new bourbon, mellow and familiar, while also being new and refreshing. I found both in Viel's first effort; let's hope we see more from this talented songwriter.

Feels like takin' the road home, both in music and soul,
Viel is a cutting edge songwriter/musician that captures the heart and soul of Americana, from his instrumentals to his captivating vocals that are reminiscent of "The Band". The arrangements leave you wanting more, and the lyrics take you back to those certain moments in your life that we all can relate to. Just a matter of time before one of his originals becomes a hit. This is a can't miss CD, and a valued addition to any collection.