In an ideal world,
the Rolling Hayseeds would have stayed together long enough to build a large catalog. They had two appealing lead vocalists -- the
Waylon Jennings-influenced Kevin Barg and Richard Kaufmann, who had more of a
Tom Petty/
Bob Dylan/
Roger McGuinn style of singing -- and their songs were quite likable. But
the Hayseeds only recorded two albums before breaking up.
No Place Like Home is the Philadelphians' second and final album; it is also their best release. While their debut album,
Tangled Up in You, is solid,
No Place Like Home is slightly stronger. Roots rock selections like "It's Starting to Show," "Guess Who's Lying?," and the Mexican-tinged "When It's Time to Stop" are memorable, and so are alternative country-rock offerings that include "Woolly Thinking," "Wide Awake," and a cover of
Waylon Jennings' 1969 classic "(Just to) Satisfy You." Regrettably -- but not surprisingly --
the Hayseeds were totally ignored by commercial country radio. In 1999, commercial country stations ignored most of the noteworthy recordings that were coming out of the alt-country/No Depression field, and they weren't about to give any exposure to an obscure Philadelphia band that recorded for a small indie label in the Philly suburbs. At the time, country radio was looking for the next
Garth Brooks or the next
Trisha Yearwood -- in other words, the sort of slick country-pop artists who definitely weren't alt-country. But that doesn't make this
George Manney-produced CD any less rewarding. Both of
the Hayseeds' two Record Cellar albums are worth owning, but if you could only acquire one of the two,
No Place Like Home would be the best choice.