The opening song, Beautiful Pain, written by Craig Northey, features a beautiful, upbeat tune and backup vocals by Sheryl Crow. 44 Stories evokes the wonder of getting to know someone, with deep lyrics.

I'll Change for You, with help from Steve Earle, is one of the most lyrically creative songs you'll hear all year, all about obsession.

It's on the next three tracks that this album becomes a classic. Rules of Travel, the title cut, might just be the loveliest song Rosanne has ever performed. The music builds to a tremendous hook, supporting some clever lyrics. Unique instumentation supports the catchy music. A masterpiece.

September When It Comes is the emotional center of this album. It's a tune about mortality, and when Rosanne's father, Johnny Cash, sings his verses, you will feel chills. Another classic.

Hope Against Hope, written by Jakob Dylan and Joe Henry, rocks smoothly, bolstered by layered instruments and a catchy chorus.

The next two tunes, Will You Remember Me and Three Steps Down, aim for more introspection and depth. The latter features the vocals of Teddy Thompson, son of Richard and Linda Thompson.

Closer Than I Appear would have fit very comfortably on Rosanne's Rhythm and Romance or King's Record Shop albums. It's very much a throwback to those days when she produced unique country music, and it's great to hear Rosanne in that mode again.

Speaking of throwbacks, Western Wall is almost a carbon copy of the version that appeared on Ten Song Demo. The song deserves to be heard again, and it fits well with this album.

Finally, Last Stop Before Home, written for (but unrecorded by) Linda Ronstadt, ends the album in a mellow groove accompanied by some haunting lyrics.

John Leventhal's production is stunning, as usual, with surprising elements layered with more traditional elements. And Rosanne's lyrical depth, honesty and self-examination are as strong as ever.

One wishes there was some forum where these songs could become the big popular hits they deserve to be, but in the interim, pick up a copy. It's the best album of this year, and ranks with Rosanne's classics.

15 of 15 found the following review helpful:

Rosanne Cash's Amazing Journey  Apr 25, 2004
By Tim Brough "author and music buff"
I had kind of forgotten what a unique voice Rosanne Cash has been over the years until I saw her play a brief live set on our local cable channel in Philadelphia. As soon as I heard her sing the wonderful title song and the poignant "Last Stop Before Home," I knew I had to find this CD. I'm glad I've rediscovered her emotive, husky voice again, especially having heard the backstory about her near seven year fight to regain her voice after polyps were discovered on her vocal cords.

"The Rules Of Travel" is easily Rosanne's best album since the dark "Interiors," the chronicle of her breakup with then husband Rodney Crowell. Eleven ruminations on the pain of love and loss, her voice conveys the deep-hued melancholy that first struck me with its honesty back when "Blue Moon With Heartache" made me a fan. Producer and new husband John Leventhal frames each song with great care, making the guest appearances sound like more than random duets. Steve Earle adds his gritty tone to "I'll Change For You," underscoring that song's ultimate falsity. As much as the change is wished for, there's no way it's ever going to come. Teddy Thompson (son of folk legend Richard Thompson) has picked up the same kind of wanderer's eloquence his father has mastered over the years for "Three Steps Down." (Which, by the way, is one of three songs Rosanne did not have a hand in wirting, but was cowritten by Marc Cohn of "Walking in Memphis" fame. Jakob Dylan of the Wallflowers and Joe Henry also contribute good work.)

But the best of the lot has to be "September When It Comes," a duet with Rosanne's father Johnny. It certainly becomes hard to remain separated from the song when the elder Cash sings "They will fly me like an angel to a place I can rest." It's an amazing moment on a great album. Maybe Rosanne won't break back into the spotlight with "The Rules Of Travel," but if you're reading this, you can certainly do your part by getting yourself a copy.

22 of 25 found the following review helpful:

Beautiful Pain  May 18, 2003
By J. M. Zuurbier
This is Rosanne Cash's first album since 1996's TEN SONG DEMO. She suffered fractured vocals and had to undergo surgery. Here she returns, with RULES OF TRAVEL. Cash wrote 9 of the 11 songs. There are many musical guests such as Sheryl Crow, Teddy Thompson, Johnny Cash and Steve Earle. They all work well with Cash.

The album opens with "Beautiful Pain", with Sheryl Crow. The song is short and sweet. A true standout is the duet with her father Johnny Cash on "September When It Comes". It's simply beautiful and breathtaking, and touching to hear father and daughter sing together. "Western Wall" is a nice stripped back acoustic song that was also on her TEN SONG DEMO album.

The album still features the introspection that fans and admirers have come to expect from Cash's songwriting, which is comparitively just as great as the two tracks she did not write (Beautiful Pain and Hope Against Hope, which was written by Jakob Dylan from The Wallflowers).

The title track boasts a wonderful chorus, an extremely well written song. "I'll Change For You" is another great track, a song featuring Steve Earle. Other highlights include "Hope Against Hope", "44 Stories", "Last Stop Before Home" and "Will You Remember Me".

A nice, mature album. I sure wasn't disapointed. One of the better albums to come out so far this year.

9 of 9 found the following review helpful:

Here are the facts, as much as I know  Jan 26, 2004
By rballjones "rballjones"
"Rules of Travel" is a piece of pop perfection. Almost too perfect, almost too slick. One might almost think Rosanne and her producer, John Leventhal, have found some secret formula for combining chord changes, instrumentation, and words in just the right mix to elicit a strong emotional response. And they decided to use it in every song on this recording. Naw. She's proven herself to be a singer and songwriter of substance. On this one, her talents really come to fruition.

Most of the songs here are written by Rosanne and most are love songs. My favorites are "Closer than I Appear" and "Last Stop Before Home" Another great one is "Hope Against Hope" written by Jakob Dylan and Joe Henry. There are two songs about the end of life: "September When it Comes" and "Will You Remember Me." There is a feeling of poignancy to this whole record, in contemplating love or death. And see the little photo of a young man holding his baby daughter at the Memphis Zoo in 1955.

Every song is a great song. I only wish there had been more than 11. But why mess with perfection?

8 of 8 found the following review helpful:

The Long Journey  Aug 02, 2003
By Lee Armstrong
It's been 7 years since Rosanne's last Capitol CD "10 Song Demo"; so it has been a long journey to get to this new release. On "Rules of Travel" Rosanne comes into her own as a songwriter. The lovely tune "Western Wall" that was the title track for the Linda Ronstadt & Emmylou Harris CD is a lovely acoustic melody. The two covers on this set are from Craig Northey of the underrated pop band Odds and Bob's son Jakob Dylan of the Wallflowers. Northey's "Beautiful Pain" is an exquisite melody with Cash's restrained vocals and Sheryl Crow's harmony while Dylan's "Hope Against Hope" is a great melody with producer (and husband) John Leventhal's bass giving a great insurgent energy. My favorite track is the title tune with its distinctive melody and great lyric, "We learn the rules of travel inside each other's hearts." Teddy Thompson, who is the son of famous musicians Richard & Linda and has his own excellent CD, joins Rosanne on "Three Steps Down" penned by Leventhal and Marc Cohn, "The dead are dancing 'cross the room where candles burn & shadows loom." All of the tracks are amazingly strong such as father Johnny joining on "September When It Comes" and Steve Earle's duet on "I'll Change for You." If I had any constructive criticism, it'd be that on tracks like "Closer Than I Appear" I would have preferred to hear Shawn Pelton's drums mixed more prominently to really propel the beat and make an excellent track truly a blockbuster classic recording. This is a breathtaking return for Rosanne. Bravo!

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