Album Review: Where The Wind Pumps The Water (And The Cows Chop The Wood)
By Pete Sullivan
Pete Sullivan’s 1976 album Where The Wind Pumps The Water (And The Cows Chop The Wood) is a hidden gem in the world of country music. Released under A+R Record Manufacturing Corporation, this record blends folk storytelling with a dash of honky-tonk grit. It’s not perfect—some tracks feel like they’re straight outta someone’s living room jam session—but that’s part of its charm. The rawness gives it soul, and you can tell these guys weren’t chasing trends; they were just making music their way.
The lineup here is solid: Pete handles bass duties while Junior Knight flexes on rhythm guitar, dobro, AND steel guitar (show-off!). Ray Hargrove nails the lead licks, Buddy Brady brings the fiddle fire, and Stuart Lamb tickles the ivories like nobody’s business. Oh, and let’s not forget Jim Shanks blowing both trumpet AND saxophone because apparently one horn wasn’t enough for him. Gene Huddleston deserves props too for engineering this whole thing without losing what makes it sound so damn human.
Now, onto the tunes themselves. If I had to pick two tracks that stick with me, it’d be “Your Husband Has A Lover” and the title track, “Where The Wind Pumps The Water (And The Cows Chop The Wood).”
“Your Husband Has A Lover” hits hard—not lyrically groundbreaking or anything, but man, does it hit a nerve. It’s got this slow-burn sadness to it, like watching an old black-and-white movie where everyone knows how it ends except the protagonist. Pete’s vocal delivery feels sincere, almost awkwardly honest, which works perfectly for the song’s vibe. You can practically hear the whiskey glass clinking in the background as he sings about betrayal and heartache. This one stays with you long after the needle lifts off the record.
Then there’s the title track, which sounds exactly like its bizarre name suggests—a little quirky, kinda funny, but oddly profound once you sit with it. It’s a toe-tapper for sure, with Knight’s steel guitar weaving through the mix like wind through open plains. Lyrically, it’s pure Americana—talking about rural life, nature, and cows chopping wood (seriously, who thinks of this stuff?). But somehow, it all comes together into something uniquely memorable. It’s the kind of song that makes you wanna grab a cold beer, sit on a porch somewhere, and think about your own messed-up existence.
Looking at the credits, Minnie Sullivan and K.P. Sullivan get writing nods, which adds a personal touch. These songs aren’t factory-made—they feel lived-in, like family heirlooms passed down with stories attached. And honestly, that’s what makes this album special. It’s not trying to reinvent the wheel; it’s just spinning it in its own little corner of the universe.
So yeah, Where The Wind Pumps The Water (And The Cows Chop The Wood) might not change your life, but it’ll definitely give you something to chew on. Listening to it feels like finding an old postcard in a dusty drawer—you don’t know why it matters, but it does. Maybe that’s the magic of Pete Sullivan’s work: it reminds us that even the smallest moments are worth singing about. Or maybe it’s just proof that sometimes, you really do need a cow to chop wood. Who knows?
