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Songcatcher: Music from and Inspired by the Motion Picture Average Customer Review:  Audio CD (08 May, 2001) list price: $16.98 -- our price: $13.99 (price subject to change: see help) US | Canada | United Kingdom | Germany | France Editorial Review Maybe they should have subtitled this album O Sister, Where Art Thou? Like the music from the Coen brothers' O Brother... movie, Songcatcher celebrates the emotional purity of mountain music, the acoustic balladry of the Appalachians--only this soundtrack features an all-female assemblage. Among the luminaries who shine the brightest: Rosanne Cash, who sets the tone with the album-opening "Fair and Tender Ladies"; Julie Miller, whose original "All My Tears" could pass as an old spiritual; Patty Loveless, who returns to her Kentucky roots with "Sounds of Loneliness"; and Gillian Welch, who leads an a cappella rendition of "Wind and Rain." Of the more familiar material, Emmylou Harris seems like she's coasting through the oft-revived "Barbara Allen" while Maria McKee sounds like she's singing for her life on "Wayfarin' Stranger." Yet the emphasis throughout is less on vocal virtuosity than on the stark simplicity of the songs, the album more impressive as an ensemble piece than a showcase for individual singers. --Don McLeese ... Read more Features Reviews (77)
But "Songcatcher" actually predates "O Brother" in that the songs that are here are either hundreds of years old ("Fair and Tender Maidens," "Pretty Saro," "Barbara Allen," "Wind and Rain," etc.) or originals heavily influenced by the style the movie and this CD seek to pay homage to ("When Love is New," "All My Tears," etc). These are the old ballads that were sung in rural England in the 16th and 17th centuries and brought over with the English settlers when they settled the southern Appalachians. By the early 20th century, when the movie is set, these ballads had mostly died out in England and in urban American, but survived in the mountains. Folklorists, such as Cecil Sharp and Olive Dame Campbell (among others) helped to see that these ballads were preserved thought their efforts of collecting them. Their efforts helped to inspire the movie "Songcatcher." These old ballads are part of the roots of American country music. The mountain ballads eventually mixed with other genres to form bluegrass and bluegrass, of course, is a significant sub-genre of country music. At a time when Nashville has sold its soul to the highest bidder, the success of the "O Brother" soundtrack is most welcome, and the efforts of "Songcatcher," both the film and this wonderful CD, are helping to remind people just where that music came from.
Such is the case with "Songcatcher," which had lots of great songs sung by the actors in the movie--Emmy Rossum, Pat Carroll, Iris Dement, and more. What you have on the CD is a grouping of some of the same songs, all performed by greater-known lights of country and bluegrass music--people like Rosanne Cash, Emmylou Harris, and Dolly Parton. I'm not complaining--they do a super job, and they know this kind of music, so their renditions are heartfelt and gorgeous to listen to. It's just not the same as the music in the film, so it's a little disconcerting. Iris Dement's upright rendition of "Pretty Saro," on which her wiry, plaintive voice is accompanied only by a fiddle, is particularly fine and just as she sang it in the film. And newcomer Emmy Rossum's warm and vigorous version of the quietly horrifying "Barbara Allen" is gorgeous, but it is just one verse leading into Emmylou Harris doing the same song. Frankly, I prefer Emmy Rossum's less prettified version and wish they'd kept it instead of having it segue into Harris. Rossum was in her early teens when she recorded this, but she has a vocal maturity that leaves you wanting more. Patty Loveless on "Sounds of Loneliness" is a revelation, giving full throat to her mountain-music voice. She soars effortlessly on the upper range and does full, dark justice to the lower register. It's worth listening to over and over again. Maria McKee's quiet and intense version of "Wayfaring Stranger" almost makes you hold your breath as you listen--it's that compelling. One I'd never heard before, "Mary of the Wild Moor," is performed by Sara Evans, whose pristine voice stands in stark contrast to the frightening tale she describes. Perhaps one of the best things on the album is actress Pat Carroll's witty, humorous take on "Single Girl," in which she details all the things better about being single than married--particularly fitting when you consider that she plays a mountain woman who'd had eight or nine children. There's lots of gold to mine here, once you get past the idea that what you hear here is not at all the same as what you heard in the film.
Asin: B00005B50H |
$13.99 |
O Soundtrack Where Art Thou?
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Mountain Soul Average Customer Review:  Audio CD (26 June, 2001) list price: $13.98 -- our price: $13.98 (price subject to change: see help) US | Canada | United Kingdom | Germany | France Editorial Review Pikeville, Kentucky, native Patty Loveless has occasionally acknowledged her mountain-music roots on her frequently excellent albums of mainstream country. Hear, for instance, the pained, stoic version of Carter Stanley's "I'll Never Grow Tired of You" on Loveless's 1988 breakthrough, Honky Tonk Angel. Like too few of her 21st-century post-hillbilly peers could do, the singer makes Mountain Soul--an all-acoustic sampling of classics and a handful of new songs--far more than a nod to the style. Loveless's clear voice and sensitivity to narrative lyrics have made ballads her most fertile ground, and here she turns in as consistently affecting a disc as she's ever made. Whether offering a remake of Reno & Smiley's "I Know You're Married (But I Love You Still)," hard-country-influenced duets with Travis Tritt and Jon Randall ("Out of Control Raging Fire" and "Someone I Used to Know," respectively), or a rewritten "Soul of Constant Sorrow," she channels emotion in a straightforward way that could serve as a master class for many current vocalists. Even while celebrating a sound rooted in another time, though, Loveless takes an artistic chance or two: Darrell Scott's long, downbeat story song "You'll Never Leave Harlan Alive" isn't the record's best cut, but it's one of its most intriguing. --Rickey Wright ... Read more Reviews (89)
This album is incredible!! If listening to these songs doesn't move you...you're dead my friend!! And the musical arrangements are fabulous...I can not listen to this album loud enough! I can't say enough wonderful things about this CD...only that I hope Patty and Emory will collaborate on another bluegrass album. And that brings me to the Amazon.com reviewer who said that the song..."You'll Never Leave Harlan Alive" isn't one of this album's best tunes...I strongly disagree!!! I couldn't imagine this album without that song!! This is one of those rare CD's where the songs just meld...one into the other. It's great!! I can only hope that Patty Loveless will receive recognition in the form of country music awards for this effort. She certainly deserves it!!! This is DEFINATELY my album of the year...and will be for years to come!!!
MOUNTAIN SOUL finds the singer embracing a bluegrass sound, mixed with traditional country. She's always been a purist in country music, but this album pushes it to the extreme, and the result is a very satisfying album. There's a few duets, the ones with Travis Tritt are well done. There's the ballad "Out of Control Raging Fire", and the other being "I Know You're Married (But I Love You Still)". The duet with Jon Randall is also quite good, it's called "Someone I Used To Know". There's a lot of very traditional material here, such as "Daniel Prayed", "Rize Up Lazarus", and more. I think my favorites would have to be the celtic ballad "Sounds of Loneliness", as well as her version of "You'll Never Leave Harlan Alive". Other highlights on the album include "The Boys are Back In Town", "Sorrowful Angels", and "Pretty Little Miss". She continued with this sound on her 2003 album ON YOUR WAY HOME, mixing the bluegrass sound with country a bit more. Another fine album. MOUNTAIN SOUL is an excellent album that should have a place in every country music fan's collection! ... Read more Asin: B00005KG65 |
$13.98 |
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Anthology: The Warner/Reprise Years Average Customer Review: Audio CD (08 May, 2001) list price: $31.98 -- our price: $28.99 (price subject to change: see help) US | Canada | United Kingdom | Germany | France Editorial Review Over the years Emmylou Harris has created an impressive body of work by mixing songs from both the mainstream and the fringes of country music with well-chosen covers from the worlds of rock, pop, and R&B. Anthology, a 44-song collection drawn from her 17-year tenure at Warner Bros. and Reprise Records, is something of a greatest-hits package and focuses on her charting country hits. But along with songs like "Beneath Still Waters," "Two More Bottles of Wine," and "Sweet Dreams"--each a country chart-topper--there are a few lesser-known gems like "Here, There and Everywhere" and Rodney Crowell's "I Had My Heart Set on You." On most of the tracks Harris is backed by her Hot Band, arguably the finest country group of its time, whose members over the years have included Crowell, Ricky Skaggs, Vince Gill, James Burton, and Albert Lee. Harris is a fine songwriter in her own right--"Boulder to Birmingham," her tribute to Gram Parsons, is particularly nice--but the large selection of great versions of other people's songs on Anthology make a strong case that her ability to choose the perfect song to cover is an even more valuable talent. --Michael Simmons ... Read more Reviews (14)
Though much is missing, what the listener gets is a sampling of Emmylou's incredible range -- from traditional country to bluegrass to her own distinctive "alt country", of which she is the acknowledged master. A great gift for friends whose idea of country is formed by the likes of Faith Hill or Shania Twain.
ANTHOLOGY is a completely different type of compilation from 1996's excellent PORTRAITS box set. PORTRAITS is a great collection that highlights Emmylou Harris' artistry, though I find the minimal coverage of the 1982-1987 years disappointing. ANTHOLOGY functions more as a greatest hits collection, its an almost perfect in this matter except that it omits "I Don't Have To Crawl" from EVANGELINE. Hopefully, EVANGELINE will be issued soon. ANTHOLOGY corrects many of the omissions that were made on the original greatest hits collections, the highly enjoyable PROFILE series. PROFILE II released in 1984 omits "The Boxer", "That Lovin' You Feelin' Again", "I Don't Have To Crawl", "If I Needed You", "Tennessee Rose", "So Sad", "Drivin' Wheel", and "In My Dreams". which were released as singles between 1979-1984 the years that compilation covers. ANTHOLOGY collects most of these songs, but in Emmylou Harris' rich catalog the only box set that would work is one that features all her songs. ANTHOLOGY succeeds immensely because it collects most of the singles not featured on PROFILE or PORTRAITS, (the omission of "I Don't Have To Crawl" does bother me), and all of the songs released as singles after the 1984 release of PROFILE II. It's hard to argue with what's here in terms of hits "If I Could Only Win Your Love", "Sweet Dreams", "Easy From Now On", "Save The Last Dance For Me", "Born To Run", "Pledging My Love", "White Line", "Heartbreak Hill", as ANTHOLOGY is essentially a greatest hits collection, even if Emmylou Harris is recognized for her album artistry. The single versions of "Mister Sandman" and "Tennessee Rose" are welcome. "Mister Sandman" was re-recorded by Harris after the "TRIO Project" was cancelled. The version with Linda Ronstadt and Dolly Parton is available on PORTRAITS and (though still not available) EVANGELINE. The version here is featured on PROFILE II, and the song is different. When CIMARRON spent its ten-plus years as a cassette only release, the instrumental ending to "Tennessee Rose" was replaced by the vocal harmony fade-out of the single, which is also a shorter version. Eminent's exceptional reissue of CIMARRON featured the original version with the instrumental backing as opposed to the vocal harmony ending. I don't know why the collection lists certain tracks: "Sweet Dreams", "I'm Movin' On", "On Our Last Date", and "So Sad" as being live versions. If studio versions exist they have yet to be released, ANTHOLOGY features the same "Sweet Dreams" as ELITE HOTEL, PROFILE, and PORTRAITS. On ELITE HOTEL "Sweet Dreams" was one of three live tracks which showcased the Hot Band in concert, LAST DATE which features "I'm Movin' On", "So Sad", and "On Our Last Date" is a live album with the Hot Band. Another notable accomplishment of ANTHOLOGY is the first CD issue of two tracks from THIRTEEN, one of Harris' most underrated recordings, "I Had My Heart Set On You" and "Today I Started Loving You Again". This collection also features five of the six exclusive B-sides Emmylou Harris issued in the early 1980s: "Precious Love", "Fools Thin Air", "Colors Of Your Heart", "Another Pot O Tea" and "Maybe Tonight". "Precious Love" and "Fools Thin Air" have never been released on CD. Overall ANTHOLOGY is an excellent Emmylou Harris collection. The real place to experience her extraordinary talent is her catalog of incredible albums, still ANTHOLOGY is a wonderful introduction to one of the most talent artists of all-time.
During the period covered by this compilation, Emmylou had many hits on the American country charts including five solo number one hits, all cover versions and all included here. They were Together again (Buck Owens), Sweet dreams (Patsy Cline), Two more bottles of wine (Delbert McClinton), Beneath still waters (George Jones) and a live recording of Lost his love on our last date (Floyd Cramer). Emmylou also had a number one hit with To know him is to love him (a cover of the fifties pop hit by the Teddy Bears), which she recorded with her friends Dolly Parton and Linda Ronstadt and which is also included here. We believe in happy endings, a duet with Earl Thomas Conley, also reached number one but you have to buy Emmylou's Duets album to get that - it's not here. Emmylou had many other big country hits with cover versions, including If I could only win your love (Louvin brothers), Here there and everywhere (Beatles), which was a minor UK pop hit, You never can tell C'Est la vie (Chuck Berry), Save the last dance for me (Drifters), Blue Kentucky girl (Loretta Lynn) and The boxer (Simon and Garfunkel). Dolly Parton wrote To Daddy and recorded it for her 1976 album All I can do, but Emmylou heard it and recorded it herself. When Dolly heard Emmylou's version, she substituted another song for her own album, although Dolly's version was eventually released on a compilation CD many years later. Thus, Emmylou's version, included here, is the first one the public heard. Another notable feature of Emmylou's career is the vast number of duets that she has recorded, though the only ones here (apart from the Trio track) are That loving you feeling again (with Roy Orbison) and If I needed you (with Don Williams). In the early years, it was rare for Emmylou to write songs, but she co-wrote Boulder to Birmingham, one of her earliest successes. She wrote more as the years went by, particularly on the concept album Ballad of Sally Rose, an album she co-wrote with Paul Kennerley and which is represented here by Rhythm guitar, White line and Timberline, but she didn't really write much until the nineties - after the period covered by this anthology. This is a great introduction to Emmylou's music of the seventies and eighties for any country music fans new to it. ... Read more Asin: B00005B9IV |
$28.99 |
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Retrospective Average Customer Review:  Audio CD (07 November, 1995) list price: $9.98 -- our price: $9.98 (price subject to change: see help) US | Canada | United Kingdom | Germany | France Reviews (2)
----------------------------------------------------------------- RETROSPECTIVE opens with a stunning cover of Elvis Costello's "Our Little Angel". Cssh's delivery is stunning, she is in complete command of the song. "On The Surface" comes from the outstanding INTERIORS, Cash presents a brilliant evaluation of human reactions and fronts. Rosanne Cash has developed into a songwriter on the par with 1960s Bob Dylan. "All Come True" is an outtake from INTERIORS available though on INTERIORS:THE FULL SESSIONS a CD available for a very, very short time. "The Wheel", the title track to Cash's 1993 masterpiece, has a remarkable pop production, from John Leventhal, which perfectly complements Cash's songwriting. "Sleeping In Paris" also from THE WHEEL is a beautiful song, with riveting emotional lyrics. "707" is an outtake from KING'S RECORD SHOP, which Cash has recorded in concert, another Kilzer song "Green Yellow And Red" was released on KING'S RECORD SHOP. "Runaway Train", released on KING'S RECORD SHOP, is one of the greatest performances in the history of Country and Rock musics. There was a fourth #1 on KING'S RECORD SHOP "If You Change Your Mind" which wasn't released on a compilation until 1998. Until I listened to RETROSPECTIVE I thought it was impossible to cut The Beatles' "I'm Only Sleeping" to be even half as good as the original. Cash has done it, and it's almost superior to the Beatles original. "It Hasn't Happened Yet" is a masterful interpretation, as Cash began covering John Hiatt in 1982, "It Hasn't Happened Yet" is about the second best, tied with "The Way We Make A Broken Heart". Many listeners familiar with 1970s and early 1980s country music might notice the names of the musicians: four were members of Emmylou Harris' Hot Band and almost all of them worked with Harris, including Rosanne Cash and producer Rodney Crowell. "On The Inside" was the riveting opener to INTERIORS, and it sounds perfect, a flawless example of introspective songwriting. "What We Really Want" was Cash's last major hit, it's a fantastic song. "i Count The Tears" is another brilliant interpretion, recorded for a Doc Pomus tribute album, Cash definately hasn't lost her touch. One of Cash's most awesome recordings is John Hiatt's "Pink Bedroom" recorded for RHYTHM AND ROMANCE. The guitar work is incredible and Cash's vocal performance is deinitive. "Seventh Avenue" should really be a pop classic, penned by Rosanne Cash and John Levanthal for THE WHEEL. Cash's singing is perfect. "A Lover Is Forever" is a bluesy live recording, the appeal lies in Cash's vocal strengths and delivery, she records it with only a guitar and bass backing. ---------------------------------------------------------------- Since most of Cash's extraordinary aalbums don't have pages on Amazon, because Sony Music screwed up and pulled them from print. I'd thought I'd write briefly about what Sony Music is cheating us out of: ***RIGHT OR WRONG***: For a debut album, Cash's singing is better than almost any performer I can think of. Her most beautiful album, a flawless treasure. ***SEVEN YEAR ACHE***: One of the greatest Country albums of all time. An important blueprint for 1990s Country. Like most originals, SEVEN YEAR ACHE is superior to about 97% of the Country CDs released in the 1990s. ***SOMEWHERE IN THE STARS***: Of all Cash's work this beautiful release has the most traditional flavor, yet is throughly contemporary and highly enjoyable. ***RHYTHM & ROMANCE***: A sizzling masterpiece. Cash perfected the seamless Country and Rock merger 10 years before Shania Twain's THE WOMAN IN ME. ***KING'S RECORD SHOP***: A brilliant meditation on Country and Rock that produced four #1 singles! Again a perfect merger of what was once two very distinct styles. ***INTERIORS***: One of the greatest CDs released in the 1990s. A fascinating document on the disintergration of a dysfunctional relationship. Cash's writing is magnifiscent. ***THE WHEEL***: My favorite Rosanne Cash album. A forty-five minute musical journey through extraordinary songs and brillaint production. THE WHEEL is 10 times better than any other adult contemporary CD I've heard in the 1990s and about 25 times more exhillerating. ----------------------------------------------------------------- If you've never heard Rosanne Cash or if you're a long time fan, you're in for a real treat. RETORSPECTIVE comes HIGHLY RECOMMENDED.
Asin: B000002BAZ |
$9.98 |
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The Way I Should Average Customer Review: Audio CD (08 October, 1996) list price: $11.98 -- our price: $10.99 (price subject to change: see help) US | Canada | United Kingdom | Germany | France Editorial Review Iris DeMent's 1994 My Life is the best country album released in the 1990s. Yet with its gorgeous string-band arrangements and its heartbreaking tales of home and family, it's so timeless it could just as easily have been released in the '30s as the '90s. By contrast, there's no mistaking which decade DeMent's album, The Way I Should, comes from, with its crossover-country sound and its references to Calvin Klein, MTV, child abuse, "quality time," and Beavis and Butt-head. Nonetheless DeMent's twangy Arkansas soprano and detail-filled lyrics are as sharply original as ever. DeMent's voice seems to glow on "This Kind of Happy," a love song co-written with her outspoken admirer, Merle Haggard, and on the prayer-like "Keep Me God." --Geoffrey Himes ... Read more Reviews (30)
"There's a Wall in Washington" paints a picture so vivid that you can practically feel the black granite and it's followed by a tune that is a perfect display of the heart and soul of Folk Music "Wasteland of the Free". Her words ring true and the music complements the feelings evoked so perfectly. I found "I'll Take My Sorrow Straight" refreshing with it's sort of New Orleans flavored beat and "The Way I Should" was joyful and fun even though it deals with a very real and sometimes bothersome fact of life. Songs like this one make me feel like I know Iris and she is also me. Basically, Iris is more delightful than ever on this outing and everything that fans of folk music could hope for. Her voice is pure as ever and even tho her music has picked up some of that "big time" polish it isn't overbearing and her music still rings true as folk through and through. I'm listening to it over and over again!
Asin: B000002N5K |
$10.99 |
Disappointing after two great records
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Little Sparrow Average Customer Review: Audio CD (23 January, 2001) list price: $16.98 -- our price: $13.99 (price subject to change: see help) US | Canada | United Kingdom | Germany | France Editorial Review Inspiration takes wing on Little Sparrow. With its soaring harmonies and sprightly acoustic arrangements, Dolly Parton's second bluegrass-oriented album (following 1999's The Grass Is Blue) recalls the unaffected purity of her Coat of Many Colors and Jolene days in the 1970s. Rarely does a veteran artist sound so renewed, as Parton applies her bittersweet trill to a selection that extends from a majestic reading of Collective Soul's "Shine" through a banjo-driven breakdown on Steve Young's "Seven Bridges Road" and a breezy romp through Cole Porter's "I Get a Kick Out of You." Original material such as "My Blue Tears" and "Mountain Angel" brings out the best in Parton, though the overly precious title cut and the girlish "Marry Me" don't fare as well. With the support of vocal acolytes including Alison Krauss, Rhonda Vincent, Claire Lynch, and Maura O'Connell, Parton sounds like she's leading a heavenly choir. --Don McLeese ... Read more Reviews (99)
All of the artists that appear on this CD have done an icredible job as always. Jerry Douglas on dobro, Stuart Duncan on fiddle, Alison Krauss, Claire Lynch, Maura O'Connel, Altan....Who could ask for any better. If you are a fan of bluegrass, then you must buy this CD. I'll go ahead and nominate it for best bluegrass recording right now!!
I Don't Believe Youve Met My Baby is a beautiful song thats another one of my favorites. The next track will always remain one of my favorite Dolly songs, My Blue Tears. Simply one of the most beautiful songs Dolly has ever sang in her whole career in my opinion. Next follows a cover of Seven Bridges Road which is very beautiful. Bluer Pastures and A Tender Lie are other favorites of mine, very simply in arrangement and Dolly sounds simply beautiful. I Get A Kick Out Of You is a great song, a little upbeat and fun. The next song is a very sad song. Mountain Angel, the longest running track on the album clocking at nearly 7 minutes is a very song, very well the masterpiece of this album. Marry Me is a great upbeat song, very bluegrassy like. Down From Dover is a remake of her own classic, still as timeless as ever. The Beautiful Lie is a nice song as well, very beautiful. In The Sweet By And By is a very slow beautiful song. The Little Sparrow Reprise closes the album. Little Sparrow is by far one of the best albums I have heard in a while. This is proof that it pays to wait for good material, as Dolly always delivers. This album continues to show her growth, from personal freedom of a major record label. She still maintains to make music the way she wants to, even though radio refuses to play her music, well its their loss because this is pure gold. Dolly says she will continue to do music like this, and I can't complain, Little Sparrow is a breath of fresh air.
Like most people, I assumed Dolly Parton only sang "Jolene" type songs. Didn't even know she wrote songs. Somebody mentioned this cd to me about 18 months ago and advised that you wouldn't believe it was Dolly Parton. For some reason I kept this advice in the back of my mind and only now have chosen to buy it out of all the other cd's I could have purchased. Is that a sign? You will not be disappointed if you purchase this cd. It is superb in every aspect; songs, arrangements, lyrics, musicians and production. ... Read more Asin: B000055YSK |
$13.99 |
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The Hardest Part Average Customer Review: Audio CD (26 September, 2000) list price: $9.98 -- our price: $9.98 (price subject to change: see help) US | Canada | United Kingdom | Germany | France Editorial Review Allison Moorer's talent is so obvious, the strength of her conviction so apparent, that you wind up doubting if she's really as good as she sounds. Strangely enough, Moorer's older sister Shelby Lynne moved away from Nashville and emerged with one of the surprise hits of 2000, the Southern soul-drenched I Am Shelby Lynne. Moorer, on the other hand, stayed in Nashville, took control of the artistic reins, and emerged with a sophomore effort on a major country label that is in many ways similar to and nearly as varied as her sister's breakthrough. "It's Time I Tried," for one, is deep Muscle Shoals soul while "Think It Over" could be a Pretenders song. The buried finale is a haunting Southern gothic ballad. Mix in a few bluegrass inflections here, some countrypolitan there, and infuse it all with classic honky-tonk misery, and it's clear that Moorer will not be tied down to any genre designation, Nashville or not. Her sumptuous voice not only packs a punch, but it can also bob and weave to great effect as she sings about love's many entanglements. Consider that she not only coproduced the album but also cowrote each tune, and any doubts about her talents begin to vanish. --Marc Greilsamer ... Read more Reviews (48)
For my taste, I love Allison's incredible voice, which is so real, so personal, so informed with palpable emotion, that anything competing with it renders the performance much less compelling than it could be. Three cuts on the album, in fact, got the full-on Nashville production treatment, complete with the Nashville String Machine to provide a withering fusillade of syrupy sound, practically drowning Allison out on several occasions. A fourth cut settled for a simple string quartet -- better, but still a completely unnecessary overkill. What's necessary, then? In my opinion, it's guitars, bass, percussion, pedal steel, fiddle, and great backing vocal harmony. Period. Allison started out on Alabama Song striking a clear path back to the classical roots of country music, and though this great sound is still apparent on many of the tracks on this album, a few are venturing dangerously close to the abyss of glitzy, overproduced "pop" country. I'd hate to see her go this way, though I suppose she would sell more records. Having said that, this album is on the whole a collection of good songs well performed by one of the most talented new stars on the country music horizon. I can pretty confidently recommend it to anyone who liked her first album, as well as to those who haven't yet had the pleasure of discovering her. My favorite tracks on The Hardest Part: the title track (1); Bring Me All Your Lovin' (6); Is It Worth It (7); Feeling That Feeling Again (10); and the unlisted, untitled bonus track about the death of her parents, a tragic ballad in the classic southern Appalachian style. Let's also hope her label sends her out on tour one of these days. I'd sure love to see her live!
Asin: B00004U65X |
$9.98 |
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Broken Things Average Customer Review: Audio CD (17 August, 1999) list price: $17.98 -- our price: $14.99 (price subject to change: see help) US | Canada | United Kingdom | Germany | France Editorial Review Julie Miller's Hightone debut, Blue Pony, was a critical success based on its winning combination of Miller's superior songwriting, plaintive vocals, and husband Buddy's rockin' production. Broken Things is, if anything, a step up, with nary a weak song in the bunch and guest appearances by Patty Griffin, Victoria Williams, Emmylou Harris, and Steve Earle. Many of its charms are encapsulated in the opener, "Ride the Wind to Me": swinging, solid grooves; twangy harmonies (courtesy of hubby); and a chorus that lifts the heart while it captures the ear. Miller's voice is a study in contrasts: an unforced "little-girl" breathiness combined with a bluesy roughness around the edges. Her obvious foundation in country and mountain music and her ability to add slight twists to her lyrics make ballads like "I Still Cry" and the title song into new classics rather than exercises in "retro." Buddy's time in Harris's Spyboy band has helped him add some of the "ambient-roots" sound of Wrecking Ball to the proceedings. It is all to the good, further enhancing an emotionally resonant record. --Michael Ross ... Read more Reviews (51)
Asin: B00000JNJD |
$14.99 |
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You Gotta Sin to Get Saved Average Customer Review: Audio CD (07 October, 1997) list price: $6.98 -- our price: $6.98 (price subject to change: see help) US | Canada | United Kingdom | Germany | France Editorial Review Maria McKee's voice--equal parts Dolly and Aretha--had frequently been great, one song at a time, but it wasn't until You Gotta Sin that this former Lone Justice singer was perfect start to finish. McKee's best batch of songs ever are complimented here by the twisted guitar of Jayhawk Gary Louris, which matches McKee, scream for scream, especially on the closing title track where Maria sends packing the guy she's been chasing all along. She's all over the place--"I'm Gonna Soothe You" is soul, "Only Once" honky-tonk, "I Can't Make It Alone" hard-edged pop--but it all works because McKee has finally reconciled her spirituality with her need for the sensual, over-the-top anthem. --David Cantwell ... Read more Reviews (14)
She experiments with some new sounds here, if a decade-old recording that heavily references influences from two decades earlier can be spoken of as in any way "new". We suddenly have Maria with horns and songs in several genres that fit broadly under a blue-eyed soul umbrella. These include the opening disco-like track, two Van Morrison covers (and a couple of songs that mimic his style), and material that sounds more like Muscle Shoals. There is also some country music and some simple ballads. I'm not sure her voice is best-suited to the material here - I preferred her as a more enthusiastic rocker - but her performances are top-notch. Some of the instrumentation can sound dated, unlike her earlier recordings (distorted electric guitar solos that are lovely but from another time, or disco influences), but there's some great songwriting here. Mostly, this is a pleasant recording that lets me enjoy one of my favorite voices doing music that isn't quite my favorite. I've always liked the homier version of "I Can't Make It Alone" by the Continental Drifters, and McKee does a nice cover here, but her (amazing) voice nearly overpowers the material. There are some truly outstanding moments, though. "Only Once" sounds like a young Emmylou Harris covering an old country song, but with a stronger voice than Emmylou ever had, and I was shocked that Maria wrote this one herself - it sounded like genuine country. I can see why some reviews felt she was genre-shopping on this CD, but she does this genre in a way that would make Gram Parsons proud. "My Girlhood Among the Outlaws" is a wonderfully mature song also penned by McKee, and "Why Wasn't I More Grateful (When Life Was Sweet)" is another high point, one of those Van Morrison-inspired songs at least in style. I presume the later (out-of-print) "Life Is Sweet" is an allusion to this song. The rollicking title track is a sing-along novelty that sounded silly at first, but has grown on me. It sounds like it would have been a crowd-pleaser in concert. Overall, this is a more subdued Maria McKee than in her earlier work, and I preferred her with a plain old guitars-bass-drums rock band, or with the folksier sound of her first solo CD, instead of with the brass and somewhat softer vocals here. But her voice is still at its peak, the songs are well-written, and while it may be a bit dated, it's a bargain and it's one of a half dozen chances to hear this great voice on an original CD. ... Read more Asin: B000000P0N |
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Born to Fly Average Customer Review: Audio CD (10 October, 2000) list price: $17.98 -- our price: $13.99 (price subject to change: see help) US | Canada | United Kingdom | Germany | France Editorial Review With Three Chords and the Truth, her 1997 debut album, Missouri-born Sara Evans not only wowed listeners with her superb vocal chops, but also boldly and unpretentiously staked claim to a neo-traditionalist style that suggested she'd done a lot of listening to Loretta Lynn and the late Tammy Wynette in her younger days. With Born to Fly, her third album, Evans continues her descent from the neo-traditional high ground and her move uptown. She makes it clear she's also listened quite a bit to the likes of Trisha Yearwood and Bruce Hornsby, whose "Every Little Kiss" she ably covers here. On the exuberant title tune and on fine country-pop ballads like "I Could Not Ask for More" and the lovely "Saints and Angels," Evans proves she can just as sweetly and deftly patrol the uptown territory as she can the down-home highlands, which she revisits on the steel guitar-adorned weeper "I Learned That from You." Though not every song on Born to Fly insinuates its way into listeners' imaginations like the above-mentioned gems do, this solid, ambitious 11-song collection stands as another feather in this gifted young singer's colorful musical cap. --Bob Allen ... Read more Reviews (96)
Sara Evans is an example of everything that is going right in modern pop country-music. She is very happily married and just gave birth to her second child. The joy that is apparently in her life and heart simply overflow like cataracts in this album. Mind you, the content is not all joy in the songs. The classic country gem "I Learned That From You" is biting, but brilliantly on target in showing the effects of poor male example. "Why Should I Care" and "Four-Thirty" lament over memories of love gone wrong. However, these three songs serve to anchor this CD to the ground as the rest of it just soars to the stratosphere with ebullience and hope. The opening title track deserves all the attention it has gotten both in country- music and mainstream press. This album version is over five and one half minutes long and segues perfectly into "Saints and Angels" singing of the power of grace and forgiveness to heal in a loving, but imperfect marriage. Then comes the centerpiece of the album in "I Could Not Ask for More". This is an unabashed love song to be sung right into the eyes of your spouse telling them how wonderful they are and how much you love them. If you hadn't fully noticed Sara's somewhat nasally vocals, you certainly will on "I Keep Looking" singing about wanderlust and growing older with a coy twist. "Let's Dance" is another uplifting love song about the romantic joys of true, committed love. Fluff? Not if you are in love and Sara clearly is. "Show Me the Way to Your Heart" sings of winning over the heart of a love interest who had been burned before in love. Then comes my personal favorite cut. I can only best describe "You Don't" by recalling a time when I watched a springtime Texas thunderstorm roll in from the west. It appeared on the horizon, rolled into my immediate area building in intensity and power. First the sight, then the smell, the wind, the rain, finally, the rolling thunder and pink-hued lightning bolts. It is a perfect metaphor here. This song is an emotional thunderstorm of astounding intensity telling the female side of how much her lover affects her. It is GOOD STUFF. "Every Little Kiss" is a brilliant upbeat cover of the Bruce Hornsby original to finish this 52 minute tour de force album. To give you a little more perspective on the mindset that went into creating this album, consider the liner notes. "My son Avery. My sweet little punkin! You will never fully understand the depth of my love for you. Even when you were in my womb, I knew you and loved you! You have changed my life forever. I love you so much more than any song, or album, or concert. Always know that! Since I wrote these songs in the first few months of your life, I dedicate them all to you. Love Forever, Mommy. Craig, I didn't know it was possible to grow closer and more in love with someone every day, but it is. You are my rock and my shield. You take such excellent care of Avery and me. Thank you. I am so proud of you sweetie. You are a godly man and I will love you always. And finally, Lord Jesus, let everything I do be pleasing to You and be Your will. I love You above everything. Thank You for the blessings in my life and thank You for giving me music. Please help me to walk in a manner worthy of the calling with which I have been called." Can you have you priorities any better in order?! Wow! Talk about really having your head on straight! You will find, if you listen to this CD with your heart open, that it will bring some of Sara's joy to your heart as well. This is truly a work of art. Great work, Sara! I look forward to your next offering and wish you and your growing family the continued best. Thank you for warming my own heart.
Even if you're not a fan of country music (and I myself am not it's biggest supporter), I highly recommend this CD. The music is so strong and her voice is SO good. ... Read more Asin: B00004YRGJ |
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Hell Among the Yearlings Average Customer Review:  Audio CD (12 June, 2001) list price: $16.98 -- our price: $13.99 (price subject to change: see help) US | Canada | United Kingdom | Germany | France Editorial Review A much more quietly celebrated CD than her debut, Gillian Welch's sophomore effort assured fans of old-timey country folk that she was salt of the earth. Her songs speak with both plaintive yearning and a seasoned storyteller's moxie, urged on by her and David Rawlings's economical guitar picking and strumming. Welch's vocal timbre bears ideally twangy power, giving her a constantly strong vault into her similarly creative tales, which help place this CD clearly in the realm of the exceptional. -- Andrew Bartlett ... Read more Reviews (51)
Total time: 39:22
And it's not quite old-time either--even though none of the songs reference anything more recent than the Civil War, even though the instrumentation and vocal approach is simple, Carter-Familyesque--the harmonic and poetic sophistication give it away. This isn't Gid Tanner. What is it? I'm trying to figure out some science fiction scenario that would produce this music naturally and drawing a blank. Let's just say that on this album, Gillian Welch and David Rawlings write lovely, mopey, sometimes creepy (e.g., "One Morning", the story of a woman watching a horse approach, realizing it bears the dead body of her son) songs that could theoretically have been written by a genius junkie from 1870. The performances are deceptively simple--mostly just two guitars or guitar and banjo and two voices; it's only when you listen carefully that you realize how finely crafted the arrangements are. David Rawlings is the perfect sideman--he's got chops as good as anyone, but stays out of the way most of the time, content to support the songs, doling out just enough instrumental brilliance to help the songs into wonderfulness. Gillian Welch's five-string banjo playing is very simple--she'd only been playing a year when she recorded this. But it's exactly what these songs need. Banjo players so often chase after virtuosity that we forget how effect they can be in a support role. I teach banjo sometimes and I tell all my beginning students to get this record. How is this album similar or different to others by this artist? This one is the closest to old-time music. Which albums with a similar sound do you recommend? Besides Gillian Welch's other albums, I can only think of The Crooked Jades' albums, especially The Unfortunate Rake. Of course I'm in The Crooked Jades, so I have a definite bias here...
Asin: B00005KHE4 |
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Everything's Gonna Be Alright Average Customer Review: Audio CD (20 October, 1998) list price: $11.98 -- our price: $11.98 (price subject to change: see help) US | Canada | United Kingdom | Germany | France Editorial Review Even within the pop landscape of today's mainstream country, Deana Carter's follow-up to her blockbuster Capitol debut surprises. Carter and co-producer Chris Farren demonstrate an uncanny instinct for hits: These 13 songs--five of which were co-written by Carter---tour through Top 40s of many decades and genres. The musical and lyrical variety--rather than Carter's singing, which is breezy, not bold--is her strong suit. "You Still Shake Me" marries ZZ Top and raunchy Hank Jr., while "Never Comin' Down" has a sly, soul groove and wah-wah guitar that sounds like Bobbie Gentry swinging to Sheryl Crow. "Absence of the Heart" has flashes of Crystal Gayle at her torchiest, while "Angels Working Overtime," Carter's best vocal performance, has hip-hop style percussion, big, Mellancamp-esque acoustic guitars, and the bubbly, laughing voices of children--and somehow the pop dazzle doesn't swamp the intense narrative. Carter isn't making country music, but her confections can be delightful, even ambitious, pop stuff. --Roy Kasten ... Read more Reviews (30)
As on her debut album, the songs on here are very real and you can relate to them. Throughout listening to the album, I felt I understood what Deana was saying and how she was feeling. One of the highlights on this album is the beautiful ballad Color Everywhere, and I believe if released to country radio success would of followed on the charts. Other mentionable songs include People Miss Planes, Never Comin Down, Make Up Your Mind, Angels Working Overtime and the album's first single Absence of the Heart. This is a beautiful album, it may take getting used to but its worth the effort, there is some great material here.
Asin: B00000DCI3 |
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NotThat Great....But Not That Bad Either
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Pioneering Women of Bluegrass Average Customer Review: Audio CD (21 May, 1996) list price: $16.98 -- our price: $13.99 (price subject to change: see help) US | Canada | United Kingdom | Germany | France Editorial Review Before these 1960s recordings were made, the impact of women on bluegrass was virtually non-existent. Molly O'Day and Wilma Lee Cooper had forged some success, but Hazel and Alice were more interested in the dual harmonies of the Stanley Brothers. The pair's unrefined, passionate, seamlessly intertwined harmonies leave a lasting impression, and their sound often owes more to traditional country than bluegrass. Supported by mandolinist David Grisman and fiddle legend Chubby Wise, the pair attack the songs of Bill Monroe, the Carter Family, the Stanleys, Delmores, and Louvins with fire and conviction. Dickens originals such as "Won't You Come and Sing for Me," with four-part harmonies, and the playful "Cowboy Jim" display her deft songwriting touch while her raw mountain tenor rivals that of Ralph Stanley.--Marc Greilsamer ... Read more Reviews (8)
If I had to recommend just one album to anyone, it would be this one. Hazel Dickens has the most purely emotional singing voice I've ever heard, even better than Judy Garland or Edith Piaf. Her range can quickly go from utterly raw to softly sweet. I have specified in my will that a song from this album be played at my memorial service. ... Read more Asin: B000001DJ7 |
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Down from the Mountain: Live Concert Performances by the Artists & Musicians of O Brother, Where Art Thou? Average Customer Review: Audio CD (24 July, 2001) list price: $18.98 -- our price: $13.99 (price subject to change: see help) US | Canada | United Kingdom | Germany | France Editorial Review Country music reclaimed its traditional soul with the chart-topping triumph of the O Brother, Where Art Thou? soundtrack. This concert sequel, recorded (and filmed) at Nashville's venerable Ryman Auditorium, reunites Emmylou Harris, Gillian Welch, Alison Krauss and Union Station, and other O Brother standouts. With little duplication, the selection extends the movie's revival of acoustic spirituals and Appalachian balladry, though the performances and pacing of the concert aren't quite as consistently compelling as the studio soundtrack. Among the highlights are a pair of originals by Welch and David Rawlings, the bluesy "Dear Someone" and the Everlyesque "I Want to Sing That Rock and Roll." Where O Brother interspersed archival recordings among the contemporary artistry, the concert finds Nashville gospel's Fairfield Four harmonizing on the chain-gang chant of "Po' Lazarus," while the late John Hartford (in one of his final performances) renews the deadpan whimsy of "Big Rock Candy Mountain." --Don McLeese ... Read more Features Reviews (52)
About the sound quality: Live albums can have exceptional sound but this one does not. For examples of excellent live sound, check out the Weavers at Carnegie Hall and you'll see that it was possible 40 years ago. I'm not trying to say that this disc has horrible sonics, just that they are lower quality than I expected. Modern engineers can pull off excellent live sound on classical (many examples), rock (Zappa and many others) or acoustic music (Hedges), so it's not a limitation of the medium. Maybe the hall this disc was recorded in is difficult to mic?
Asin: B00005MJYJ |
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Every Time You Say Goodbye Average Customer Review: Audio CD (14 February, 1992) list price: $17.98 -- our price: $13.99 (price subject to change: see help) US | Canada | United Kingdom | Germany | France Editorial Review Over the course of her first albums, including her fourth, 1992's Every Time You Say Goodbye, Alison Krauss probably did more than any of her contemporaries to attract mainstream-country attention to bluegrass. A traditionalist might say this is because Krauss and her band, Union Station, offer a kind of "bluegrass-lite" that's cut with pop sensibility, absent any manic-fast picking, and awash in Krauss's goes-down-easy vocal. Nonetheless, this is a solid album that pushed Krauss deservedly further into the limelight. Highlights include the title track, Union Station banjo picker Ron Block's fine gospel number "Shield of Faith," and the traditional instrumental "Cluck Old Hen." --Anders Smith-Lindall ... Read more Reviews (19)
On this album, Alison and her band, Union Station, work their way through a selection of songs that are generally not well known despite several of them being cover versions. Many of these are old bluegrass songs, but they also include I don't know why (Shawn Colvin) and Lose again (Karla Bonoff). There are also some original songs here including two by Sidney Cox (of the Cox family). At the time, Union Station was made up of Tim Stafford (guitar), Ron Block (banjo - he also wrote three of the songs here), Adam Steffey (mandolin) and Barry Bales (bass). Alison played the fiddle as well as doing most of the singing. The four men could all sing and each of them can be heard on this album, providing harmony or duet vocals, but Alison is the real star. If you are unfamiliar with Alison's early music, I recommend that you buy Now that I've found you - A collection, which I've already reviewed. That includes one track from each of her early albums, plus tracks not available on any of her other albums so far. If you have that collection and you are looking for more of Alison's early music, you will enjoy this.
Ron Block on banjo and guitar and Barry Bales on bass have been with Alison for years, and this version of Union Station sounds comparably polished and talented. I'm going to guess if you're reading this that you have at least a nodding acquaintance with Alison's one-in-a-million voice and the fact that while her bands are built to complement that voice - she also doesn't hog the spotlight. On this CD standout cuts include "New Fool", "Who Can Blame You", "Heartstrings" along with the Gospel "Jesus, Help me to Stand" and the title cut. Several of the tracks feature other Union Station members on lead vocals and although they vary from "good" to "not bad" - they suffer from today's perspective in that no one else in Union Station has a voice like Alison's, and no one else in *this* version of the band has a voice like Dan Tyminski. Still - absolutely required for Alison Krauss fans. ... Read more Asin: B0000002KB |
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I Know Who Holds Tomorrow Average Customer Review: Audio CD (04 February, 1994) list price: $17.98 -- our price: $13.99 (price subject to change: see help) US | Canada | United Kingdom | Germany | France Editorial Review In addition to being a contest-winning fiddler and an angelic singer, Alison Krauss is also a terrific talent scout. She has assembled a personal stable of the finest songwriters in contemporary bluegrass--John Pennell, Nelson Mandrell, Ron Block, Sidney Cox and Mark Simos--and she has singlehandedly brought Louisiana's wonderful bluegrass/gospel group, the Cox Family, to national prominence. Last year Krauss produced the Cox Family's debut CD, "Everybody's Reaching Out for Someone," and this year she has joined them for a delightful joint gospel album, "I Know Who Holds Tomorrow." The Cox Family includes daddy Willard, son Sidney and three daughters, Suzanne, Evelyn, and Lynn. All five are solid lead and harmony vocalists, but Suzanne and Evelyn are special singers with the same kind of effortlessly graceful sopranos as Krauss. Between them, Krauss, Suzanne and Evelyn take nine of the dozen lead vocals and with the backing of the Cox Family voices and Krauss' regular musicians, the results are enchantingly lovely. Krauss has picked the hymns from a wide variety of sources--Paul Simon, Loretta Lynn, Thomas Dorsey and Dottie Rambo--but they are united by her tastefully understated acoustic arrangements. Nothing quite captures the mix of hopes and fears that make up gospel music like the duet between Krauss and Evelyn on Lynn's "Everybody Wants to Go to Heaven (But Nobody Wants To Die)." --Geoffrey Himes ... Read more Reviews (18)
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A Lifetime in the Making Average Customer Review: Audio CD (28 August, 2001) list price: $16.98 US | Canada | United Kingdom | Germany | France Editorial Review Whenever the Whites--father Buck White (on vocals, mandolin, and piano) and daughters Sharon (vocals and rhythm guitar) and Cheryl (vocals and bass)--blend their voices, the resulting harmonies are not only seamless and thrilling but as warm and reassuring as a favorite pair of slippers. As always, the foundation for these precise, yet down-home harmonies is built on Texas-born Buck White's delightfully eclectic blend of bluegrass, gospel, honky-tonk, and swing sensibilities. Daddy White's masterful picking and his daughters' rock-steady accompaniment are augmented by an all-star supporting cast including guitarist Bryan Sutton, fiddler Aubrey Haynie, and the subtle, understated brushes of drummer Kenny Malone. The Whites' old friend Emmylou Harris lends a vocal assist on their lovely revival of Mother Maybelle Carter's "Fair and Tender Ladies." Whether it's a stirring gospel tune, a sprightly swing number, a haunting, Western-flavored ballad, or a rousing instrumental, the Whites cover all their stylistic bases with warm, superb mastery. --Bob Allen ... Read more Reviews (3)
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