Delta Momma Blues
Average Customer Review:
Audio CD (12 April, 1994)
list price: $11.98
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Reviews (6)

old days
I lived in Bennington, Vt. in 1971 when I first heard Townes. I'd sit on the porch with the Green Mountains off to the left and Reggie's Bar over to the right, and drink beer and do acid and listen to Our Mother the Mountain. I've given up on the first two activities, but not the last. Townes has staying power.

One of America's Best Songwriter's Ever
If you don't know it by now, you should know that Townes van Zandt is one of America's best songwriters.To me, Delta Momma Blues is his overall best album.Though I also like For the Sake of the Song, and High, Low and In-Between, and several of his later albums, this one is the cream of the crop.In my upcoming mystery novel (A Nose for Murder) I couldn't resist putting a scene in the story where my main character is listening to The Tower Song on a listener-sponsored radio station in Blue HIll Maine.His girlfriend tries to turn it off and he tells her, "Leave it on, you'll get used to his voice."Later in the chapter she agrees that the rough sound of his voice makes the songs he sings that much prettier, sadder, and more beautiful. Yes, Townes van Zandt had a voice that wasn't polished or pretty, but there has never been an American songwriter outside of Woody Guthrie who could write songs that sounded as if they'd already existed for a hundred years.If I were stranded on a desert island with a CD player, this would be one of the ten records I'd like to have with me.It's that good.

A paradigm shift in my musical tastes
The first time my father put this CD on, I was neither a folk music fan nor a country music fan. I had no confidence I would enjoy any of it.
By the end of "Delta Momma Blues" (the title track, not the whole disc), I was sitting up in my chair, leaning forward with high interest. When "Brand New Companion," "Where I Lead Me" and "Rake" were done, I was a true believer in Van Zandt's powerful talent to evoke emotion and in his talent overall as a musician.
Van Zandt's work also was such a great experience for me that I was willing to listen to a lot of music I wouldn't give the time of day to before. It opened up whole new musical genres for me, and let me discover the joys of the Indigo Girls, Michelle Shocked, Hank Williams and many others.
Perhaps Van Zandt wasn't "popular," but he is certainly one of the more gifted songwriters of the 20th century, IMHO. This disc is a great example of his work, and an essential CD for me. ... Read more

Asin: B00000330N
Sales Rank: 232361
Subjects:  1. Folk & Traditional    2. Pop   

Spirit
Average Customer Review:
Audio CD (04 June, 1996)
list price: $13.98 -- our price: $13.98
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Editorial Review

As with Willie Nelson's '70s Atlantic breakthroughs, the self-written and self-produced collection is something of a concept album, though its not driven by as strong a narrative as Phases & Stages and Red-Headed Stranger. This is simple declarative account of a man abandoned by the great love of his life. He reflects upon his loss, expresses his fears and desires, and searches the heavens for solace. He finds some and gives thanks. The band (Nelson backed by fiddle, piano, and second guitar) plays a wistful waltz and life goes on, though the end is in sight. The Willie of Red-Headed Stranger was wild and dangerous when he was hurt; the Willie of Spirit is reflective and contrite. Still, Spirit ranks with Red-Headed Stranger, one of the landmarks in modern country music history. --Steven Stolder ... Read more

Reviews (23)

Reviewing My Willie Nelson CDs
If you are reading this you probably already know that Willie is one of the most creative, powerful, and diverse performers of all time. In this review, I'm not going to rate the albums, just offer some insights into the CD's and DVD's that I have purchased - and I'm glad I've purchased them all.

"The Essential Willie Nelson" is essential. Be that as it may, Willie's individual CD's are so strong and the songs are so interrelated, often in a story or a tight thematic format, that they almost make the "essential" Willie Nelson unessential - but it is such a great collection of songs, that you can't get as easily any other way. Definitely worth the buy.

"The Red Headed Stranger" is one of the greatest albums of all time. It is pure genius. If you get the 70th birthday edition, you get a remastered track and extra songs. There are no less than six "A" level songs on this CD, nothing short of amazing. Plus, you get fourteen minutes of great story telling. As a story teller, Willie is only rivaled by Native American artist Robert Mirabal ("Indians Indians", "Taos Tales", "Music From A Painted Cave", "Mirabal", etc.).

"Willie and Family Live", done around 1975, is a great live album. It has lots of energy. A highlight for me was Willie Nelson, Emmy Lou Harris, and Johnny Paycheck singing "Amazing Grace" together. It also contains the fourteen minute story of the Red Headed Stranger, including "Blue Eyes Crying In the Rain". This live performance of Willie's first #1 hit is the best I have heard on any album. There is a little extra "oomph" on every song in the CD. Again, make sure you get the 70th birthday edition, it has extra goodies.

If you like the early super hits that Willie wrote for everyone else, like "Crazy", "Night Life", and "Funny How Time Slips Away", then you need to also get the "Milk Cow Blues" CD. Willie performs these and more Blues standards, usually in a duet format, with outstanding artists such as B.B. King - Rolling Stone Magazine's choice as the 3rd greatest guitarist of all time. Hearing BB and Willie strum and sing together on "Night Life" and "The Thrill is Gone" is indeed a thrill. Willie performs this album with a first class Blues band and it is a first class Blues album.

Willie's latest album, "It Will Always Be" is once again a solid piece of work. Duets with Norah Jones and Lucinda Williams help make it special, but the best part of this album is the haunting duet of Willie and Paula Nelson on the song "It Will Always Be". This is a song that hits you in the gut, and it rivals Bruce Springstein's "Streets of Philadelphia" in terms of its raw emotion. A number of people, including me, cried the first time they heard it: "I'm tied of this and I'm running out of time; feels like dyin', feels like cryin'; and I'm running out of time." Say it ain't so, Willie!! A second good song was written by another member of the Nelson clan. The title song is very beautiful. The tribute to the land Willie loves, "Texas", is too short but very meaningful. If this was Willie's last CD, he went out as "The Midnight Rider", a great song for the leader of the outlaw movement:"They ain't gonna catch me, I ain't go let `em catch the Midnight Rider."

"Spirit" and "Teatro" are brother/sister CDs. Both have a strong thematic core, although they are not stories."Spirit" is one of those rare CD's when every note seems important. For most, you'll listen to it less than the other CD's, but love it equally as much. For a few, you'll play it by the hours. It is essentially a story of coping with lost love, redefining your relationship with yourself and with God, and finding love again. The music and the whole CD are moderately paced, with a strong, steady spiritual tone to it. It has a light Latin sound, essential to Willie's roots.Pictures of Willie on this album look like he came from an ancient Holy Land.

"Teatro" is the mirror of "Spirit". Again, it is a story of coping with lost love, but the story goes south, ending in murder and psychological ruin. Teatro means "theater" in Spanish and this is good to keep in mind in listening to the CD. It is just a play folks! The CD is very hard-hitting, because Willie's music is very hard-hitting and very close to the heart. The music tends to have a lively beat, with strong Latin overtones. Its haunting nature is reinforced by Emmy Lou Harris, who accompanies Willie on most of the songs.The back picture on the back of the CD case is one of the best pictures of Willie ever taken.

The "My Life" DVD is well worth the buy. The story ends before the 90's, but there is a brief update. I knew about Willie and Farm Aid, but I didn't know about the scope of his philanthropy and the diversity of populations targeted in his giving until this DVD. I was also amazed to learn that he paid his $16 million IRS debt off in one year, selling $17 million worth of songs as info-mercials to radio stations. That's a lot of love, translated into a lot of power.

A number of people criticize the "Live In Amsterdam" DVD and some of the criticisms are merited. But hey, the DVD has a large collection of great songs. Some criticisms are not fair. You perform differently and 70 than you do at 40, it is a biological rule.Willie's shows have always moved quickly from one song to the other, so the pace of the concert is nothing new. The love from the audience is shown at the end when Willie is signing autograph after autograph.The bottom line is this, if you like Willie, if you would like to watch him live occasionally instead of just hearing him through the box, and if you want those images of him at 70, then you should buy this DVD. You'll find it worthwhile.

In the final analysis, the raw power of Willie's work, formed by singing in the cotton fields with Black and Mexican laborers, and his keen insight into what people really want in music, formed not through record company analysis but through live performances on the ground, make Willie Nelson one of the most creative, powerful, and loved performers of all time.

One of the greats...
As I stated in my "Red Headed Stranger" album review (if you ever feel so inclined to read it), I am not a big fan of Willie. This album really struck me in an important phase of my life, after my heart got broken and I thought I just couldn't go on. The beauty of this album lies not in the tunes (though Willie's guitar is breathtaking) but in the powerful emotions that Willie is able to convey. I swear he sang about everything I was feeling (and still feel occasionally). About his love being gone, about remembering her whilst trying to forget her, and then deciding he doesn't want to forget. And reconciling with God (though something I can never do). This album touched my heart and soul in a way that no other piece of art has. If you ever read this, Willie, (which I find highly doubtful) thank you from the bottom of my heart for this album. You saved my life.

It's a dream come true
This is a very sparse album by Willie Nelson.It is all acoustic, with some of the tracks featuring just Willie on guitar and his sister on piano.Other tracks also feature a second guitar plus a fiddle.The songs loosely tell the story of a man who lost the love of his life and looks to God for help. This seems to be a very personal album to Willie, and I recommend it to all his fans. ... Read more

Asin: B000001E9L
Subjects:  1. Americana    2. Country    3. Country-Folk    4. Pop    5. Progressive Country    6. Singer/Songwriter    7. Traditional Country   

Acadie
Average Customer Review:
Audio CD (20 September, 1989)
list price: $13.98
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Editorial Review

After producing groundbreaking albums for, and often with, Peter Gabriel, U2, Robbie Robertson, and the Neville Brothers, Daniel Lanois's self-produced debut album proved at once familiar in its thick, swampy sonics and startling in its pared-down, intimate scale. Lanois's song cycle is steeped in the francophone cultures both of his Québécois heritage and of his adopted New Orleans home, mixing English and French as easily as Lanois himself alternates from soulful croon to plainer folkiness. Populated with rural characters, his detailed stories evoke a lost time through two-step acoustic love songs, narrative ballads, and a hushed, propulsive prayer; "The Maker" features a ghostly, restrained harmony vocal by Aaron Neville. The underlying historical link between old Acadian culture in his title and its descendant Cajun culture surviving in Louisiana's bayous and backwoods gives the songs and these performances a haunting, and haunted poignancy. --Sam Sutherland ... Read more

Reviews (25)

The Supporting Cast
My stars say enough, this CD never fails to create a better image each time I listen to it. I have all his CDs and this one holds a place at the top with a couple of his other projects. I wish he would work with more acts as a producer, his sound is so characterisic. Love to hear what he could do with The Tragically Hip, R.E.M, Leonard Cohen and a hundred more acts. You can judge a person by the company he keeps, oh what company Lanois brings to this project:

Album Credits

Pierre Marchand
Keyboards

Larry Mullen, Jr.
Drums

Cyril Neville
Percussion

Ed Roth
Accordion

Jeri Heiden
Art Direction, Design

Willie Green
Drums

Mark Abrahms
Photography

James May
Trumpet

Mark Howard
Engineer, Mixing

Paul Barrett
Engineer

Malcolm Burn
Keyboards, Vocals (Background), Engineer, Mixing, Guitar

Greg Calbi
Mastering

Adam Clayton
Bass

Bill Dillon
Guitar

Brian Eno
Keyboards, Vocals

Lynn Goldsmith
Photography

William Green
Drums

Tony Hall
Bass

Daniel Lanois
Vocals, Producer, Main Performer, ?, Omnichord, Mixing, Bass, Guitar

Roger Eno
Piano

Aaron Neville
Vocals

Art Neville
Piano

Mason Ruffner
Guitar

A heartfelt, sonic masterpiece
What can I add that hasn't already been said here? This is my favourite album of all time, and I know how loosely these accolades can be thrown around. Acadie has folk roots and a crystaline, unique honesty - it is melodic, bluesy, perfectly produced and yet somehow human and imperfect. You're always chasing it, tantalised by something you can't quite put your finger on. At the same time it is experimental and addictive. The album has a selflessness that gives it a warm spiritual quality. Quite simply, it's one of music's finest minds letting us in with powerful, spirtual, haunted songs. Everyone will have their favourites on this CD - for me, I cannot look past The Maker or St Anne's Gold. All of Lanois' work is worth a look but he is yet to top this. A masterpiece.

holds up like little else
Maybe I am just adding to the chorus...but this is one of the best, most enduring albums I've ever heard.I first started listening to it in 1990, my girlfriend's copy, then bought the CD a few years after we split up & was blown away once again.This morning I am listening as iTunes rips it to mp3 & every song still sounds fresh and enchanting.Pure brilliance._For the Beauty of Wynona_ was a letdown for me after this, & I haven't listened to the other one.But I could listen to _Acadia_ day after day and never tire of it. ... Read more

Asin: B000002LIE
Subjects:  1. Adult Alternative Pop/Rock    2. Alternative Pop/Rock    3. Pop    4. Rock   

Texas Sharecropper & Songster
Average Customer Review:
Audio CD (30 November, 1993)
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Reviews (2)

the real deal
If you like Mississippi John Hurt and Reverend Gary Davis, do NOT pass this one by. Lipscomb is a great singer and fingerpicker in the "songster" tradition. He is bluesier than Hurt (his straight blues have a heavy dose of Lightnin' Hopkins in them) but every bit as warm and tuneful. I bought this three months ago and it's still in heavy rotation.

An National Treasure
If you're searching for blues as a collector, don't miss this.Mance and his music is a national treasure.Listen to this and then listen to some of today's "blues" masters like Eric Clapton, Stevie Ray Vaughn,etc. and then you'll know where they got their mojo from. ... Read more

Asin: B0000001FH
Sales Rank: 47183
Subjects:  1. Acoustic Texas Blues    2. Blues    3. Blues Revival    4. Country Blues    5. Pop    6. Songster    7. Texas Blues   

The Complete Studio Recordings
Average Customer Review:
Audio CD (31 October, 2000)
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Editorial Review

Gentle, graceful, subtle, sweet--these aren't descriptions generally applied to the blues, but they offer a sense of Mississippi John Hurt's uniqueness and enduring legacy. Rediscovered during the 1960s folk boom after last recording in the late 1920s, Hurt cut the three albums compiled here when he was in his early 70s. His conversational phrasing sounds as natural as breathing, while his ragtime-tinged fingerpicking on acoustic guitar reveals more complexity the closer you listen. Beyond blues classics like "Candy Man" (the sly sensualist wasn't referring to lollipops), Hurt's range encompasses everything from folkish narratives ("Talking Casey," "Spike Driver Blues") to Southern spirituals ("Nearer My God to Thee," "Farther Along"). Though Hurt died in 1966, shortly after the last of these sessions, the music still sounds so fresh, you can almost hear the twinkle in his eye. --Don McLeese ... Read more

Features

• Box set

Reviews (14)

Less than 5 stars is an insult!!
I don't have this collection but I do own the almost all of John Hurt's alnums, including the ones represented here. Anyone who doesn't rate these recordings as highly as possible simply isn't listening hard enough. While Hurt's 1928 recordings are also extremely good they just don't match the warmth and depth of his later-life output. What would be nice is to have some recordings of this guy made during the 35 years prior to his "rediscovery". Since those, unfortunately, don't exist you'll have to be satisfied with the albums collected here. And if you're not satisfied with them than there's something wrong with you.

possibly the most under-rated artist ever
Mississippi John Hurt is the type of artist that when you hear him for the first time, it changes something in you.I heard someone say that once and didn't believe it until I heard for myself.The way I think about music, the blues, songwriting, and even life itself has been affected by Mississippi John Hurt.His music is some of the most beautiful, honest music ever made.Every time I hear it, it makes me wish that I was alive when he was, and that I knew him.All of his music, though it is typically refered to as "the blues," has such a joy of life behind it.

I know it sounds a little overly dramatic, but Mississippi John Hurt can change your life if you let him.

Thank God for Mississippi John Hurt
This is some of the best best blues music that can be found anywhere.Hurt's fingerpicking style sounds simple, but anyone who has ever played guitar can tell you that there's actually quite a bit going on in Hurt's picking department.The nice thing about this is that the music is very easy to get into, but still offers challenges to those who want to go deeper.Hurt's playing style might best be described as clean, smooth, and laid-back.For better or worse, this isn't the "rough around the edges" string-slapping sound that many people erroneously associate with all things blues.Consequently, many friends of mine who claimed to dislike blues music have recently changed their tune.Of course, Hurt's honey-sweet singing cannot be overlooked here.It is deeply soulful and aged to perfection.It's not quite as subdued, but just as soothing, as having your [extremely talented] grandfather sing you a lullaby.In short, there is no excuse for not owning this album--especially when you get 3 cds for the pittance that Amazon is asking for. ... Read more

Asin: B00004Z3VB
Subjects:  1. Acoustic Blues    2. Blues    3. Country Blues    4. Pop   

Best of the Vanguard Years
Average Customer Review:
Audio CD (31 October, 2000)
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Editorial Review

First it was Woody Guthrie who cast a shadow over Ramblin' Jack Elliott's art. "He sounds more like me than I do," Woody once quipped. Now Elliott's own legend threatens to obscure his fine music. This 25-song set shows how forceful, even peerless (at least among the folkies), his singing and guitar playing could be. Because Elliott released only one album on Vanguard, this "best-of" includes the whole of that 1964 debut plus 13 previously unreleased tracks, making for less of a useful introduction and more of a fan's dream come true. Unreleased tracks include old folk songs such as "Danville Girl," "Diamond Joe," and "Blue Eyed Elaine." Elliott's ultratwangy, unapologetically aggressive style lends the stories a cinematic intensity--and a delightful, cutting humor. This set also reveals just how much Elliott shaped the repertoire, flatpicking, and vocal style of the young Bob Dylan (who, in the guise of Tedham Porterhouse, lends harmonica to Elliott's frenzied version of "Will the Circle Be Unbroken"). As a portrait of the artist, these Vanguard recordings make clear just why Elliott remains so influential and revered. --Roy Kasten ... Read more

Reviews (3)

Jack
Jack Elliott is the last American troubador and this compliation shows why. He only wrote a few songs: his artistry -- live performance by performance -- is what sets him above all others. Mr. Zimmerman is a very good song writer... Jack, on the other hand, not only gave Woody Guthrie all of the credit, but also everyone else who's work he covered. The body of his work is a treasure beyond compare. (If only he could have consistenly showed up on time, perhaps he would have been legendary.)

A Bit Less Than the Best
One disagrees only reluctantly with another reviewer, but it simply is not true, that this CD offers "a great rare look at unreleased songs that Jack wrote while rambling around with Woody Guthrie!"There are, in fact, no songs at all that Ramblin' Jack wrote on this CD.RJE claims the authorship of precisely three numbers in the more than 50 years of his career:"912 Greens," "Cup of Coffee" and "Bleeker Street Blues."None of them are songs; all three are talking pieces.What is on this CD is a collection of traditional folk songs and works by such disparate folk, country and even rock musicians as Woody Guthrie, Blind Lemon Jefferson, Derroll Adams, Merle Travis, Bob Dylan, Ray Charles, A.P. Carter and Ernest Tubb, all Vanguard studio recordings from 1964.The first 12 were released in the same year on vinyl on the LP Vanguard simply called "Jack Elliott."These same 12 songs also are available on Vanguard's "The Essential Ramblin' Jack Elliott," which is a better buy at a lower price.Please see my review of that album for my comments on these songs.The remaining 13 are outtakes from the same studio session, songs that Vanguard had not released until now.Of the 13, the highlights are Guthrie's "Hard, Ain't It Hard," Dylan's "Don't Think Twice," the Traditional "Railroad Bill," and Ray Charles' rock 'n' roll hit "I Got a Woman," also made famous to a certain extent by Elvis Presley.The first three of these four songs are the kind of solid music one expects from RJE, but all three are available in better performances on other RJE CDs."I Got a Woman" is fun and interesting, but Ramblin' Jack's version is unlikely to add anything to the song's legacy or RJE's.In essence, one understands why these 13 first time releases were outtakes in 1964.They're all fine but as a whole, just a bit duller than most of his other vinyl work from these years.Of course, I wouldn't personally want to do without this CD, but then again, there are but a few RJE recordings I'm willing to have outside of my collection.If your interest is more casual, skip this CD and order "The Essential Ramblin' Jack Elliott" instead.It includes the best of this CD, and it goes one better by giving you the best of RJE's superlative April 30,1965 concert at New York City's Town Hall as well - at a better price.

"The Lost Songs Of The Ramblin' Man"
Take a trip with me in 1913! For those new to RJE or looking for rare Ramblin' tunes, well look no further! This is a great rare look at unreleased songs that Jack wrote while rambling around with Woody Guthrie! This is such a great find and proud to own it! This completes my Ramblin' collection. Stay away from The Essential Ramblin' Jack Elliott CD! It only has 1/4 of what this CD offers! As Jack says, "I've got's to ramble!" ... Read more

Asin: B00004Z3VC
Subjects:  1. Folk & Traditional    2. Folk Revival    3. Folksongs    4. Pop    5. Singer/Songwriter    6. Traditional Folk   

Standing in the Safety Zone
Average Customer Review:
Audio CD (26 May, 1992)
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Reviews (7)

Powerful basso profundo, great a cappella gospel!
Isaac "Dickie" Freeman, the bass singer in this group, is the reason I love this CD so much. I got to hear this group live several years ago and was just blown away. Listen to the track "Roll Jordan Roll" and the nice smooth way the Nashville Bluegrass Band starts off. They are a great group in their own right, but when Freeman comes in and starts the rest of the Fairfield Four's contribution, it's a whole different song!
This CD was recorded before the death of some of the original members of the world's "oldest teenage group." Highly recommended!

I once was lost, but now I'm found
I've caught the Fairfield Four every now and then, on various radio shows (e-town) and TV specials (like the recent dedication to Johnny Cash), and have always been impressed with their smooth harmonies.So I picked up this CD on a lark.Words fail me, but here goes.

Take a closer look at the 5 men on the CD cover.During their five decades of performing the best gospel music (with 20 years' time off) they've seen it all, from desperately hard times to vicious bigots, yet their commitment and sincerity has carried them through.And this experience shows- when you hear the Fairfield Four sing you're listening to over 300 years of pain, heartbreak, love, faith, and joy.

On this recording, two of the Four really stand out: Walter Settles (center, behind), who carries the lead on 5 songs (including the stellar "Standing in the Safety Zone"), could have taught Otis Redding something about soul (and maybe he did).And upon hearing Isaac Freeman (far right) sing bass, Garrison Keillor said "Some can and some can't."He knew where he stood.

There's not a bad song on this CD.For me, "Roll Jordan Roll," performed with the Nashville Bluegrass Band, and "Standing in the Safety Zone" are the highlights.If you like a capella music, it doesn't get any better than this.

Funny how so many of the reviewers say the same thing: "I'm not really religious but..."No matter who (or what) you believe in, you can't help but be moved by the Fairfield Four.

Now this is great gospel!
Standing in the Safety Zone by the Fairfield Four is my all-time favoritegospel title in my music collection!

The first track sounds a bit cracklyand lo-fi.If you were to listen to this track and judge the CD, you wouldbe very mistaken about the quality of sound from this recording.The firstsong is an older track, but all the subsequent tracks are crystal clear,moving and engaging.

Although this is a gospel title, I love to play thisfor friends to show off my high end audio system.The vocals are spacious,harmonious and full of life.The recording is superb and the performanceis fantastic.I especially like the bass vocals on this album.The soundis exceptional, but the songs are uplifting and moving as well.This is arecording that will touch your ears and your heart.

I heard about this CDin one of my high end audio magazines.They used this CD to test someesoteric audio gear and they raved about how good it was.That reviewintrigued me, so I bought a copy and it remains one of myfavorites.

Unless you are offended by Christian lyrics, get this albumnow!You will be in for a real treat! ... Read more

Asin: B000002LU0
Sales Rank: 58387
Subjects:  1. Black Gospel    2. Gospel    3. Pop    4. Southern Gospel    5. Traditional Gospel   

Cowgirl's Prayer
Average Customer Review:
Audio CD (28 September, 1993)
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Editorial Review

Emmylou Harris has aged more gracefully than any other country artist (with the exception of Willie Nelson). 1993's Cowgirl's Prayer showcases this maturity in a collection of songs that share wisdom, offer forgiveness, make amends, and explore spirituality. As always, Harris's voice is angelic and sad, her phrasing languid and lonesome. Lucinda Williams's "Crescent City" glows with tragic barroom neon while the classic "You Don't Know Me" takes on a deeper meaning, as if sung perhaps to an old friend or a lost relative? And while spoken-word delivery often falls flat, "Jerusalem Tomorrow" tells such a compelling story--and Harris's delivery is so knowing--that it haunts you long after it's over. --Alexandra Russell ... Read more

Reviews (13)

Full of grace and beauty
This gem of an album opens with the most moving song A Ways To Go, a deeply spiritual number with a gripping melody. The Light, a slow, sad love song with an ultimate message of hope, follows it. Then on to High Powered Love, a brilliant blend of witty lyrics and vocal passion and You Don't Know Me, an achingly beautiful number that sounds almost devotional in its tenderness. This one reminds me of one of Joan Baez's early folk songs, Lady Mary, on one of her 1960s albums.

Prayer In Open D, one of Harris' own compositions, is a spiritual masterpiece exploring the dark valleys of the soul, but with a comforting undertone of mercy and redemption. Sort of like a more intellectual Green Pastures (on Roses In The Snow), it is real gooseflesh stuff.Emmylou gives Lucinda Williams' Crescent City a splendid, lilting treatment to create a fuller, more evocative sound without sacrificing the original's poignant mood of yearning and nostalgia.

Another brilliant story song is Lovin' You Again with its captivating plot and authentic emotion, a mature and poetic love ballad. In the spoken track Jerusalem Tomorrow, Emmylou narrates a powerful and wistful tale over moody, atmospheric music. This unusual number proves that her talking is as appealing as her singing. Thanks To You has a jerky rhythm and a bluesy feel, whilst I Hear A Call is a soulful song of transcendence, one of my favourites on Cowgirl's Prayer. The playing and arrangement are sheer genius as they perfectly carry and frame her vocals.

Her haunting version of Ballad Of A Runaway Horse shows what a sympathetic interpreter of Leonard Cohen she can be. I wish Emmylou would do it more often. The inflections of her voice and her phrasing are just perfect for Cohen's music. On her Western Wall: Tucson Sessions album with Linda Ronstadt, there is a lovely version of Sisters Of Mercy.

The style on Cowgirl's Prayer is mostly traditional country as this album predates the innovative Wrecking Ball, but this is consistently captivating music, memorable and lovingly performed. It explores a wide spectrum of situations and emotions in songs of wisdom and depth. I would rate this album slightly below Wrecking Ball, Red Dirt Girl and Stumble Into Grace, but it still deserves five stars. All the music of Emmylou Harris just improves with time.

One of my favorites
Emmylou Harris' 1993 album COWGIRLS PRAYER should not be missed. Often lost in the shuffle, behind heavyweight albums like WRECKING BALL, this is one of her best albums that usually doesn't get the praise it deserves. It opens with the whistful "A Ways To Go", which has a great chorus and vocal from Harris. She does an amazing cover of Eddy Arnold's "You Don't Know Me", which is one of the best versions of the song I've heard. Another standout is her cover of Lucinda Williams' "Crescent City", which was one of the singles from the album. Perhaps the best song, is the only one that Harris penned for the project. "Prayer In Open D", this is the song I want played at my funeral, it is a beautiful song that should not be missed. On these songs, her voice moves deeper into the lyric than the arrangements usually would allow, but it works with great results. "Jerusalem Tomorrow" is a haunting song, very unique and interesting to listen to. The song is not sung, but spoken. "High Powered Love" is a great uptempo tune, as is "Thanks To You". The ballad "Lovin You Again" is another highlight. She closes the album with Tony Arata's "I Hear A Call" and Leonard Cohen's "Ballad of a Runaway Horse". Overall one of her best albums (among her other great albums). Don't miss this one!

Cowgirl's Prayer
Great CD. Ballad of a Runaway Horse is Emmylou's greatest song ever. I can listen to it over and over and still want to hear it again. ... Read more

Asin: B000002HE3
Subjects:  1. Country    2. Pop   

The Mountain
Average Customer Review:
Audio CD (23 February, 1999)
list price: $16.98
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Editorial Review

When country-rock icon Steve Earle teamed with blazing bluegrass act the Del McCoury Band, the result was more invigoratingly intense than even die-hard fans could have imagined. These energetic songs somehow sound innovative and timeless at the same time, merging the finest, first-person-narrated politico tunes of Springsteen or Dylan with the plaintive, hard-driving mountain wails of the Stanley Brothers and Bill Monroe. Whew. --Mike McGonigal ... Read more

Reviews (80)

The Mountain is further proof....
....that Steve Earle is capable of succeeding in whatever genre of music he tries (except for maybe reggae). The Mountain never gets boring to listen to, which pretty much holds true for all of his albums.

Favorite tracks are "Carrie Brown," "The Mountain," and particularly "Dixieland," since I'm into the Irish-American and Civil War themes.

Steve Earle should have left the singing to someone else.
This would be 5 stars from me if Steve Earle had left the singing to a real bluegrass vocalist.He has the best back-up band with Del McCoury, and the songs he composed for this production are fair enough.He needs to back off the "corn" accent in his singing because it sounds contrived.And leave out the "Mickey Mouse" intro.I'm glad I bought this second-hand.I hate to think of Steve getting royalty money from me for what I take to be a little joke he is pulling over on the bluegrass fans out here.

Steve brings bluegrass to a wider audience
I was already familiar with bluegrass music when Steve recorded this album, but a lot of people who weren't also bought this album and most were pleasantly surprised at what they heard. To create an authentic bluegrass sound, Steve teamed up with the Del McCoury band, one of the finest bluegrass groups you're ever likely to hear. Steve wrote all the songs, declining the opportunity to include any covers of bluegrass standards. Given all the praise he gives Bill Monroe in the liner notes, it would have added a nice touch to hear him cover one of Bill's songs.

Steve covers a variety of topics on this album, delving into American history to find inspiration for such songs as Dixieland (about the civil war of the 1860's), Leroy's dustbowl blues (set in the 1930's) and Texas eagle (about a train that runs no more). As a contrast to all the songs inspired by history, the title track describes how a mountain is stripped of trees then mined for coal, leaving a trail of environmental devastation - truly a song for the times in which we live. Harlan man is another coalmining song.

There are love songs here too, including I'm still in love with you, a brilliant duet with the under-rated and under-recorded Iris DeMent. Another fine song is Carrie Brown, is about a jealous man who kills her lover and is sentenced to death for his crime. The album closes with the road song, Long lonesome highway blues, followed by the metaphorical road song, Pilgrim, which features a long guest list of harmony singers including Emmylou Harris, Gillian Welch and Marty Stuart among others.

This is one of the most important albums in bluegrass history. Together with Dolly Parton's Grass is blue (also released in 1999), it helped bring bluegrass to a wider audience before the further boost provided by the O brother soundtrack. If you listen to this album, you'll understand why. ... Read more

Asin: B00003TFQT
Subjects:  1. Country-Rock    2. Neo-Traditional Folk    3. New Traditionalist    4. Pop    5. Rock    6. Roots Rock    7. Singer/Songwriter   

The Asch Recordings, Vol. 1-4
Average Customer Review:
Audio CD (17 August, 1999)
list price: $49.98 -- our price: $44.99
(price subject to change: see help)
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Editorial Review

Poland-born, Brooklyn-reared producer and folk enthusiast Moses Asch maintained a suitably slack but ultimately productive relationship with Woody Guthrie. The notoriously unbound folksinger was free to stop by the New York studio unannounced and Asch would record whatever was running through the folksinger's fertile mind at the time. From the vast body of work the twosome came up with comes this cornerstone four-disc collection. All four CDs included in The Asch Recordings have been released individually--This Land is Your Land (something of a best-of set), Muleskinner Blues (a collection of the singer's old favorites), Hard Travelin' (a topical compilation), and Buffalo Skinners (Western-themed songs). If you have one or more of the aforementioned titles, finish off the set one by one. If you're interested in American folk music and you don't have the Guthrie/Asch collection, do yourself a favor and get it out of the box. --Steven Stolder ... Read more

Features

• Box set

Reviews (13)

Great Collection of Guthrie
No complaints other than the sound quality--which isn't very good. It's O.K. on some songs, but all in all, it's pretty poor. Everything else is great and at about fifty cents a song it's a really good deal. The liner notes are really great as well and there's a pamphlet for each CD. I've just recently started to listen to Woody Guthrie but have been a Dylan fan for a long time. It's really neat to see all of the similarities in some of Dylan's early work with Guthrie's. Dylan's CD "Good as I Been to You" actually has a few songs that are on this CD. That's a great album as well--1991 I believe. All in all a great deal and great music.

Great Collection of Guthrie
No complaints other than the sound quality--which isn't very good. It's O.K. on some songs, but all in all, it's pretty poor. Everything else is great and at about fifty cents a song it's a really good deal. The liner notes are really great as well and there's a pamphlet for each CD. I've just recently started to listen to Woody Guthrie but have been a Dylan fan for a long time. It's really neat to see all of the similarities in some of Dylan's early work with Guthrie's. Dylan's CD "Good as I Been to You" actually has a few songs that are on this CD. That's a great album as well--1991 I believe. All in all a great deal and great music.

Essential Collection
This is a MUST in everyone's collection of music that changed the world. This is music that transcends genre's, age groups, nationalities and races. There will never be another Woody Guthrie to archive in song the history of our people, our sorrows,our joys, our victories, our losses. Stop and listen to Woody's words, this is just as relevant today as it was in the 40's when Woody composed and recorded them. Start here and then go straight for the Folkways 3CD set with Lomax interviewing Woody as he plays,sings and tells stories about the times that were a changing. In Steve Earle's immortal wordcraft "So come back Woody Guthrie
Come back to us now
Tear your eyes from paradise
And rise again somehow
If you run into Jesus
Maybe he can help you out
Come back Woody Guthrie to us now".

Truer words were never spoken. ... Read more

Asin: B00000JWCQ
Subjects:  1. Box Sets (Audio Only)    2. Cowboy    3. Folk & Traditional    4. Folksongs    5. Political Folk    6. Pop    7. Traditional Country    8. Traditional Folk   

From the belle of '60s London to weathered postpunk princess to postmodern chanteuse and onward, Marianne Faithfull has proved two things: she's adaptable and a survivor. Sparked by Faithfull's glowingly received contribution to Hal Willner's 1985 Kurt Weill tribute, Lost in the Stars, Weather takes up where Stars left off. Here Willner and Faithfull take a torch to an off-kilter but inspired collection of tunes, including Leadbelly's "I Ain't Goin' Down to the Well No More," Bob Dylan's obscure "I'll Keep It with Mine" (penned for another smoky-voiced rock chanteuse, Nico), and the standards "Yesterdays" and "Boulevard of Broken Dreams." The producer enfolds Faithfull's ravaged-but-right vocals in a cozy soundscape that perfectly suits the misty mood of this unified, insular song cycle. --Steven Stolder ... Read more

Asin: B000001FU0
Subjects:  1. Pop    2. Pop/Rock    3. Rock   

Since Brother Oswald Kirby popularized the Dobro in his workwith Roy Acuff, there have been a select few players to stand out onthe instrument: Josh Graves, Mike Auldridge, Jerry Douglas, and TutTaylor. Although Taylor often joined with more-progressive minds suchas John Hartford, his passion is for the traditional, old-timey soundsof Brother Oswald. Recorded in 1971, Friar Tut focuses on thewarmer, mellower tones of the Dobro, mostly in the context of duetswith guitarist Norman Blake (another Hartford sideman). Exceptionsinclude two mandolin trios (with Sam Bush rounding out the group) and ahot-picking tribute to Graves. Even though he uses a flat pick (rarefor the instrument), Taylor coaxes a wonderfully soft and welcomingtone from the Dobro on this delightfully understated reissue. --MarcGreilsamer ... Read more

Asin: B000007S4B
Subjects:  1. Bluegrass    2. Country    3. Old-Timey    4. Pop    5. Traditional Bluegrass   

Since its first release (in Europe in 1993), Richard Buckner's debut has stumbled in and out of print much as his characters drift in and out of love, and waver between hope and regret. This reissue is remastered, with five previously unavailable tracks appended. More direct and accessible than its artful, allusive follow-ups (1997's Devotion + Doubt and 1998's Since), Bloomed introduced a breathtakingly talented songwriter in the West Texas tradition of Townes Van Zandt and Butch Hancock (who guests here on harmonica). Throughout, Buckner's remarkable voice--weathered, big but not blunt, intimate--stands starkly against a rich backdrop of mandolin, fiddle, and steel. One quibble: the bonus tracks should've been issued on a separate disc. Recorded by Buckner alone in a separate session, sans band and producer, they're not Bloomed outtakes. But they're all fine songs, from "Emma," a spare lament inspired by the James Agee tome Let Us Now Praise Famous Men, to "Settled Down," a verbose ballad of intricate detail. --Anders Smith-Lindall ... Read more

Features

• Extra tracks

Asin: B00000J7YT
Subjects:  1. Alternative Country    2. Country-Folk    3. Country/Bluegrass    4. Pop    5. Rock    6. Singer/Songwriter   

Former Blaster Dave Alvin takes a break from bluesy rock & roll for a folk-country collection of his best-known songs and a few choice covers. Alvin's voice, a raspy and limited yet emotionally revealing baritone, is better served with some electricity at his back, but this unplugged set is still never less than charming. The spare, new versions of Alvin songs such as "Fourth Of July" and "Border Radio" place renewed emphasis on his detail-rich lyrics, although the most memorable moment comes when Syd Straw joins him for a rollicking duet of the George Jones classic "What Am I Worth." --David Cantwell ... Read more

Asin: B0000005QQ
Subjects:  1. Pop    2. Rock   

Granted, Sweet Old World isn't the masterpiece that1988's LucindaWilliams is. The too-simple explanations of "He Never GotEnough Love" aren't up to Williams's mile-high standards, and thearrangements throughout are often so similar to that previous release'sthat the melodic differences here aren't as clear as they might'vebeen. But when she raises her vulnerable cry to sing the three, painedperspectives on suicide that are at the heart of this album--the titletrack, "Little Angel, Little Brother," and "Pineola"--Williams's veryhumanity provides its own proof that, while this world can indeed becruel, it can also be oh so sweet. --David Cantwell ... Read more

Asin: B000001A3J
Subjects:  1. Alternative Country-Rock    2. Alternative Folk    3. Americana    4. Contemporary Folk    5. Folk-Rock    6. Pop    7. Rock    8. Singer/Songwriter   

Since the late '70s the Cheap Suit Serenaders--an ever-changing group of hardcore 78-collecting friends--have been playing what they love--old-time jazz, folk, string-band, Hawaiian, and ragtime music. Best known for having two of the best comix artists ever in their lineup--Robert Armstrong and R. Crumb--the Cheap Suits aren't slouches in the instrument-proficiency department (Armstrong's musical saw ended up on the One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest soundtrack, and occasional bandmate Bob Brozman has made an entire career out of touring and playing music). On Chasin' Rainbows, some of the group's finest moments are captured. Classic songs like "Persian Rug" and the title track are played alongside CSS originals like "Fine Artiste Blues." You'll never hear these fun tunes (usually relegated to CD compilations of 78s) played in a higher fidelity, nor will you probably hear them this spirited. A great resurrection of lost music by a group of guys dedicated to the stuff. --Jason Verlinde ... Read more

Asin: B000000DSO
Subjects:  1. Classic Jazz    2. Dixieland    3. Int'l & World Music    4. Pop   

On their sophomore effort, Canada's Cowboy Junkies manage to make a one-day recording session in an old church one of their most satisfying listens. Featuring the sultry voice of Margo Timmins, the precise musicianship of her brothers Peter (on drums) and Michael (on guitar), and bassist Alan Anton, The Trinity Sessions is a spare, evocative, countrified-rock classic. Their inspired reworking of both "Blue Moon" and "Working On A Building" reveal the Timmins family to be talented interpreters and insightful neo-traditionalists. Mixing the ambitious songwriting of Margo and Michael Timmins with subdued covers of Lou Reed's "Sweet Jane" and Hank Williams' "I'm So Lonesome I Could Cry," The Trinity Sessions is an exquisite collection that holds up quite well under repeated listenings. --Mitch Myers ... Read more

Asin: B000002WCL
Subjects:  1. Adult Alternative Pop/Rock    2. Alternative Country-Rock    3. Alternative Pop/Rock    4. Canada    5. College Rock    6. Pop    7. Rock   

With his dark genius lauded by the literary likes of Greil Marcus in this compilation's accompanying 64-page hardcover booklet, Dock Boggs is remembered as a grim and tortured man who barely managed to save his soul with a banjo and a handful of songs. Originally recorded in the late 1920s, this collection illuminates the history of murder ballads like "Pretty Polly" from their origins in the English countryside to their more contemporary expressions (see "Polly" by Nirvana). While Boggs experienced popularity when these recordings were made, he retired from music for more than 30 years until being "rediscovered" in the early 1960s. Along with 12 classic Boggs performances, Country Blues includes five unreleased outtakes and four cuts with Dock as an instrumental sideman. --Mitch Myers ... Read more

Asin: B000001Z3Y
Subjects:  1. Appalachian Folk    2. Banjo    3. Country    4. Country Blues    5. Folk-Blues    6. Old-Timey    7. Pop    8. Traditional Folk   

Traveling into the Carolina hills to record old-time banjoist Clarence Ashley, folklorist Ralph Rinzler happened across a young, guitar-playing neighbor named Arthel "Doc" Watson, and folk and bluegrass music were changed forever. This four-disc set shows Watson at the height of his powers, from his blazing 1964 original Vanguard album to nine numbers recorded live at the Newport Folk Festival. There's plenty of clean, lightning-quick flatpicking here, of course, but The Vanguard Years also showcases Watson's not inconsiderable skills on the five-string banjo and rack harmonica as well as his warm and personable voice. The revelatory side four contains 17 previously unreleased live recordings, including six duets with the great Merle Travis. This CD makes a perfect introduction to what are arguably the guitar player's finest recordings, with enough new tracks thrown in to please even the Watson cognoscenti. --Mary Park ... Read more

Features

• Box set

Asin: B000000EDJ
Subjects:  1. Bluegrass    2. Country    3. Old-Timey    4. Pop    5. Traditional Country    6. Traditional Folk