Country, Bluegrass and Mountain Music [Import]

Product Description:
Country and Western Music Started as a Blend of Various Music Styles from the Southern States of America and this Collection features Classic Recordings from Those Legendary Music Pioneers from the 1920's, 30's and 40's. Includes a 12-page Booklet with Rare Photos and Informative Sleeve Notes. Triple CD

Country, Bluegrass and Mountain Music,Various Artists,Soho,Country,Country/Bluegrass,Cowboy,Int'l & World Music,Pop,Traditional Country,Western Swing

Average customer rating: A Fantastic Find Must Own It Able to incite a crowd to riotous support of jamgrass music listen carefully Excellence

Mountain Tracks, Vol. 3 Yonder Mountain String Band Manufacturer: Sci Fidelity Records ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD Contemporary Blues | Blues | Styles | Music General | Blues | Styles | Music General | Country | Styles | Music Old-Time Country | Traditional Country | Country | Styles | Music General | Bluegrass | Country | Styles | Music Contemporary | Bluegrass | Country | Styles | Music Bluegrass | Live Albums | Country | Styles | Music General | Live Albums | Country | Styles | Music General | Contemporary Folk | Folk | Styles | Music General | Folk | Styles | Music Traditional Folk | Folk | Styles | Music Appalachian | North America | International | Styles | Music Bluegrass Jam Bands | Jam Bands | Rock | Styles | Music Rock Jam Bands | Jam Bands | Rock | Styles | Music Jam Bands | Live Albums | Rock | Styles | Music General | Strings | Instruments | Classical | Styles | Music Similar Items: Mountain Tracks: Volume 2 Mountain Tracks, Vol. 4 Mountain Tracks: Volume 1 Elevation Town By Town ASIN: B0002VGQN2 Release Date: 2004-09-14

Tracks:

1. Bloody Mary Morning
2. Coo Coo's Nest
3. Town
4. If There's Still Ramblin' In the Rambler (Let Him Go)
5. Steep Grade, Sharp Curves / Ramblin' Reprise
6. Traffic Jam
7. Years With Rose
8. Winds O' Wyoming
9. Traffic Jam
10. Holding

Tracks:

1. Queen Of The Earth
2. Train Bound For Glory Land
3. Little Rabbit
4. Left Me In A Hole
5. Old Plank Road
6. Deep Pockets
7. Maid Of The Canyon
8. Too Late Now
9. Yee Haw Factor
10. Kenturcky Mandolin
11. Peace Of Mind
12. Snow On The Pines
13. Peace Of Mind

Customer Reviews:

A Fantastic Find.......2007-06-27

Somehow knowledge of this band escaped this major fan of folk and traditional music. Luckily I heard a few tracks on WXPR's Bluegrass Saturday. I called Harold immediately and asked him who they were. Within seconds I had ordered the album. Loved it, love them, one of my favorite albums. I now know what jamgrass means.

Must Own It.......2005-05-08

You might call me a biased jamband fan, but YMSB's music cannot be denied. YMSB is a some sort of offspring of bluegrass, and their hard hitting lyrics and perfect delivery mesh well. They play with so much passion and energy, and they are a just plain fun to listen to. This a four member band headed by a mandolin(Jeff Austin), stand up bass(Ben Kaufman), Banjo(Dave Johnston), and acoustic guitar(Adam Aijala). They also had a special guest David Anger on the fiddle which added a nice touch to the band. This cd is massive and includes 23 tracks, with many of them spanning over 7 minutes. YMSB isn't a band that takes itself too seriously and throughout the cd they joke around and are hilarious. These songs are the best songs on the cd in order of importance.

1)Traffic Jam- catchy, contaigious, and fast paced. A slow build up to about 1 1/2 minutes then they really do some heavy jamming, and don't stop for the rest of the song. Great fiddling and banjo work throughout. Superb! Great JAM!

2) Peace of Mind- a little slow to get to the jam but well worth it. Intersting fiidle work to start it out and then it blossoms into a nice groove that flows perfectly into Snow on the Pines.

3) Snow on the Pines- great build up and rhythm. Some of my favorite lyrics in the cd. EXCELLENT mandolin pickin. So catchy i got to put this song on now.

4) Kentucky Mandolin- great fiddle/mandolin tune. Great bass solo near the end that has this funky groove carring on, very chill. At the end of the song YMSB are just plain hilarious, and every time I hear their dog hollars I crack up.

5) Bloody Mary Morning- I love this cover, nough said. All YMSB really were on.

6) Left Me In a Hole-straight up bluegrass, and is a very fun and happy tune.

7) Little Rabbit- Again this song is just appealing, more blugrass-esque but has a long extended jam. Dave Johnston carries the tune along with the banjo and never lets up.

I wish i had the patience to write a review on every song, but believe every song is worth while. Luckily I got see YMSB at the FoX theatre, and they are amazing live. They offer alot of crownd interaction unlike many big name jambands. If your into SCI, Phish, Leftover Salmon, Keller Williams, or whatever just check these guys out.

Able to incite a crowd to riotous support of jamgrass music.......2005-01-07

Playing Time - 55:25 (disc 1); 65:47 (disc 2)-- A large contingent of Yonder Mountain String Band fans were out in full force at Planet Bluegrass in Lyons, Colorado in September 2003 for the live recording of this 23-track album at Kinfolk Celebration 2003. The band's distinctive jamgrass sound is supplemented with the expert fiddling of Darol Anger. Four tracks at the end of the 2-CD album also include Rashad Eggleston and Brittany Haas. Regular band members Jeff Austin (mandolin), Dave Johnston (banjo), Adam Aijala (guitar), and Ben Kaufmann (bass) all contribute original material to the band's spirited repertoire. Besides material from Willie Nelson, John Hartford, and Bill Monroe, the band also covers four songs penned by songwriter Benny "Burl" Galloway. The lyrical messages of their original material are interesting. Their material is well-rehearsed and arranged. Not sticking to straight three-chord traditional progressions, YMSB punctuates and accentuates their music with a lot of excitement. The fun they have energizes their audiences.

While quite a few of their songs fit the standard 3-4 minute timeframe ideal for radio airplay, it's interesting to note that they also serve up eight songs that span anywhere from 6 to 10.5 minutes. Spread throughout their sets, these improvisational adventures take us on journeys that ebb and flow like an ocean's tide. In fact, four songs on disc 1 (their first set) progress effortlessly as a medley that spans over 26 minutes. The crowd is left in a wild frenzy. The encore is John Hartford's "Holding," introduced with the advice, "if you're holding, then don't hold out" and accentuated with Anger's pizzicato fiddle. Liner notes are remiss in not identifying who is singing on each song.

Since day one, YMSB has held that their fans, the Kinfolk, are the cornerstone to their success. "Mountain Tracks: Volume 3" is a testament to their ability to incite a crowd to riotous support of acoustic jamgrass music. (Joe Ross, staff writer, Bluegrass Now)

listen carefully.......2004-12-26

Yonder rocks. This album is another of their well-captured live shows and is deffinitely good tunes. Go see them in concert.

Excellence.......2004-11-09

This CD did not disappoint. This band has matured so much since some of the earlier recordings. The individual instrumentation has improved, and the group has matured as a whole. The songs are more elaborate and you can discern their fantastic stage presence just by listening. I love the joke about whiskey when Adam says, "It's like a sweater you wear on the inside," and Jeff replies, "A drunk sweater!" If you like bluegrass, imporvisational music (jam bands) and just plain great musical prowess, listen to this CD.

Average customer rating: Love This Mountain Music! Another Great CD By Tim O'Brien BACK TO OUR MOTHER THE MOUNTAIN Disappointed Wonderful music

Songs From the Mountain Tim O'Brien , John Herrmann , and Dirk Powell Manufacturer: Sugarhill [Country] ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD General | Country | Styles | Music General | Bluegrass | Country | Styles | Music General | Rock | Styles | Music General | Country | Indie Music | Stores | Music Bluegrass | Country | Indie Music | Stores | Music General | Rock | Indie Music | Stores | Music Similar Items: Cold Mountain Songcatcher II: The Tradition That Inspired the Movie Songcatcher: Music from and Inspired by the Motion Picture Back Roads to Cold Mountain Classic Mountain Songs from Smithsonian Folkways ASIN: B000068TJ4 Release Date: 2002-07-09

Tracks:

1. Mountain Air/Washington's March/Bonaparte's Retreat
2. Cluck Old Hen
3. Raleigh And Spencer
4. The Blackest Crow
5. Stobrod's Tune
6. When I Die I'll Live Again
7. The Drunkard's Hiccups (Jack Of Diamonds)
8. Backstep Cindy
9. Wayfarin' Stranger
10. Skillet Good And Greasy
11. Mole In The Ground
12. Claire Dechutes
13. Cherokee Trail/Glory In The Meeting House
14. Bow Down
15. Lonesome John
16. Fair Margaret And Sweet William
17. Hard Times
18. Angel Band

Amazon.com

Songs from the Mountain is an album of passionate restraint, befitting the Appalachian heritage it celebrates and the novel that inspired the collection. The story--which may itself pass into folk legend--is that fiddler Dirk Powell and multi-instrumentalist and vocalist extraordinaire Tim O'Brien were so taken with Charles Frazier's Cold Mountain that they decided to do a companion CD with banjoist John Herrmann. The result is a superior collection of traditional tunes that echo the book's imagery and action--from songs of rebellion and revelry such as "The Drunkard's Hiccups" to the keen longing embodied in "Wayfarin' Stranger" and "The Blackest Crow." The liner notes capitalize on the music's links to the novel and vice versa. But this CD's intimacy and immediacy will transport even those unfamiliar with Frazier's debut. --Kerry Fried

Customer Reviews:

Love This Mountain Music!.......2007-06-20

I am from the Appalachian foothills in eastern Kentucky, and love the mountains. The music on this CD reminds of music I heard while growing up in a small mining camp in the 1950s. The music is simple, raw, and emotional. It is the kind that you might have heard performed by a family or friends gathered on the porch at the end of a hard week's work. My favorite tunes are The Blackest Crow, Angel Band, When I Die I'll Live Again, Wayfarin' Stranger, and Bow Down. (My least favorite is Fair Margaret.) Several good instrumentals on here, as well.

Another Great CD By Tim O'Brien.......2007-05-05

This is a collection of old-time Appalachian/Mountain ballads. You will not find a bluegrass cut on this project. Tim O'Brien is an awesome performer of traditional music. I have seen him several times in concert. All songs are out-standing, and the two gospel numbers will bring shivers down your spine. (Especially Wayfaring Stranger-As close to true Appalachian singing that you will get-that high lonesome sound.)

BACK TO OUR MOTHER THE MOUNTAIN.......2006-06-19

Since my youth I have had an ear for roots music, whether I was conscious of that fact or not. The original of that interest first centered on the blues, then early rock and roll and later, with the folk revival of the early 1960's, folk music. I have often wondered about the source of this interest. I am, and have always been a city boy, and an Eastern city boy at that. Nevertheless, over time I have come to appreciate many more forms of roots music than in my youth. The subject of the following review is an example.

This is music that was performed, and meant to be performed for a live audience on Saturday night after a week's hard work, or early in the morning looking out over the mountain at nature's handiwork, or at any time to evoke the loneliness of the mountains and the hardness of life. And the music brings to life all those sentiments. Certainly this is music to entertain in a time before radio.

A note on subject matter- The bulk of the songs concern home, hearth lovesickness and religion as might be expected from mountain people. And that is okay. The following is something on the order of a discalimer I feel a need to mention. This reviewer, although not a religious man, can appreciate the simple, fundamentalist but very personal religion evoked here. Not to romanticize the simple rural folk of the past but I do not believe that the religious sentiments expressed here are the same as those of religious fundamentalists today.

Disappointed.......2006-05-30

I looked forward to this album as a number of my favorite songs were on it but I was disappointed that songs like "Hard Times" and "Lady Margaret" were not sung all the way to the end. Both left off about two thirds of the way through the song. I mean if you aren't going to sing the complete song, why bother?

Wonderful music.......2005-11-03

Wonderful music and extraordinary musicianship. Beautiful harmonies, make-ya-wanna-dance tunes, make-ya-wanna-harmonize along songs. Old songs beautifully rendered in voice and instruments. I have a lot of bluegrass and "traditional/roots" music and this is one of my favorites. Highly recommend

Average customer rating: No comparison wonderful Is there anything that Sarah Harmer cannot do well? Same lovely, tripping, sing-song melodies; new rootsy sound Heartwarming

I'm a Mountain Sarah Harmer Manufacturer: Zoe Records ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD General | Alternative Rock | Styles | Music Alt-Country & Americana | Country | Styles | Music Outlaw & Progressive Country | Country | Styles | Music General | Bluegrass | Country | Styles | Music Contemporary | Bluegrass | Country | Styles | Music General | Contemporary Folk | Folk | Styles | Music Folk Rock | Rock | Styles | Music General | Rock | Styles | Music Pop Rock | Pop | Styles | Music General | Adult Contemporary | Pop | Styles | Music Adult Alternative | Pop | Styles | Music Country Folk | Country | Indie Music | Stores | Music Similar Items: All of Our Names You Were Here Comfort of Strangers These Four Walls Black Cadillac ASIN: B000CBCWI0 Release Date: 2006-02-07

Tracks:

1. The Ring
2. I Am A Glow
3. Oldeander
4. I'm A Mountain
5. Goin' Out...
6. Will He Be Waiting For Me?
7. Escarpment Blues
8. The Phoenix
9. Salamandre
10. Luther's Got The Blues
11. How Deep In The Valley

Amazon.com

With the kind of rootsy charm normally reserved for summer campfires and folk festivals, Sarah Harmer has managed to capture a wonderfully organic feeling in the grooves of I'm a Mountain, her third solo effort to date. Inspired by Harmer's Kingston country abode, much of this collection--which reflects her love of bluegrass music--brings forth the same earthiness as Michelle Shocked's heralded debut, The Texas Campfire Tapes. In Harmer's case, however, this is far from a solo effort: the acoustic jam--recorded over a week in a Toronto studio--is awash in gorgeous instrumentation. From stand-up bass and fierce finger picking (courtesy of Harmer and guitarist Joey Wright) to bluesman Willie P. Bennett's harmonica and Luther Wright's banjo licks, this disc is less "unplugged" and more "mightily picked" in tone. Harmer's relaxed voice and positive lyrics on tracks like "I Am Aglow," "The Ring," and "The Phoenix" can bring a sense of calm to even the most ruffled listener. A noteworthy highlight is "Escarpment Blues," a song that Harmer originally released as a single earlier this year. The sparse, yet lyrically-poignant track was first put out to raise money and awareness to help save an area of land near Harmer's home known as the Niagara Escarpment. If you love Dolly Parton's The Grass Is Blue (Harmer lovingly covers her "Will He Be Waiting"), the aforementioned Shocked, or the rootsy intimacy of Gillian Welch, this disc will be a perfect addition to the folk section of your music library. --Denise Sheppard

Customer Reviews:

No comparison.......2007-04-23

Sarah has obviously turned 100% folk. This album was honestly a letdown for me after listening to "All Our Names" and "You Were Here," which included more of a variety of folky, jazzy, sultry songs. If you are counting on an album similar to the two mentioned above, think again.

wonderful.......2007-01-18

bluegrass-tinged songwriting from Canadian Sarah Harmer had me tapping my toe from the first. great musicianship and singer-songwriter chops throughout. I especially loved the faster tempo songs with great guitar, mandolin, and fiddle solos. This release makes minimalist arrangements of acoustic music fresh and new sounding.

Is there anything that Sarah Harmer cannot do well?.......2006-09-21

How often do you find music that is artistic, well-crafted, and that leaves you feeling good? Normally, when an artist makes a big turn from their previous genre, you get a little wary, but not with Sarah Harmer. On this album you can't help but be impressed by the musicianship of everybody, as well as the compositional skills of Ms. Harmer.

This is the kind of bluegrass, country, alt-folk, everything music that everybody can enjoy, even those who don't normally go for this kind of music. It is interesting, often catchy and upbeat, energetic, fun, insightful, and intimate. This album makes you feel like you've known Sarah Harmer for years and are grand old friends.

Considering her incredible talent as a singer and songwriter, I don't know how there is anybody left who is not a fan.

Same lovely, tripping, sing-song melodies; new rootsy sound.......2006-04-03

Years ago, our eyes locked in the drifting fog during a brief concert she gave on a Santa Monica street; it still seems like yesterday. This CD brings more of her quintessential sound-simple, sing-song melodies and flows of articulate lyrics. She has a warm voice with rough edges-a combination of slow-flowing honey and whiney after-taste, with a glow that makes itself known more like an aura emanating from masses of golden pollen (think Wolfgang Laib) than like direct light.
As always, her vocals give character to bright-simple sing-songs. But the crack slackers who accompanied her then are gone, replaced by discrete bluegrass virtuosi who bring only what each song calls for. By turns, the music offers country, western, folk, blues, and even a touch of gospel. Dominant result: I don't feel even a hint of the cool, pomo irony that locked me in place on that Santa Monica street. She is always light-footed and deft here, but she respects this roots music and makes it fresh. I am refreshed and intoxicated again, for completely different reasons.

Standouts: tr 6-Will he be waiting for me? (as pure Bleecker St. meets Dolly Parton, rivers of words ripple out-confident in their fluidity and simple elegance, but full of doubt and vulnerability). tr 8-The phoenix. (high-energy, acoustic choogle of folk song about an emotionally charged memory. Lyric: "We see the light of Venus shining high over the Midwestern plains.... Your heart's been burning way too slow and needs some firing up again."). [40:31]

Heartwarming.......2006-03-29

This is the first album I've ever heard of Sarah Harmer and I'm really impressed. Tender, warm and delicate bluegrass melodies coupled with her thoughtful vocals make for a happy and carefree experience. Whenever I listen to this is I think of sunny summer days out on my porch with my cat and a beer.

The first track "The Ring" is my favorite. I don't know what a like more: the strings or her voice.

Average customer rating: Great bluegrass music Four heads, eight hands, one mind YMSB goes from the Appalachians to the Rockies on Elevation

Elevation Yonder Mountain String Band Manufacturer: Sci Fidelity Records ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD General | Country | Styles | Music General | Bluegrass | Country | Styles | Music Contemporary | Bluegrass | Country | Styles | Music General | Folk | Styles | Music Bluegrass Jam Bands | Jam Bands | Rock | Styles | Music General | Country | Indie Music | Stores | Music Bluegrass | Country | Indie Music | Stores | Music Country Folk | Country | Indie Music | Stores | Music Jambands | Rock | Indie Music | Stores | Music Similar Items: Town By Town Yonder Mountain String Band Mountain Tracks, Vol. 3 Old Hands Bird in a House ASIN: B00005NHTZ Release Date: 1999-09-15

Tracks:

1. Half Moon Rising
2. Mental Breakdown
3. The Bolton Strech
4. Left Me In A Hole
5. Darkness And Light
6. On The Run
7. Eight Cylinders
8. 40 Miles from Denver
9. This Lonesome Heart
10. At the End of the Day
11. Mossy Cow
12. High On a Hilltop
13. To Say Goodbye, To Be Forgiven
14. If There's Still Ramblin' in the Rambler (let him go)
15. Waijal Breakdown

Album Description

Frog Pad: An independent record label based in Boulder,CO.

Customer Reviews:

Great bluegrass music.......2005-09-01

I am new to bluegrass, but I find this band's music to be uplifting and very enjoyable.

Four heads, eight hands, one mind.......2002-10-26

Well, they're not quite going to displace Railroad Earth at the top of my Favorite Band Currently In Existence list, but they're getting mighty close. They've grown on me so much over the last year or so that I think they've passed the String Cheese Incident and moved into second place.

Much nearer to "traditional" bluegrass than either of those other two bands (in part because they don't use drums/percussion), the Yonder Mountain String Band plays like one mind with four heads and eight hands. Each of the four (Jeff Austin, mandolin; Ben Kaufman, bass; Adam Aijala, guitar; Dave Johnston, banjo) is just so good, and so in tune with the other three, that they sound as though they could play the phone book, without rehearsal, and make it interesting to listen to.

Fortunately, they don't need to resort to playing telephone directories, since all four of them also sing and write. I personally like Austin's stuff best -- one of the reasons I decided to review this particular CD is that Austin's stunning "Half Moon Rising" and "If There's Still Ramblin' In The Rambler (Let Him Go)" are on it -- but the rest of them turn out fine material too. (Plus there's the utterly lovely "To Say Goodbye, To Be Forgiven" by Ben Galloway, who also cowrote "Check Out Time" with Johnston on _Town By Town_.)

Another reason I picked this one to review is that it was produced by Sally Van Meter, whom resophonic-guitar fans will recognize as a master of the instrument (if they know any dobroists other than Jerry Douglas). She gives the foursome a clean, dry, crisp-mountain-air sound and even sits in on a few tracks (lap steel, Scheerhorn, and backing vocals, and she plays on one or two tracks for which the liner notes fail to credit her).

And the third reason is that Darol Anger joins in on fiddle for a few tunes. (Tim O'Brien handles fiddle on _Town By Town_, and he's great too. But I've liked Anger ever since the David Grisman Quintet's first album. And Tony Rice's _Manzanita_. And . . .)

But the main reason to listen to these guys is their tight, and I mean _tight_ performance. How they do it, I don't know; it's like an egg toss between two speeding trains. Anyway, call it newgrass, jamgrass, slamgrass, or whatever you want; these guys can cook. And you need to pay attention if you want to find out how _well_ they can cook; if you just let their stuff play as background music, it can sound deceptively laid-back. It isn't.

Then, too, you have to love a bluegrass band whose liner notes include thanks to the Grateful Dead, Jerry Garcia, Frank Zappa, Tori Amos, and Sam Bush (a sample culled more or less at random from Jeff Austin's thank-you list). Even if you think you don't like bluegrass, you may want to give these guys a listen if you like any of those other artists; they may surprise you.

If you're just now being introduced to YMSB, I'd recommend starting with this CD and following it with _Town By Town_; then move on to the _Mountain Tracks_ releases. But it won't hurt too much if you vary the order. Heck, you can even get them all at once.

YMSB goes from the Appalachians to the Rockies on Elevation.......2001-08-07

Sheer passion is clear as the voices of Yonder Mountain String Band interweave magically on Elevation. Western themes occasionally surface in the lyrics with stories of sheriffs and outlaws. Solos become a group effort, as Ben, Adam, Dave, and Jeff support each other marvelously with engaging interplay throughout. Elevation is filled with original bluegrass tunes as the music of Yonder Mountain swirls the Appalachians and Rockies together in a mind-bending mosaic unique to their to "drive without drums" style.

Average customer rating: Wonderful Surprise Powerful Coal Mining Songs Timless Not bad for an album without drums Ten albums on a desert island

The Mountain Steve Earle , and The Del McCoury Band Manufacturer: E-Squared ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD Alt-Country & Americana | Country | Styles | Music General | Country | Styles | Music General | Traditional Country | Country | Styles | Music General | Bluegrass | Country | Styles | Music Contemporary | Bluegrass | Country | Styles | Music New Traditionalist | Contemporary Country | Country | Styles | Music General | Contemporary Folk | Folk | Styles | Music General | Folk | Styles | Music Traditional Folk | Folk | Styles | Music Singer-Songwriters | Pop | Styles | Music Pop Rock | Pop | Styles | Music Folk Rock | Rock | Styles | Music General | Rock | Styles | Music Singer-Songwriters | Rock | Styles | Music Country Rock | Rock | Styles | Music Roots Rock | Rock | Styles | Music General | Country | Indie Music | Stores | Music Alt-Country & Americana | Country | Indie Music | Stores | Music Bluegrass | Country | Indie Music | Stores | Music Folk Rock | Folk | Indie Music | Stores | Music Singer-Songwriters | Rock | Indie Music | Stores | Music Similar Items: Train a Comin' El Corazón The Revolution Starts...Now Guitar Town (Remastered)(Bonus Track) I Feel Alright ASIN: B00003TFQT Release Date: 1999-02-23

Tracks:

1. Texas Eagle
2. Yours Forever Blue
3. Carrie Brown
4. I'm Still In Love With You
5. The Graveyard Shift
6. Harlan Man
7. The Mountain
8. Outlaw's Honeymoon
9. Connemara Breakdown
10. Leroy's Dustbowl Blues
11. Dixieland
12. Paddy On The Beat
13. Long, Lonesome Highway Blues
14. Pilgrim

Amazon.com's Best of 1999

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

Amazon.com essential recording

Even if it does begin with a jokey incantation of the Mickey Mouse theme song ("M-I-C-K-E-Y..."), The Mountain is Steve Earle's most traditional album, pairing country rock's most notorious miscreant with the best working band in bluegrass. Earle was inspired by a chance meeting with the late bluegrass pioneer Bill Monroe, and this is his self-declared stab at musical immortality. It is easy to imagine these 14 songs sounding as good 40 years from now as they do today. The mood varies widely from triple-time breakdowns to bluesy shuffles to meditative waltzes, but there's not a missed note or strained chorus anywhere. As Earle states at the outset, "If you want to be in the band, you have to put your hat on," and the one he's wearing, at least figuratively, is 10 gallon-plus. --Keith Moerer

Customer Reviews:

Wonderful Surprise.......2007-01-06

I love this album. If you enjoy bluegrass this is a great album to have. It's high energy and fun to listen to. I particularly love the song with Iris Dement.

Powerful Coal Mining Songs.......2006-12-20

If you love Bluegrass, you will love Steve Earle teaming up with the Del McCoury Band on these original bluegrass songs. If you love songs about coal mining, "Harlan Man" and "The Mountain" are two of the best ever written - instant classics. A tremendous CD!

Timless.......2006-02-24

"My primary motive in writing these songs," Steve wrote in a press release for this disc, "was both selfish and ambitious--immortality. I wanted to write just one song that would be performed by at least one band at every bluegrass festival in the world long after I have followed Mr. Bill [Monroe] out of this world." The songs certainly should pass that test. The hillbilly murder ballad "Carrie Brown" is one classic; "Dixieland" is another; and the closing "Pilgrim"--which most reviewers singled out for praise--is yet another. That said, for me The Mountain peaks with "I'm Still In Love with You," a duet with Iris DeMent that sounds--like the rest of the album--that it could have been recorded 30, 40 years ago. In other words, it's timeless. "Does it show when my poor heart skips a beat each and every time we meet?" Steve sings, and then there's Iris' vocal, that Kentucky waif-like wail that's the audio equivalent of wine: The more you hear it, the more you like it.

Not bad for an album without drums.......2006-02-03

It's hard to imagine an artist slipping so seamlessly into a genre that it sounds like he created it, but Steve Earle pulls it off. I would encourage everyone to buy it despite their probable fears that it's going to be one of those unlistenable country records. It's great music, and it's very hard and gritty. The songs are top notch, and I think he wrote them all. A pretty impressive statement from Steve Earle.

Ten albums on a desert island.......2005-11-30

This is some of the best music you can get your hands on. And I don't even really like country. It's one of the ten albums I would want to have with me on a desert island.

Average customer rating: New terrority, well explored Pretenders to the throne Different for these guys, but great alla'same! kind of boring Album of the Year

Yonder Mountain String Band Yonder Mountain String Band Manufacturer: Vanguard Records ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD General | Alternative Rock | Styles | Music General | Country | Styles | Music Old-Time Country | Traditional Country | Country | Styles | Music General | Bluegrass | Country | Styles | Music Contemporary | Bluegrass | Country | Styles | Music General | Contemporary Folk | Folk | Styles | Music General | Folk | Styles | Music Pop Rock | Pop | Styles | Music Rock Jam Bands | Jam Bands | Rock | Styles | Music General | Strings | Instruments | Classical | Styles | Music Similar Items: Mountain Tracks, Vol. 4 Elevation Elko Mountain Tracks, Vol. 3 Town By Town ASIN: B000F3UABQ Release Date: 2006-05-09

Tracks:

1. Sidewalk Stars
2. I Ain't Been Myself In Years
3. How 'Bout You?
4. Angel
5. Fastball
6. East Nashville Easter
7. Just The Same
8. Classic Situation
9. Night Out
10. Midwest Gospel Radio
11. Troubled Mind
12. Wind's On Fire

Amazon.com

With the chiming opening strains of "Sidewalk Stars" and the propulsion that follows evoking memories of vintage U2, it's plain that Yonder Mountain is up to something a little different with its label debut. Long a concert powerhouse and popular jam band, with a combination of traditional bluegrass instrumentation, eclectic material, and organic improvisation dubbed "jamgrass," the quartet here demonstrates the difference between the demands of the recording studio and the liberation of live performance. Dave Johnston's banjo still drives the music, but the material (with the majority of the cuts under four minutes) depends more on hooks, harmonies, and tight arrangements than instrumental virtuosity. Some of the results suggest a similar spirit to the adventurousness of bluegrass prodigies Nickel Creek, though "How 'Bout You" could pass for an outtake from alt-country avatars Uncle Tupelo. The musical interplay takes flight on the instrumental "Fastball," but it barely lasts more than a minute. --Don McLeese

Customer Reviews:

New terrority, well explored.......2007-06-14

"Sidewalk Stars" is wonderful song, and unlike what YMSB is (or was) about. "Troubled Mind" is another great bluegrass song by them. And so this release straddles rock/jam with blasts of bluegrass. Not sure what there isn't to like, it won't be liked by those who don't like acts stretching, or who dislike anything that isn't bluegrass or acoustic. But those who like to adventure and those who like to ramble will listen and say: "Let them go".

Pretenders to the throne.......2007-02-24

Unfortunately, Yonder Mountain String Band has turned their back on their bluegrass roots and have wandered off into never-never-noodleland on this latest offering. Subpar vocal harmonies, pretentious lyrics and standard-issue level chops compared to others in the bluegrass genre leave not much nice to say about this disc. Kind of following the same path as String Cheese Incident, one supposes: release fine early bluegrass-tinged discs, change band sound, lose core audience.... eventually break up. I think we're up to the "lose core audience" point with Yonder Mountain on this CD.

Different for these guys, but great alla'same!.......2006-12-21

Sorry, "Frmertd" (please don't ask me to try and pronounce that!), I have to disagree with your review wholeheartedly. I respect that you're a musician yourself, love bluegrass and play the banjo, but if you really did play this disc once and then throw it away, I hope you threw it in the direction of someone who could appreciate it. Perhaps you're a bit too set in your ways and traditionalist to really dig this album, but in my view, it's great.

True, it doesn't sound a whole lot like earlier YMSB material. It's a bit more commercial, or "radio friendly" (although these days, in today's radio wasteland it's hard to imagine many stations that would actually play it-- if only KPIG from the Santa Cruz area could be in every market! But I degress...). The point is that it sounds a bit more newgrass than bluegrass, more Railroad Earth than traditional Yonder. But that's ok, I happen to like Railroad Earth. And the fact that these guys are going in a different direction on this album doesn't mean that it isn't quality music. In fact, it's pretty terrific stuff, extremely well played and anything but "boring".

The truth be told, Yonder Mountain String Band was never really a traditional bluegrass band to begin with. If this album isn't for you, then that's ok. But to dismiss it as boring and essentially worthless simply because it's not like their earlier music is selling it very short and does a real disservice to the music, the band, and to all of those who would really love this and now might not buy it based solely upon your negative review.

In short, if you love newgrass and/or good country-rock, this should be very high on your "to buy" list. No, it's not bluegrass, as such. What it is, is some very fine music-- and I for one highly recommend it.

kind of boring.......2006-11-17

You know ,I have to apologetically say I didn't really like this too much. I love bluegrass and play banjo but it just wasn't my style. I expected alot of creativity but it was just kind of predictable and rock and rollish. I threw it away.

Album of the Year.......2006-09-14

Having recently been introduced to this YMSB, this is their most accessible album to date and a brilliant work of bluegrass/alternative rock fusion. Their long-time fans may be disappointed with the transition away from classic bluegrass but so were Dylan's fans when he played electric guitar for the first time. Run and get this album and you'll see for youself.

Average customer rating: Impressive! Four heads, eight hands, one mind Great Bluegrass! A great Get-Down kind of disc Jamgrass with lots of spirit and energy

Town By Town Yonder Mountain String Band Manufacturer: Sci-Fidelity / Mri ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD General | Country | Styles | Music General | Bluegrass | Country | Styles | Music Contemporary | Bluegrass | Country | Styles | Music General | Contemporary Folk | Folk | Styles | Music General | Folk | Styles | Music Bluegrass Jam Bands | Jam Bands | Rock | Styles | Music General | Country | Indie Music | Stores | Music Bluegrass | Country | Indie Music | Stores | Music Folk Rock | Folk | Indie Music | Stores | Music Jambands | Rock | Indie Music | Stores | Music Similar Items: Elevation Yonder Mountain String Band Old Hands Mountain Tracks, Vol. 3 Mountain Tracks: Volume 2 ASIN: B00005QZ46 Release Date: 2001-10-01

Tracks:

1. Rambler's Anthem
2. Easy As Pie
3. Idaho
4. Loved You Enough
5. Sorrow Is a Highway
6. Must've Had Your Reasons
7. Wildewood Drive
8. New Horizons
9. Check Out Time
10. To See You Coming 'round the Bend
11. Red Tail Lights
12. A Father's Arms
13. Hog Potato
14. Peace of Mind

Customer Reviews:

Impressive!.......2006-07-28

Saw these guys at the New Orleans Jazz Fest this year, and the entire crowd was blown away! They are amazing. Chose this CD based on reviews, and was not disappointed. Of course, I can't imagine these guys disappointing me...
Even if you're not a big bluegrass fan, you'll find YMSB draws you in, particularly at their live performances. See them when you can, and when you can't, this CD (along with their others) will tide you over.

Four heads, eight hands, one mind.......2002-11-05

I mentioned in my review of _Elevation_ that these four guys aren't quite going to displace Railroad Earth at the top of my Favorite Band Currently In Existence list, but they're getting mighty close. And I hereby make it official that they've replaced the String Cheese Incident as my second favorite.

Much nearer to "traditional" bluegrass than either of those other two bands (in part because they don't use drums/percussion), the Yonder Mountain String Band plays like one mind with four heads and eight hands. Each of the four (Jeff Austin, mandolin; Ben Kaufman, bass; Adam Aijala, guitar; Dave Johnston, banjo) is just so good, and so in tune with the other three, that they sound as though they could play the phone book, without rehearsal, and make it interesting to listen to.

I mildly (very mildly) prefer _Elevation_ over this one as a recommended YMSB "starter" CD, in part because the songs on _Town By Town_ include a couple of oblique references to tunes from the earlier release. But there's a lot to commend this one as well (and even if you don't get it _first_, don't forget to get it _later_).

Since I especially like Austin's stuff, I'll single out the near-epic "New Horizons" and "Peace of Mind." They're cool enough songs in the first place. But Austin is just manic on that mandolin, and both these tunes give the rest of the band a chance to shine on their extended instrumental breaks. (Pay special attention to Kaufman's bass work on "New Horizons." His playing seems to be informed by a classical/jazz sensibility, which works wonderfully here. I don't mean to ignore Aijala's frenetic flatpicking and Johnston's banjo pyrotechnics, both of which are awesome; it's just that you don't have all that many chances to hear Kaufman by himself.)

The vocal work is tight throughout, but here too Austin's songs have (for me) a special edge: they pair Austin with Kaufman on some preternaturally tight, almost otherwordly harmonies that sound like one voice coming out of two mouths. (Do you remember "Highway Song" from Hot Tuna's _Burgers_ release, on which Jorma Kaukonen and David Crosby sing a harmony so tight that you can't even tell which one of them is which unless you listen very, very closely? Austin and Kaufman are like that all the time.)

And in the Credit Where Credit Is Due Department, here's a deep bow to the fine fiddle work of Tim O'Brien. (Darol Anger played on _Elevation_.)

If you're just now being introduced to YMSB, I'd recommend starting with _Elevation_ and following it with this one; then move on to the _Mountain Tracks_ releases. But it won't hurt too much if you vary the order. Heck, you can even get them all at once.

Great Bluegrass!.......2002-09-03

Town by Town is simply one of my favorite albums to come out in the past year or two. I came to YMSB by word of mouth, and bought this disc without having heard them play a note. I was completely blown away! They deliver with incredibly high energy and an intensity rare in many other bands. And they're doing it with just guitar, mandolin, banjo, and bass, yielding a very traditional yet modern sound. For my money they far exceed what other bands who incorporate elements of bluegrass are doing (i.e., String Cheese Incident, Leftover Salmon, and Blueground Undergrass). "Rambler's Anthem" and "New Horizons" find the guys in fine form throwing down some impressive and speedy licks. There are also mellower songs of love and loss: "Must've Had Your Reasons" (a favorite) and "To See You Coming Round the Bend". And true to bluegrass tradition, they deliver with a few instumentals including "Wildewood Drive" on which they make excellent use of odd meter. Really, every track is great (including a sweet hidden bonus track). As an aside, for my money this disc is much more consistent than their previous release Elevation, Town by Town is on a different level (just one man's opinion). Call YMSB's brand of bluegrass whatever you want, these guys are the real deal. Don't forget to catch 'em live!

A great Get-Down kind of disc.......2002-04-30

Yonder Mountain has captured the sure-fire funky attitude that sets them apart from other bluegrass musicians. A tremendous live act, YMSB reaches altitude on "Town" repeatedly.
Noteworthy is the absoulute breakdown on "Horizon." Honestly, this is what hooked me personally. I heard the song in the middle of the night from a little public radio station on a dark highway in Kentucky--I was absolutely jolted. After an obsessive search, I found the boys, bought the CD, then saw them live in Falls Church, VA.
In short though--the CD conveys the energy required to move a cynical and cranky person like myself to actively search for more of this group. God Bless new music and young talent!!
Grab this CD--see the boys live, and support determined genuine talent every chance you get!!

Jamgrass with lots of spirit and energy.......2002-04-14

The Yonder Mountain String Band has a large legion of young, exuberant fans, and this album demonstrates why. Their sound is distinctive. The lyrical messages of their original material are interesting. Their material is well-rehearsed and arranged. Their songs convey spirit, energy and enthusiasm. Unfortunately, they sometimes push their musical capabilities and challenge their own skills on their up-tempo pieces. "Rambler's Anthem" and "Easy as Pie" open the album and are examples of this. The album then settles into a groove with songs like Idaho, Loved You Enough, Sorrow is a Highway, and Must've Had Your Reasons. They succeed with the up-tempo showcase newgrass number, New Horizons, written by mandolinist Jeff Austin. The other band members include Dave Johnston (banjo), Adam Aijala (guitar), and Ben Kaufmann (bass), and they all contribute original material to this album. Tim O'Brien also appears on fiddle and bouzouki. The Yonder Mountain String Band doesn't stick to those straight three-chord traditional progressions. They punctuate and accentuate their music with a lot of excitement, and these guys clearly have a lot of fun which, in turn, energizes their audiences. Bluegrass is in good hands with bands like the Yonder Mountain String Band that are drawing a large following of young fans to the music.
--by Joe Ross, moderator/reviewer for "Nwbluegrass"

Average customer rating: christmas gift Absolutely essential OLD TIME MUSIC The hills were alive! This is excellent

Mountain Music Of Kentucky [2-CD Set] Various Artists Manufacturer: Smithsonian Folkways ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD Cowboy | Country | Styles | Music General | Country | Styles | Music Old-Time Country | Traditional Country | Country | Styles | Music General | Traditional Country | Country | Styles | Music Bluegrass | Compilations | Country | Styles | Music General | Bluegrass | Country | Styles | Music Traditional | Bluegrass | Country | Styles | Music General | Folk | Styles | Music Traditional Folk | Folk | Styles | Music General | Compilations | Folk | Styles | Music Appalachian | North America | International | Styles | Music Smithsonian Folkways Store | Amazon.com Label Stores | Stores | Music Similar Items: Classic Mountain Songs from Smithsonian Folkways The High Lonesome Sound Ballads, Banjo Tunes, And Sacred Songs Of Western North Carolina Classic Old-Time Music An Untamed Sense of Control ASIN: B000001DJN Release Date: 1996-03-19

Tracks:

1. Old-Age Pension Blues - Bill Cornett
2. Hook & Line - Bill Cornett
3. John Henry - Bill Cornett
4. Pretty Polly - Bill Cornett
5. Old Reuben - Bill Cornett
6. Spring Of '65 - J.D. Cornett
7. Sally In The Garden - J.D. Cornett
8. Barbara Allen - J.D. Cornett
9. When We Shall Meet - Old Baptist Church
10. Amazing Grace - Old Baptist Church
11. Across The Rocky Mountain - Roscoe Holcomb
12. Graveyard Blues - Roscoe Holcomb
13. Cripple Creek - Roscoe Holcomb
14. True Love - Roscoe Holcomb
15. Sally In The Garden - Marion Sumner
16. Lost Indian - Marion Sumner
17. Hollow Poplar - Marion Sumner
18. Death Of The Blue Eagle - George Davis
19. Little Birdie - Willie Chapman
20. Lost Indian - Willie Chapman
21. Jaw Bone - Willie Chapman
22. Bunkers Hill - Willie Chapman
23. Cacklin' Hen - Willie Chapman
24. Julie Ann - Willie Chapman
25. Born In Old Kentucky - Bill Cornett
26. Buck Creek Girls - Bill Cornett
27. Sweet Willie - Bill Cornett
28. Cluck Old Hen - Bill Cornett
29. Coney Island - Roscoe Holcomb
30. Baby Let Your Hair Roll Down - Roscoe Holcomb
31. Wayfairing Stranger - Roscoe Holcomb

Tracks:

1. Stingy Woman - Roscoe Holcomb
2. East Virginia Blues - Roscoe Holcomb
3. Single Girl - Roscoe Holcomb
4. Black Eyed Susie - Roscoe Holcomb
5. Hills Of Mexico - Roscoe Holcomb
6. Foriegn Lander - Martha Hall
7. Kitty Alone - Martha Hall
8. Young & Tender Ladies - Martha Hall
9. Charlie's Neat - Granville Bowlin
10. Cotton-Eyed Joe - Granville Bowlin
11. Little Sunshine - Granville Bowlin
12. Wild Bill Jones - Granville Bowlin
13. Great Speckled Bird - Holiness Church
14. Clap & Shout - Holiness Church
15. Cry From The Cross - Holiness Church
16. Clap & Shout & Shriek - Holiness Church
17. The Wagoner's Lad - Mr. & Mrs. Sams
18. The Absentee - Mr. & Mrs. Sams
19. The Coo Coo - Mr. & Mrs. Sams
20. Marthis Campbell - James Crase
21. Sally Goodin' - James Crase
22. Fiddler A Dram - James Crase
23. Fox Chase - James Crase
24. Old Joe Clark - James Crase
25. Fire On The Mountain - James Crase
26. Ways Of The World - James Crase
27. Inch Along - James Crase
28. Skip To My Lou - James Crase
29. St. Louis Blues - Lee Sexton
30. Pretty Polly - Lee Sexton
31. Fly Around - Lee Sexton
32. Fox Chase - Lee Sexton
33. Ruby - Grigsby & Young
34. No Letter In The Mail - Grigsby & Young
35. Fair Miss In The Garden - Grigsby & Young
36. John Henry - Grigsby & Young
37. Rocky Island - Grigsby & Young

Album Description

Originally issued as a single LP in 1960, Mountain Music of Kentucky was praised as "the greatest Kentucky record ever issed and one of the greatest records in the entire literature of American folk song" (San Francisco Chronicle 1960). This much expanded compilation features some of the outstanding traditional musicians of the twentieth century with two full hours of performances (60 minutes previously unreleased), new notes, and many photographs by John Cohen. One of the greatest records in the entire literature of American folk song. -San Francisco Chronicle

Customer Reviews:

christmas gift.......2007-01-19

bought this cd for my dad for christmas and he said it reminded him of when he was a kid in kentucky. i would recomend this for anyone looking for this kind of old time mountain music

Absolutely essential.......2004-10-06

This is a marvelous collection. Along with "High Atmosphere", I consider it essential to orient you to the way the music really sounded. Most people come to Old Time music from some place else...bluegrass, country, or one of the great modern oddities like Old Crow Medicine Show or The Bad Livers. Perhaps you got the bug from "Oh Brother Where Art Thou". Well, you're on the right path with this very big 2 CD collection that not only has achingly beautiful a'capella balads, red hot fiddling, and some really phenomenal banjo work, but also haunting church shape note singing. Get "High Atmosphere" as well, and once you've absorbed them, branch out from there.

OLD TIME MUSIC.......2003-04-21

GREAT CD. THE CD CASE IS KIND OF DUMB, BECAUSE IT LIST THE ARTISTS AND TRACK NO. ON WHICH THEY PERFORM, INSTEAD OF THE ARTIST AND THEN THE SONG. THE SONGS ARE WRITTEN ON THE CD LABEL THOUGH. STILL A GREAT CD. VINTAGE SONGS, VINTAGE STYLE

The hills were alive!.......2003-03-16

Having just reviewed another of John Cohen's excellent collections (High Atmosphere) yesterday, this seemed like a natural choice for today. This was recorded in 1959.

Obviously the biggest "star" here is Roscoe Holcomb. He is the one person on this 2-disc set who is the most well-known to the largest number of people, but this is by no means a one-man collection. In fact, I don't even consider Roscoe to be the best musician present here. For the life of me I still cannot figure out why Bill Cornett's name isn't thrown around as "one of the greats". His voice and banjo playing, particularly on Pretty Polly, Old Reuben, Born In Kentucky, Sweet Willie, etc... just knock me out. Born In Kentucky being a variant of the more well-known tune, Dark Holler.

J.D. Cornett has a fine solo-vocal version of Spring of '65, and you do indeed get some fine stuff from Roscoe here in case he is your main focus. From bits of Jack-A-Roe to one of his "I made it myself" tunes where he then lifts an entire lyric from a Blind Lemon Jefferson tune, though neither he nor the liner-notes make mention of this. Plus, I will take Roscoe's Wayfaring Stranger over Bill Monroe's any day of the week. All in all, it's good stuff!

Moving on, I personally am not too much for the sets of church tunes, aside from Clap & Shout on disc two. However, there are alot of jewels in the sand of disc two. The highlights of disc two, for me, come in the form of Granville Bowlin's segment, Mrs. Sams solo-vocal Wagoners Lad, James Crase's various fiddle tunes, and Lee Sexton's solo banjo St. Louis Blues and his Pretty Polly that is rather closely related to Bill Cornett's but not as powerful. I just love Mrs. Sams' voice. Everyone has their own aesthetic of what is good and what isn't, and for me, Mrs. Sams is just exactly what a wise old female mountain singer should sound like.

There is such a richness and rugged individuality to all these performances that it just breaks your heart to know that for the most part, these traditions are gone. At least we were lucky enough to have someone like John Cohen roaming the hills and making these priceless recordings for all of us.

This is excellent.......2002-05-10

This CD set takes you into a world of simple but hard labor, soul crushing poverty and soul liberating music. Its historically and musically important. A must for banjo players who have an interest in the evolution of how the instrument is played.

Average customer rating: great stuff what a hot afternoon

Mountain Tracks: Volume 2 Yonder Mountain String Band Manufacturer: Sci Fidelity Records ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD General | Country | Styles | Music General | Bluegrass | Country | Styles | Music General | Live Albums | Country | Styles | Music General | Folk | Styles | Music Bluegrass Jam Bands | Jam Bands | Rock | Styles | Music Jam Bands | Live Albums | Rock | Styles | Music Similar Items: Mountain Tracks, Vol. 3 Mountain Tracks: Volume 1 Mountain Tracks, Vol. 4 Town By Town Elevation ASIN: B00006EXEF Release Date: 2002-08-20

Tracks:

1. At The End Of The Day
2. Dawn's Early Light
3. Two Hits And The Joint Turned Brown
4. Raleigh And Spencer
5. Good Hearted Woman
6. No Expectations
7. Peace Of Mind
8. Follow Me Down To The Riverside

Customer Reviews:

great stuff.......2006-03-29

this is the album that really turned me on to ymsb. as a banjo "bluegrass" player i can't stress the level of difficulty,and speed at which this group plays at consistently. their material is inspiring, catchy, and genre bending. you dont have to be a bluegrass fan to enjoy this music. check out "dawn's early light" "2 hits" "peace of mind". give this band a chance or see em' live while they're still playin hot.

what a hot afternoon.......2002-08-25

yonder mountain really stetches the imagination with this live album... i got to see them in pittsburgh, pa. at a jamgrass concert and they totally blew me and everyone else away... such tight licks and feed off each other made it quite a great experience.. i could have swore 1 song was crroked hitch, but i see no name of any song under that title?? these guys do an oustanding job of feeding off each other.... bring on some long jams and a moutain tracks 3....

Average customer rating: Powerful! This will reach you, religious or not! Excellent from top to bottom

Clinch Mountain Gospel Ralph Stanley & the Clinch Mountain Boys Manufacturer: Rebel Records ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD General | Country | Styles | Music General | Traditional Country | Country | Styles | Music General | Bluegrass | Country | Styles | Music Contemporary | Bluegrass | Country | Styles | Music Traditional | Bluegrass | Country | Styles | Music General | Contemporary Folk | Folk | Styles | Music Traditional Folk | Folk | Styles | Music Country Gospel | Christian & Gospel | Styles | Music Gospel | Christian & Gospel | Styles | Music General | Country | Indie Music | Stores | Music Bluegrass | Country | Indie Music | Stores | Music Similar Items: Cry from the Cross The Very Best of Ralph Stanley Man of Constant Sorrow Shine On A Distant Land to Roam: Songs of the Carter Family ASIN: B00005NEMW Release Date: 2001-05-15

Tracks:

1. Over In The Gloryland
2. Beautiful Star Of Bethlehem
3. Oh, Death
4. There'll Be None On The Other Side
5. Mother's Not Dead
6. Jesus Savior Pilot Me
7. Travelling The Highway Home
8. I've Just Seen The Rock Of Ages
9. Amazing Grace
10. What A Price
11. Are You Afraid To Die
12. I Am Weary (Let Me Rest)

Customer Reviews:

Powerful!.......2005-03-14

Ralph Stanley and the Clinch Mountain Boys are amzingly powerful on this album entitled "Clinch Mountain Gospel." The vocals and haunting harmonies that embody the Ralph Stanley style of bluegrass will definitely inspire you.

Keith Whitley does a wonderful job on the titles that he sings lead on for this album. Two of the best songs are definitely "Traveling the Highway Home," which features great banjo work and the call and response arrangement of "Amazing Grace." The haunting and archaic vocals will definitely over power you. The entire album is full of wonderful and traditional music that deals with questions of death, life, struggles, and overcoming obstacles. We find our help in the Lord and this album is honest and soul-stirring.

Clinch Mountain Gospel features some of the best and classic work of Ralph Stanley gospel. The recording sound is excellent! There is no doubt this album is a timeless treasure in the history of the Stanley style and American music. The uniqueness and talent of Ralph and his band is simply magical.

This will reach you, religious or not!.......2004-01-26

Several songs are a raw confrontation with death. Ideology is not here. Real human feeling is. The music is superb bluegrass, with a variety of tempos.

Excellent from top to bottom.......2002-03-28

This CD is excellent from top to bottom. The late Keith Whitley fronts the band and leaves you sorry that he died at the age of 33. His voice was made for this type of music and every song has you wanting to sing along.

As always, Ralph Stanley takes Bluegrass Gospel where only he can take it with his high tenor voice.

Some of the best on the album are "Over In Gloryland", "Jesus Savior Pilot Me", "I've Just Seen the Rock of Ages" and "I am Weary."

The sound of this album was of much better quality than expected with both the vocals and insturmentation being extremely clear (recorded in the 70's, I wasn't sure what to expect).

Whether a fan of bluegrass, gospel or both, this CD is for you.

Music Album:

1. Country Ladies [Box set]
2. Country Music Hall of Fame 1996
3. Crazy Rhythm: The Standard Transcriptions
4. Frame
5. God Is Love: The Gospel Sessions
6. Greatest Women of Country Music
7. Guts & Steel:Groovemasters vol.5
8. Home for the Holidays
9. In Spite of It All [Import]
10. In the Mood: The Love Songs [Enhanced]

Music Album