Blues, Country & Western Style....

Blues, Country & Western Style....

ASIN: B00000090G

Track Listings

1. Draft Board Blues - Vance Brothers

2. If It's Blues You're Looking For - Lou Smith

3. Boogie Woogie Blues

4. Sittin' Here Alone Feelin' Blue - Smokey Montgomery & The Light Crust Doughboys

5. New Joe Turner Blues - Tiny Colbert

6. Leap Year Blues

7. Cab Driver's Blues

8. Depression Blues - Tooter Boatman

9. Rice and Gravy Blues - Link Davis

10. Cotton Patch Blues - Bob Wills & His Texas Playboys

11. Blues Come Around - Gene O'Quin

12. Hangover Blues

13. Goodbye Blues

14. Lonesome Letter Blues - Rex Allen

15. Sugar Blues - Bob Wills & His Texas Playboys

Tracks:

Po Lazarus - J. Carter & Prisoners
Big Rock Candy Mountain - Harry McLintock
You Are My Sunshine - Norman Blake
Down In The River To Pray - Alison Krauss
I Am A Man Of Constant Sorrow - The Soggy Bottom Boys featuring Dan Tyminski
Hard Time Killing Floor Blues - Chris Thomas King
Man Of Constant Sorrow (Instrumental) - Norman Blake
Keep On The Sunny Side - The Whites
I'll Fly Away - Gillian Welch & Alison Krauss
Didn't Leave Nobody But The Baby - Gillian Welch, Alison Krauss & Emmylou Harris
In The Highways - The Peasall Sisters
I Am Weary - The Cox Family
I Am A Man Of Constant Sorrow (Instrumental) - John Hartford
O Death - Ralph Stanley
In The Jailhouse Now - The Soggy Bottom Boys featuring Tim Blake Nelson
I Am A Man Of Constant Sorrow (With band) - The Soggy Bottom Boys featuring Dan Tyminski
Indian War Whoop (Instrumental) - John Hartford
Lonesome Valley - The Fairfield Four
Angel Band - The Stanley Brothers

Amazon.com's Best of 2001

The best soundtracks are like movies for the ears, and O Brother, Where Art Thou? joins the likes of Saturday Night Fever and The Harder They Come as cinematic pinnacles of song. The music from the Coen brothers' Depression-era film taps into the source from which the purest strains of country, blues, bluegrass, folk, and gospel music flow. Producer T Bone Burnett enlists the voices of Alison Krauss, Gillian Welch, Emmylou Harris, Ralph Stanley, and kindred spirits for performances of traditional material, in arrangements that are either a cappella or feature bare-bones accompaniment. Highlights range from the aching purity of Krauss's "Down to the River to Pray" to the plainspoken faith of the Whites' "Keep on the Sunny Side" to Stanley's chillingly plaintive "O Death." The album's spiritual centerpiece finds Krauss, Welch, and Harris harmonizing on "Didn't Leave Nobody but the Baby," a gospel lullaby that sounds like a chorus of Appalachian angels. --Don McLeese

Customer Reviews:

O Brother, Where Art Thou?.......2007-05-28

My 1-year old grandson goes to sleep listening to some of the songs on the album, unless he is bouncing up and down to the faster numbers. I have therefore listened to the songs many, many times, and enjoy them every time. They are easy to listen to, to sing along with and to rock the baby with!

MORE OF AN IMPULSE PURCHASE FOR ME.......2007-05-26

I regretted buying this after listening to it once. I haven't listened to it since and that's about three months ago. Simply put, without the movie to provide a context, the music itself doesn't sell itself. There are four cuts of 'I'm a Man of Constant Sorrow", two by the same artists which goes a long way to proving my point. I haven't seen the movie in a few years and I'm sure there's a logical reason for the song being repeated in the soundtrack that many times, but I can't remember what it is. Sometimes I like roots music with clear acoustic instrumental sounds and soulful voices. But as for an introduction to this type of music for a general listener, this is not the CD to get. It's mostly for the already converted.

A real cheer-me-up CD.......2007-05-22

Couldn't feel bad while listening to this soundtrack - skipped over the serious stuff and just played "Happy"!!

Great Listening.......2007-05-12

What a wonderful alternative to todays so called music. I never tire of the great variety of down home melodies.

For everyone who loved the movie.......2007-05-12

Oh Brother if you liked the movie you will love this CD, a great blend of poignant, funny and foot-tapping music.

10 Days Out (Blues from the Backroads)/ (CD/DVD)

Average customer rating:

Blues greats, best of blues artists
Outstanding
Great!
As real as you can get
AMAZING cd...

10 Days Out (Blues from the Backroads)/ (CD/DVD)
Kenny Wayne Shepherd
Manufacturer: Reprise / Wea
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

Contemporary Blues | Blues | Styles | Music

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Freedom's Road
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In the Palace of the King

ASIN: B000IFQLSW
Release Date: 2007-01-23

Tracks:

Prison Blues
Potato Patch
Honky Tonk
The Thrill Is Gone
Tina Marie
Born in Louisiana
Chapel Hill Boogie
Tears Come Rollin' Down
Knoxville Rag
Big Daddy Boogie
U-Haul
Red Rooster
Sittin On Top Of The World
Spoonful
Grindin' Man

Amazon.com

This "back-to-the-roots" road-trip documentary CD/DVD from blues-rocking guitarist Kenny Wayne Shepherd can be viewed in two ways--it's either the culmination of a long-held desire to promote and play with some unheralded blues veterans before they pass away (as six had already done since the recording was made, 2½ years before its early 2007 release) or a way to regain the blues audience Shepherd all but alienated on his artistically and commercially disappointing 2004 hard-rock release, The Place You're In. Ultimately, it succeeds on both accounts. Regardless of the project's inspiration, the results by and large justify whatever the means might have been to get this show on the road--literally and figuratively. Shepherd hit the highway for a week and a half along with producer Jerry Harrison (ex-Talking Heads), a portable studio, and backup musicians including the rhythm section from Stevie Ray Vaughan's Double Trouble. He searched out blues artists both obscure (the late guitarist Etta Baker, who plays in her kitchen, is a highlight) and better known (Clarence "Gatemouth" Brown and B.B. King) for a series of acoustic and electric jams, all of which feature Shepherd--who, to his credit, generally keeps his hot-dogging tendencies in check. A closing concert featuring members of Howlin' Wolf and Muddy Waters' bands never quite generates the heat it should, but country bluesmen Cootie Stark, Neil Pattman, and harmonica ace Jerry "Boogie" McCain provide plenty of sparks. Shepherd seems sincere enough, but the real stars are the ageing musicians who have maintained their chops and intensity through a lifetime of performing music that clearly comes from the soul. --Hal Horowitz

Album Description

Kenny Wayne Shepherd's reverence for his musical roots are center-stage on Ten Days Out...Blues From The Backroads, a CD+DVD package that features the guitarslinger and Double Trouble rhythm section of bassist Tommy Shannon and drummer Chris Layton performing with some of the greatest blues players of our time as well as lesser-known but historically significant bluesmen. Traveling to their hometowns to record everywhere from juke joints to front porches, from New Orleans to Kansas, Shepherd celebrates and becomes part of blues history with Ten Days Out...Blues From The Backroads.

Customer Reviews:

Blues greats, best of blues artists.......2007-07-07

Wonderful DVD/CD chronicling major historic blues artists - one of a kind album - a 'must have' for the blues enthusiast. Highly recommend!

Outstanding.......2007-07-04

I bought this CD/DVD AFTER seeing KWS in concert at Viejas here
in San Diego. What a treat to see and hear Pinetop Perkins and
Hubert Sumlin among others! My estimation of KWS as a performer
and good guy increased by a quantum leap after seeing the show.
He may be one the best guitarists I've ever seen live, and he
respectfully kept that fiece talent in check when the others were
stepping out. He seems a real gentleman as well as lover of the
music and the people.

The package is excellent, a real gem. The interviews and background
materials are touching, especially of the folks that have since passed.

BUY THIS CD. THESE GUYS ARE THE REAL DEAL. YOU WON'T BE SORRY!

Great!.......2007-07-04

This is actually my second purchase of this item. When I purchased one for myself and realized how good it was, I purchsed one as a gift for a friend. Highly recommend for anyone who loves the blues.

As real as you can get.......2007-06-27

I stumbled on this by accident while looking for another blues cd (big blues fan). I read about how Kenny Wayne Sheperd wanted to connect with these old blues pioneers and it sounded like it might be worth a try.He and his crew have put together one of the most entertaining documentories
I have ever seen.The cd is fantastic as well with track after track of pure blues. If you are a blues fan this DVD/CD combo is a must. You won't be disappointed.

AMAZING cd..........2007-06-23

This is one of the best works of pure music I have bought in awhile. Not very often do you buy something where the artist really tried to make a statement with the music, but here, they do. For KWS and company to just go out, find the ROOTS of the music we listen to today, and make music on the spot with them is just amazing. Too bad they didnt bring more film to document even more than they already did. I could watch that footage for days. Everything here is beyond top notch. Very insightful, provides a glimpse of where the music came from and where it is going. If your a fan of ANY kind of blues, southern, or just guitar led music...you will love this.

Average customer rating:

bluestastic
Wonderful Soundtrack!
At least this snake isn't moaning on a plane!
North Mississippi Hills blues sampler
Stack-O-Lee from RL Burnside CD "Well, Well, Well..." on MC Records

Black Snake Moan

Manufacturer: New West Records
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

Delta Blues | Blues | Styles | Music

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Old School
Death Proof
Black Snake Moan
10 Days Out (Blues from the Backroads)/ (CD/DVD)
Grindhouse: Planet Terror

ASIN: B000L211NC
Release Date: 2007-01-30

Tracks:

Opening Theme / Scott Bomar
Ain't But One Kind Of Blues / Son House
Just Like A Bird Without A Feather / Samuel L Jackson
When The Lights Go Out / The Black Keys
Standing In My Doorway Crying / Jesse Mae Hemphill
Chicken Heads / Bobby Rush
Black Snake Moan / Samuel L Jackson
Morning Train / Precious Bryant
The Losing Kind / John Doe
Lord Have Mercy On Me / Outragious Cherry
Ronnie and Rae's Theme / Scott Bomar
The Chain / Scott Bomar
Alice Mae / Samuel L Jackson
Stack-O-Lee / Samuel L Jackson
Old Black Mattie / R.L. Burnside
That's Where The Blues Started / Son House
Mean Ol' Wind Died Down / North Mississippi Allstars

Amazon.com

This soundtrack to the film written and directed by Craig Brewer is as steeped in the Southern blues as his Hustle and Flow was in hip-hop. The biggest surprise here is how well actor Samuel L. Jackson (who seems to have a thing for "Snake" films) holds his own as a blues singer against selections from Son House and R.L. Burnside. He sounds like a throwback to the classic Delta bluesmen on "Just Like a Bird Without a Feather," does a convincing take on the Blind Lemon Jefferson title track, and rocks the juke joint on "Alice Mae" and a down-and-dirty recasting of "Stack-O-Lee." Produced by the Bo-Keys' Scott Bomar (who also scored Brewer's previous movie), the 17-cut soundtrack features a kaleidoscopic array of blues, from the primal throb of the Black Keys' "When the Lights Go Out" and the funk of Bobby Rush's classic "Chicken Heads" to the spiritual lilt of Precious Bryant's "Morning Train" and the North Mississippi Allstars' expansive finale, "Mean Ol' Wind Died Down." --Don McLeese

Album Description

Black Snake Moan, the latest film from Hustle And Flow director Craig Brewer, tells a tale of love, betrayal, sex and salvation. It stars Samuel L Jackson, Christina Ricci and Justin Timberlake. The film take place in Memphis, Tennessee and the local blues music from the area is a central part of the movie.

The soundtrack includes some classic and current blues artists including Son House, R.L. Burnside, North Mississippi Allstars and the singing debut of Samuel L Jackson.

While the Black Snake Moan soundtrack presents the best musical moments of the movie, as a stand-alone document, its seventeen tracks weave together a raw depiction of today's North Mississippi scene: a little bit country, and a little bit rock'n'roll, both built on a bedrock of primitive blues.

The Black Snake Moan soundtrack is a must have for fans of the film, the Blues, Samuel L Jackson or just a music fan looking for something very cool.

Customer Reviews:

bluestastic.......2007-03-19

This soundtrack to the excellent film was obviously put together by people who both know and feel a responsibility to the blues. Samuel L Jackson adds vocals to four tracks and does an admirable job; on 'Just like a Bird Without a feather' he more than holds his own alongside classic blues singers like RL Burnside and Jessie Mae Hemphill. John Doe--from the punk band X--adds a track as well that fits in much better than one might think.

Wonderful Soundtrack!.......2007-03-11

Watching the movie I was overwhelmed by the greatness of its soundtrack, and after purchasing this CD I was pleased to see that everything still seemed as wonderful. I am not a blues afficianado, but I do appreciate good music. I think that most anyone could enjoy this soundtrack.

At least this snake isn't moaning on a plane!.......2007-02-28

On this relatively good collection of mostly blues tunes, the main curiosity item is to see how well actor Samuel Jackson carries off the singer role. He sings four songs on this soundtrack CD, and acquits himself pretty admirably, although the standard comment about the day job does apply here. Otherwise the theme is the blues, but actually several of the tunes swim in that deep, dark water where blues, soul, gospel and rock 'n' roll meet. I thought the John Doe cut was excellent, and I also really liked the R&B leanings of the Bobby Rush track, and the Black Keys song is pretty great too. The score cues by Scott Bomar provide nice atmosphere in a Ry Cooder-ish vein (smoky slide guitar). In all, the CD is a reasonably enjoyable listen.

North Mississippi Hills blues sampler.......2007-02-26

The soundtrack to the upcoming film, "Black Snake Moan" is a nice curiosity for the blues aficionado, but like opening Pandora's box for the uninitiated. Those familiar with the hypnotic, drowning, trance-like sounds of the North Mississippi hills a la Fat Possum records will find a lot to enjoy here, including tracks by the actual visible heads of that style, such as the late Jessie Mae Hemphill and R.L. Burnside. In fact, this entire CD relies heavily on the aural legacy of R.L. Burnside, providing some sort of last will after the bluesman's passing last year.
For those unfamiliar with the evolution of blues as a genre, the North Mississippi blues is somehow primitive, repetitive (almost mantra-like), but results in a very authentic, tribal-style variety of the blues. But blues and movie lovers alike will be curious about Samuel L. Jackson's credibility as a bona fide blues singer. The surprise is how adequate he is. He might not be the next Muddy Waters, but he delivers convincingly and, despite lacking a thunderous voice, he owns the role of a bluesman as a modern herald of human suffering. His outrageous cover of "Stackolee" fronting the R.L. Burnside live unit plus Luther Dickinson from the North Mississippi Allstars is a highlight, but his recitative to eerie bluesy sounds in "Black Snake Moan" is even better.
The established names showing up in this CD include Bobby Rush, fresh from the Chitlin circuit, acoustic blues-gospel singer Precious Bryant, as well as the aforementioned Jessie Mae Hemphill and R.L. Burnside. One misses at least one track from the other godfather of the North Mississippi sound, Junior Kimbrough. Many listeners will be already familiar with the North Mississippi Allstars. Their entry on this CD is a mellow, evocative piece augmented by fife-and-drum background over NMA's classic and classy slide sound.
The soundtrack tracks, by Scott Bomar, include a true allstar lineup including the Dickinson brothers and Charlie Musselwhite on harp, and they are uniformly exciting and interesting, keeping a sense of continuity throughout the CD.
In summary, this is more than a curiosity for blues aficionados, sitting proudly by their Junior Kimbroughs' and R.L. Burnsides', and it will definitively attract outside attention to this particular brand of the blues, providing an introductory-level package that will bring on more "true believers". Highly recommended.

Stack-O-Lee from RL Burnside CD "Well, Well, Well..." on MC Records.......2007-02-13

This is a very good soundtrack heavily influenced by R.L. Burnside. That raunchy, X-rated version of Stack-O-Lee sung by Samuel Jackson is directly from a version that Burnside sings on his MC Records CD "Well, Well, Well..." (that incidentally has blues singer Curtis Salgado laughing wickedly in the background). I believe the Burnside recording is the most unique version of this song ever recorded.

Average customer rating:

Great record!
A nice visit from an old friend
An Instant Classic

The Salvation Blues
Mark Olson
Manufacturer: Hacktone Records
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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ASIN: B000P6R6W4
Release Date: 2007-06-12

Tracks:

My Carol
Clifton Bridge
Poor Michael's Boat
National Express
Salvation Blues
Keith
Winter Song
Sandy Denny
Tears From Above
Look Into The Night
My One Book Philosophy

Amazon.com

Here starts the third stage of Mark Olson's recording career. He first came to prominence as the primary singer-songwriter for the Jayhawks, before leaving that seminal alt-country band to make music with his wife, Victoria Williams, in the more acoustic, organic Creekdrippers. With his reedy voice and elemental imagery, Olson details the painful dissolution of that marriage on this solo album, clinging to music as a lifeline when everything else is lost. In the album-opening "My Carol," he compares his love to "an animal bleeding in the snow," while "National Express" asks "Where's my home? How could I lose this in a day?" Yet musically, "Clifton Bridge" and "Winter Song" rank with the best of his Jayhawks work, and both the title track and "Look into the Night" find redemption in the midst of despair. Gary Louris joins his former Jayhawks bandmate for harmonies on three cuts. --Don McLeese

Album Description

In a time of true loss and redemption, Mark Olson found his way through music. This collection of songs describes his struggles and triumphs as he journeys through unspeakable hardships. Featuring a long-awaited reunion with Jayhawk Gary Louris, this album takes you along for the ride.

Customer Reviews:

Great record!.......2007-07-08

This is easily the best work Mark Olson has done since he was with the Jayhawks. This record shows the heartbreak he has recently encountered, but all the time there is a message behind the music, that there is something better coming along and he is ready for whatever that is. Through the heartbreak this is hope, and well, salvation.

The 3 tracks that his former partner Gary Louris sings on, are just what is needed, it brings us back a little to their former greatness, and promises what is to come when their duo record comes out next year. Best tracks are Clifton Bridge, Salvation Blues, Sandy Denny and of course the old Jayhawks gem that was never recorded until now, Poor Michael's Boat.

Highly recommended for anyone who loves singer-songwriter, from the heart, just good music, something that is sorely lacking in most of today's music.

A nice visit from an old friend.......2007-06-20

I get the same feelings from listening to this as I always got from Mark's songs with the Jayhawks. The production is slightly slicker than previous Creekdipper records, thanks to Vaughan's production, but it doesn't stand in the way of strong songs, of poetry, of inspiration. Those stand head and shoulders above the wonderful backing music.
I like his oblique lyrics and his pining voice, reaching past the melancholy of life and finding joy, without escapism. Though inspired from a sad split-up, Mark doesn't dwell on that. He sounds joyful in re-connecting with his muse. You can hear the satisfaction of making music more than the joy of 'getting over', and that is what listening to music is about, innit?
Salvation indeed!

An Instant Classic.......2007-06-19

Mid-way through Mark Olson's new album The Salvation Blues, the track Sandy Denny references the late 60's, early 70's British folk artist who would come to known as much for her personal difficulties with her husband (and alcohol) as she was for her songwriting. Such allusions echo Olson's painful split with his now ex-wife and bandmate Victoria Williams and loss of his beloved home in Joshua Tree, California; they also set the tone for this highly moving and personal recording, his first standout release since the Creekdippers' December's Child album from 2002 and My Own Jo Ellen, a classic from 2000.

As opposed to Olson's recent recordings that seem born of his life grounded in the California desert, pure Americana radiating joy, warmth, and belonging, The Salvation Blues conveys a sense of movement, distance, coldness and isolation while also making several references to Olson's travels through Europe (check out Clifton Bridge and National Express, both great songs). However, though the lyrics are evocative and moving, if not somewhat oblique, they aren't overly mournful either. Similarly, the music is generally, surprisingly upbeat, more sweet than bitter (as on Winter Song), capturing that folksy, acoustic sound Olson has become known for. Don't get me wrong, there are some sad tunes here (his solo Wurlitzer performance on My One Book Philosophy). It's just that in spite of darker themes, these songs ultimately give rise to deliverance and liberation, and in that context are as much about hope and optimism as they are about pain.

And while the excellent understated instrumentation of Olson's accompanying musicians should not go unacknowledged, Jayhawks fans will especially rejoice in Olson's former bandmate, Gary Louris offering up sweet vocal harmonies on a few tracks including Poor Michael's Boat, one of the album's standout tracks. It's revisiting Jayhawks days gone by and their collaboration on December's Child (Say You'll Be Mine), as well as foreshadowing a new Olson/Louris album which Louris himself reported has been recorded and is set to come out in early 2008. When you consider that Olson's relationship with Ms. Williams marked his departure from the Jayhawks and the dissolution of one of the best songwriting teams of our generation, this album finds him coming full circle; opening his heart, exposing his soul, and achieving epic proportions.

Salvation indeed.

Average customer rating:

She's stoned said the Suede and the moon calf agreed!!
Nice first effort
Essential
Music from Who Knows Where
The Album That Changed Music Forever

Music from Big Pink
The Band
Manufacturer: Capitol
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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The Band
Stage Fright
Rock of Ages
The Basement Tapes
Northern Lights-Southern Cross

ASIN: B00004W50T
Release Date: 2000-08-29

Tracks:

Tears Of Rage
To Kingdom Come
In A Station
Caledonia Mission
The Weight
We Can Talk
Long Black Veil
Chest Fever
Lonesome Suzie
This Wheel's On Fire
I Shall Be Released
Yazoo Street Scandal (Outtake)
Tears Of Rage (Alternate Take)
Katie's Been Gone (Outtake)
If I Lose (Outtake)
Long Distance Operator (Outtake)
Lonesome Suzie (Alternate Take)
Orange Juice Blues (Blues For Breakfast) (Outtake - Demo)
Key To The Highway (Outtake)
Ferdinand The Imposter (Outtake - Demo)

Amazon.com essential recordings

Music from Big Pink stands as one of those rare albums that turned the rock world on its axis. On this record, released in 1968 at the height of the psychedelic revolution, the five members of the Band (along with producer-sideman John Simon) eschewed spacey diversions, opting for an earthier route. Soon enough, wah-wah pedals and tape loops were making way for fiddles and mandolins. The group's most democratic effort (Robbie Robertson would soon emerge as the ensemble's mouthpiece), the debut's 11 songs come from Robertson, bassist Rick Danko, and pianist Richard Manuel, who contributes two songs and cowrote the doleful opener, "Tears of Rage," with Bob Dylan. Manuel's role would diminish from this point hence and the balance he brought to the quintet would be missed. Many would argue that Big Pink's sequel, The Band, represents their crowning achievement. The truth is, Big Pink is the purest distillation of the Band, and their preeminent recording. This remastered reissue is generously expanded to include nine bonus tracks, a bunch highlighted by a Robertson rarity ("Ferdinand the Imposter") and a cover of the Stanley Brothers's "If I Lose." --Steven Stolder

Customer Reviews:

She's stoned said the Suede and the moon calf agreed!!.......2007-04-08

Music from Big Pink was one of the first albums I bought as a teenager in the late 60s. It came at a time in my life when I was discovering the world around me, becoming conscious of social issues and discovering who I was.

The music touched my soul and gave life meaning and wonder at a time so much was uncertain. I still listen to the album on occasion and it remains astounding in it's simplicity, beauty and imagery. My favorite album of all time.

Nice first effort.......2007-04-07

Okay, so the self-titled second completely blows this away, but this is still one of The Band's better albums - I've only heard three, so I'm not much of a judge of it. Still, this is an enjoyably rootsy affair. Of course it's got The Weight, a landmark '60's tune with interesting, oft-analyzed lyrics, a well-known chorus, a cool descending bassline, AND great traded lead vocals between Levon Helm, Richard Manuel (whose voice gives me the chills) and Rick Danko. The perfect song. Same with Chest Fever, which is pretty funky - sorta reminds me of Up on Cripple Creek from the next record. And have you heard how many times that organ riff's been imitated? Seriously, it's almost become a cliche now.
Of course, The Band will always be linked to Dylan, and three of these songs were written or cowritten by him. I like - no, LOVE - Tears of Rage, prototypical enigmatic Dylan. Same with I Shall Be Released, which Dylan later recorded himself and admittedly did a better job on because he wisely got that stupid high-pitched synthesizer/organ/whatever-thing out of there. But I love Manuel's vocals on the song, so I can't complain too much. This Wheel's on Fire was Dylan's third contribution, and again it's funky, with a clavinet-sounding keyboard. Probably the weakest of his additions, but still, a good tune.
As I said, Manuel's vocals give me the chills, especially on Lonesome Suzie. Admittedly, the lyrics aren't among Robbie Robertson's best. But Manuel almost brings me to tears when he sings it. No joke. It's a hard song to listen to because of that, but I like it just the same.
Long Black Veil is the most fun you'll find here, an old folk song from BEYOND THE GRAAAAAAAVE with Ultimate Multi-Instrumentalist Garth Hudson adding what sounds like a tuba. A nice, uptempo, swinging song, one of the more underrated ones here.
So far it seems like it should be a five-star, but I can't get into some of this. Like To Kingdom Come, In a Station and Candelonia Mission. I just skip right over 'em. Really boring songs with weak lyrics. And while We Can Talk has fun traded vocals, I can't see much reason to listen to it outside of that. That's just me, though.
Though the next outing was an absolute five-star masterpiece that likely tops everything else The Band ever did (as I've said, I only know three of their albums: this, self-titled and Stage Fright, plus I've got that one-disc Best of the Band), this is an effecient warm-up to that album and recommended to fans of '60's rock, especially roots-rock. If you like this sound, I also recommend Creedence Clearwater Revival and the Stones' stuff from '68 to '72.
The bonus tracks are kind of wastes... I like Yazoo Street Scandal, it should've made the original album, and their version of Key to the Highway is good enough (partially because no-one can make that song bad, really), but most are poorly-written and recorded (Orange Juice Blues, Katie's Been Gone, Ferndidad the Imposter, etc).

Essential.......2007-04-01

One of the greats, absolute must have. Also needed to accompany this is Dylan's "Blonde on Blonde" and "The Basement Tapes". Beside these 3 albums the rest seems no more than background noise. Songwriting, singing, musicianship par excellence, how come it has gone so far down in the USA since this? Maybe because these musicians were from Canada in the first place?

PS some of the best tracks on this CD IMHO are those missing from original vinyl - "Yazoo Street Scandal", "Katie's Been Gone", "Long Distance Operator", "Orange Juice Blues" - so even if you have the original vinyl, lucky person, you need this CD too :)

Music from Who Knows Where.......2007-03-29

It was always a close call whether this or the Band's 2nd album was their classic. This reissue and expansion presses the question to the point of impossible resolution. Not only do the outtakes enrich the release, but the remastering clearly improves the sound quality, making it much more dimensional and uncannily clear.

Time has also made it easier to assess this breakout album. It is still unclassifiable in the rock pantheon in which it finds itself. These are guys who went everywhere, heard everything, and play an incredible assortment of instruments well. They came of age when rock combos filled the juke joints and honky tonks, so yeah, you will find their work in the rock bin. In another era it might have been in the country bin, or the folk bin. At times, it sounds like each -- when it doesn't sound like old time carnival music, soul music, church music, even classical music.

For the genesis of this music is deeper than any of these categories. It goes as far back as the first European settlers on the continent; for the ultimate take on this subject consult Greil Marcus' Mystery Train and his essay inside The Basement Tapes. Simply, the music here comes from the mine that the oldest bi-racial folk tales such as Stackalee come from, where also you will find major authors such as Faulkner and Twain poaching when they try to give you a take on early times in America. Some of the stories come out like legends or folk tales, coherently told -- like Long Black Veil. All of it is in clearcut root English, but the closer you listen to some of the songs the more mysterious they become -- what are they even talking about, and who? In our era or 100 years ago? 200? All times in between at once? It is music not from "big pink" but from who knows where, and the band members freely trade the lead singer role back and forth as a song progresses, which only deepens both the wonder and the mystery, as if each of them is tossing on a piece of the whole story only they know.

While all this may sound like an academic exercise, it isn't -- The Band's school was the American road and they kept their eyes and ears wide open, playing separately and as sidemen for years, until they came together and made this. Warning: yes, it may be a bit of an acquired taste. But its well worth the effort, and is not only one of the most important rock records ever cut, but on the short list of important American music from century 20.

The Album That Changed Music Forever.......2007-02-28

Eric Clapton in the liner notes of Blind Faith's deluxe edition sums it up when he described this album as having the most significant impact on him "whose versatility and harmonious unity seemed blissfully free of the corrosive intensity which had fueled Cream".
Furthermore, The Band's melodic interplay and the subtle textures created by their exotic instruments whose close association with Bob Dylan only deepened his(Clapton's) fascination. No need to add words BUT all the bonus tracks, Basement Tape versions are grand fully reproduced in these high caliber remasters artwork and all.

Average customer rating:

Cant go wrong with Country Ghetto
Anatomy: Grey
Another letter from home.
Less slick, more funk!
NOT BAD...BUT NOT GREAT, EITHER!

Country Ghetto
JJ Grey & Mofro
Manufacturer: Alligator Records
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Blackwater
Do Your Thing
State of Grace
Push Comes to Shove
10 Days Out (Blues from the Backroads)/ (CD/DVD)

ASIN: B000MGVBNW
Release Date: 2007-02-20

Tracks:

War
Circles
Country Ghetto
Tragic
By My Side
On Palestine
Footsteps
Turpentine
A Woman
Mississippi
The Sun Is Shining Down
Goodbye

Amazon.com

Within the soul-drenched music of northern Florida's JJ Grey and band, the roots run as deep as the influences are indelible. "War" and "By My Side" sound like Southern-fried Sly and the Family Stone. "Turpentine" recalls the swamp funk of Tony Joe White. Both "A Woman" and "The Sun Is Shining Down" suggest long-lost Otis Redding sessions in Muscle Shoals, while "Mississippi" takes Stevie Wonder's "Superstition" on a trip down to the delta. From the harmonica-laced country blues of the title track to the gospel piano and choir of "On Palestine," Grey's music compensates with conviction for what it lacks in originality. --Don McLeese

Album Description

JJ Grey & MOFRO's Alligator debut, Country Ghetto features 12 original JJ Grey compositions that come right out of the Southern musical and literary tradition. Grey's ear for detail inhabits his songs, whether it is a story passed down to him from his grandmother or the tribulations of a childhood friend. His voice delivers them with an unflinching strength that makes the personal universal and paints a vivid portrait of an exact time or place with words and music. Like his songs, his rich, soulful vocals are forceful and commanding, seemingly old beyond his years. And the music, from smoldering soul ballads to gospel-fried funk to straight ahead rock `n' roll, brings it all home with danceable grooves and a melodic freshness that will stay with you long after the album ends.

Grey's songwriting influences are widespread. "I listen to people who tell the story," he says, naming Muddy Waters, John Lee Hooker, R.L. Burnside, Tony Joe White, Jerry Reed, Otis Redding, Dr. John, Sly & The Family Stone, Van Morrison, Bill Withers and Dan Penn. What these writers and performers have in common is a love for simplicity, evoking complex emotions with a minimal number of words. As a performer, Grey is influenced by the sexually charged blues of Howlin' Wolf, the country soul of George Jones and the hard funk of James Brown, as well as local personalities like street preachers and old time radio DJs.

Customer Reviews:

Cant go wrong with Country Ghetto.......2007-06-20

I could write something about how much I love every song on this album but all I need to say is INSTANT CLASSIC. If you love Southern Fried Soul Music these are your guys.

"The Sun Is Shining Down" and "Tragic" are especialy powerful songs.

Enjoy.

Anatomy: Grey .......2007-06-04

Sounds exactly like Sly meets Holmes Brothers meets Edwin Starr meets Jonny Lang meets Sonia Dada meets Black Crowes mets Creedance meets Drive By Truckers meets the Beatles. Sort of.

Another letter from home........2007-05-29

If you've never heard MoFro, then you need to tune in to and find out about some "front porch soul". If you HAVE heard the first two albums, don't think Country Ghetto is some rehash of previous material to fulfill a label contract. It IS the same soulful instrumentation and vocals. But JJ has more stories to tell and they come across to me like a letter from home - full of honest emotion about things we share, the good and the bad. Country Ghetto has a more serious feel to it for me than MOFRO and LOCHLOOSA. Its not just the lyrics of a young inciteful poet, talking about life. Its the lyrics of a man, living life with the convictions, dignity and respect for life you learn when you grow up in a Country Ghetto.

Less slick, more funk!.......2007-05-12

Sounds real old school, really brings me back to the sixties (I am old)

What it lacks in polish, it more than makes up for in pure funk.
The track, A Woman, brings a tear to my eye and goose bumps in conjuring up the spirt of Otis Redding

NOT BAD...BUT NOT GREAT, EITHER!.......2007-05-08

This is a pretty good album...although there is nothing earth-shattering or innovative, here. Several of the tunes were obviously inspired by Otis Redding...although Mr. Grey's voice doesn't have the power that Mr. Redding's did. A few of the tunes had more of a Bill Withers sound. Over all, the musicianship was pretty good and the sound, generally, harkened back to a typical 'Stax-Volt' session from the '60s. The songwriting was fairly basic but serviceable within the context of the format.

All in all, though, this album was bit more derivative than I had hoped for and it sounds like Mr. Grey is still in the process of trying to find his own unique musical "voice". I suspect that if and when he does, he will be worth another listen.

Average customer rating:

Should have been on a single disc
Dylan Fans
Staying Alive with Bob
The Best Dylan Hits Collection
a really great collection

Bob Dylan's Greatest Hits, Vol. 2
Bob Dylan
Manufacturer: Sony
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Bob Dylan's Greatest Hits
"Bob Dylan - Greatest Hits, Vol. 3 [US]"
Highway 61 Revisited
Blood on the Tracks
Essential Bob Dylan

ASIN: B00000J7SN
Release Date: 1999-06-01

Tracks:

Watching The River Flow
Don't Think Twice, It's All Right
Lay, Lady, Lay
Stuck Inside Of Mobile With The Memphis Blues Again
I'll Be Your Baby Tonight
All I Really Want To Do
My Back Pages
Maggie's Farm
Tonight I'll Be Staying Here With You

Tracks:

She Belongs To Me
All Along The Watchtower
The Mighty Quinn (Quinn, The Eskimo)
Just Like Tom Thumb's Blues
A Hard Rain's A-Gonna Fall
If Not For You
It's All Over Now, Baby Blue
Tomorrow Is A Long Time
When I Paint My Masterpiece
I Shall Be Released
You Ain't Goin' Nowhere
Down In The Flood

Amazon.com

This time selected and programmed by the man himself, the two-disc second installment in Dylan's Greatest Hits series comes off as much more idiosyncratic than its brother, famed songs ("Lay Lady Lay," "A Hard Rain's A-Gonna Fall") notwithstanding. An even richer cut-by-cut listen than the earlier best-of, this 1971 set masterfully casts the classics into new light and adds previously non-LP singles (the smashing "Watching the River Flow," with the Amazon.com fave line "People disagreein' just about everywhere you look / Makes you wanna stop and read a book; let's have lunch, Bob"), a then-unheard live 1963 "Tomorrow Is a Long Time," and new, stunning, off-the-cuff takes of "I Shall Be Released," "You Ain't Goin' Nowhere," and "Down in the Flood." --Rickey Wright

Customer Reviews:

Should have been on a single disc.......2007-04-08

Only complaint I have is this should have been on 1 disc. Disc 1 is 36 minutes flat & disc 2 is 42:23. All 21 tracks could have easily fit on one space-saving 78 minute disc. Only way to justify this being on 2 discs would be to include at least 1 bonus track, which Columbia has done on some other artists' reissues. Other labels have reissued 2 LP sets on 1 CD, such as Jimi Hendrix's Electric Ladyland, The Who's Tommy & Elton John's Goodbye Yellow Brick Road, so they should have done that with this album.

Dylan Fans.......2007-02-22

Bob Dylan is always at his best, but this time he may be more on top than usual. The music is fresh, concise, and delivered with enthusiasm. It reminds me of a time when the music and the story were the most important issues.

Staying Alive with Bob .......2007-01-04

My husband gave away our old stereo equipment, including the Thorens record changer. What is a girl to do? I bought my favorite tunes from Amazon! Can't live without Bob. I got his 2006 album as well. Yah! Good!

The Best Dylan Hits Collection.......2006-11-04

The first Dylan hits collection has all the famous stuff from the mid-Sixties: Blowing in the Wing, Mr. Tambourine Man, Like a Rolling Stone, The Times They Are A-Changin' etc. Those songs are indispensable to any rock collection.

But I think I like volume two better. This collection has twice as many songs as the first hits album, and the songs are mesmerizingly beautiful and skillfully written.

Another reason why I like this collection better than volume one is because the songs on volume one have been played to death on the radio. I love the melodious pop folk sounds of "It's All Over Now, Baby Blue, "My Back Pages," and "I Shall Be Released."

I also like the hard rocking "Maggie's Farm," the soft rocking "All Along the Watchtower," the country melody of "If Not For You,' aw heck, I like them all.

It should also go without saying that every single Dylan album from the 1960s is absolutely 5 star material, and some of his later albums are vastly unappreciated (Slow Train Coming, Infidels).

I highly recommend Greatest Hits Volume two as a great place to experience the diverse and beautiful sounds of Bob Dylan.

a really great collection.......2006-08-29

the funniest thing ,i think, about this album is that it came out in the 90s.his 1st greatest hits album came out in 73.that was supposed to cover 73 and back.this new one sgould have picked up in 74 and went till its realease.however all the songs are oldies from the 60s,hinting maybe the 70s and 80s werent nearly as good.anyhow,theres "dont think twice its alright"-catchy."lay lady lay"-a beautiful love song."stuck inside mobile with the memphis blues again"-upbeat and catchy."ill be your baby tonight"-a sort of love dovey song abour a one night stand.only dylan!!!!!!!!!!"all i really want to do"-lyrical genius!"my back pages" is a song about reversing the aging process."maggies farm" is the dylan equivelant of "take this job and shove it!"."tonight ill be staying here with you" is good just like all the rest.ok disc 1 is down .now disc 2."she belongs to me" still sounds fine."all along the watchtower" is classic!then theres "mighty quinn the eskimo"-wtf???????????and "just like tom thumb blues".i guess they canr all be winners.then "a hard rain is gonna fall" a jim morrison like song but full of love like john lennon."if not for you"is singable."its all over now baby blue" is very pretty.then a few extras for space i think.this album kicks butt!

Average customer rating:

The best compilation on the market.
Sherry
Soul
Money Well Spent
Ray Charles Ultimate Collection

Ray Charles: Ultimate Hits Collection
Ray Charles
Manufacturer: Rhino / Wea
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Genius Loves Company
The Very Best of Ray Charles
Ray!: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack
Modern Sounds In Country and Western Music
Ray (Widescreen Edition)

ASIN: B00000I72B
Release Date: 1999-03-16

Tracks:

Mess Around
I've Got A Woman
A Fool For You
Greenbacks
Drown In My Own Tears
Hallelujah I Love Her So
Lonely Avenue
Ain't That Love
(Night Time Is) The Right Time
What'd I Say Parts I & II
Don't Let The Sun Catch You Cryin'
Them That Got
Sticks And Stones
Georgia On My Mind
Ruby
One Mint Julep
I've Got News For You

Tracks:

Hit The Road Jack
Unchain My Heart
But On The Other Hand Baby
Hide 'Nor Hair
At The Club
I Can't Stop Loving You
You Don't Know Me
You Are My Sunshine
Don't Set Me Free
Take These Chains From My Heart
No One
Busted
Crying Time
Together Again
Let's Go Get Stoned
Yesterday
America The Beautiful
Seven Spanish Angels
I'll Be Good To You

Amazon.com

This double CD collects not only Brother Ray's best-known '50s and '60s singles, but some choice semi-obscurities (the 1953 jump blues "Mess Around," his 1959 cover of Louis Jordan's "Don't Let the Sun Catch You Cryin'") that earn their places next to "What'd I Say" and "I Can't Stop Loving You." The man's originality and infectious feeling bleed through on each of these 36 tracks, whether he's transforming "One Mint Julep" or "America the Beautiful" or collaborating (separately) with Willie Nelson and Chaka Khan. --Rickey Wright

Customer Reviews:

The best compilation on the market........2007-01-27

Other than Genius & Soul: The 50th Anniversary Collection 5-disc boxed set, "Ultimate Hits Collection" is easily the best Ray Charles compilation on the market. Its 36 tracks cover the years 1953-1989. It may be pricey, but you get a 50-page booklet, two individual jewel cases and an attractive slipcase. This set covers the ABC years as well, so Rhino probably had to shell out some big bucks to license those tracks. I'm glad they included "Mess Around", one of Ray's earliest hits, but I would've like to have seen 1993's "A Song For You" here as well.

Sherry.......2007-01-18

"Great CD. Would highly recommend. It's a great collection of all the hits. Other CD have a variation of songs, but if you want one with all hits, this is the one for you.

Soul .......2007-01-10

This collection contains Ray Charles' greatest hits. Among the favorites are 'What'd I Say' , 'Georgia on my mind' 'Ruby' 'Hallelujah I just love her so'. For me what is important is those songs which I have heard over and over again, and which the re-hearing of brings pleasure in. It is not important to me that all the songs have that quality. In fact even with the best people, like Ray Charles it is only a small portion of the total work which plays again and again in the mind.
Ray Charles had incredible soul and feeling. And it is that feeling which makes his music so moving and enjoyable.

Money Well Spent.......2006-09-16

I chose this collection for its wide range of Ray's career hits. Some of which I had never heard before, like "Mess Around." This was before the film was released of course. All time favorites of mine include, "What'd I Say" "One Mint Julep" "Night Time Is The Right Time" and "Hit The Road Jack." A true American Icon, Ray's genius continues through his recordings, for they are timeless. Not much else missing on this one.

Ray Charles Ultimate Collection.......2006-08-15

Very good album......can't say enough about it. Ray had such style in his music....I can listen to it over and over.

Anthology of American Folk Music (Edited by Harry Smith)

Average customer rating:

totally essential listening
The grandfather of the reissue records
Necessary.
Essential
Mysterious, Beautiful and a Kick Inside

Anthology of American Folk Music (Edited by Harry Smith)
Various Artists
Manufacturer: Smithsonian Folkways
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Good For What Ails You: Music of the Medicine Shows 1926-1937
Classic Bluegrass From Smithsonian Folkways

ASIN: B000001DJU
Release Date: 1997-08-19

Tracks:

Henry Lee - Dick Justice
Fatal Flower Garden - Nelston's Hawaiians
House Carpenter - Clarence Ashley
Drunkard's Special - Coley Jones
Old Lady And The Devil - Bill & Belle Reed
The Butcher's Boy - Buell Kazee
The Wagoner's Lad - Buell Kazee
King Kong Kitchie Kitchie Ki-Me-O - Chubby Parker
Old Shoes And Leggins - Uncle Eck Dunford
Willie Moore - Richard Burnett And Leonard Rutherford
A Lazy Farmer Boy - Buster Carter And Preston Young
Peg And Awl - Carolina Tar Heels
Ommie Wise - G.B. Grayson
My Name Is John Johanna - Kelly Harrell

Tracks:

Bandit Cole Younger - Edward L. Crain
Charles Giteau - Kelly Harrel
John Hardy Was A Desperate Little Man - Carter Family
Gonna Die With My Hammer In My Hand - Williamson Brothers And Curry
Stackalee - Frank Hutchison
White House Blues - Charlie Poole And The North Carolina Ramblers
Frankie - Mississippi John Hurt
When That Great Ship Went Down - William And Versey Smith
Engine 143 - Carter Family
Kassie Jones - Furry Lewis
Down On Penny's Farm - Bently Boys
Mississippi Boweavil Blues - Masked Marvel
Got The Farm Land Blues - Carolina Tar Heels

Tracks:

Sail Away Lady - Uncle Bunt Stephens
The Wild Wagoner - Jilson Setters
Wake Up Jacob - Prince Albert Hunt's Texas Ramblers
La Danseuse - Delma Lachney And Blind Uncle Gaspard
Georgia Stomp - Andrew And Jim Baxter
Brilliancy Medley - Eck Robertson
Indian War Whoop - Hoyt Ming & His Pep-Steppers
Old Country Stomp - Henry Thomas
Old Dog Blue - Jim Jackson
Saut Crapaud - Columbus Fruge
Acadian One-Step - Joseph Falcon
Home Sweet Home - Breaux Freres
Newport Blues - Cincinnati Jug Band
Moonshiner's Dance (Part One) - Frank Cloutier And The Victoria Cafe Orchestra

Tracks:

You Must Be Born Again - Rev. J.M. Gates
Oh Death Where Is Thy Sting - Rev. J.M. Gates
Rocky Road - Alabama Sacred Harp Singers
Present Joys - Alabama Sacred Harp Singers
This Song Of Love - Middle Georgia Singing Conv. No. 1
Judgement - Sister Mary Nelson
He Got Better Things For You - Memphis Sanctified Singers
Since I Laid My Burden Down - Elders McIntorsh & Edwards' Sanctified Singers
John The Baptist - Rev. Moses Mason
Dry Bones - Bascom Lamar Lunsford
John The Revelator - Blind Willie Johnson
Little Moses - Carter Family
Shine On Me - Ernest Phipps & Holiness Singers
Fifty Miles Of Elbow Room - Rev. F.W. McGee
In The Battlefield For My Lord - Rev. D.C. Rice And Congregation

Tracks:

The Coo Coo Bird - Clarence Ashley
East Virginia - Buell Kazee
Minglewood Blues - Cannon's Jug Stompers
I Woke Up One Morning In May - Didier Hebert
James Alley Blues - Richard 'Rabbit' Brown
Sugar Baby - Dock Boggs
I Wish I Was A Mole In The Ground - Bascom Lamar Lunsford
Mountaineer's Courtship - Ernest And Hattie Stoneman
The Spanish Merchant's Daughter - Stoneman Family
Bob Lee Junior Blues - Memphis Jug Band
Single Girl, Married Girl - Carter Family
Le Vieux Soulard Et Sa Femme - Cleoma Breaux & Joseph Falcon
Rabbit Foot Blues - Blind Lemon Jefferson
Expressman Blues - Sleepy John Estes & Yank Rachell

Tracks:

Poor Boy Blues - Ramblin' Thomas
Feather Bed - Cannon's Jug Stompers
Country Blues - Dock Boggs
99 Year Blues - Julius Daniels
Prison Cell Blues - Blind Lemon Jefferson
See That My Grave Is Kept Clean - Blind Lemon Jefferson
C'est Si Triste Sans Lui - Cleoma And Ophy Breaux And Joseph Falcon
Way Down The Old Plank Road - Uncle Dave Macon
Buddy Won't You Roll Down The Line - Uncle Dave Macon
Spike Driver Blues - Mississippi John Hurt
K.C. Moan - Memphis Jug Band
Train On The Island - J.P. Nestor
The Lone Star Trail - Ken Maynard
Fishing Blues - Henry Thomas

Amazon.com

This impressive--and frankly, fun--musical document is still sending out shock waves almost 50 years after its original 1952 vinyl release. The Smithsonian's six-CD reissue is painstakingly researched, annotated, and packaged (even boasting an enhanced disc for the techno-capable). Unlike field recorders, eccentric filmmaker/collector/musicologist Harry Smith assembled the Anthology from commercially released (though obscure) 78 rpm discs issued between 1927 and 1935. Its broad scope--from country blues to Cajun social music to Appalachian murder ballads--was monumentally influential, setting musicians like Bob Dylan down the path to folk fandom. The White House started its own national music library with the Anthology; anyone with more than a passing interest in American roots music should do the same. --Michael Ruby

More from Smithsonian Folkways

The Harry Smith Connection: A Live Tribute To The Anthology Of American Folk Music
Classic Maritime Music from Smithsonian Folkways Recordings
Smithsonian Folkways American Roots Collection

Classic Mountain Songs from Smithsonian Folkways
Classic Blues From Smithsonian Folkways
Folkways: The Original Vision

Album Description

This deluxe 6-CD collector's boxed set contains a 96-page book featuring Harry Smith's original songbook framed by essays by Greil Marcus and other noted writers, musicians, and scholars. Play the enhanced sixth disc on your CD-ROM drive and access historic video footage, rare photos, artist interviews, and additional background information. Edited by Harry Smith. Reissue compiled by the staff of Smithsonian Folkways. Reissue liner notes by Greil Marcus, Neil Rosenberg, Jeff Place, Jon Pankake, Luis Kemnitzer and others. "...the missing link in rock's official history." -Newsweek ***** (five stars) -Rolling Stone

Customer Reviews:

totally essential listening.......2007-02-15

This CD compilation set is more than just an album of music--it's a historical document. I first heard of the AAFM in a Bob Dylan biography--after buying this and listening to it, I can understand how Bob was inspired to ditch his Little Richard aspirations and travel the rugged road of folk. Through the three sections--Ballads, Social Music (mostly instrumentals), and Songs (kind of like ballads, but less story-oriented), this collection not only contains some great, timeless music and performances, it's also steeped in pure humanity--the real essence of true folk music. The people Harry Smith collected and anthologized were mostly just that: folk. People like you and me who love music, and play the songs they've been handed down. You don't have to be Bob Dylan to appreciate and be moved by songs that have been passed down through the generations and soulfully interpreted by many different artists.

Aside from some essential listening ("Coo Coo Bird," "Stackalee," "Mississippi Boweavil Blues," "I wish I Was a Mole in the Ground," etc. etc.), the package has some great supplementary material. It's very interesting to learn about the song information and performer information that Smith collected with his anthology, but it's also interesting to get a glimpse into his project, seeing how he relentlessly collected and chose which songs to represent. He was a true lover of music, and that love is reflected in his project.

Please don't come to this compilation expecting pristine sound quality--it was assembled in the 50's, which means that the recordings come from then as well as much earlier--it's about the music and performers anyway, and a little bit of scratch really doesn't detract that much from the organic, down home experience. It IS a bit of a shame that there are 6 CDs, but really only about 4 full CDs worth of music--it would have been OK with me if the Ballad/Social Music/Songs organization was not cleanly divided between discs to save space, since the division isn't very efficient, but I suppose the reissuers wanted to emulate the original vinyl collection. I don't really find the material to be homogeneous like the second spotlight reviewer does, although I do agree that Roots and Blues: A Retrospective is also a great compilation--I'd recommend getting both for a great complementary experience.

Hopefully this set never goes out of print, as it's a great piece of art that any music fan or musician can learn a lot from--and enjoy, too! It's a shame that Smith had to preserve this music as it was beginning to die out even as he was collecting it, but it's also heartwarming that such classic sounds can be preserved for us to hear so many years later and keep the tradition alive. Enjoy the living history!

The grandfather of the reissue records.......2005-02-21

This collection led to the "re-discovery" of many artists who had dissapeared after when the depression crippled the recording industry. Mississippi John Hurt is probably the most famous as of now, but others, like Clarence Ashley were major finds at the time - and when Folkways sent a field crew to do a new record by Ashley he requested some assist from a young friend named Doc Watson. Watson was unknown outside his home town at the time but went on to become a major star in a field which has very few stars.
Listening to many cuts on this album you can hear the source of much material for folk groups as diverse as the New Lost City Ramblers and The Holy Modal Rounders, rock groups like Canned Heat, and The Grateful Dead. Some of the melodies will be familiar to fans of Dylan, others to Jorma Kaukonan listeners. There are otehrs -- many many others.
This set is the source, the headwaters of reissues, and revivals. An essential part of any folk music collection.

Necessary........2003-05-28

I dont think there is a need to go into to much detail about this *6 CD* set. If you can fork over the cash, just buy it. If you have any interest in roots music, just buy it. If you thought ol' Bobby Dylan and the Band made some great weird music in the basement of big pink in '67 .. for the love of god, BUY THIS! strange, unadorned, raw music , just buy it.

Essential.......2002-11-30

Much ink & many electrons have been devoted to explaining both Harry Smith (and a lot of explanation is necessary -- very interesting man) and this wonderful collection of recordings from the 1920's and 30's, so I won't go into too much detail here. If you'd like a good treatise on the work itself as a cultural object, and how it relates to other thematically similar items, I would reccomend Griel Marcus' book Invisible Republic.
This is the greatest mix tape ever made, and an essential cultural artifact, not only of the vernacular music of the hills & highways of pre-electrification America, but also of the folk movement ofthe fifties and sixties (the primer fromwhic all else was derived) and by extension of the hippy movement following closely thereafter.
SOme of this music is really wild...

Mysterious, Beautiful and a Kick Inside.......2002-08-22

I half heard a story about the Anthology on Natl Public Radio a few months ago while I was getting ready for work. The story kept coming back to me, until I had to buy the Anthology to get some peace. Instead of peace, I find that I am now disturbed, intrigued, and haunted.

Music is ill-suited to being described in words, so I'll use an entirely different experience to try and convey what listening to this Anthology is like.

I once knew a fellow who had grown up on Bechtel construction project sites around the world. As a kid playing in the dirt at these sites, he'd collected a box full of those stone tools that humans made and used for something like three million years. I found that once I had turned one of these slips of chipped obsidian or shale over for a moment, it settled naturally into my hand. There was a spot for my thumb, another spot for my forefinger, and my hand was making a scraping or digging motion with the thing. The tool and my hand still remembered their ancient partnership, without any volition from me. This sensation was simultaneously disturbing and satisfying and made the hair stand up on my neck.

This sensation is very close to what I feel listening to this anthology. You will not hear the familiar, highly produced music we're now so comfortable with. You will hear the voice and sound of music as it has been for millions of years -- and you will recognize what you are hearing as being utterly, essentially human.

These recordings were, of course, made only 75 years ago in the 1920's, surely part of the modern era. Yet this was the last moment in time between the old world and the new world. We still sing and play music for the same reasons we always have, but the way we used our voices and instruments for millions of years has been changed by technology. So if these not very old recordings feel strangely like a link to something ancient and mysterious, that's because they actually are.

There is a great beauty in the voices on these recordings, many of which are almost shrill, almost off-key -- unfamiliar to our pampered contemporary ears -- but also perfectly right. There is a mystery in the odd and sometimes fragmentary lyrics, whose once important meaning is now lost.

We can still share the depth of feeling through the music itself, sometimes so strongly that your heart leaps as though you'd been kicked from inside. But, as it says in the booklet of notes, while we can share in the emotions that impelled someone to sing about The Coo Coo Bird in the first place, we'll never know why it was important to live on a mountainside in order to see Willie go by.

Tracks:

No Law - Clell Watson
Theme From Deadwood - David Schwartz
In Life - Al Swearengen
Hog Of The Forsaken - Michael Hurley
Will The Circle Be Unbroken - June Carter Cash
Go To Hell - Wild Bill Hickok
Old Friend - Lyle Lovett
Creek Lullaby - Margaret
Row, Row, Row Your Boat - Calamity Jane
Iguazu - Gustavo Santaolalla
Pardon My French - Al Swearengen
Stars And Stripes Forever - Jelly Roll Morton
God And Man - Sonny Terry
Fallen From Grace - Mark Lee Scott
Native Funeral - Johnny Klimek
Who? Wu?! - Al Swearengen
Snake Baked A Hoecake - Barbara
High Fever Blues - Bukka White
Twisted Little Man - Michael J. Sheehy
Next Round's On The House - Al Swearengen
Arriving In Deadwood - Michael Brook
Farther Along - Mississippi John Hurt
There's Blood - Al Swearengen

Amazon.com

The West of veteran TV writer/Deadwoodcreator David Milch is as grim as it is gritty, sprinkled with salty dialogue and punctuated by sudden brutality and raw sexuality. The original soundtrack cues by composer David Schwartz (represented here by his evocative show theme), Michael Brook and Reinhold Heil and Johnny Klimek play off that vision with often stark rootsiness. But it's the series' rich slate of songs -- choices whose inventiveness often rivals that of The Sopranos -- that consistently reinforce its all-too-human drama, if not the crusty veneer. This collection gathers the best songs from the series' first season, coloring the milieu with evocative hillbilly romps like Michael Hurley's "Hog of the Forsaken" and the a capella grace of Margaret's Native American "Creek Lullaby." But the collection's musical eclecticism stretches far beyond mere genre concerns, variously encompassing the nascent jazz of Jelly Roll Morton (a rollicking "Stars and Stripes Forever"), Delta blues of Bukka White and Mississippi John Hurt and even Gustavo Santaolalla's hypnotic Brazilian fretwork. But the collection's country and folk-tinged performances are its most resonant, whether invoking earthy traditions (the gospel fervor of the late June Carter Cash's "Will the Circle Be Unbroken," Sonny Terry & Brownie McGhee's more heretical "God and Man") or more contemporary stylings like Lyle Lovett's "Old Friend" and the gentle "Twisted Little Man" by Michael J. Sheehy. --Jerry McCulley

Album Description

Music from the critically acclaimed HBO Series Deadwood featuring American roots music from an eclectic mix of artists ranging from Lyle Lovett to June Carter Cash with full dialog excerpts from some of your favorite moments. Deadwood: The Complete First Season available now on DVD.

Customer Reviews:

this is the best Western series made in recent times.......2007-05-16

Deadwood is unquestionably the best Western series produced for years. Authentically researched with an unbelievably real script which although vulgar in the extreme, brings life and reality to all the gripping episodes - that flow from one to the next.
The acting is superb, with major and minor characters - all outstanding. What a cast !
Anyone who loves the American Wild West should not miss Deadwood.

Deadwood CD .......2007-02-05

Well done, what I expected. The language is pretty adult so be very cautious with who you allow to listen to this CD.

Music From Season 1 - Go Back To "Deadwood".......2006-12-13

This review refers to "Deadwood Music From the HBO Original Series" - EXPLICIT CONTENT (CD/Lost Highway")

"Deadwood" fans...you will love and spend alot of time listening to this album that takes you right back in time to Deadwood,the rugged atmosphere and the tough bigger then life characters,the series is based on. Wild Bill Hickok, Calamity Jane, etc The selections are a great representation of the series and may have you wanting to watch it all over again(which by the way both season 1 and 2 look and sound marvelous on DVD).If you loved the series, it is like finding an "Old Friend"(Lyle Lovett)

This album is from Season 1 only. It has 23 tracks that not only have the great music by some great artists, but also includes some of the more memorable lines spoken by the actors(Ian McShane,Keith Carridine, etc). The tracks do not exactly follow the order of the episodes, but there is something from each one that depicts the storyline and the times.

The music mixes the sounds of the Old West,and some bluesy material, with the perfect scoring of this sometimes dark series.Opening with "No Law"(spoken), it then goes right into the Theme From Deadwood(at this point I already made plans to get my DVDs out for the night). Then you'll be treated to artists like June Carter Cash("Will the Circle Be Unbroken"),Lyle Lovett("Old Friend") and Jelly Roll Morton doing his rendition of "Stars and Stripes Forever". Also included are a great blues number(from the episode"Plague") "High Fever Blues" by Bukka White, a beautiful ballad, "Twisted Little Man" by Michael Sheehy, and some fabulous instrumentals ,vocal solos, and wonderful guitar work..See buying info for complete track listings.

As I stated at the beginning of this review. This CD is the explicit lyrics edition. And just as with the series, it's is no one you want to play around children or those who may cringe at four letter words(and some much longer). If you loved the series though, that was a big part of what made it seem so authentic. There is a "clean" edition if you prefer,the ASIN of that edition is B00076YPV2. Basically the short spoken tracks are cut out from the album of the "clean" edition. The ASIn for this one(explicit) is B00076YPUI. So in case Amazon decides to lump the reviews together, you may want to check that number in the product info to make sure you are ordering the one you want.

This CD has a running time of a little more then 45 minutes. The sound quality is excellent.Even the old recordings sound great. A booklet with the tracks, artists and the episode it came from is included.

"There's blood on the floor..."(Bullock)
"Yeah - uh - I'm gonna get to that"(Al 'pardon my French' Swearengen)

Saddle Up and Enjoy the ride, with music from "Deadwood".....Laurie

Music in a Western Mood.......2006-08-16

Other reviewers have described this CD of music from Deadwood's first season in excellent detail, so it's enough for me to say that this collection is beautiful and evocative, plaintive, tense and saucy by turns.

Deadwood score hits dead on!.......2006-07-06

"No law at all..In deadwood.is that true?"

The opening quip from the movie only comes in at four seconds but right away sets the tone for the soundtrack which, like the HBO western series it is set to, is rich, diverse, and raw. The opening theme song comes in at track 2 and is a blevy of mourning violin and hard strummed acoustical guitar licks. Atmospheric as much as it is direct, it and the other songs on here are executed not to perfection, but to the point.

Often times we find soundtracks to be a law unto them. Sometimes a great series will have only a mediocre if not forgettable score, where other long lost series in the heap of cancelled shows have amazing technical and instrumental prowess as well as specific tracks from certain bands that fit the series mood or era. With Deadwood, we are blessed with both. The combination of western, bluegrass, and various instruments help set the tone for a show that is based on the town of Deadwood in the late 1800's. Track 3 is a special treat as its sang by one of the main actors. It's credited as "Al Swearingen" who is a character on the series played by Ian McShane. McShane isn't out of the Grand ol oprey but he doesn't have to be, as his simple vocal presence adds to the simplistic life this song lays out that is backed greatly by a beautiful harmonica.

We continue this old western/country sound on several tracks including track 4 (Hog of the forsaken) and track 7 (old friend). Old friend is a track sang by none other than Lyle Lovett and has some great melodic guitar work on it. Just when you are thinking this 23-track set is going to be full of western jangles and rhymes of outlaw days, you hear in certain tracks actual quips (as described in first paragraph) from the series. Certain memorable quotes nonetheless like Al Swearingen on track 3 saying "in life, you have to do a lot of things you don't want to F$$$ want to do, and in life, you have to do a lot of things you don't (explicative) want to do. If you get aggravated, then the enemy has you by the short hair".

Track 6 is another poignant verse from Wild Bill Hickock in the movie. These tracks may be viewed as irrelevant to some but their messages and meaning, which are to evoke the hardships and trials and tribulations of the old west, add to the heart of this soundtrack just as much as the songs do. Track 8 is a lovely little vocal only tune called "Creek Lullaby" sang by the character Margaret. Short is length but great in diversity for the album, its one of the gems to behold. Again, simplistic but not sappy. This song is one of the many reasons that make this soundtrack a great one, because despite the varying tunes and quips that differ in instruments, vocals, and harmony, they still tie together and meld, like the characters and stories in the series, to make something great.

Track 10 is "Iguazu" and is a Spanish guitar solo that will knock your boots clean off. A fast paced "instrumental" of sorts that has a lot of crescendo and mood swing to it, giving away an image of a scene from the show of impending danger, then doom, and ending with triumph. Track 13 is "God and Man" and has guy talking in the beginning like a preacher, while a harmonica plinks along in the background. This tune starts out sounding like some 1950's delta blues track but quickly buckles down into a swooning and uplifting tune that takes on a serious note despite staying happy. Track 14 is "Fallen from Grace" and is by Mark Lee Scott. Clearly one of the best Americana/acoustic tracks on the whole set list. This song sounds a lot like something Bruce Springsteen or perhaps John Mellencamp would do. Beautiful acoustic guitar work and great gravelly voiced vocals!

Track 19 is not any less powerful as it's a slower tune as well, but a bit more modern sounding. Snapping fingers are louder than a light sounding guitar solo in the background as the vocals soothingly tell a story over the rolling melody of the guitars. Track 21 is the song "Arriving in Deadwood" and is a powerful acoustic solo that starts out dark and is soon accompanied by mourning violins. I find this kind of music inviting and welcome in an age when so many soundtracks are built around top 40 radio or extravagant musical scores by orchestral professionals directed by the likes of Horner, Goldenthal, or Howard. The music again, is like the show, as it is raw but not rotten. It's a hidden beauty that brings you back, even if you are not from "back then", to a vision of a time when hardships were truly hardships, and one took happiness in the simple things in life. Talks about true journeys and real love outweigh your mind for a moment of the comfort you find in taking things for granted, whether that be air conditioning or a cell phone at your grasp for earliest convenience.

23 tracks in all, a combination of western and folk, blues and country. Couple that with some of the lines from the famous characters of the series and you have a multitude of attitude with little left on the table. Soundtracks can live and die like their shows, but with the deadwood soundtrack what I was most impressed with was the diversity and more than normal track listing. If your a fan of the show, you'll probably love this score, and if you aren't but enjoy country or blues tunes that take you back to another time (Move over Tim McGraw, the real outlaws are in town and they just shot your Ford pickup) then I suggest giving this one a try.

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