Reviews
What others think of the bluegrass around - CDs, shows, concerts, DVDs.
Ralph Stanley & Friends - Clinch Mountain Sweethearts
Rebel - REB-1770
After recording two highly successful collaborative projects like ?Saturday Night/Sunday Morning? and the epic 36-track ?Clinch Mountain Country?, what do you do for an encore? If you?re Ralph Stanley, you do more of the same, and this 16-track album that features duets with 15 female artists is every bit as impressive and enjoyable thanks to a varied and stellar cast, the wonderful backing provided by the Clinch Mountain Boys, and Dr. Stanley?s ever-enthralling tenor vocals.
Everyone will have his/her own highlights here and it?s difficult (perhaps pointless) to pick favorites as the album flows from one distinctive track to another, starting with a driving, powerful version of RIDIN? THAT MIDNIGHT TRAIN, featuring the intriguing voice of Iris Dement. Other cuts include LOVING YOU TOO WELL with Dolly Parton in superb voice, Patty Mitchell?s fine contribution on the ballad LITTLE WILLIE, a very strong WILL YOU MISS ME with Pam Tillis (plus James Alan Shelton?s super lead guitar), and a haunting OH DEATH with Gillian Welch. From the folk field Joan Baez teams with Ralph for a sensitive WEEPING WILLOW and Maria Muldaur provides a bluesy, effective MEMORY OF YOUR SMILE. Also, ARE YOU TIRED OF ME, DARLING with country newcomer Sara Evans is as good as any track on the album.
Other ladies heard on this wonderful collection include Gail Davies, Lucinda Williams, Melba Montgomery, Valerie Smith, Kristi Stanley, Chely Wright and Jeannie Seely.
Great stuff!
Tracks on the album are:
- RIDIN' THAT MIDNIGHT TRAIN
- WILL YOU MISS ME
- LITTLE WILLIE
- OH, DEATH
- LOVING YOU TOO WELL
- THE MEMORY OF YOUR SMILE
- ARE YOU TIRED OF ME, DARLING
- WEEPING WILLOW
- I'LL NEVER GROW TIRED OF YOU
- RANK STRANGER
- TRUST EACH OTHER
- ANGEL BAND
- YOU WIN AGAIN
- I'M READY TO GO
- FARTHER ALONG
- I'LL REMEMBER YOU LOVE IN MY DREAMS
And artists on the album are:
- RALPH STANLEY
- DOLLY PARTON
- GILLIAN WELCH IRIS DeMENT
- LUCINDA WILLIAMS
- JOAN BAEZ
- SARA EVANS
- PAM TILLIS
- CHELY WRIGHT
- PATTY MITCHELL
- MARIA MULDAUR
- KRISTI STANLEY
- GAIL DAVIES
- MELBA MONTGOMERY
- JEANNIE SEELY
- VALERIE SMITH
- JACK COOKE
- JAMES ALAN SHELTON
- JAMES PRICE
- RALPH STANLEY II
- JOHN RIGSBY
- STEVE SPARKMAN
- GEORGE SHUFFFLER
- MARK FAIN
- TERRY ELDREDGE
- SHELTON FEAZELL
- CHERYL WHITE
Alison Krauss & Union station - LIVE CD
Review of the first ever Live album by Alison Krauss & Union Station, written by West Australia's Troy Cook
Hardrive in Bluegrass Now Magazine
Melbourne band Hardrive's award-winning album Henry Lawson's Blues is reviewed in the top US Bluegrass magazine, Bluegrass Now!
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