Appalachian music reviews

Moby uses "Green Sally Up" for Flower on Play: The B-sides, he uses "Joe Lee's Rock" for Find My Baby on Play, he uses "Sometimes" for Honey on Play, he uses "Trouble So Hard" for Natual Blues, "Love Rock"(not on this cd) for Bodyrock, and "Run On For A Long Time" for Run On.
How ironic.

Moby uses samples from Sounds of the South in his album, Play.

I've played this CD over and over and still love every minute of it. The music is so varied, so beautiful. I now want to get other albums recorded by Alan Lomax, a genius for recognizing and recording great music. Highly recommended for anyone who loves uncommercial melodies and pure voices.

Truth be told this disc is not for everyone and I hope that this description will help those interested in hearing the ancestors of many major music forms find a good listen. Alan Lomax made an attempt to record the provincial musical styles in their home and on the participants own terms. What you get are real individuals singing and playing instruments for reasons that no longer exist today; to pass the day at work, to pass along local stories and traditions, to pass the time in jail, to provide expression for small communities, and to praise their gods where the lived and breathed. There was not a dollar to be made for any performance on this disc, and though we pay to hear it now, it had an effect on the musicians and singers. This music is not polished but it is a fantastic cd based on its content and not its production value. You won't hear music like this often in your life.

These are by no means white spirituals and hardly any use original styalizations. The Title "Southern White Spirituals" I feel is quite misleading seeing how many of the songs are rather with african american roots that here, just happened to be sung by anglos. The music is none the less wonderful but dont get fooled into thinking the muscicians here were themselves actually better than those who first felt the need to express themselves in such a fashion. I recommend beginning elsewhere but if your just curious then why not, but there are things such as in the Deep River Of Song Series that are more captivating in their utter expression of the human condition here on earth.

This is my personal favorite of the Southern Journey series, which is saying something. So much of the music in the Southern tradition (and particularly in the mountain tradition - which is what this music is really a sampling of) is overtly religious and this disc features a broad sampling of various spiritual styles found in the Appalachians. There are shape note hymns, gospel songs, religious ballads, and lined-out hymns in the Old Regular Baptist style.

Mixed with the recordings of the songs are various testimonies of the performers during religious services. These provide insights into how these men and women viewed their religious tradition and its music, as well as the history of their people. These are among the most enjoyable tracks on the recording.

It would be hard to pick the best songs on the album, but my personal favorites are those which have less representation on other commerically available recordings. The lined-out style of hymn singing among the Old Regular Baptists is just chilling, and the samples presented here are fantastic. To my mind, "Guide Me O Thou Great Jehovah" is worth the price of the CD - raw, unpolished, and lonesome - this is the soul music of the mountains. The shaped-note hymns are almost as moving to me. Interestingly, Lomax includes their first readings during the meetings, while the singers solfege thru the hymn before singing the text. My favorite among these is "Northport" which is fairly well shouted - you cannot doubt the faith of these folks when they sing "Glory! Hallelujah!"

Among the other tracks, one of the most interesting is "The Little Family," an old religious ballad on the family of Lazarus. I had not heard this one before.

For anyone curious about the religious music heritage of the Appalachians, this disc presents an excellent cross-section. Highly recommended.

This stuff really moves me. I think the southern journey series is just about the greatest!

I listen to this album often. It feels so fresh and authentic! The first song, "Sheep, Sheep, Don't You know the road" is inspirational: I'll be tapping the rhythms on the computer keyboard or table before the end, and it's a great song to sing with the little sheep in my life. And I have purchased two additional copies of this CD as Christmas presents for friends to share with them the sweetness and warmth of Vera Hall-Ward's "No Room in the Inn" as she tells the story of the birth of Jesus to her Sunday school children. The fiddling music is superb, as well: Neil Morris and the recording engineer briefly speak after "Corn Dodgers" and for that moment time vanishes. You are there. I could go on. Every one of the sixteen cuts has something to recommend it. This is a extraordinary collection for those of us who love American traditional music.

In this techno age where the music has about as much soul as a rake lying in the backyard,CD like this one help to remind us of a time before Brittaney and the top boy bands. I highly recommend it and think that anyone who wants real conviction and spirit in their music should give it a thousand listens.

This is a great cd. Kind of a mix of old-style bluegrass and folk. It's kind of refreshing to find a cd this refreshing that draws so strongly from the old ways. It's nice to know an old language of music hasn't died.

I suggest listening to Come Heres and the Been Heres and Lunatic Asylum to get a good feel for this CD.

The tune "Indian Neck" is worth the max amount of stars alone... interesting lyrics on the tune "Lunatic Asylum".

This SF Bay Area ensemble ably straddles the worlds of old-time stringband music and the more thoughtful end of the modern-day alt.country spectrum. Their performances and various albums are impressive both for their melodic grace and depth of historical knowledge. The "Seven Sisters" album, which is the soundtrack to a documentary film about the women in a Kentucky family, concentrates on more exclusively on the style's Appalachian roots, while "The Unfortunate Rake," produced by well-known twangcore mopemeister Richard Buckner, has a more modern air, and drifts into hick-music-as-high-art territory which I find mildly questionable. Overall, though, these are two of the most compelling and impressive albums I've heard in a long, long time. The band's repertoire and soulful delivery are equally noteworthy. Highly recommended!

This is a modern band playing old-timey music on old-timey instruments. The tracks with minstrel banjo are superb!

As a Christmas present to myself, I purchased the two JSP boxed sets, The Carter Family, 1927-1934 and The Carter Family, Volume 2, 1935-1941. I have been playing them non-stop for the past four days, and I am absolutely thrilled with both of them.

The RCA Victor sides were issued "complete" a few years ago by Rounder records. The Rounder releases are supposed to be re-mastered, yet they don't sound any better than the tracks presented in the JSP collections. And the JSP collections include complete information on the original recording dates, which the Rounder releases do not. Finally, one reviewer here observed that the sleeve notes for the JSP Box sets are minimal; that's true, but when compared to the Rounder releases, I find that the JSP releases actually proffer a bit more biographical information, and better details on the records.

The first set (1927-1934) pretty much covers almost all of the original Victor sides; I have carefully compared the first set with the Rounder series (I have all nine titles in the Rounder releases) and I have only found two or three tracks that are missing from the JSP sets. This is The Carter Family, country music's first family, as they should be heard. Sara's singing is strong and clear; Maybelle's guitar playing is amazing, and A. P.'s harmonious accompaniment is wonderful. The early years are raw and unpolished, but that adds to their aesthetic artistry, and actually enhances their simple charm.

But Volume 2, (1935-1941) is truly exciting for the bulk of material that has not been available of CD before. This box contains the balance of the RCA Victor sides not included in the first set, but also includes dozens of later recordings originally issued on the ARC and Decca labels (Decca owned both). These recordings are completely glorious, and floored me when I heard them (and I've been a fan of "roots" music for many years). The sound is amazing, and the performances, both in terms of instrumental skill and vocal harmony, are far more polished than the early Victor sides. Aside from an MCA (Decca) issue in the "Country Music Hall of Fame" Series and an issue from Sony Special Products on the Country Label, these songs have been totally neglected as CD issues. Between the two JSP sets, the material covered represents about 90% of the original Carter Family records that I am aware of, although there may be many more that are lost forever. This is not likely to be corrected anytime soon. Decca Records is notorious for neglecting to reissue historic recordings, which is a real shame. I wish I had a dollar for every artist I have on a Decca vinyl that has not seen a CD release. Decca has released many historic Jazz recordings on the "Decca Jazz" label, but aside from the Country Music Hall of Fame series (a limited anthology series) it has not seen fit to issue much of the classic country music rotting in its vaults. And there are probably thousands of wonderful popular music recordings in Decca's vaults that may never see the light of day on CD, either. Concurrent with these recordings, the Carter Family also spent years performing live concerts on "border radio". Many transcripts of these fine performances were made, and a few have been made available on obscure labels. But the JSP sets contain most of their studio sessions.

For anyone who doesn't know, the original Carter Family practically invented country music. Sara and Maybelle, who were cousins, married the Carter brothers, A.P. and Ezra, and a musical family was born. They found their way to the 1927 "talent auditions" conducted by Ralph Peer, which also "discovered" Jimmie Rodgers, the Father of Country Music. I often say that if Jimmie Rodgers was the father, than the Carter Family were the mothers. The original group (Sara, Maybelle and Alvin Pleasant) split up in 1941, never to record together again (aside from the wonderful "Historic Reunion" album that Maybelle and Sara recorded in 1965). For many years, Maybelle continued to tour and record with her daughters, June Helen and Anita, under the name of the Carter Family. Of course, June later married Johnny Cash, who toured with June for years; this association helped keep interest in the Carter Family legacy alive for many years.

I have to honestly say that I can't remember when I last enjoyed a boxed set so thoroughly. The simple, pure singing of the original Carter Family is truly wonderful. Their harmony is amazing, their playing incredible. One is always conscious while listening to them that these are self-taught musicians, yet their professionalism is obvious. As I write these words, my stereo is pouring forth their 1935 version of Are You Lonesome Tonight, a song that became a multi-million seller for Elvis Presley 25 years later. I prefer the Carter Family version. You may too.

This box set is a continuation of the Carter Family Saga, and shows this group at the peak of musical power for this trio. This is essential music for understanding what Country music was in the 1930s. The harmony vocals and driving rhythm of guitar and autoharp stand in sharp contrast with what is called Country music today. The sound quality is superb (at times, it sounds like a modern recording).

anyone who loves the carter family will be extremely happy owning this 5 cd set! this is vol. 2, but that doesn't mean it's any less wonderful than vol. 1! my only complaint is that A.P. doesn't sing enough songs!

I bought this boxed set after watching the DVD. previously I wasn't particularly a country fan, now I am converted. The recordings span 20 years, each one is excellent, the whole collection being superb. If you want to try "true" country, this is one of the best places to start. A lot of the artists are difficult to get hold of, but all together they make a CD set of many colours. Well worth the price, a thoroughly good collection; to be well recommended.

"Trilogy" is a monument to American Bluegrass music. Within its seven hours of music is a living history of this American art form, from the 1930's until today. It brings together all three volumes of "Will The Circle Be Unbroken" and adds a DVD performance disc, and adds updated notes about the history of this three decade long project by the Nitty Gritty Dirt Band.

No other collection of country music brings together "founders and originators" such as Mother Maybelle Carter, and the Carter Family, with their musical "children", Roy Acuff, Chet Atkins, Johnny Cash, Willie Nelson, Earl Scruggs, Merle Travis, and Doc Watson, and the third generation...Rosanne Cash, Vince Gill, Emmylou Harris, Allison Krauss, Tony Rice, Dwight Yoakum...some of the greatest talents of three generations and six decades of American music.

Each generation of singers and musicians remain faithful to the "roots" of this music, playing with acoustic guitars, banjos and fiddles. The mood is that of a group of talented friends, sitting in the living room, and singing and playing the songs they love the best. The feeling and heart in these performances can be felt, as well as heard.

The sound quality is exceptional. It is easy to forget these are recordings...it feels as if the musicians are sitting right next to you while they joke, chat, sing and play these songs.

This is too much music to digest in a single sitting. Instead, it is more enjoyable to select just one CD, savor it for a day or two, and then move on to another. I have no doubt that people will be listening to, and loving, this music a century from now. This will be one of the living treasures of American culture for generations to come.

It is amazing that a seven hour collection of some of the greatest music of our time is available for less than $50...less than $7 for each incredible hour of music. At this bargain price, even folks who own one or two of the previous sets included in "Trilogy" ought to buy this collection...and perhaps buy another for their children or a good friend.

This is a dynmite collection of blue grass music. After 5CDs and you think it can't get any better there's a DVD that puts it all over the top. Can not say enough good things about this package....

The RED PONY and THE TENDER LAND selections conducted by James Sedares are the best. This music is a slice of American Pie from Aaron Copland. Very good!

This compilation CD has some of the best recordings of these pieces on the market today.
David Zinman and the BSO do a remarkable job with the Symphonic Dances; compared to the Berstein and NYP recording it's played cleaner and better, the recording quality is much higher, although I think the interpretation award will have to go to Lenny on this one.
This is the best recording of the Barber Adagio, hands down. I own 5, and have heard many more, but Dorati and Detroit just play it more colorfully and beautifully than anyone else. The ensemble is perfect, and the recording quality is stunning.
My one complaint is the Fanfare for the Common Man. It's just not clean; I've frequently wondered why the Detroit Brass just didn't do another take.
All in all, this is a wonderful disc for a wonderful price.