Country Rock Music

In the pantheon of live recordings, 1972 is a magical year for Grateful Dead fans. Meticulously documented both in crude bootlegs and official releases, Europe was a triumph for the Bay Area band that was still shaping their sound into the early 70's. It was also the swan-song tour for Pigpen, the bluesy singer and harmonica-playing terror who enjoyed centerpiece status since the group's inception.

I picked up Europe '72 back in college and thought it one of the most impressive live albums I had ever heard. As my love for the Dead grew, I began wishing there were other releases from this excellent tour. Little did I know what was coming my way.

Soon appeared Dick's Picks, then Hundred Year Hall, then Rockin' the Rhein.... seriously, could we have asked for any more?

Yes, and now we have the sprawling, voluminous "Stepping Out With The Grateful Dead," the most thorough treatment of the '72 tour yet. In the linear notes to "Deadicated," a modest collection of Dead covers, Elvis Costello sums up his own experience of the tour: "I first saw the Dead in '72, forty-odd miles from Liverpool, while standing in a foot of mud among a small, sodden horde who braved the swamp in front of the stage. The sodding rain wasn't even shining as expected. If we had been extras in a remake of 'Henry V,' we would have been the French. After the battle."

The French indeed. It's well known that to truly appreciate the Dead one only needed to see them live. I saw a modest number of shows and, yes, there's nothing quite like them. Of course, I was only 4 when they first played Europe, but what I saw in the late eighties and early nineties was all the proof I needed to know that Elvis did indeed feel French on that cloud-covered, muddy day in 1972.

This is a brilliant collection, the sort one prays for and never gets. Until now.

This 4 cd set is superbly recorded and the band is fearless. It is also poignant, as this was the last overseas tour that Pigpen played. Listen to him perform here, and you'd never know.

Oh yes, some great jams too.

It was this music that convinced me there is a God. Such exalted musical perfection is simply inconceivable without Love and Power from on High. A stunning testamony to the fact that popular music can be art, and a magnificent demonstration to the power of that art to bring us glimpses of the Great Beyond.

To kick off with a cliche: if I could take one CD to a lonely island, it would be "Europe '72". Ever since it was released, it has been a steady companion, which in 35 years never lost its musical power, creativity, poetry, joy of life, spirituality, humanism, and incredible craftmansship of these six musicians at work. "Steppin' Out" is a wonderful and welcome addition to the Dead's official live album of their legendary European tour. After their arguably two best studio albums, "Workingman's Dead" and "American Beauty" and before losing Pig Pen and Keith Godcheaux who have never since been adequately replaced, the Dead were at the top of their game when they crossed the Atlantic, and "Steppin' Out" is the best proof of that. Garcia's and Weir's vocals have never been better. Their guitar dialogues are downright telepathy. In the band's most complex compositions like "Jack Straw" or "Uncle John's Band" the Dead are as self-assured and tight as in rockers like "Big Railroad Blues" and in the jams of "Truckin'" and "Dark Star"... and it is sheer Rock'n Roll magic to listen to Pig Pen leading the band through "Good Lovin'" and "Turn on your love light". In short: "Steppin' Out" is a great contribution to the Grateful Dead legacy and their musical universe.

Steppin' Out (along with Hundred Year Hall) is probably the greatest example of how powerful the Dead were in 1972. This set contains, in my opinion, the greatest Dead lineup, minus Mickey Hart.

What is actually great about this set is that fans of the early Live/Dead era stuff or fans of the Post-Pigpen years will get the best of both worlds, here. You get Pigpen's B3 organ, Soulful Voice and astounding harp blowing wrapped up with Keith Godcheaux's stinging grand piano (he used the Helpinstill piano pickup system, that's why the piano always had somewhat of an electric feel to it, which you couldn't get with microphones; piano players and/or Helpinstill enthusiasts, take note).

Steppin' Out contains so many definitive Dead moments that were never released. Disc 1 and 2 contain superb performances of the shorter songs, especially "Greatest Story Ever Told", "Deal", "Black-Throated Wind", and "Playing In The Band". Speaking of "Playing In The Band", I really think that this is the best version that the Dead had ever done of the song. I really don't think that any hour-long jams that this song bookended after 1974 really captured the essence of the song, as well as this version does.

Speaking of hour-long jams, the "Truckin'-Drums-The Other One-El Paso-The Other One-Wharf Rat" jam on Disc 3 is the true defining moment of this set. However, "Dark Star-Sugar Magnolia-Caution (Don't Stop On The Tracks)" on disc 4 is just as deserving of the same title. But the only problem I have with it is that Donna Jean Godcheaux doesn't get up and harmonize on the "Sunshine Daydream" section with Bob Weir. She did that so well when you heard it on "Europe '72" (although I read that Donna's part was later added during studio overbuds for "Europe '72", so that answers my question). After mayhem of "Caution", Disc 4 and the entire experience in general, ends with the best closing song ever imaginable, "Brokedown Palace". It just sums up everything that has been experienced throughout the duration of the set.

Getting down to the musicians, Jerry Garcia and Phil Lesh's lead guitar-bass guitar interplay has never been performed so well, especially in the cerebral modal crosstalk throughout "The Other One" and "Dark Star". Whenever Jerry plays low notes on guitar or Phil plays high notes on bass, they sound so similar, it's almost impossible to tell them apart. Bob Weir's solid rhythm guitar has never sounded so rich and full and hasn't since (during the tune up between "Ramble On Rose" and "Black-Throated Wind", he plays the opening guitar lick from "Weather Report Prelude", which makes you wonder what other things they may have needed these tapes for). Billy Kreutzmann's drumming is just so solid , especially on "Drums" where he rings in "The Other One" in true rhythmic splendor. Along with Kreutzmann, McKernan's random moments of backup percussion (tambourine [audible on "Deal", "Jack Straw", "Wharf Rat", and "Black Throated Wind"] maracas/shakers ["Sugar Magnolia", and "Playing In The Band"], guiro ["Uncle John's Band"]) really does at least make up for parts that were originally played by Mickey Hart in the studio. Still the double drumset crosstalk is sadly absent, and in a way was never the same again after Hart's departure and return, being that both Hart and Kruetzmann changed their drum sounds and styles radically after 1972.

Basically to summarize, any body who even likes the Dead a little bit, should get this set just to here really good live versions of their short songs, but any devoted Dead fanatic who followed the band in it's later years, but couldn't get over to England in time for the recordings of these shows (or you weren't born yet), should get this for the metaphysical/psychological rush of musical mayhem that is the jams, that encapsulate the ends of discs 2, 3, and 4.

The Dead sound very powerful, yet very natural. In later years, they would expand their stage setup with so much percussion equipment and amplifiers that the music seemed to become less original and astounding. This is why, in many respects, this was The Dead at their pinnacle, with Pigpen on his way out and Keith and Donna on their way in. Pretty much the only thing that could've made this better would've been a surprise appearance by Mickey Hart, but unfortunately that was never to be (at least with Pigpen still in the group).

So please, do yourself a favor and buy the album. I promise that a fan of The Dead on any level will love it.

Overall there is no questioning the primacy of the Trinity Sessions but nothing else in the output of the Cowboy Junkies comes as close as The Caution Horses to the sustained lyricism and evocative moodiness of Van Morrison's Astral Weeks. Michael and Margo Timmins even manage to make Neil Young's "Powderfinger" work with the other songs in the suite--no small feat. As a cohesive whole The Caution Horses even exceeds The Trinity Sessions, with not a misstep over the ten tracks. Unquestionably a classic.

This was my first junkies album, thus, I enjoy it the most. This can be listed as the only "country" album I own, or would ever own. It is a fantastic mix of great sonwriting and musicallity. It may not match the intimacy of the trinity sessions, but it's lyrical content is without equal. Highly recommeded for everyone

The Junkies started their catalog with The Trinity Sessions, an EP of refreshingly slow songs and covers recorded in LA's Trinity Church. Caution Horses' songs are faster but still slow, and feature a melancholy accordion in addition to the usual country instrumentation. This is one of the Junkies' best albums, second only to their third, Black-Eyed Man. The lyrics are tart and sardonic yet delivered in a breathy, flat contralto by the lead singer. This album and the aforementioned Black-Eyed Man are their most distinctive and therefore their best. As they gained experience, the Junkies' began to play faster and faster, losing much of their distinctiveness.

Great CD - I love them already so it was not a difficult sell. The CD was in excellent condition (brand new as promised) and shipping was faster than estimated. All in all great buy.

I heard this CD years ago and loved it. I worked in a restaurant & when this CD was played you could see the people eating just getting closer to each other. It sounded just as good as ever!

Watch Video Here: http://www.amazon.com/review/R32TJNQDXJ8IS2 I hope you enjoy this video review!!! My name is Jeremy Gloff. I am a musician (check me out on Amazon!) and retro music enthusiast. If you enjoyed this review make sure to check out my Amazon user profile to check out my other reviews. I am always up for making new friends and discussing the music I love!!!

This has been a favorite of mine for many years. Catchy tunes, with a story to go along with it. Love Emmy Lou, and this CD is awesome!!!

First off, let me disclose that I've been an Emmylou Harris devotee since 1980. I've built up my stack of her LPs and CDs gradually over the years, but, as with with any collection, there's always a few albums that for one reason or another, you seem to keep putting off getting. "The Ballad of Sally Rose" was one of those albums for me. I just last week received my copy, and have been in country/bluegrass heaven ever since. A lot of previous reviewers have cited the facts and trivia connected to this concept album, so I wont repeat them here, but I just had to write and say how extraordinary this album is, for all those reasons, and probably more. Normally I hate it when people compare one thing in terms of another, but find myself irrestially drawn to doing just that now. If you don't have this one, and you know Emmylou's work a little, it's kind of a cross between "Blue Kentucky Girl" and "White Shoes." If you don't know her work, even though there are a lot of her albums that are better-known and more widely praised, you could not do better than start here. The only thing I will say about this import CD is that when I opened it, it seemed curiously thick, and I had to burn it onto another CD so I could play in some of the players where I wanted to listen. Other than that small thing, it's perfect.

This is my favorite Emmylou album. I had it only on tape. Glad to have a more permanent copy.

what about willie nelsons redheaded stranger released in 1975...

however the ballad of sally rose is a supreme album.

My own sons and the many children for whom I've provided care have all loved this music. It set the mood and taught many of the lessons in my childcare business ("Teaching Peace," "Shake Your Brain," "Hooray For The World") and sometimes reminded me to love and embrace the children most when they were the most difficult ("See Me Beautiful").

These children are all grown now, but the other day I came across the "Teaching Peace" CD and couldn't resist purchasing it. (No longer having a cassette player!) I plopped it in my car stereo and realized what a gift this music is for us "older set" as well. It made me laugh, cry and sing along all over again. Red's music is ageless and timeless--and it reminds me that we all are, too. All of the songs on this CD are affirmations of humankind's goodness and longing for connection. The kids just think it is pure fun! "Teaching Peace" is my all-time favorite CD, and this 50+ year-old woman has heard a few!

Treat yourself, your kids, grandkids, neighbors, local school...anyone, to this music and spread life's hope, joy and yearning for peace!

This is my favorite children's album of all time. It is music aimed at children that every adult should take to heart. My kids learned how-to-be from listening to Red Grammer's songs and today it shows in their approachable, self-confident, outgoing manners. We played this album every day for years. The earliest lessons count for a lot.

I bought Red Grammer's music for my boys when they were little. We listened to those tapes for years. They still love them. Now they have children of their own and I'm buying that same music for my grandchildren. The older ones already love it. My youngest son asked me when I was going to get Teaching Peace for his 11 month old son. I think it's a perfect first birthday present. I'm so excited to be singing along with Red again...for the next generation.

I love this music, - each song is unique, upbeat and meaningful. Not just the usual blah blah blah. And the children in my interfaith virtues class love this music. We performed "I think your wonderful" at a Thansgiving service and the parents were all humming it at home afterwards. Fills your heart with GOOD feelings. Perfect for the times we live in.

If I were to recommend just one CD for children and their families "to grow up on" it would be--without a doubt --Kathy & Red Grammer's Teaching Peace. The CD has it all--a combination of fun music that children love, and beautiful music that speaks to the heart. Its lyrics are intelligent with pro-social themes that never fail to engage listeners, from tiny tots to great-great-grandparents. Teaching Peace transcends language, as its music seems to stir shared emotions--helping listeners build bridges regardless of language.

Apart from being the musical delight that it is, Teaching Peace has other merits. Its music is educational, healing, inspirational, and motivational, and that's just the tip of the iceberg. It is also a great tool to generate discussions and inspire a variety of creative projects among kids of different ages.

Teaching Peace makes a great gift, as it is a gift that keeps on giving, and children never seem to outgrow it. (Just ask the reviewer, who is an adult in years but a kid where it counts!) The lucky ones, who receive Teaching Peace, will thank you, and you will have done your part in making our world just a little bit better, one-heart-at-a-time.

A million thanks to Red and Kathy Grammer for touching so many lives with such profound Beauty!

All three CD's I ordered showed up damaged. Having worked for a major shipper when I was younger, I believe the damage was from the shipper. This retailer had a fast and efficient method of returning the products. Within five minutes I had the return shipping labels in my hand and a new set of CD's were on the way. The new CD's arrived within a few days perfectly intact. I believe a good indicator of a business is not only how well they perform when things go right, but how well they perform when things don't go right through no fault of their own.
I would definitely buy from them again.

What a treat to listen to a great compilation of a wonderful singer/song writer. Her voice is smooth, clear and sultry. Her writting tallents are indisputable and each song is wonderfully produced with accomplished musicians. She sounds a lot like Trisha Yearwood at times which is of course a compliment. It's unusual to enjoy nearly every song on an album but this is one of those rare beauties.

"the very best of ROSEANNE CASH" is that . . . well . . . probably the "very best" we might remember hearing "on the radio" (so often artist's album tracks surpass the "radio play" songs and hits) . . . but on this collection . . . track after track Roseanne Cash works her magic on both the songs and on the listener . . .

sixteen tracks that keep your ear and mind glued to the speakers . . . and she touches both your heart and your mind . . .

i picked up this particular collection (a colection persobally overseen by Roseanne herself) especially for her recording of "TENNESSEE FLAT TOP BOX" -- i had a 45 RPM of this song by Johnny Cash when i was a kid . . . and Roseanne does this song proud and doesn't miss even the smallest glimmer of memory of that earlier recording. . . Roseanne performed this song at a memorial for Johnny Cash and you could sense both the smile and the tear and the pride in her as she sang it then.

speaking of Johnny Cash, this collection contains one of Johnny's last recordings . . . a duet with Roseanne - "SEPTEMBER WHEN IT COMES" . . . when the shadows lengthen . . .welcoming a place to rest . . . and you can sense it in Johnny's voice.

of course Roseanne's "hits" are here: "THE WHEEL" . . . "THE WAY WE MAKE A BROKEN HEART" (one of my favorites) . . . "I DON'T KNOW WHY YOU DON'T WANT ME" . . . and a great alternate version of "NEVER BE YOU" . . . and more . . .

i bought this cd for "TENNESSEE FLAT TOP BOX" but got so much more . . . not a disappointing track on it . . . not one to make you hit "skip" . . . and all of them move you to hit "replay" . . .

thanks Roseanne cash for all the music over all those years . . . and for all that yet awaits us in the years yet to come . . . and thanks for THIS collection of "the very best of ROSEANNE CASH". :)

As a Rosanne Cash fan from the beginning (late 70's and early 80's), this Best of...is well worth having. But it leaves out some of the other great material from the individual albums. Might want to check those out too if you're really into her stuff.

"I'm holdin' back the tears while you're pushin' me away. But on the surface everything's okay. Yeah on the surface, everything's okay.....

"On the Surface" - Rosanne Cash


Cherished friends gave this to me as a Christmas gift and its exquisite and often poignant exploration of love and the human heart is both elegant and graceful beyond words. Yet those words, crafted for the most part by Rosanne Cash herself, are like diamond settings in a fragile necklace; singularly beautiful but even lovelier when strung together. This new compilation is a reworking of her "Hits" collection that includes some of her most beautiful recent work.


"Blue moon out my window, guess this means goodnight. And you come in and start right in, not treatin' me right."

"Blue Moon with Heartache" - Rosanne Cash


Roseanne Cash's music eventually became too expansive and exquisite for country radio. Not rock enough for that format either, she took her own path, legions of fans yearning for her emotional and intelligent reflections on our search for "What We Really Want," which, of course, is love. That search is often painful and leaving in its wake pieces of our hearts like ashes from a fire. That fire burns bright in the lush, sultry and sophisticated vocals of Cash.


"No one sees behind the mask. No one knows I'm sinkin' fast. Soon we'll be sleeping in Paris. And we can set those angels free....

"Sleeping in Paris" - Rosanne Cash


Whether it's a blueprint for "The Way We Make a Broken Heart" or the yearning of "I Don't Know Why You Don't Want Me" this 25 year compilation of songs from one of the most gifted singer/songwriters/producers in the music business is certain to please anyone with an ear for beauty and truth. Listening to Cash is like looking at a tear-stained velvet dress and having someone tell you the story behind every blemish. A terrific gift for the heart.

Other reviewers have noted here that Buffy Sainte-Marie is an acquired taste. That quavery voice and the pull-no-punches truth attack of certain songs (especially "My Country 'Tis of Thy People You're Dying") bear out this point of view; however, if you have the intestinal fortitude to sit down and absorb all of this with open ears and open mind, you too will acquire that taste. Good music rarely goes down easily, but the listener is ultimately a stronger and better person for it.

The Best of BSM is the first of two such anthologies covering Buffy's work for Vanguard Records (1964-1973); Best of Vol. 2, it should be noted, builds on this one and adds a few tracks from 1971's She Used to Wanna Be a Ballerina. For anything from her last 2 Vanguard LPs, Moonshot (1972) and Quiet Places (1973), you either need those albums or another Vanguard comp, and there are a couple that cover that material, beginning with 1974's Native North American Child: An Odyssey. This album, however, gives you a nice slice of her work between 1964-70; her styles range from basic acoustic folk ("It's My Way," "Little Wheel Spin and Spin," "Until It's Time for You to Go") to significantly-arranged pop recordings ("Summer Boy") to country-rock ("A Soulful Shade of Blue," "He's a Pretty Good Man if You Ask Me") to experimental electronic-based songs ("God is Alive, Magic is Afoot"). The 2 Best of albums cover these quite nicely; best if you buy this one in tandem with Vol. 2.

Beginning in 1964 with "It's My Way!", Buffy Sainte-Marie issued an album every year through 1969. In 1970 the Vanguard label released this "best of" distilled from those first 6 albums. The following year they put out "Volume Two", which drew from the same six records. It's a testament to her consistency that Two was as good as One.

I remember seeing her on the talk/variety shows of the era singing "Little Wheel Spin And Spin", and thinking to myself "Who is this woman"? With her chiseled cheekbones, long black hair, and flowing angel-sleeved white dress - she was absolutely fascinating. So was her unusual song and voice. I vowed to find out.

What immediately struck me upon hearing this "best of" was how versatile she was, effortlessly moving between folk, country and rock. Especially intriguing were the tracks taken from her 1969 classic "Illuminations", which featured eerie synthesizer effects and was a forerunner of "goth". The singer Nico beat her to it, but had a lighter touch. Buffy, by contrast, was "heavy as a lead weight". Nico wouldn't sound as foreboding as this until 1974's "The End". But whereas Nico sounded like a stoned Marlene Dietrich, Buffy possessed the drama and gravitas of Maria Callas.

Sainte-Marie's songwriting also stood out from the pack. For sheer variety, she was un-matched by any of her female contemporaries. It's obvious to me that her occasional incantatory style exerted major influence on Patti Smith. Just listen to "He's A Keeper Of The Fire" or "God Is Alive, Magic Is Afoot" (which she adapted from a Leonard Cohen poem) and see if you disagree. Her voice can be soft and girlish, or a vibrato-filled banshee wail akin to Grace Slick. Must be heard to be believed. Truly great!

I'd recommend buying all her albums, but "The Best Of Buffy Sainte-Marie" Volumes One and Two are a good place to start. They're a good value for the money and contain her most famous, essential tracks - especially this Volume One. Three of her best 70's albums are available on a 2-CD set under the umbrella title "The Mid-1970's Recordings", and are terrific. After a long hiatus spent raising her son, she issued the worthwhile "Coincidence And Likely Stories" in 1993 - and has finally graced us again with her new release "Running For The Drum". "Drum" currently comes with an excellent 63 minute DVD reviewing her remarkable life.

Peace activist, champion of Native rights, pioneer of digital recording and electronic media, painter, university lecturer and longtime educator, world-travelling ambassador of song - Buffy's done it all and is still going strong. Check her out - she's the very definition of "renaissance woman".

This was one of my favorite albums when I was a teenager. I bought it for nostalgia, and it is still excellent!

Her voice and poetry have inspired, changed & enriched my life since I first heard her in '73. Kate Russell

I like ecclectic music, and Buffy Sainte Marie is the epitome of ecclectic. This has got to be one of the most comprehensive musical collections out there! Her voice has mucho vibrato and takes some getting used to. Hey, so does Bob Dyaln, another person whose "Greatest Hits" album is expansive. Stick with it and you will be well rewarded. If you just want an album where all the tracks deliver up the same style of a one hit wonder, you don't need this album. If you want to hear the breadth and depth of one of the greatest singer-songwriters in the USA and in folk music history, then this is for you. I LOVE the mix of protest, personal reflection, fun, folks, country, pop, rock, POETRY at it's finest. Many of these songs move me to the deepest level with the combination of thought, emotion and tune. Yes, the arrangements leave something to be desired on some of the songs, but Buffy's brilliance shines through. I cannot understand why these songs aren't covered more by other artists, but when you look at the weak tea of most pop music divas nowdays I guess it's self explanatory. Buffy is something all together different and original! Great road music!

This is a great CD of music from the 70's when country rock was just getting started. Buffalo Springfield ushered in the way for this sound that Crosby, Stills, and Nash carried on in their music style. Along with Mason Profit, the Nitty Gritty Dirt Band, and the Marshal Tucker Band, these guys carried the torch and held it high. Check out "Just In Case It Happens, Yes Indeed/Grand Junction/Consequently So Long Medley", great steel guitar playing. Rusty Young really played well. This group of pickers were one of the best of all of the Poco combinations. This one had Timothy B. Schmidt, later of the Eagles, and Richie Furay and Jimmie Messina of Buffalo Springfield fame. Anyway, great album, these guys were at their best live and this is a worth it CD.

One of the few live albums from an often over looked all time great bands that belong in the R&R Hall of fame...if there were no Poco there never would havebeen an Eagles or "New Country"!

Simply one of the best live albums ever produced. Yes, the closing medley will bring tears to your eyes. The performance of "Kind Woman" was brilliant and moving. Stunning, stunning, stunning! Unfortunately, I never got to see them live before they were polluted by T.B.Schmitt, so thank god for this album.

Deliverin' was my introduction to country music in general and Poco in particular, and it is a great album. I saw the post-Messina version before Richie Furay left the band, and as a live act, they were much better than their studio efforts. While there are any number of other reviewers who claim that the Cotton/Schmidt/Young/Grantham version was the best lineup, I disagree. By then I believe that they sounded the same song after song, not quite as upbeat with the tight harmony vocals, and too electric. The original linup memorialized in Deliverin' is the definitive Poco. The ending medley is especially superb. If there are any analog tapes of any concerts from this era hidden away in a vault somewhere, the issuer would clean up, Poco was that good.

This is, without a doubt, one of the best live shows EVER recorded. I saw this version of the band live 3-4 times in the early 70's and those shows remain among the best of thousands of concerts I have attended, mixed or crewed. Truly an amazing preformance!!!

A great collection of songs that define rock n roll--not the techno stuff; this is the real thing. Perfect for flying across the open road, even when not on your Hog.

Here are the corrected performers:
CD1
2 Marshall Tucker Band
3 Little Feat
4 Lynyrd Skynyrd
5 Allman Bros
6 Outlaws
7 REO
8 Bad Co
9 WASP
10 Foreigner
11 Humble Pie
12 Lynyrd Skynyrd
13 Charlie Daniels Band
14 Steppenwolf
15 Byrds

CD2
1 Golden Earring
2 Free
3 George Thorogood
6 Nazareth
7 Great White
8 April Wine
10 Jefferson Starship
11 Canned Heat
12 The Band
14 Foghat
15 UFO

This is great music to listen to while you sit around and party with your friends. For me it brings back memories of younger days. We do own a Harley, but to enjoy these tunes, it's not necessary. It's also good listening for just hanging out with the one you love.

This is an excellent collection of classic rock songs associated with the open road and a free spirit, just like Harley Davidson Motorcycles.

This is a great CD! My only complaints are "Sacred Ground," which doesn't rock, and "Ridin' the Storm Out," which would be ok if it was the live version. But it's not. Other than that, it's the perfect CD for a road trip.

As a long time motorcyclist, I was hoping this would be a collection of the greatest riding songs ever. It's not. Bob Segar's ROLL ME AWAY and Bon Jovi's DEAD OR ALIVE are not here. It blows my mind that none of the Harley CDs have ROLL ME AWAY but do have Segar's AGAINST THE WIND, which has nothing to do with riding motorcycles. I might of missed the point, but if it's a Harley CD I'm expecting more songs that are about riding or refer to motorcycles in the song.

This Great album is one of those you may not love on the first listen. But if you Love the Wilburys, Jayhawks, CSNY, WILCO, Airplane, Hot Tuna, you may just love this album. It will take several listens but then it WILL become part of your life and you will need to play it every month forever. This is what music is all about, Very talented guys having a great time and not a care in the world for who likes it. I love this album and hope you will too.

These guys are great. All three of their albums are worth adding to your collection, especially if you are a fan of Buffalo Springfield/Byrds country rock.

Though one might call Golden Smog a supergroup, the fact is that this collaboration is actually the exact opposite. Depite bringing together a bunch of musicians who have achieved fame in other places, "Down By the Old Mainstrem" features them kicking back and having fun without letting individual egos get in the way. "Mainstream" is a particular triumph for the Jayhawk's Gary Louris and Wilco's Jeff Tweedy. Louris because the style of the album represents a more rocking departure from his usual work and Tweedy because he lightens up like he never has before (or since) in his career. Tweedy's throaway ode to "Pecan Pie," in fact, is highlighted by the visuals both on the CD booklet and the CD itself.

The other highlights include an ace cover of Ronnie Laine's gorgeous "Glad and Sorry," "Won't Be Coming Home," Kraig Johnson's hilarious "He's a Dick," "Friend," the rocking "Red Headed Stepchild," and the fine closer "Radio King." Every song has the kind of loose, devil-may-care feel that is all-too-lacking in much of today's rock music. In fact, "Mainstream" is more fun than the more recent "Weird Tales," from this same bunch.

Overall, a rollicking, spirited album showing the playful side of some very fine musicians.

This was the first full-length Golden Smog album. It was not a planned event; the songs were mostly things that members had cooked up separately or in various pairings. Gary Louris, Marc Perlman, Kraig Johnson and Dan Murphy, all based in the Minneapolis area, had been playing pickup gigs together for some time. Finding themselves with spare time and material, they decided to smog together an album. They invited Jeff Tweedy, recently divorced from Uncle Tupelo, to help make the record.

Much of _...Old Mainstream_'s charm lies in its loose, unconcerned vibe. For that same reason, the more heavily-produced and polished followup _Weird Tales_ might be a better starting place. But for of all that album's high points, _Down By the Old Mainstream_ makes for a more consistent listen - the quality is steady throughout, and the songs fit right together. If _Weird Tales_ hits you over the head, this one sneaks up on you - somewhere around the third or fourth listening, right about the time you get to "Williamton Angel" or "Radio King", you'll be sitting up and saying, "wow, this is good!".

I had the privlege of seeing these guys play two years ago, and even without Mr. Tweedy, they were awesome. I can't wait for the new album.

This is a good album but by no means a great one. With members from Soul Asylum, Wilco (and incidentially, Uncle Tupelo) and the Jayhawks, the songs evoke each of these bands, but not in the way one might hope. This is one of those albums that's good, until you hear the band's other work and then it's thrown to the bottom of the pile, though it's still pretty darn high on the pile. There are some truly great songs (V, He's Such a Dick, Pecan Pie, Radio King) but there are also many decent but decidedly filler tracks. Down By The Old Mainstream seems to be the bands "tryout" album, before they really hit one home with Weird Tales. IF you're a Wilco, Uncle Tupelo, Soul Asylum or Jayhawks fan you probably already have this, but if you're not, get Weird Tales instead.