Alison Krauss, Union Station - New Favorite
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Free Music Notes for New Favorite
Free Music Review: Best or Both Worlds
Hit: 5 Stars
Alison Kraus' last effort, "Forget About It" (Rounder, 1999), revealed her more contemplative side, while her previous works were more firmly routed in the tradition of bluegrass. Her latest release, "New Favorite," combines the best of both worlds. It has two excellent, airwave-friendly tunes by Robert Cassellman, the truck driver who penned the title track on "Forget About It," called "Let Me Touch You For a While" and "The Lucky One." It also has some great foot-stompin' bluegrass tunes that more so than past recordings feature Dobro wizard Jerry Douglas, who performs in very fine form. There's even a superb country blues tune about a lazy corn farmer that combines Douglas' instrumental mastery with Dan Tyminski's rich low tenor voice. Every tune on this CD deserves its place. There is no filler here. And Kraus' voice is as haunting and emotive as ever.Country music has always been rural America's equivalent of black American blues and soul--full of the angst, sorrow, pain, and joy of everyday living. Modern country somehow has lost its own soul. Its whirlwind of overly homogenized, slickly produced, formulaic tracks are devoid of real human spirit. Alison Kraus and Union Station are a rare, commercially-viable exception to the rule. There's still hope for you Nashville folks yet!
Free Music Review: Bluegrass Blitz
Hit: 5 Stars
Viewers of the popular movie, "Oh Brother, Where Art Thou" who were unfamiliar with Bluegrass music, must have had a universal response :"Who are those people singing those wonderful songs throughtout the movie?" The public , especially among flatlanders like me, previously new to these "Hillbilly Harmonies" have been so demanding to hear more, that the "Down From the Mountain" tour was launched to satisfy our new found need for this beautiful,haunting, soulful music from America's heartland. And leading the way in this renaissance of Bluegrass is Alison Krause and Union Station. Get ready to be bowled over.If you listen while driving....put on your seatbelt. Krause is simply magnificent...her beautiful amazing voice will sweep you away, and her violin renditions will leave you amazed. She just has it all. But her group (Union Station) are Top Notch musicians and vocalists as well. Jerry Douglas has taken the obscure "dobro",and made it an instrument that will leave you misty eyed. Dan Tyminski is another standout....as a singer as well as a great musician. New Favorite was the first AKUS CD I purchased. Within a week I purchased all their other CD's...and they are equally great. It makes me wonder: "What else is out there that I have been missing all of these years.??Free Music Review: You know, there's gonna come a time ...
Hit: 5 Stars
... when Alison and the boys don't record together. With Dan Tyminski's sudden notoriety resulting from the success of "Oh, Brother", I think it'll be hard to keep the group together for much longer. Both Alison and Dan have said they enjoy playing and touring together better than anything (in fact, Alison said in an interview that she's considering abandoning her recent practice of releasing a solo album between AKUS CDs), but ... who knows?So, please, do yourself a favor, and savor this one for a while.
If you haven't heard AKUS before, you're in for a treat, and I predict you'll be back here before long buying the rest of their CDs. New Favorite is representative of their other releases -- a few soulful cuts featuring Alison's incomparable vocals, a couple of old-time instrumental numbers, and a few more traditionally bluegrass numbers highlighting the groups virtuoso instrumental talents, and either Dan Tyminski's vocals or Ron Block's songwriting. And, oh yeah, by the way, the world's finest dobro player (Jerry Douglas) shows up on every cut.
It's a combination that continues to work. Long-time AKUS devotees already own this CD (of course), but the rest of you need to get off the dime. Buy this CD now. I mean it -- get it right now. You don't know what you've been missing.
Free Music Review: FIVE STARS AINT GONNA DO IT!!!
Hit: 5 Stars
I first heard of Alison Krauss when I listened to the "O Brother Where Art Thou?" soundtrack. I first listened to her duet with Gillian Welch. The song was so beautiful! From then on, I was hooked on this wonderful woman! A couple of weeks later, I was looking at CD's in the bluegrass section. I was mostly looking for her. This was the only AKUS CD they had in stock. Originally, I had been looking for "Forget About It". But I took the CD home and gave it a listen.
OH MY GOSH! was my first thought. Her voice is unlike anything I had ever heard before. It's so soft. Yet it captured my whole attention.
My favorite songs include:
-LET ME TOUCH YOU FOR AWHILE
-THE LUCKY ONE
-MAMA CRIED
-CRAZY FAITH
-NEW FAVORITE
Not many people know this, but if you don't turn it off at the end of the song NEW FAVORITE, before the CD clicks to a stop. You'll hear a blooper that sounds something like this:
Dan:One...two...one, two three..(music begins), (something clangs in the background, everyone cracks up)
It's really funny. Buy this CD people. And keep your fingers crossed for AKUS in this year's Grammy's!!!
Free Music Review: True Bluegrass
Hit: 5 Stars
Its wonderful how lately, bluegrass music has made a comeback. This in part is largely due to the runaway success of OH BROTHER WHERE ART THOU, the movie and accompanying bluegrass soundtrack. Bluegrass has always been some excellent music, but now its finally becoming popular again. Dolly Parton has also made bluegrass what it is today with her critically acclaimed albums THE GRASS IS BLUE and LITTLE SPARROW, and same for Patty Loveless with her latest MOUNTAIN SOUL. This is the latest album by Alison Krauss & Union Station. Alison sings lead on many songs, and plays instruments too with the band, but also Dan takes vocals on a few songs. The chemistry between this group is remarkable, they make some of the finest bluegrass around. Every song is just wonderful, every time they release an album its wonderful because their music is so fresh and original, and good. This album is much like the OH BROTHER soundtrack with songs in that vein of bluegrass, as well its much like Alison's previous work, very reminiscent of FORGET ABOUT IT from 1999. Which isnt a bad thing, because thats wonderful music. I highly reccomend this album to anyone who is curious about what bluegrass is, or has a hinkering for it, or is just a fan overall. Go buy it! its awesome!