Harlan County Usa: Coal Miner's Struggle
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Music CD Cover Edition: Music CD Audio: English (Original Language) CD Release Date: 2006-05-23 Music Label: Rounder / Umgd Soundtracks:
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| New | New Usually ships in 1-2 business days | $11.58 | ||
| Used | Used Usually ships in 1-2 business days | $8.50 |
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Free Music Notes for Harlan County Usa: Coal Miner's Struggle Album
Free Music Review: A generous collection of chilling lyrical tales
Hit: 4 Stars
Playing Time - 70:50
Who They Are: The songs (largely self-penned) are sung or played by Hazel Dickens, Old Home String Band featuring Tracy Schwarz, Sarah Ogan Gunning, Jim Garland (Sarah's brother), Johnson Mountain Boys, Country Cooking, Norman Blake, Merle Travis, Phyllis Boyens, Nimrod Workman (Phyllis Boyens' father), Doc Watson, Connie and Babe, J.P. Fraley, and Florence Reese
What They Do: This CD has songs featured in Barbara Kopple's Academy Award-winning film "Harlan County USA" along with additional material from Doc Watson, Norman Blake, and the Johnson Mountain Boys
The Songs: All but two of the songs (Hard Working Miner, The Death of Harry Simms) have been previously issued on Rounder (or Flying Fish) album releases. This is a nice thematic compilation with a strong traditional flavoring and edge. Si Kahn's "Lawrence Jones" was a splendid cover choice sung by Phyllis Boyens, accompanied by Pat Enright (guitar), Blaine Sprouse (fiddle), Mark Hembree (bass), Roland White (mandolin), Jerry Douglas (dobro) and Bela Fleck (banjo). Yup, three cuts feature these guys who were known as The Dreadful Snakes. There are also plentyof songs with leaner arrangements presented a cappella or with minimal instrumental accompaniment. And there's even "Trouble Amonst the Yearlings," with just mandolin and fiddle, as well as "One Morning in May" with only fiddle.
Of Special Note: Some of the strongest and most expressive emotion is evoked by those who have lived the tumultuous life below gorund where pitch black by the ton is mined.
Any Recommendations: Reckon I'd try to mix out the sneezing and coughing in the background of the song "Come All You Coal Miners" sung a cappella by Sarah Ogan Gunning.
The Bottomline Is: A generous collection of chilling lyrical tales about those places and hard-working men who toil where the sun never shines. I wonder how a similar thematic CD would sell of disaster, tragedy and weather event songs.
Reviewed By: Joe Ross (staff writer, Bluegrass Now)