Nitty Gritty Dirt Band - Will the Circle Be Unbroken (30th Anniversary Edition)
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Free Music Notes for Will the Circle Be Unbroken (30th Anniversary Edition)
Free Music Review: Complete Circle
Hit: 5 Stars
The Nitty Gritty Dirt Band had scored a top ten hit in 1971 with the pop-folk "Mr. Bojangles". That song, other than the southern setting and the semi-folky arrangement, revealed nothing that would lead to the monumental Will The Circle Be Unbroken. The band traveled to Nashville to record with bluegrass legends like Earl Scruggs and Doc Watson, but the true heart of the album is Roy Acuff. The original release was a sprawling triple album that was a colossal flop, peaking only in the 190's on the charts and of course yielded no hit singles. But what the album did contain was some brilliant bluegrass music like "Tennessee Stud", "Soldier Joy", "I Am A Pilgrim", "The Wreck On The Highway", "Wabash Cannonball", "Orange Blossom Special" and numerous others. The album was extremely influential on the country music scene and really is the precursor to the soundtrack to O Brother, Where Art Thou? The remastered version adds a nice clarity, but retains the earthiness of the original release. The Nitty Gritty Dirt Band never again approached the triumph of Will The Circle Be Unbroken (they released a second volume in the 80's that was merely okay), but this is outstanding document of what is now being called roots music.Free Music Review: Just bought my third copy!
Hit: 5 Stars
I loved this album when it came out, and it's one of the few recordings from that period in my life that I still listen to as Good Music, not just an exercise in nostalgia. Growing up in San Jose, CA, 50-plus years ago, I cut my teeth on this music (my father moonlighted as a drummer in a country-western band), so the album made me feel right at home. But the quality of the performances is outstanding, the give-and-take between the musicians is fun to listen to, and the warmth and rapport in the studio comes through on every track. (I'm especially fond of "Soldier's Joy," which makes "Dueling Banjos" sound like a pallid imitation, but there literally isn't a single bad track on the whole album.) I wore out copies on 8-track tape and vinyl, so I'm delighted that a new, remastered version is now available on CD. (Note: Two versions are available, a CD/DVD combo including live studio action, and a 2-CD set with just music. The latter, which I bought, includes four previously unpublished bonus tracks, mostly conversations between the musicians, but John McEuen's breakneck rendition of "Foggy Mountain Breakdown" is pretty impressive.)Free Music Review: Uniquely Vital Contribution to American Music History
Hit: 5 Stars
Partaking equally of the qualities of muiscological field recordings and of classic Nashville studio expertise, this is a recording that belongs in the CD library of EVERYONE who is actually interested in music -- whether you even normally like country music or not. The added material, of course, is welcome, and the re-mastering of this edition can only be a plus, though, since the original was mixed live directly to two-track master, i assume that they have not altered the mix, simply improved the sound quality, which was pretty good, anyway.
As a document of an era of American music that was already beginning to pass away even as it was being produced, this is an essential album for anyone who cares at all about the evolution of that music. (As does, in a negative way, 1989's "Will the Circle Be Unbroken 2", which shows what a wrong direction Nashville country music went down in the fifteen or so years intervening between the two albums.)
Even if you already own this album in every possible format, including cassette and 8-track, you need to buy a new copy of this remastered, 30th anniversary edition.
Free Music Review: Must-have Americana
Hit: 5 Stars
Remastered! Bonus tracks! Yea, whatever... You can read the other reviews to find out how important or spiritual or how much fun to make this album is, I suppose. But DO NOT BE FOOLED into thinking that this is some musical Mt. Everest that cannot be approached and appreciated by us puny mortals! Nonsense! Buy this album because it is jam-packed with incredible music and wonderful performances that you won't hear anywhere else. To me, the musical highlights are Earl Scrugg's beautifully understated guitar work on many of the tracks (yes, I said guitar) and John McEuen's banjo work (the man is a monster of old-time pickin'). I don't know that I have a favorite cut but the title track will do. This re-mastered version is nice; I don't know that the bonus tracks add all that much, however. The original 3 disk vinyl and the older CD were already worth a 5 star review, ya know? Pickers should get it to learn from the Masters. Young persons should listen to it so that they understand their civics lessons. This is American Music, Son. Be proud!Free Music Review: The Circle Will Never Be Broken
Hit: 5 Stars
Before there was "O Brother, Where Art Thou," there was "Will the Circle Be Unbroken," the time the masters taught the long-haired boys how to make music. Now 30 years after its original release we have this marvelous album remastered for CD. Like wine and friends, these songs just get better with age. The great country/bluegrass musicians are all here-- Maybelle Carter, Doc Watson, Roy Acuff, Jimmy Martin, Earl Scruggs et al. I had forgotten that wonderful improvizational feel of this live album. If you close your eyes, these musicians appear to be "pickin" and "sangin" in your living room. The original album closed with a beautiful guitar solo by Randy Scruggs of Joni Mitchell's "Both Side Now." I'm not sure much is gained in this version by adding the four previously unreleased tracks. The producers should have left well enough alone. With that minor gripe, I know of no better country music CD than this one. It ought to be placed into a time capsule for future generations.