O Brother, Where Art Thou?
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Free Music Notes for O Brother, Where Art Thou?
Free Music Review: Finally, the Grammys got it right!
Hit: 5 Stars
After a two-year trend of giving Album of the Year awards to recipients who deserved it 25 years ago, they took a further step in 2001: giving the award to a collection of music that predates the Grammys themselves. Past songs and groups don't endure this long without good reason. And this rustic traditional collection is performed by top-notch modern artists all the way, from rockin' bluesman Chris Thomas King to country siren Gillian Welch to the movie's Soggy Bottom Boys - currently the bluegrass equivalent of Spinal Tap. Accessible and enjoyable whether you're a fan of rock, country or pop, this is one of those rare genre-spanning achievements that's found equal praise among listeners of all ages and tastes.If you're a country fan, you'll probably know the names Gillian Welch and Allison Krauss already. If not, take a listen to Krauss's mesmerizing turn on "Down to the River to Pray" and you'll want to repeat the track ten or twelve more times. Elsewhere we're treated to some real old-time country singing; twangy guitars and voices that only come with decades of whiskey and cigarettes. Ralph Stanley's "O Death" can give shivers and the Fairfield Four's "Lonesome Valley" is positively chilling. The centerpiece "Man of Constant Sorrow" is the best kind of blues, a tale of hardship set to an infectious toe-tapping beat. John Hartford's sad violin paints a picture of a lonely jail cell, and Norman Blake's guitar is part grungy Delta blues and part swamp funk.
I've probably said enough. Between the acclaim from the already-converted and the reviews I'm going to be buried under (this is a big Grammy winner after all), you've probably got a good idea what the album is like by now. If you're curious about the roots of modern music, buy this. If you like country or bluegrass, buy it. If you want to show a little more support for a genre that's been criminally subdued by the music industry, buy it. Heck, if you're just curious what all the fuss is about - buy it. All the five-star reviews here aren't kidding: it's THAT good.
Free Music Review: Album of the Year - And It Deserves It!
Hit: 5 Stars
I think many, many people almost fell out of their seats at the 2002 Grammy Awards when 'O Brother, Where Art Thou?' won the Grammy for Album of the Year. When you think about it, it never should have happened. The disc received almost no radio airplay. Country stations wouldn't touch it. The disc (and the film) gained a following mainly through word-of-mouth. So what makes this collection of country-folk-bluegrass music so popular as we begin the 21st Century? I believe that audiences (especially those 30 years of age and older) are tired of the trend of mostly mindless electronic music that either has no originality or recycled songs from the past. As our lives and society have become more complex, we need something to counterbalance that complexity, something to carry us back to times and ideas that are more simple. There is nothing musically or lyrically complex about the songs here. They have very simple structure musically and can be easily understood. But the songs also (many of them) appeal to spiritual matters. You won't hear spiritual themes in music played on most radio stations. "Down to the River to Pray," "I'll Fly Away," "O Death," "Angel Band," and many others deal with spiritual issues that, let's face it, we all have thought about or will think about. Our country gets almost no spiritual nourishment from any entertainment medium: television, film, novels, theatre, or popular music. I think people, whether they realize it or not, are drawn to this type of music and make a connection with it. I don't think it's too much to say that the recognition this disc has received is a major turning point in popular music. Who knows where it will go from here?
As music goes, the 'O Brother' soundtrack is the front door of a mansion with many rooms. So many styles are represented here: folk, spirituals, work songs, country, bluegrass. The disc should be looked upon as a starting point for a universe American roots music that is vast and amazing. Take the plunge and enjoy.
Free Music Review: Don't know much about bluegrass, but I know what I like
Hit: 5 Stars
First of all, I am more of a movie buff than a bluegrass fan. This was the music my parents listened to, familar to me, but not a favorite genre. Also, I not someone who likes soundtracks -- I own only two others, LPs of The Sound of Music (received as a gift when I was 5) and The Rocky Horror Picture Show (a college purchase). Movie music, outside of musicals, was at best an emotional string puller. Think about the themes for Schindlers List, Driving Miss Daisy, or Chariots of Fire, popping up at the critical, emotional moments. Nice, but a secondary experience.That said, in the movie OBWT, the music is as integral part of the storytelling as the acting, dialog and cinematography. It is a profound statement, a humorous break, a well developed character unto itself. I had never been so moved by movie music and bought the cd that evening. It was impulsive purchase, a souvenir of a great movie moment. I wasn't expecting to have my socks knocked off.
A few tracks, O Death & Indian War Whoop, are tough listening to my untrained ear, but remember, I'm only a layman listener. Without the film, it was like trying to enjoy a movie by looking at a bunch of stills. The rest, especially when the ladies sing, are beyond compare. The lyrics are about real emotional experience. The voices range from beautiful to angelic. It was like a fantastic visit to the collective unconscious. Somewhere you've heard these songs, but never so well done.
Is it the world's best introduction to bluegrass? Maybe, maybe not, but it's not designed to be. It's the soundtrack from a movie!! Bothered by 4 versions of Man of Constant Sorrow? Pick your favorite, and skip over the rest. It's the soundtrack of a movie and that's the main theme!!! What you will find is incredible, tenable, likeable music you'll listen to over and over again. Music you might never have known how to find. Music you'll want to further explore.
Free Music Review: Great "Old Time Music" to Quote the Movie
Hit: 5 Stars
T Bone Burnett, with the help of Gillian Welch, has created a masterful collection of roots music for this great movie.
From the archival recording of "Big Rock Candy Mountain" by Harry McLintock to the soulful "Down In The River To Pray" by Alison Krauss to the seductive "Didn't Leave Nobody But The Baby" by the sirens Gillian Welch, Alison Krauss & Emmylou Harris to the masterful feature song, "I Am A Man Of Constant Sorrow" by The Soggy Bottom Boys, this collection of music reminds us that beneath the glossy surface of the music worlds there is a rich hearitage at the foundation. As T Bone Burnett said in a recent interview on an LA Public Radio station, "This is music for those who like music." All that pop and fake country, etc. is for those people who don't like music; which the market that most record companies seem concerned with.
Thank you Mr. Burnett, and Ms. Welch for your efforts to find and write this wonderful music and to find the amazing musicians that performed. And thank you to the Coen Brothers make this a reality.
O Brother, Where Art Thou is probably one of the best soundtracks every put together in the history of cinema. You won't be disappointed!
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A Guide to my Music Rating System:
1 star = Not worth the blood dripping from your ears/
2 stars = Don't bother, clean your bathroom instead.
3 stars = Wasn't a waste of time, but it was time wasted.
4 stars = Good music, but not life altering.
5 stars = This music changed my world in at least some small way.
Free Music Review: YOU AND ME AND THE DEVIL MAKES THREE.....
Hit: 5 Stars
This was quite a great soundtrack that upon first hearing, really... REALLY opened my ears up to the different styles of music contained within. Wally Gator never dreamed he would enjoy a bluegrass tune or a lot of the old timey kind of music so much before he was introduced to this disc.
My overall favorite performance is the one with Alison Krauss and Emmylou Harris, DIDNT LEAVE NOBODY BUT THE BABY. Such a haunting and yet extremely sexy song (when performed in the movie, even more so... the three ladies walk out of the lake in those white nightgowns) and really turned me onto the idea of sexy ladies singing lullabyes... oh yeah! But there are other great old fashioned songs on here done extremely well like the rendition of I'LL FLY AWAY and MAN OF CONSTANT SORROW. Not to mention songs that I remember from being a little kid like BIG ROCK CANDY MOUNTAIN, done up in a little more of a grown up way... lyrics in tact, nothing to dirty or provocative, but plenty of hints...still something acceptable to play with the kids in the car.
I'm sure this stuff is not for everybody, but this disc really opened me up to a lot of great old timey music. It wasn't all the hokeyness I had always thought it was. Several artists from the thirties and forties played music that is really strong even today. I am still amazed though at how quickly this album went to the top of the charts. Nobody has really had as much success with tributing this era of music since...? Oh well. Guess thats what makes this one stand out. I really got a kick out of the movie too, even though it had George Clooney in it.