Reviews (page 2 of 8)
2 hours is a long ass time to listen to country music but i respect its quality
A cool resurrection of an old timey sound. It gets a little redundant because there is a lot of it, but would be good for a backyard hang.
I enjoy some older country and this one had some cool fiddle/banjo/geetar playing. A two hour length is unforgivable. I thought it would never end
I recently rewatched O Brother Where Art Thou and the music really stands out. I'm guessing this album was an inspiration, but a lot of these songs go way back. I also appreciate the banter in between songs. This is a solid album with great playing and old school country/bluegrass feel. I was into it, maybe a 4.5 even? Not sure as it wears out its welcome half way through the 2nd part.
### Nitty Gritty Dirt Band – Will the Circle Be Unbroken (1972) This time it was unavoidable. There’s simply no way to form an opinion about this album without doing some studying. It’s just too impenetrable a whole. Try it yourself: listen to the full two hours and you won’t have the faintest clue what you’ve just heard. So what exactly is going on? The Nitty Gritty Dirt Band was (is) actually a band operating at the intersection of traditional country and country rock around 1970. Before this album, they had already recorded five albums with varying line-ups of around six people. Jackson Browne, no stranger as a country-pop singer-songwriter artist, was even briefly a member of the band. But this album isn’t really an album by the band. It’s more a project by the band, supplemented by mostly highly experienced and/or famous country stars. That makes the music rather varied, particularly because of the singing. Some tracks are fairly hardcore bluegrass, others are more traditional country, while some are more modern. Apparently there was some kind of clash going on at the time between country artists who were moving more towards rock and those sticking to much more traditional country. Bluegrass — later turning up again in this little project in the form of an album by the Louvin Brothers — is something of a parallel universe altogether. I want to discuss three of those guest musicians in particular. The most important one — in a positive sense — is undoubtedly bluegrass legend Vassar Clements. He plays violin here, or perhaps I should say fiddle, although the man played pretty much every stringed instrument going: besides violin, viola, cello, double bass, mandolin, banjo, tenor banjo (?) and yes, just plain old guitar. We hear him in particular on his own composition *Lonesome Fiddle Blues*. The opening track of the second CD (in the CD version, that is) may well be the absolute highlight of the entire album. And yes, if you’re thinking: hang on, I know this, don’t I? — you’re right. The structure of the song is identical to that of *Drunken Sailor*, which it flows into seamlessly, so much so that many artists have performed the two together ever since. The basic idea is a minor chord (Dm) alternating with a major chord a whole tone lower (C, in other words). The song became a hit as *The Devil Went Down to Georgia* by the Charlie Daniels Band in 1979. It’s incredibly infectious and brilliantly played. Clements didn’t just play bluegrass but jazz as well, which isn’t surprising when you hear him here. Speaking of brilliant playing: let’s make one thing absolutely clear. These are top musicians at work. Whatever you think of the music, the album is littered with *studio banter*: you hear the musicians talking in the studio about the song they’re about to play and sometimes discussing how they’re going to approach it, who’s going to do what. Then they record the songs in one or two takes, according to the story. It feels staged, this studio chatter, usually delivered in a lovely (?) *Southern drawl*, but apparently it’s authentic. Even the very first track starts this way, which is a rather remarkable way to begin an album. As impressive as the musicianship is, you can’t always say the same about the singing. The male singers, and guest musician Roy Acuff in particular, aren’t always a joy to listen to. Try *Pins and Needles (in My Heart)*. My God... But then there’s ‘Mother’ Maybelle Carter. I’m going to quote myself from my review of [*At Folsom Prison*](http://ivo-habets.nl/66-johnny-cash-at-folsom-prison-1968-9-10/): > There is also a low point. There she is: June Carter, later June Carter Cash. [...] > > Her singing is genuinely unbearable. Well, apparently it runs in the family. As the name ‘Mother’ Maybelle Carter suggests, she was the mother of — among others — June Carter(-Cash). And if June Carter is difficult to listen to, oh boy, try listening to her mother. It’s absolutely awful. She is a country legend, and modern sources (AI...) say that contemporary listeners may find her way of singing unpolished, but that it is authentic and that many artists admire her. Her unique fingerpicking guitar style? I can believe that. But that singing... And then, as announced, there’s a third guest musician I want to mention: guitarist Randy Scruggs, who was about nineteen years old at the time of the recording. His famous — in these circles — father Earl Scruggs also plays banjo and guitar. But young Randy was also allowed to record a solo track: a version of Joni Mitchell’s *Both Sides Now*. It’s the closing track of the album. That’s smart, because you leave the stadium with a completely different feeling from the one built up during the match. It is, without exaggeration, absolutely beautiful, perhaps even more beautiful than the magnificent version by jazz guitarist Pat Martino. It is mainly the instrumental tracks that save the furniture here, besides the ones already mentioned, including *Nashville Blues* (written by father Earl Scruggs). But it’s a far too mixed a pleasure. And yes, a triple LP. Oh boy. They should simply have released it as three separate albums. Or better still: take all the instrumental tracks, add one or two songs with vocals — but not sung by Acuff or Carter — and make one LP out of it. That could have been pretty damn strong. But as it was released, it really isn’t an unqualified pleasure to listen to. In 2026. By someone who is decidedly not country-crazy.
It's okay, but hey, even after the first half of the first disc it's just too much western/country. Two hours and I can't stand it.
A true marathon. 38 tracks is outrageous and that's the shorter version. I suppose I do appreciate it as something of a historical document and a formal education in Bluegrass by means of buffet, featuring so many key players of Bluegrass and including little snippets of conversation. The one-take philosophy is no doubt how they were able to cram so many tracks into this thing and you could hardly tell, so much talent on display The start of Disc 2 I think was very heavily instrumental, I wish that was trimmed out maybe. And yeah, shove a Joni Mitchell cover in for the last track, why not, we've not had enough Joni on this list
I didn’t dislike any of these songs but my god is this long, just release like 3 albums instead of I also managed to listen to the bonus track version (I think this is the only one on Qobuz) Also interesting to here some Folsom prison tracks on here, not sure which came first though 3
Fååk jeg har ikke været på Tønderfestivalen længe nok til at værtsætte så langt makværk.
Hvad det mangler i kvalitet gør der op for i længde. 1/3 igennem albummet har jeg lyst til at opsøge den nærmeste musikbutik og voldeligt destruere enhver banjo og violin jeg kan finde.
Two hours and ten minutes?!? Nobody has that much time. A quick skim is enough to get to the point: It's a fine and star-studded tribute to Traditional Country. I imagine that this is taking the place that should have gone to the motion picture soundtrack to "O Brother, Where Art Thou?". That album is an absolute must-listen, regardless of any rules that Mr. Dimery has imposed.
Two hours of country and bluegrass, but I quite enjoyed it! Really liked the inclusion of the musicians chatting about the music before the tracks. Favourite track: Will The Circle Be Unbroken
this is that real shit. i mean, look at that fucking list of artists. absolutely legendary bluegrass/country names. Roy Acuff? Randy Scruggs? Doc fucking Watson?? bro. nothing hits like listening to this album in the fall on a drive into deep eastern kentucky. lemme tell u. funnily enough, i was actually introduced to this album after playing Bioshock: Infinite in 2013 near the end of my senior year of HS. there's a part in the game where Elizabeth sings "Will the Circle Be Unbroken," and i thought damn i gotta find that song, like, for real. so i found a billion versions of it, including the one from this album. i dunno that it's my favorite, but when i realized i liked the sound, i sought out a bunch of these artists (mostly maybelle carter, the scaggs brothers, and Doc Watson) and discovered that, against my natural intuition, i actually really like bluegrass. i think that love was somewhat solidified by seeing several live bluegrass performances. the energy is nearly unmatched. if you've never been to a *true* bluegrass concert (and i don't mean the millennial bullshit where duos play in coffee shops, i mean the real shit on rickety old wooden stages out in the middle of nowehere), do yourself a favor and find one. they're all over the state of KY. anyway, all these songs fucking rule, but "Nashville Blues" is pretty hard to beat. that whole first side is good; "Black Mountain Rag" is loads of fun too. "I'm Thinking Tonight of My Blue Eyes" is a contender for my favorite song on the second side, but they're all good
fun but long
Very nostalgic, tons of iconic performers, etc etc. Enjoyed it quite a bit overall. Definitely too long. I'm not super familiar with the thought process behind the track lists and runtimes of albums back then, but this felt like an album that you could put on during a family event and not worry about music for the rest of the day. The number of performers, tracks, and vibes here isn't supposed to work in a listen-to-it-in-one-sitting setup, in my opinion. That does beg the question, does it work as part of this list? That's above my paygrade, but I certainly couldn't listen to it all at once as I have done for all the others. It's a tough one to nail down given all this, so I'll just say 3.5-4.
Some great stuff on here, some of my favorite traditional songs (and a decent cover of “Lost Highway,” BUT… TWO HOURS and 10 MINUTES Even if they cut out some of the pre-song chatter, it’d still be TWO HOURS LONG. Oh my word
I like all the songs but this feels more like a compilation than an album.
I think I was eventually worn down by the banjoes and the somewhat charming inter-song banter, so I'm giving this a charitable second star. This will be my last Nitty Gritty experience.
From the Nitty Gritty Dirt Band, a pretty shitty double album
A little too hick for me. Old timey country from up in the Appalachians.
Having recently watched (and enjoyed) Sinners I quite enjoyed this honky tonk folky hicksville trip. Not really my thing but could appreciate the talent and enjoyed the ride (although at 2 hours its way too long)
Sounds like they have some talent. The tunes had energy and sounded interesting, but they all generally merged into a glob of God fearing, yee-hawing. And really didn't need disc 2. Lose a star for lack of brevity and another one for singing about Jesus too much.
Wild times. 4 stars. Long album but kinda fun.
I enjoyed the first 30 minutes of this, but I didn’t not need 2+ hours of banjo and twang.
Wonderful document of a genre I know nothing about. Sure, it’s too long, but it’s a history lesson rather than a pop album.
After listening to this album, I can truly say that I like Bluegrass. I had no idea! The musicianship is excellent consisting of mostly acoustic instruments. I love the banter in between songs too. Too bad about the confederate flags on the cover, but I'm guessing this has a stronger/more negative meaning in 2026 than 1972. Liked Songs Added: The Precious Jewel Tennessee Stud Nine Pound Hammer Losin' You (Might Be The Best Thing Yet) You Don't Know My Mind My Walkin' Shoes Lonesome Fiddle Blues Avalanche Flint Hill Special Soldier's Joy Will The Circle Be Unbroken Both Sides Now
A couple of hours of country and bluegrass from a band I wasn't previously familiar with. This is kind of what I was hoping and waiting for when I started this project
Kemba said supermax and I said super fuck no.
I really thought I was going to be much more frugal with my one star ratings. Admittedly this is my first one and we’re over 120 albums in; but in my mind there was really only one album that I know for sure to be on this list that I think deserved a one star. But no this is horrendous. Undeniably generic, entirely too long and most importantly just not pleasant to listen to. There is not a single song on here that warranted an initial listen, much less a relisten. The one star album that I have in my mind is an offense to humanity, whereas this one is truly an all-star shitshow.
Wayyyy too long honky tonk. Good if you like this kind of thing
A lot
2 hours of folk country....
For some reason I was expecting something a little more americana and a little less bluegrass. Nonetheless still a great listen.
Zu einseitig..
why on earth was it so long? but i liked the instrumental songs
Old school country scratches a particular itch of mine. I could do without the multiple tracks of people talking though.
The best of the American folk and bluegrass artists on one record it's a standout
Was it unlistenable? No. Was I going to listen to listen to all 2 hours and 10 minutes of it? Absolutely not. If you've heard one song on this record, apparently you've heard them all.
Two hours of bluegrass country music sounded like an exhausting listen when I first saw this. Luckily, the album is so much fun that the runtime didn’t have a negative impact on my enjoyment. This felt like an old American folk songbook, patched together and crafted with love by musicians who lived the experiences being described and who felt the lyrics in their souls. Maybe they could have stood to cut out a few banjo solos here or there, but for the high points this is worth your time. The title track is staying in my rotation for good, it's the emotional apex and the definitive version of the song.
As far as country music goes, it wasn't the worst. But I couldn't make it through the entire album.
I don’t like the genre and the fact that I have to sit through 100+ minutes is a genuine punishment to me. 3/10
I've never minded these guys--this is a pretty groovy country album. But I guess that's because it's not really modern country-western but bluegrass, so it has soul. This is super long, so it doesn't make for an easy listen. More like an afternoon. Anyway, I liked it. 5/5
p267. 1972. 2 stars. An overdose of good ol' boys and gals playing country and bluegrass standards. And it's a double album. As a historical artifact: 5 stars As casual listening: 2 stars.
Where to start… First of all, this album is way too long. I was really sceptical early in the listening process as it was okay, but not great. But after a while it got better. Especially on the second disc. There was quite a few instrumental songs, but very catchy uptempo banjo tracks that was good fun. The album is also full of cover versions I knew already which made it a good listening experience. Overall a pleasant surprise, but it was lucky I had enough time to listen through the two hours I needed to get through it all. I skipped the bonus editions (last four songs).
I didn't even know this existed, but it's fantastic. Now, THIS is something everyone should hear before they die. A real historical document in the story of American music. Enjoyed hearing the artists chatting between tracks too. Learned that Dolly Parton passed away the day I listened to this and it feels right to listen to these artists on such an occasion.
This was pretty up and down for me. It was at it's best during the bluegrass jams (Lonesome Fiddle Blues, Nine Pound Hammer, Nashville Blues), but it completely lost me on a few tracks (I Saw The Light cover, Tennessee Stud). It was... a LOT of bluegrass though. I admittedly didn't make it through the whole second disk. Glad it's here I guess... but I don't think I'll revist it.
Two hours of this was maybe a bit much for midweek, but that's not the album's fault. It's a fascinating collection of bluegrass and Americana, with a who's who of guesting musicians. It's a wonderful document. Maybe the saddest thing though is that it's a reminder of the missed opportunity this list represents. Amid the endless white-guys-with guitars, there was so much global music they didn't find room for, from Zydeco to Mexican scorn songs to innumerable folk traditions around the world.
Nitty gritty band Great performances from bluegrass and country legends like Doc Watson, Merle Travis,Earl Scruggs . Favorites: were I saw the light. Sunny side of the mountain. Nine pound hammer. The voices and harmonies are so great. The Joni Mitchell song on solo guitar was so different in the middle.
This is awesome, i love these songs and how raw it is but still sounds great. Perfect way to capture this music. Will def come back to this
This was so cool. I listened twice! What a cool way to record it and make it feel live, but also somehow more intimate than being live.
The Nitty Gritty Dirt Band’s landmark album Will the Circle Be Unbroken stands out primarily as a masterclass in production, capturing an incredibly immersive atmosphere that places the listener right in the middle of the recording studio as the traditional country and bluegrass icons let the music do the talking. The record kicks off strong with standout tracks like the beautifully recorded opening title performance and the lively, fun energy of "Nashville Blues" and "Tennessee Stud"—where the stellar mouth organ and full music assembly shine—alongside driving bluegrass staples like "Black Mountain Rag." However, the album inevitably hits a noticeable slump during a dense midsection packed with hyper-similar instrumentals ("Flint Hill Special," "Earl’s Breakdown," "Orange Blossom Special") where the tracks blur together into an unmemorable stretch of acoustic speed-runs, punctuated by sleepy lulls like "Pins and Needles" and "Sailing on to Hawaii." Thankfully, the project recovers its footing toward the finish line with memorable cuts like "I'm Thinking Tonight About My Blue Eyes" and the iconic ensemble title track, culminating in a brilliant instrumental rendition of "Both Sides Now." Ultimately, while its massive tracklist makes it a bit too lengthy and dense for frequent full relistens, the pristine mixing, crisp instrument placement, and rich homage to classic Americana earn this remarkable historical tapestry a well-deserved 4/5.
A remarkably charming, if overlong, collection of country bluegrass delivered with immense authenticity. A surprisingly fun ride
I was listening to this Saturday morning while I was cleaning my house. The best part of the album was when I was vacuuming. I like some more modern bluegrass and bluegrass adjacent bands - Greensky Bluegrass is great, Railroad Earth has some really good songs, Mumford and Sons. But this old school, music to commit treason against your country by bluegrass is not for me. 2 stars because some of the instrumental songs were decent.
If that’s the sort of thing you really like, then you’ll really like that sort of thing. This was a weird compilation of country and folk music that really didn’t speak to me. It wasn’t bad music, just not something I’ll ever revisit.
This is less of an album and more of a hostage situation. You’re telling me I must listen to over 2 hours of traditional country music? I’m up for almost anything but that is a tough ask. Committing to listening was sort of like driving home after eating really spicy food … the closer I got to the end of the ride, the more I could feel the need for significant relief building up inside of me but I knew I had to wait until the the very end to experience it. I tried to be as tactful as I could without saying that this Nitty Gritty was pretty shitty.
That there was country music. Old time bluegrass rural America country music. The stuff we make jokes about, but honestly I didn't hate it. A few decent songs, nothing I'll ever revisit but something I'm glad i was exposed to.
This album's very lucky that 1) I listened to this thing in chunks over the course of the day, and 2) I happen to like country music as much as I do. If either of those things weren't true — if I had taken it all in oen straight shot, or if I thought this stuff was just "hurdy-durdy tweedle twangy" nonsense — this absolutely would NOT have worked as well for me as it did. 'Coz coming out the other side of this near two-hour album, I gotta say, I really liked it. The unspoken mission behind the album was a big part of that. See, if this was just two hours of these guys covering country and bluegrass song, you'd just have a redneck version of that one album where Ella Fitzgerald sings Gershwin songs for three hours. However, there's clearly way more going on here. Just look at the list of featured artists on the album cover. That's a lot of old bluegrass and C&W players. And that, to me, is where the REAL goal lies. This album is about a younger country band reaching across generations to their elders. They learn from them, they respect them, and they know when to take the spotlight and when to step back. And as someone who DOES give something of a toot about old country, there's magic in a mission like that. And to that point, that's why I think there are so many behind-the-scenes clips before and after songs. Pushing back against the review where I got that "hurdy-durdy tweedle twangy" line, I think they're incredibly important. Because as good as the music is, it's the people performing it that're ultimately more important. To hear them talk amongst themselves, and to talk a little about their histories with each other and these songs... It mean, it's the HISTORY that makes this all work, y'know? You remove that or ignore it, and, again: country Ella Fitzgerald. And of course, I don't expect everyone to hear this album the same way I did. Some people are gonna listen to it all at once, and some people are just not gonna like country music. Hell, even if they DID and DID, chances are they still might find it all too long. (And goodness knows, as much as I enjoyed this thing, I'm not gonna let it get away with its runtime entirely.) But for an album that, to me, at its core, is all about the great circle of music; of generations learning from each other and using that knowledge to move forward... Goodness, I could never dislike it. And, no, I don't think the circle will ever be unbroken. At least I hope it won't.
Simply just 2 hours of some of the best country and bluegrass tracks you'll this side of the Mississippi. 4.5 bumped up to 5.
For me, it’s a 10. I mean, I get it. It’s 109 minutes of country music that never really changes tact all too often; lots of banjo, lots of guitar, lots of bass, and a lot of overlap in topics & vocal twang. If you don’t already have an affinity for bluegrass music or old American folk standards, this album will feel like a slog; a homework assignment for the past in the middle of your jam sessions with Led Zeppelin & the Rolling Stones that might feel like an unnecessary footnote among what’s currently 1086 albums on the site. It doesn’t surprise me that this album has a 2.98 on the site. It’s just impossible for me to read this as anything but a love letter to an entire genre. When Ella Fitzgerald recorded the entire “Great American Songbook” to tape, it was done out of respect for the past & the necessity of preservation. Without those recordings putting a lot of them back into the public consciousness, I imagine we wouldn’t have the same comprehensive documentation over them as we do now. This album feels like it’s following a similar modus operandi, with one difference: it’s done out of respect for the past, yes, but it’s done with the necessity of preservation of the *people* involved with making them. The guest features here, written all over the album’s cover & recorded throughout with banter & interstitials make this album feel far more lived in. Ella Fitzgerald’s voice is what drives those recordings of the Great American Songbook, and while you can acknowledge people such as Cole Porter, the Gershwins, & Irving Berlin as a result of her recordings, it’s harder to imagine them as living, breathing people & not just the sums of their work. With the inclusion of everyone involved here, it feels less like stepping into a museum exhibit for documentation & more like being given a seat in the room to observe masters at their craft embody the music they’ve performed all their lives. It’s why the length doesn’t bother me at all here; yes, it’s a little long & maybe a few of the more ‘plain’ instrumental tracks could’ve been cut, but you’re meant to absorb your time with these people. The music is fantastically done & it fully succeeds at documenting these tracks with technology that can finally capture their essence, but it would not feel the same if it weren’t such a labor of love to ensure the artists at hand get their dues here. I think you have to have a healthy amount of reverence for this era to really appreciate what this album is going for, or at least enough of an interest in the past that you can gain some of that reverence by the end. I’ve got more than enough reverence, as these are the artists my dad grew up on & the songs he’d play all the time when I was a kid. It’s weird to say that as someone practically born at the start of the millennium, but still. I just think it’s a gorgeous love letter to the genre of country music & frankly, to the artform of music as a whole. It's an album made for the love of the game. I understand that it’s not everyone’s cup of tea, & that’s fine. It’s one of the more personalized 10’s I’ll give on the list, but it just feels essential to me. Thank goodness this is here.
Day 373 A few songs I enjoyed, most of it just sounded like Dukes of Hazard chase music to me. It was way too long as well. Highlights Dark as a dungeon Tennessee Stud
This is way to long and way to country for me. Not my favorite genre, especially on a 2 hour plus listen.
3.5
Jarring. Not even while writing
Boring country-like music that is not my jam.
A rather interesting album: not something you'd listen to all day every day, but the kind of genre that carves out its niche moment where it does deserve to be listened to, a kind of vibe on its own.
Banjo country music
Felt like the 2 hour soundtrack of „O brother where art thou“
Much too long but great otherwise
I don’t mind a bit of bluegrass music, especially the instrumental tracks. The vocal are initially a little “regional” but after getting used to fine. But it’s good roots music and I think I enjoyed, no I did enjoy, and at least it’s a change from all the mercury award pseudo rock and variations on rap. 3 Star, maybe sneaking into 4? If it was a bit more streamlined.
ugh, 2 stars. The whole thing reminded me of Billy Strings Dust in a Baggie
3/10
This is a cool ass project and I found it really delightful, though it does overstay its welcome a bit.
I understand why it's 2+ hours, and how it combined stars from several generations of bluegrass/country into one album, and the instrumentals are incredible... but it's all a bit much.
rym 3.71 Traditional Bluegrass/Traditional Country 比起专辑更像一张精选集。而且因为时长太长，曲目也有些同质化，反而让人提不起再听一遍的兴趣。当然，各个乐曲轮番登上主角位，各领风骚的编排，以及整体旋律的悦耳性，依然是无可否认的。 pick: 此专辑不作pick
I like bluegrass and country, but this was a little outside my wheelhouse. Overall, a fine album though.
O my god 2 hours 10 minutes of torture. I'm out of order so listened to this immediately after the Duke Ellington double album. Too much. Apparently this bridges the old country to the new country rock. According to the generator I quite like country rock but I think this is just dreary. Couldn't listen to the entire double album in one go as had to take a break. Actually listening to it while visiting country USA, lots of big pickups on the road, but that didn't help to inspire me. The talking bits could surely have been cut, just like in Duke Ellington's double album that I listened to last. I'd have given it only a one but some of the stories were a little bit interesting.
Long but good somngs
Solid but so so so long. I don't have the capacity to listen to this much americana.
Lots of old style country goodness. nothing really stands out and was all very same-y
Well, Dimery actually got an American Folk, Country & Western album right for once! A charming bit of musical history of an American Country Music art form and its standards, before it was completely taken over by Outlaw and Convoy Country music sub-genres. Having said that, there was no way that I was going to make it through 2 hours straight of country. Particularly not in a 24 hour period. No sarcasm, I am always fascinated to hear how someone is recording their version "Both Sides Now". It is one of those songs I love dearly, even when the covers are wild!
- Nashville Blues is a banger - Lonesome Fiddle Blues also good
Really great. Has a bit of the Buena Vista Social Club about it - the best bits are when the NGDB step back and let the old timers/subject matter experts lead things.
A few fun tracks and a few snoozers. I wish modern country music still sounded more like this.
Way too long for what it has to offer. Give me a third, I’d rate it two stars higher because a lot of this stuff is pretty pleasant. I think I’ve gotten my country music share for the next 5 years.
Listens: 1.5 Standout Tracks: Keep on the Sunny Side, Black Mountain Rag, Wabash Cannonball, Foggy Mountain Breakdown There's a lot going on in this album, and I generally dislike Country music, but this music has been almost categorically different from most of the country music I've heard so far (Dolly, Emmy Lou, Buck Owens, etc. So, first, the pros: Most of the songs have some sort of intro or outro where there's just some chatter or conversation, which I quite enjoyed. It's highly humanizing to hear people chat about their passions. While I generally do not like twangy country music, I do really like the instrumentation here with what I assume is banjo playing. It feels old-timey in a good way; genuine and authentic music. People at the top of their game making music they enjoy. Next, the cons: It's over two hours of music. That's entirely too long and makes the whole experience borderline intolerable. It's country music, far and away my least favorite genre. All of these things cancel each other out, resulting a great big giant 3 stars, which is exceptionally generous of me, considering the only country music to get above a 2 has been Johnny Cash.
not as good as Joni Mitchell’s Blue
It's two hours of country bluegrass with some conversational tidbits captured during the recording process that arguably could have been left on the cutting room floor. What isn't really clear from just listening through the record is that this is the Dirt Band bringing a bunch of OG bluegrass folks onto an album. These aren't names that are well known to me but I'm sure for folks in that circle they are better known. I imagine this is one of the reason some of the studio chatter is left in on the tracks. For the NGDB they were probably stoked to just be in the studio with these folks. For all of this, I suppose, it is worthy of consideration into the list as a sort of an encapsulation of bluegrass music. For me, the music is fine. I'm not going to say I loved sitting through two hours of it but I wasn't offended to do so either. My dad would probably love this album.
It's old-school county and bluegrass, and while I like the instrumental numbers, the vocal songs don't do much for me. There's a lot of historical significance to this album - the NGDB were a bunch of young California musicians, and this album has them backing a who's who of Nashville music royalty as a sort of handoff between generations. It's also interesting to hear a lot of the studio chatter between tracks as the musicians talk through arrangements and such. I'm not going to spend a lot of time listening to the album, but I'm extremely glad that it happened.
It's excellent at doing exactly what it set out to do. It's like a document of country, bridging older and newer artists of the time. It's far too long, but it is at least consistent across its runtime.
Yes, it is too long, and could have been cut down a bit. But, there are some bluegrass standards throughout the album that are played well and the different artists that feature on many songs is a nice touch. 3.5/5 Might listen again
If you're in the mood for Bluegrass I'm sure this is great, but considering how many genres of music that isn't represented in the 1001, I find it hard to justify this as an essential listen.
On a list that lacks a lot of country representation, I thought this is an odd choice. After listening though, this was pretty awesome. And it includes some legends like Roy Acuff and Doc Watson.
Notable Textzeile: Where it's dark as a dungeon and damp as the dew Where the danger is doubled, and pleasures are few Where the rain never falls, and the sun never shines Well, it's dark as a dungeon way down in the mine Songs zum Weglaufen. Also Songs zum Untermalen des Weglaufens. Also Songs zum Untermalen des Weglaufens in Cartoons. Dafür ist das Banjo ja auch entwickelt worden. Nichts für mich, alle die Songs die so sind. Die anderen sind bestimmt großartige Countrysongs, aber fast aller Country klingt für mich absolut gleich.
Schönes Konzept und wahrscheinlich tatsächlich eine gute Wahl für die Liste. Country Pop der 60er und 70er trifft die Künstler und Songs der alten Garde aus den 40ern und 50ern. Millenials kennen das aus dem Johnny Cash Film und erkennen natürlich sofort dass Mother Maybelle Carter die Mutter von June ist. Ich mag auch die kurzen Einspieler wo sie über die Arrangements sprechen und die Songs klingen warm und klar produziert. Dudelt schön, kann man sagen. Textlich viele typische Country Themen: Hardship, Love and Booze armer weißer Menschen. Schöner Steinbruch an Songs und ganz viel Gedudel.
Kann ich nicht viel zu sagen. Ist mir sogar im besten Sinne egal. Spannend auf jeden Fall dass quasi Meta-Ebene sie dauernd darüber sprechen was sie da gleich spielen.
It doesn't take a rocket scientist for a lot of people to know I am not exactly a fan of much Country or even Bluegrass music, so when I saw the 1001 albums to hear before you die list had a nearly 2 hour long Bluegrass album I thought I'd get it out of the way so I wouldn't have to worry about it later. It started off pretty charming and fun but by the time I got to the second disk (17 tracks in) I was already pretty burnt through with this album. It is cool to have this much Bluegrass music all together in one place, but if you aren't a diehard fan of this genre I am sure it will be pretty hard to sit through without having at least some difficulty. I am sure Nitty Gritty Dirt Band has a lot of other great things to offer, but Will the Circle be Unbroken is definitely not one of them in my eyes. I don't think my opinion of Bluegrass will ever change that much and unfortunately this album in its' entirety had to be a casualty of my distaste for this genre. Whomp whomp...
Foundational and awesome. Unsurprisingly, this British list has a glaring lack of bluegrass, but it also means that the stuff they do have is the best of the best.
A two disc set of American folk classics with some of the artists that first recorded these songs 50 years earlier in much better quality than the original recording. A bunch of all-time great musicians brought together for this project and it includes snippets of them interacting in the studio. Just to have quality recordings of the musicianship of these folks is five-star worthy alone. This isn’t typically my kind of music but I just couldn’t get enough and I honestly can’t wait to revisit this. Some of the instrumental songs just blow me away. And then a haunting instrumental cover of Joni Mitchell’s Both Sides Now thrown in the midst of all the various styles of American folk music and it just works. Please try to approach this one with an open mind and appreciate it for the historic document it is.
Genial disco doble con música muy country y banjos muy feroces. El disco, aunque muy bueno y varias veces sorprendente, puede hacerse un tanto largo: 140 minutos de banjo son muchos minutos de banjo. Pero en general, buena experiencia campirana.
Will the Circle Be Unbroken by Nitty Gritty Dirt Band is one of the toughest listens I've had during this challenge. I know this album is regarded as an important collaboration and a landmark in country and bluegrass music, bringing together generations of musicians, but it simply wasn't for me. At 42 tracks, it's far too long. There are only so many banjos, fiddles and traditional instrumentals I can take before everything starts to blur into one. By the halfway point I felt like I'd already heard the same song dozens of times, and there just wasn't enough variety to keep me engaged. The biggest issue is the sheer length. There are far too many instrumentals, many of which felt interchangeable, and I found myself losing interest long before the album finally came to an end. Instead of feeling like a celebration of country music, it became an endurance test. I'm sure fans of traditional bluegrass and old-time country will absolutely love this record, but it's about as far away from my musical tastes as you can get. Favourite tracks: I honestly couldn't pick one that really stood out. Least favourite tracks: There wasn't a single track I felt compelled to revisit. The instrumentals in particular all merged into one very long listen. Album artwork: A slightly creepy album cover, more memorable than most of the music inside.
i liked the instrumental hoe-down at the beginning of the second album but this was a slog for me.
I didn't even dislike this music but it was too much of it
кантри - нет
Feels like I'm about to get buttfucked in Appalachia
Pleasantly surprised how much I liked this album. More variety than I was expecting, the studio banter between songs was great. Definitely too long at over 2 hours but I finished it unlike some albums on this list that we under an hour.
This was really not for me.
Fun listen, some interesting songs
Not bad. 130 minutes of it is a bit intense though. Had to split it throughout the day, found by the end of the day it wasn’t meant to be for me. Can appreciate the musicianship though.
Album 275. Will The Circle Be Unbroken (https://open.spotify.com/album/1dfvcFHSox0YKcPMxDrLIs?si=4ADxcX1ERMKyYaesHUqK7w) — Nitty Gritty Dirt Band (1972) Oh my... 42 country songs... 2 hours of country... It was a lot of country. Yeah, it's good. But it's too much, too incohesive for an album.. Since I'm rating it as an album, it lowers the score. 2/5 Liked: — Grand Ole Opry Song — You Are My Flower — Tennessee Stud — The End Of The World — I Saw The Light — Avalanche
Pitkästi banjoiluu ja viuluiluu. Mutta kuitenkin ihan kivaa.
Yee ja etenkin haw. Melkosta cowboy-musiikkia ja tarinankerrontaa. Meni aivan ok puutöitä väkästellessä taustalla vaikka vähän hirvittikin levyn kesto. Varmasti uskomaton levy jos genre herättäis enempi tunteita.
4/5
Nice, pleasant hillbilly music
This is a really good album, but it's also way too long. Two hours of country, bluegrass type music for someone who doesn't regularly like listening to country or bluegrass is a long time to be listening to it even if it's really good.
Not even all of the fun little references to Nashville could overcome the fact that I'm sick of the '67-'71 Country Albums of doom and despair that this list is pushing on me. EDIT: After listening a touch more, at the very least, the objective quality of the music is growing on me. I can't absolve the album entirely for the fact that it is 2 whole hours, but I don't truly hate it. It's kinda fun, giving it an additional star.
Musically, that was really quite enjoyable bluegrass and I like the coming together of old and new styles. Except for the fact that it was 42 songs and 2 hours and 9 minutes long!! That's a marathon. I started, paused, did something else, started again and had a nap while listening, paused, had dinner, then listened again while washing the dishes and still only about half way through the second disc. Finally, at the end of a long day, I sat down and listened to the end. But I think the day just felt so long coz of all that banjo picking and fiddle. 3 stars but a highlights version could easily be higher.
I got about halfway through before I gave up. I dig me some bluegrass, but moderation is the key. Particularly with sleepy ol time bluegrass. 2.5
I can't manage all of this!! There are some things to like - the close vocal harmonies are great when they kick in, and some of the songs are quite cute in terms if lyrics, but the rest of the vocals are all irritating individually, and I just can't deal when the fiddle starts spaffing all over everything. My time is precious - I gave it a good go!!
Kan tänka mig att det här är riktigt häftigt om man ser det i typ blue ridge mountains
Något lite skönt finns det här, men också en helt orimlig längd.
2h+ av detta är alldeles alldeles för mycket.
I absolutely love this kind of country/folk.
Perfect example of an album I never would have touched if not for this list. Find it odd when people are complaining about something other than generic rock popping up. Why even do this? Certainly a historically significant and it deserves a place. 3.5/5. Raising to 4.
Za obliti se u nekoj konobi dobro! Slušati to satima - teško 😄 ali čega sam se sve naslušala tu, nije ni loše, toliko su mi kriteriji pali. 2/5, 4/10
Didn’t touch me
This was a nice surprise! Songs of old folkie time music! Like the Soggy Bottom Boys would play! Nice, but 2 albums a but much...
ra coveriaq da am dros country fuckass albumia
It's good for what it is, it's not the album's fault that a 100-minute run of straight bluegrass was thrown at me... It can have elements of over-sameness through the songs, it sounds like what bluegrass sounds like, so not an incredibly varied sound It has good moments, some of the instrumental tracks get into it nicely Not a bad thing
5/10
I love me a bit of country/Deep South music, but this is a bit too much. 2/5
Now I may be just a simple country boy, but these boys out of Southern California sure can pick out a helluva tune! 5 stars for the side with featured singers 3 stars for the instrumental side. Never thought I would like this Grand Ole Opry shit but it was so fun.
As a casual fan of folk music, this absolutely deserves to be on here. That being said, while I was loving this in the beginning, it absolutely went on for a bit longer than I could appreciate. Overall still worth at least a partial listen. Or maybe one broken up over several sessions.
This album makes you feel like you’re at the local county fair with your friends, watching the band perform after a long, fun-filled day. You can’t not like at least a few of these tracks. It’s a pretty long album, but I was pleasantly surprised to hear lots of instrumentals too. If you can’t enjoy this album at least a little, maybe you just have an ungrounded prejudice against country. (But it’s better than lots of country today, I’ll admit)
I love it when bands leave studio chatter on the album. Not the biggest country music fan, though, and as such this album goes on way too long. I did watch a short documentary a while ago on the making of the album so was looking forward to hearing it. Ended up just being a slog. I get why it’s here, and the musicianship is top notch, but it just isn’t my thing.
Too long ... I felt like I was on an endless tow truck mission in GTA listening to Rebel Radio
No way I’m listening to 2 hours of this
2.5
Two hours is too long
damn fine bluegrass anyone who reviewed this with a blanket "I don't like country" is weak and will not make it through the winter
2.3/5
I don't hate country, but I'm not a country fan and this was a loooooot. I can handle it being on in the background while I do something else, but it's not an album I would ever sit down and listen to
It’s great. It’s long.
This is way too old school country for me, I can feel my teeth falling out as I listen. I'm not going to get through the whole two hours of this, but I'm giving it a bash at least.
Saved? ✅ Would listen again? ✅ Would recommend to anyone? 🤔 Would buy on Vinyl? ✅
It's like if Mario Kart music were a two hour double album. I didn't want to like this at first but I understand the importance it had on the bluegrass and country genre. I got more into it in the second half and liked the instrumental stuff. But not something I would likely return to.
Favorite song: You Are My Flower
Les instrus m'ont donné des flashbacks d'un jeu genre Mario auquel je jouais sur la tablette de mon père, la core memory wow !! Par contre l'album est infini c'est bon
no me gustó.
I don't mind a bit of bluegrass occasionally but two hours of it is too much hee-haw for me. There's also a lot of studio talk and warming up which begins to become grating over this length of runtime. My favourite from the first disc was Tennessee Stud and from the second disc Froggy Mountain Breakdown.
Apparently an endurance run, some 2 hours of bluegrass and country jams between the nitty gritties and some of the most important Grand Ole Opry relics from the pre-LP era. A meeting of generations. Sort of like the Buena Vista Social Club for banjos and inbreeding. As that goes, sure, I can immediately understand the general historical importance of the album, though it also feels like a gimmick for NGDB to hold more cultural relevance than they have. This is a NGDB album like BVSC is a Ry Cooder album: they arranged the meetings, but they are the absolute bottom of the relevant stars here. This is, instead, a celebration of old folkways that some hippies inserted themselves into. Arguably nothing of this sort would have existed if they didn't, but the classic players are the relevant players. When Mother Maybelle Carter is talking about never recording a song on autoharp, that otherwise nonexistent recording is the cultural item, not the Nitty Gritty Dirt Band backing her musically (in fact, on that particular track, the vast majority of instrumentation was done by the old guard, though allegedly the autoharp isn't brought out for some songs yet). Most of this would be fine as individual songs. Outdated? Sure. But fine. Most of these are just generic love and slice of life songs and sometimes descriptions of a horse that make you wonder if there's something going on. Most of it is folks who really know their instrument, albeit sometimes instruments that require minimal exposure to be most pleasant. But it's just so much of it. I had to take a break. Honestly, the most interesting thing is all the captured banter. Otherwise it's just a very very long compilation of old country and bluegrass. For my tastes this is a very light ⭐️⭐️⭐️, and some bit of that is enhanced by the archival aspect of it. For my money, the second “disc” is better, but this is largely due to more instrumentals
Listened before?: nope. i have put off listening to this for over 3 months simply due to the sheer length of this album. i can keep an open mind for an album that's ~1 hour long, but 2+ hours is a huge time sink, especially for a genre i'm usually not a fan of fortunately, i have a little down time to sit and listen while i read today, so i figured i'd just get it over with. i hope this is worth the listen, but i won't get my hopes up Grand Ole Opry Song - 1/5 Keep on the Sunny Side - 3/5 Nashville Blues - 4/5 You Are My Flower - 3/5 The Precious Jewel - 1/5 Dark as a Dungeon - 3/5 Tennessee Stud - 3/5 Black Mountain Rag - 2/5 The Wreck on the Highway - 2/5 The End of the World - 3/5 I Saw the Light - 1/5 Sunny Side of the Mountain - 1/5 Nine Pound Hammer - 2/5 Losin' You (Might Be the Best Thing Yet) - 3/5 Honky Tonkin' - 1/5 You Don't Know My Mind - 1/5 My Walkin' Shoes - 2/5 Lonesome Fiddle Blues - 3/5 Cannonball Rag - 3/5 Avalanche - 3/5 Flint Hill Special - 2/5 Togary Mountain - 3/5 Earl's Breakdown - 2/5 Orange Blossom Special - 2/5 Wabash Cannonball - 3/5 Lost Highway - 1/5 Doc Watson & Merle Travis: First Meeting (Dialogue) - no rating Way Downtown - 3/5 Down Yonder - 3/5 Pins and Needles (In My Heart) - 1/5 Honky Tonk Blues - 2/5 Sailin' on to Hawaii - 1/5 I'm Thinking Tonight of My Blue Eyes - 2/5 I Am a Pilgrim - 3/5 Wildwood Flower - 3/5 Soldier's Joy - 2/5 Will the Circle Be Unbroken - 2/5 Both Sides Now - 3/5 Average score: 2/5 ⭐⭐ FINALLY!! it's over as for what i think of it... eh. i have nothing good or bad to say about it necessarily. it's just country. it received a higher score than i thought it would (thankfully some of these songs were instrumental), so i guess that's something i'm just happy i can move on from this, and i highly doubt i'll come back to listen to this ever again
De aquí seguramente salga un muy buen disco de bluegrass pero DIOS SANTO QUE COSA MÁS LARGA SE ME HA HECHO ETERNO LO HE TENIDO QUE ESCUCHAR EN CUATRO VECES.
Lo siento, pero no. ¿Más de dos horas de country? No, gracias.
Bleh
Oh man, bluegrass is my kryptonite and there's 2+ hours of it? Deep breath. But wait! I actually really enjoyed this. I'm not going to rush out to get it or other similar stuff, but I'm not going to run away from it, either. I generally preferred the second half of the album, but the first half was way more enjoyable than I expected, too. The storytelling is compelling and I love the in-studio banter.
I listened to the first disc. It's some good stuff, but ya have to be in the mood for it. Guess I wasn't, cuz I didn't make it to the second one. Brings back memories of SHSU.
здорово классно замечательно бодрит радует успокаивает что-то что важно знать о музыке под определенное настроение переслушаю, мне такое нравится 3.5
Just really longgg!
As someone not from the USA this sounds exactly as what I expect every warm summer night sounds in the Appalachians. Its really fun bluegrass music that is easy to listen to and really catchy. I like all the different singers and instruments used in different songs.
I like fiddles.
(78/100)
Should be the Dirt Band
Good country music. I’ve been waiting for something interesting for a while now. 4 stars, minus one for being over 90 minutes.
I expected this to be a chore. That may be the first important thing to admit. A two-hour-plus country, bluegrass and old-time summit album, heavy with reputation, elders, standards, gospel, fiddle tunes and historical significance, does not necessarily sound like a relaxing morning. It sounds like homework with banjo. It was not homework. It was breathtaking. Will the Circle Be Unbroken works because it is not really a conventional band album. The Nitty Gritty Dirt Band are not always the stars of their own record, and that may be their finest achievement. They convene the room, pay their dues, defer when they should defer, step forward when they have earned the right, and mostly let the music find the people who can best carry it. That is the album’s moral centre. It is not country as costume, country as product, country as tourist scenery, or country as a few decorative twangs laid over rock. It is a young country-rock generation being told, kindly but firmly: if you are going to use this music, learn the country properly. Know the elders. Understand the manners. Do not confuse twang with inheritance. The title is the thesis. The circle is family, custom, repertoire, craft, memory, religious consolation, communal behaviour and musical permission. The question is not simply whether old songs can survive. The question is whether they can survive being handed on without being broken, embalmed, or turned into fancy dress. The answer, across this album, is yes. What makes it so moving is that the handoffs are everywhere. An older voice carries decades in the throat. A younger singer steps into an old song without pretending to have already lived forty years inside it. A virtuoso instrumentalist takes the lead, then gives the tune back to the room. The cast keeps rotating, but the song remains the centre of gravity. That is why the album feels so ego-free. Nobody seems to be trying to own the tradition. They are trying to serve it. The recording method matters too. This does not feel like an attempt to modernise old music. It feels like giving older musicians the same recording dignity younger musicians had started taking for granted. Not: “let’s improve this.” More: “what if we put proper microphones around people who already know exactly what they are doing?” That distinction is crucial. A lot of old music reaches later listeners through technological distance: scratch, thinness, archive haze, the sound of history getting between the performer and the ear. Here, the modernity is not in the arrangements. It is in the access. The record does not modernise the tradition. It modernises the listener’s ability to hear how alive the tradition already was. The live, first-take atmosphere is part of that. You can hear the room working. The chatter, the calls, the tiny bits of social steering, the sense of musicians adjusting to each other in real time. Too many takes would flatten that. The first take breathes. The studio is not a workshop here. It is a witness. And the music absolutely moves. That was the surprise. This is not just historically important; it cooks. The bluegrass locks hard. The ensemble vocals lift gospel material so strongly that even an atheist has to admit the mechanism works. The instrumentals are not pauses between the “important” vocal pieces; they are where the tradition shows its engine. At times the whole thing feels less like listening to a museum piece than wandering into a west-coast Scottish pub just as a live session is about to start. Nobody explains the rules. The room tells you. The voices are a huge part of it. Roy Acuff has age in the larynx. Maybelle Carter has a plainness that is almost austere, and that plainness feels like bedrock. Merle Travis makes difficult things sound barely worth mentioning. Doc Watson’s playing has the quality of total command expressed as ease. These are not just people performing old songs. They are bodies that have carried the music. Then there are the wider historical currents. A tune like “Soldier’s Joy” is not merely an old fiddle number. It is musical common law: portable, durable, altered by use, carried across oceans, localised and re-localised, still able to make a room move. That is when the “circle” becomes bigger than Nashville, bigger than country music, bigger than one national tradition. The circle has crossed water over and over again. By the time the title track arrives, the album has taught you how to hear it. The massed ensemble is not spectacle. It is proof. The circle is the room, the voices, the handoffs, the manners, the memory, and the willingness of everyone present to serve something larger than themselves. The choruses are so blurred with voices they become almost ghostly: not a neat harmony effect, but gathered memory. Then “Both Sides Now” appears at the end and lets the contemporary leak in. After all that inherited repertoire, the album quietly suggests that the circle is still open. A new song can enter the stream too, if it has enough human weather in it. This is why I do the 1001 exercise. Not to confirm the canon. Not to nod solemnly at important records from a safe distance. But for the moment when an album I expected to respect suddenly becomes something I want in the house. Will the Circle Be Unbroken is important, yes. But more than that, it is alive. It is gorgeous, ego-free, disciplined, generous, and much less like homework than I had any right to expect.
I really enjoyed this! Much to my surprise, if I’m honest. My appreciation even improved over 2 listens. I could picture myself having a blast dancing away to the tunes. I know there is a link between traditional Scottish and bluegrass music, maybe that’s it. Two hours is a bit of a haul though, and could have done without the mumbly interludes. A surprising 4
I have no knowledge of this album, but seems like it was a massive undertaking with all of the personnel involved. A bit of a country melting pot of sorts, with all sorts of traditional bluegrass and folk featured here. Can't really ignore all of the fluff, though. Some behind the scenes audio during recording sessions can be endearing, but those snippets preceded almost every track here and it kind of became grating at a point. I'm probably not gonna remember a single damn track from this either. This musicianship itself was fine and competent enough, though.
very cool
This was a very long album. I think it took me 3 sittings to get through it. I understand what it did, but it would benefit from some editing.
We should get 2 days to listen to a 2 hour album…. Listened to most of it and enjoyed it from a musical history perspective/ novelty point of view. I’ll come back to this review when I finish the album
2 hours of a genre I do not relate to not being from the US. I should hate this. But I don’t. At all. Quite the opposite. Added to library and will 100% listen again.
Good folk/country album from the nitty boys
2 hours of peak bluegrass? Absolute audio
The idea of collaborating with a wide range of country and bluegrass musicians across generations is a cool idea, but this is nearly 2 hours of people mournfully singing about whisky, Jesus, and Tennessee (of which like 10 minutes is in-studio banter and that probably isn't an exaggeration). These are clearly talented musicians and the music sounds nice, but I could feel myself get tangibly older as I listened. My back hurts and I need a drink. I would probably have given a higher score if this album was 1/3rd of the length, but this was the closest that I have gotten to bailing early so far and I have had to listen to pre-disco Bee Gees.
REALLY GOOD record. 5/5
I enjoy old-time country bluegrass music like this, and was really enjoying this album…until I wasn’t. I got over halfway through the album, but after twenty-some tracks, I found that I wasn’t enjoying it any longer, and it had become work. And too many of the tracks are instrumental jams. Anyway, this may have been a four star album if it were shorter and better curated, but it wore me down to three stars, and I couldn’t finish it. Sometimes less is more.
Hurts me to give the first bluegrass album a 3. Love the NGDB too
That is really classic country music, a bit too classic for me
Great country and bluegrass record, but it's just far too much country and bluegrass for me.
Some decent tracks in the first half, but my god is this way too long.
For me what makes a great album is the re-listen ability. This 2 hour collection of tracks is just not it. And hell I like both the music and the story behind this album. It’s a great idea to do a tribute to genre and artists through this kind of collaboration. But the only way I’m listening to 2 hour country album is if it’s like a concept album or something else driving things forward.
para hacer un gran álbum hay que saber EDITAR
On the one hand, an impressive document of musical heritage going to great lengths to honor and respect the traditions of their forebears. On the other hand its 2 hours of twangy yeehaw about riding horses, shooting families, abducting daughters, courting teenagers, and how much god loves them by some crotchety old gatekeepers and confederates.
Getting younger and older country music performers together to record country and bluegrass music is an interesting idea. But, this album went on way too long and was poorly paced. The six instrumentals in a row in the middle should have been dispersed throughout the entire album. It was too much banjo. That is what killed the vibe for me. Every thing after that was just more of the same.
This is the best I love the short songs and the banter. This is awesome.
Can't say I liked the music, but they seam to be having fun, so good for them. 4/10
I can understand why lots of people here didn't like this, it hasn't any hits & it's LONG. But it's not about single songs, it's about the album as a whole, and boy has that changed my thoughts. You need to like bluegrass which not many people nowadays do, but for those who do it's amazing. The rawness in this album of artists producing something they're passionate about is not something you can come by easily.
2 hours of bluegrass country music is way too much. Musically it's interesting, but not for 2 hours.
I would love to rate higher because I do enjoy this a good bit, but man, it’s just a bit too long unfortunately.
Idk it's too long, I'm tired...
Far too long
I thought there should be more people involved. ;) Very well performed.
I like country music but this was a bit much for me. There were some solid moments but did it need to be 2 hours long?
It's a decent album. Most of the instrumentals were fun to listen to. It wasn't boring or bad. It was just too long and wasn't very memorable.
This was really good but man it did not need to be 2 hours. Generally enjoyed disc 1 a bit more, but mainly cause disc 2 felt a bite more instrumental. "Grand Ole Opry Song" "Keep On The Sunny Side" "Dark As A Dungeon" "Tennessee Stud" "Nine Pound Hammer" "Losin' You (Might Be The Best Thing Yet)" "Lonesome Fiddle Blues" and "Will the Circle Be Unbroken" were standouts here for me. Merle Travis and Mother Maybelle Carter seemed to stand out for me in general
today this poor idiot enters country music hell. so first thing i wanna complain about is this album’s length. almost two hours of country music. like who the fuck is able to endure that apart from hardcore country fans. secondly i just really absurdly wanna complain about the dude who plays the fiddle. like he’s fiddling too much in approximately 80% of the songs that i have the patience for finishing. he wont fucking stop until he died. or break his neck. sounds crazy, y’know. but it’s just a reference to the hit musical fiddler on the roof and i love it too much. wait a minute the fiddler on the album is already dead. glad to know that. but anyway here’s a 2/5!
Incredible collection of Americana, bluegrass, roots music and some country recorded by master musicians. This is an amazing project and an essential document in the history of these genres. It opened my ears.
A covers album should not be included on this list. The wiki entry talks about bridging a gap between generations, but let's not forget as this was released the Beatles had already moved to the US and Elvis had become the biggest star in the world, retired and then come back. The world had already taken its steps into the modern way of making and experiencing music
1. opry - 2 2. zunny - 2 3. bluez - 2 4. flouuer - 1 5. jeuuel - 2 6. dark - 1 7. ztud - 0 8. rag - 2 9. uureck - 0 10. end - 2 11. light - 2 12. mountain - 1 13. hammer - 1 14. lozing - 1 15. honky - 1 16. mind - 2 17. zhoez - 1
This definitely could have been shorter, most of the songs sounded the same, but I guess in this album lyrics are more important.
The sounds of incest.
Hello. How long will you survive the hoedown? Can you make it to the end, or will you die along the way? I made it, but it was highly touch and go. There is simply no earthly reason for anyone to listen to this nonsense for this long.
A pretty thorough celebration of all the americana genres (folk, country, blues, bluegrass etc). I know fishing in the dark is hard to top but I was happily surprised with this listen.
It would have been fine if 40 mins long. 2 hrs is hard to get through. Standout song: I saw the light
Quite an impressive gathering of old time musicians, newer musicians and The Nitty Gritty Dirt Band performing old standards and some new songs. It is a treasure of bluegrass and country type music with a very wide grouping of very talented performers just making an incredible sound that is purely overwhelming.
A triple album that somehow doesn’t overstay its welcome. I love old time country, and this album is like a history lesson for the genre. Love the variety of songs, from bluegrass barn burners to ballads. Just awesome.
It's full of classics that I respect but wouldn't really sing along with and it is over two hours long. I respect it as long as it never comes over for beers again.
Ugh
2 hours?!?! 42 tracks?!?! Oh, it’s all old-school banjos and fiddles? Yes please.
Awesome from start to finish. Outstanding band that continues to thrive.
I am not digging the confederate flags on the album cover.
I like a few songs but this was painfully long. I feel like a shorter representation of this band would have been a lot better.
This is what I wish country music was. Not really my thing, but the music wasn’t bad. Too much talking and random bs which disrupted the flow and an otherwise decent bluegrass album. Very long, which without the random talking bits, would’ve been more reasonable. 2.5/5
This is really, really good.
It's often written that great albums create a sound world to immerse e the listener. Well this effort from a bunch of 70s hippies, with members of the Carter family, Roy Acuff., Doc Watson and others created the ultimate immersion in the world of bluegrass before Hank Williams, the Nashville sound and The Eagles/country rock etc, tried to bridge the country music generation gap and did so almost by making a 2 hour 'death by mountain music' double album. There is some wonderful banjo, fiddle and guitar playing and a real extended lesson in how to write 50 songs with the same chords and still make you think they're different. It's a bit long but other than that it's a great effort and to be admired.
3.5
3.5
Some incredible parts on this album and honestly some incredible playing throughout the album my main highlights are Nashville Blues, Wreck on the Highway , Lost highway, and Wildwood Flowers. It does go on a little bit long for my taste especially for an old timey bluegrass album, especially side D which is mostly instrumental that's when I really started feeling the time on it . But overall it is a really good album and probably one I ought to return to and see if it grows . (8.4) ★★★★
Old-timey country, bluegrass and Appalachian folk is just in my wheelhouse. 5 stars
I've heard of the Nitty Gritty Dirt Band before, but I don't think I've actually listened to any of their music, and really wasn't sure what to expect. I thought this was an interesting collection of classic country and bluegrass with some legendary country artists. My main gripe is it's maybe too much of a good thing. Country isn't my main thing, so 2 hours of this was a bit much. Also, there was a stretch of bluegrass instrumentals on the second half that tested my patience a bit. Still, a solid album. 3.5 stars.
3.5
Not for me, Clive. I’d rather listen to Sabres Of Paradise again for a week than stick on 3 LPs of this.
Purest Country? Almost 4.
It’s OK and that’s about it
Wasn’t crazy about this. Wasn’t bad tho.
I didn’t mind this. I even liked a lot of it. But it’s so long.
Ok...20 tracks in I get the gist...Its fun but a little toooo much fiddle for me
Actually quite enjoyed - fun listen
insanely immersive 2 hours
2 hours of YEEHAW
This is sprawling, but some definite nuggets in there. High 2s.
I couldn’t get into it. I see the talent and artistry of it but I couldn’t. I tried.
I respect bluegrass and country but I’m not giving 2 hours of my life to listen to this whole thing. Albums shouldn’t be this long. Broke it up in to 3 listening segments and this is actually pretty spectacular. So much history and American culture packed in here. Just don’t force yourself to sit through the whole thing in one go.
Loved it but it is very long. And I didn't need the talking.
I really dislike country, bluegrass, the banjo, fiddle and harmonica and overall redneckish music. Isually find it boring and without much substance. But.......this is am absolute gem of an album. Shows how a group of really talented musicians can make this sound amazing, you can hear the jams and how they have so much chemestry while playing. Its a bit too long and didnt really loved the talking before the songs althought the bit about giving it all on the first try is important because every next try loses something All in all and album everyone must listen to and accept as great in a contextual maner
Really liked this. Country music done really well.
In a nutshell: "let's do it the first time, and to hell with the rest" I was led to believe that this was a studio album. It is, and it's not. Two track master, all songs performed in one or two takes. Press record on one tape and let it roll as each act did their thing. You get the tuning, the banter with the band and exchanges between the artist and the producer. That part annoyed me, as it interrupted the flow of what an album is. But I guess the intention was twofold - produce an organic listening experience, as if you were there in the studio, and to infuse the old ways with the new. Having a list of must hear albums needs to include as many genres as possible. We don't have a title that represents bluegrass and Appalachian folk music. I would recommend this album instead of The Byrds' Sweetheart of the Rodeo, that's for sure. Overall: 4/10
Good mix of country and bluegrass
Love the banter. Certified rootin tootin
Oh no. Just found out this is over two hours long. That’s a problem for me right from jump. I mean it’s a problem with George Harrison’s All Things and Stevie’s Songs. And those would be damn near perfect albums in my book if they weren’t going toward two hours in Stevie’s case or over two hours in George’s case. I start to get fidgety at over an HOUR. Two is asking too much of my sonic attention. The interesting thing here is that my tolerance for this side of “folk” is way higher than for its renaissance brethren. Perhaps because I am a Yank? But of course the song types here are all derived from Scottish and Irish folk music. Well… I do appreciate bluegrass without the vocals. Just play the damn music. But still, to appreciate this I HAVE to break it up. And man… I just can’t go over 3 that is trying my patience this much. I do appreciate it, just - couldn’t you edit and give me the highlights? Boolean: yes, I suppose so. But maybe better broken up over many days.
Jaja dio mio, que experiencia religiosa escuchar dos horas de country
Banjos!!!!
So long. Folksy, Christian at parts
2 hours is a lot to take on, but the good news is that this is actually pretty packed full and doesn't waste any time. But still, 2 hours. I like bluegrass in small doses, so I'm predisposed to like this, but by the end of hour 1 I was ready to move on. Giving it a break and coming back to it helped, but man that's just a lot. The first half seems a lot more historically interesting, the second half more just solid bluegrass. I think if you have even a passing interest in American music, you should listen to this, if only for the pre-recording talk track. But man, 2 hours.
#131/1001 🇺🇸 This is a weighty slab of country and bluegrass (2 hours) and I struggled to do it all in one sitting so listened to it in 3 chunks. I'm glad of it being a Sunday morning for the time and this has felt quite appropriate. I feel that in the context of this project it is a bit too lengthy to fully appreciate and needs to be appraised over a longer period of time. For me this could easily have been split into 3 albums. For example the first 10 tracks finishing at The End of the World as one more conscise record. Best Tracks: Keep on the Sunny Side, Tenesee Stud, The End of the World, Will The Circle be Unbroken?
country das antigas né pelo histórico aqui a gente já sabe que é ruim
ok. entendo que eh um album importante pq chama mto véio da música country pra tocar umas música tradicional e tal mas eu não CONSIGO ME IMPORTAR com country, sério mesmo. só serviu pra me deixar puto hoje mesmo.
Muy curioso album. Rolas muy country y algunas de persecución, pero lindo en general.
Nope. Nope. Nope. Absolutely one of the worst ways to spend my time. Would give zero stars if I could.
I like that old timey sound
While familiar with the band, this was much more of a throwback to grass roots bluegrass, country and Americana styled music than I expected. That being said, it was enjoyable for a single, albeit super long, listen. 3.0
need to revisit
Dinging it a star because of all the chat. Would be a four-star album otherwise, and I would love to listen to it again, but I'm not gonna sit through their talking another time.
No fav song
Good bluegrass music, but two hours of it explains the decline of introspection and rise of cognitive dissonance within specific geographical regions that fit the demograph of listening to this specific genre of music. Go back to fishing in the dark
Am I about to listen to 2 hours of proper country? Is it leaning bluegrass? Please. I think I’m more open to this after a) listening to Dolly Parton’s America, b) my dad’s recent weekend in Nashville and seeing a bunch of live music at the Opry, and c) watching the History of Sound and reflecting on the history of folk songs. This is quite amusing writing PTSD evaluations to this album. I keep picturing meeting the bluegrass Irish folky vampires in Sinners because my current vibes are trauma and devastation. An unexpected delight of a background listen. Long as fuck, yes, but I still enjoyed it.
Kudos to Nitty Gritty Dirt Band for ensuring old bluegrass, folk, and country music are remembered. This was obviously a labor of love, with respect paid to the true legends of the craft. Even the conversations before and between songs are worth your time. I can't recommend this record highly enough! It's the very definition of essential.
Fan vad sur jag blev när jag såg att det var ett jävla dubbelalbum. 2h. Det här är verkligen inte min musik. Det är dock inte dåligt, så jag kommer nog fria istället för att fälla. Men det är liksom plojmusik. Lattjo i rätt kontext. Men helt omöjligt att luta sig bakåt och njuta. Just denna upplevelse blir extra svår, två fucking timmar pang en vardagsmorgon... Men visst, om man sitter runt elden i norrland kan det vara najs.
Genomgående bra country och de bluegrassiga inslagen är man ju svag för. Sen blir det förstås på tok för lång lyssning, men en solid trea är det.
Actually good music but fucking hell 2 hours of it is a slog
not listening to this whole thing, I get the gist 3
Quite a nice album.
A little too country for me.
Well that was a marathon, but I wouldn't say it needed powering through. It's kind of impossible for it not to blend into the background in it's whole ~2 hour runtime but luckily I enjoy this kind of music even though I'd never seek it out. It's kind of like that one dish you'd never order yourself but would happily eat if it was on offer in a non-committal way, such as at a buffet. I also appreciate the fact this was a sort of Avengers level come together for country artists at the time so that's also impressive. Anyway I'm giving it a slightly higher grade than I usually would since it was something new and different that I did enjoy, but if asked in the future I'll probably just remember this album by "long, banjo and fiddle", which isn't so bad when it's so consistently good for such a long time.
Not for me
Country is not my favorite but I enjoyed this one.
Too long, not much standing out, pretty basic...
I feel like this is an album that's definitely made to be experienced than listened to. I say that about a lot of albums I feel really strongly about, but there's so much going on before, after, and even completely outside the music in a lot of these songs. The most immediately noticeable example is the feature list they tacked onto the left side of the album cover. Mother Maybelle Carter, Doc Watson, Jimmy Martin, and all of the others are massive names in Bluegrass, which leads me to my favorite part of this album: the little conversations before most of the songs. It adds some interesting context behind a lot of the songs, like Mother Maybelle Carter saying she never played Keep on the Sunny Side on her autoharp before. That and everyone coming together in the closer in a really bittersweet moment really makes this album memorable, and one of the best country albums I've ever heard.
Good musicians recording a shitload of important or popular "old-time music" songs. Played pretty straight and serves as a sort of cultural document of Americana. Lots of rags and "hawnky tawnk". If that isn't your thing, this won't change your mind. Me, though? I loved it. (Could do without the confederate flag on the cover, though)
Es ist eine schnörkellose Countryscheibe im besten Sinne: warm, erdig, traditionsbewusst. Die Nitty Gritty Dirt Band bringt hier Alt‑ und Jungstars der Country‑ und Bluegrass‑Szene zusammen und lässt sie ohne Studiozirkus einfach spielen. Das Ergebnis klingt wie ein lebendiger Dialog zwischen Generationen – voller Respekt, Spielfreude und countrystile.
I guess the circle is unbroken because this album is over two hours. Some all right music but I got bored. Top tracks: "Grand Ole Opry Song," "Black Mountain Rag"
I actually loved this and keep coming back to it. Fascinating record.
i don't have the strength in me to listen through a double cd country album
A really cool idea. Not something I’ll listen to again, but I enjoyed it.
I saw the Dirt Band in Nashville just prior to the release of this album. I liked them a lot better without all the "guests."
What a hootin’ and hollerin’ good time. A lot of really great songs and great playing to be found here. Everyone just sounds like they had a great time making this. Definitely something you should hear before you die. Love bluegrass.
Felt about an hour and a half too long. Just kept going, and going, and going.
Really good! reminds me of WI dells and the Swing Crew..
Pretty good, but damn this is a long ass album
Recording all of this material with only one or two takes per song is an incredible feat. It speaks to the skill of the musicians and there is a special kind of magic in that one-and-done style of recording. I also really like how unashamedly country it is, I think too many people just mindlessly bash all country. Don’t get me wrong, there is a LOT of crappy country out there, but I quite like this. The album’s length is a bit much for the relatively little variety, though. It’s probably not meant to be a traditional album, it’s a mixture of a musical archive and a passing of the torch to the next generation of country musicians. 3/5
Everything on this album is excellent. The songs are tight and lively. There's audible joy in the studio chatter between songs, as you can hear the excitement of the performers being able to play together and record their traditions. Put together though, this is less an album and more of an encyclopedia. Music fans will be familiar with a lot of these songs, either because they're ubiquitous or because many of them have been covered by big names in folk and country music. The renditions are great - "Dark as a Dungeon" stands out as my favorite - but they're all played straight with no fresh takes or cohesive sound. I appreciate the desire to record the classics, but nearly two hours of it becomes a fit too much of the same. If this was just one of the two discs, I'd likely give it a 4.
Eh, not for me. Fun music but not my style.
When I started listening to this album, I pictured this band as a group of Appalachian rednecks, some guys from the mountains who were insane enough to make a two-hour-long ordeal of bluegrass covers from all over the region. Imagine my surprise when I found out they're a bunch of Long Beach hippies riding on the backs of established Appalachian musicians! Nonetheless, I can tell these songs come from a place of admiration, and they put a great deal of effort into capturing the authentic sound of the mountains, even if this kind of music isn't really my style. I see why it's so well regarded, but I just can't see myself cranking bluegrass tunes on a regular basis.
Were it an hour long, it would've been a 3/5. These guys can play, no doubt about it, but I really don't like country and bluegrass that much. Since it's over 2 hours long, it's a 2/5. TOO DAMN LONG!
Going to assume this is the Gershwin songbook for the south. I selected a few songs I like the sound of or knew. Good on paper but its awfully difficult to listen to a full country and western album for 2+ hours. I think its an excellent look into the music that came from the fusion of multiple cultures upon this land all at once. (Regardless of your opinion on the politics behind that fusion) you have to understand the folk an Americana music has roots as old at 1650 here in America, all through the Appalachian region and all ultimately all over. Nitty Gritty created the encyclopedia of cover and tribute songs which included Doc Watson, Mama Maybelle Carter and other iconic early artist and gave it outstanding production. Notable album for sure. Worthy of 3 stars or more. Personally going to ding it for the whole 2 hours of country thing but you get me.
Finishing this felt like a mini challenge of its own. I liked it at first but after a certain point an album does just get too long. I think just the first half would have been fine. Great songs on here, but there’s just too many.
This album made me squeal like a pig.
To be honest, I couldn’t finish this. So many sounds of danger in just the first track. I gave it a go, but at 2 hours running time there is only so much bull shit tolerance I have. And today was a workday so my tolerance was low to begin with.
Baustelle, Gerstetten, Deutschland. Langweilig auf Dauer.
Za dlugie
This is a legendary album and genuinely historical for American music. While listening I felt a deep sense of respect, warmth, and connection — like sitting in on a once-in-a-lifetime picking session where generations met and passed the torch. It’s not a strict concept album, but the whole record feels like one big celebration of tradition. The Nitty Gritty Dirt Band (a bunch of long-haired California guys) invited true country and bluegrass legends like Mother Maybelle Carter, Doc Watson, Roy Acuff, Merle Travis, Jimmy Martin, and Earl Scruggs into the studio. What came out is pure magic: old-time gospel, mountain songs, instrumentals, and stories that feel timeless. The energy is loose and joyful, the playing is incredible, and you can hear the mutual respect between the young band and the old masters. It helped bring traditional country and bluegrass to a whole new rock-leaning audience in the early 70s and still sounds incredibly alive today. This one is essential. Not just a great record, but a bridge between eras that helped keep American roots music breathing. Absolute classic.
Amazing album with a great blend of country, bluegrass, and honky tonk. It does suffer a lot from the length of time though. 4/5
Þetta er stórkostlegt! Kannski var vinnudagurinn í dag svona langur og ég extra til í þetta í einhverjum svefngalsa, en nei, þetta er bæði stórflott og -skemmtilegt. Búinn með þrjú rennsli, takk fyrir. Bluegrass með góðu banjó er æði, og þessi "kynslóðir mætast" stemning er frábær. Fullt hús.
The album started fine. Country and bluegrass isn’t really my genre, but we are all on this journey to broaden our horizons, right? Unfortunately, this was a double album and it dragged on and on and on. The studio outtakes got pretty boring pretty fast too. Luckily, after almost two hours, the circle became unbroken and I could move on
I would have liked this a lot more as a tight 45-60 minutes, instead of a meandering 120 minutes
Fantastic!!! Always a classic.
Decent bluegrass. Made me wish I was eating at Cracker Barrel
Kind of keystone stuff for me as one of the founding documents of country rock, less an album and more an instruction manual for a new genre. That said, it’s way too big for its own good, and turns into a jack of all trades while mastering few.
21/04/2027 Annoyingly, this grew on me. I was ready to hate on this by the sheer length of the album, but alas, it wasn't too bad. Lets chew some grass and get a mother fucking horse. Spotify listeners: 4.4 million
bluegrass! woot!
4/10 Good at times but so very long. So long that I just had to start skipping songs in the second half just to get through this marathon of a listen. There were highlights, and I really like the snippets of conversation peppered throughout, which really take you to the time and add a kind of charm. Best track: Dark As A Dungeon Will I revisit?: No