Reviews (page 5 of 8)
Giving this album 3 stars while on vacation in Virginia. This is good driving music, but it is not my favorite type.
Not my fav
A joyous and really fun traditional country/bluegrass album with extremely good musicianship. It's an important album in the genre which brought together different generations. As an album, thoughy it doesn't really work that well - there are 42 songs which last almost two hours which makes it an extremely long album. Some parts are disjointed and not that consistent. So while I enjoyed this album musically, as an album it doesn't work too well. 3+ stars.
Country be country
Only listened to the first disc as I felt the format was quite clear by then. By no means a bad album, I quite enjoyed it. I can definitely see this being super to play live or listen to in a bar. Maybe got a bit repetitive, and it’s way too long. But other than that it was nice! The problem I have is that there is no way for me to determine if this is good bluegrass or not. And if I ever want to put that on, I’m certainly not going to remember this exact album. So in the end I just don’t feel that I can rate this in a fair way. But a 3 feels appropriate as it was good, but nothing I want to throw myself on immediately and listen to again.
Lots of pickin' and grinnin' and generally just a good ol' country hoedown.
I feel like the Coen Brothers heard this album and decided to make "O Brother, Where Art Thou!" This is a very interesting collection of the dream team of Bluegrass (can't believe I just wrote that) working through and spinning the "best of" catalog. It is well done, and it sounds great. But it also feels like going through an antique store when you come across some interesting pieces, contemplate the purchase, but inevitably decide to move on. Great experience, but I am not sure I'm buying.
It hit my bluegrass / old country spot. Which isn't my go to music. but every now and then I like it.
I imagine this is what John Marston was humming to himself in Red Dead 2 in those 20 missions before American Venom where he just builds a house and looks after his wife and kids. 5 stars.
Its 2.5 hours of bluegrass. As advertised. Well-made but so f-ing folksy
Fun
Very long, but very good
I appreciate the band's history, and as far as county music goes, it's far superior to a lot of it. However, still isn't something I'm going to sit around and listen to.
Oh yes, this is a nice country album. It's fun in between. I can understand other reviewers who, when listening to this music, wish they had a horse and wanted to ride lonely across the prairie. But firstly, I can't ride, I live in a big city and prairies only exist thousands of miles to the east. Secondly, the music reminds me of a scene from the movie 'Deliverance', in which one of the big city tourists gets into a banjo fight with a moronic hillbilly and loses. The scene seems somewhat depressing against the background of the events described later. I might actually listen to this album again later. However, I won't listen to it for 2 hours in one go. 3/5
★★★¾
Lots of pickin' and old tymey shit but it has its place
The banter is kinda fun on this one. I've rediscovered over the last ten years my appreciation for this style of music that left me in my teens and twenties, and this is a great album of the genre, albeit a little long for a full run through. The musical talents in here are fun.
Wasn’t planning on listening to 2 hours of country music on a sunday but here we are. Not bad.
The bluegrass tracks are really good, but the old-time-baptist-church-music, while well-executed, is just not my taste (PTSD). Combine that with a gargantuan runtime and copious studio chatter, and unfortunately this gets a mixed review. Still, this is an eternity and a half better than the utter swill spewed forth from the auto-tuned maw of Morgan Wallen. 2.5/5.0: Mixed
This was enjoyable in medium doses, but 130 minutes is longer than any movie should be, let alone an album of country/bluegrass music. the musical guests on this album bring a lot to the table and it's fun to hear some of the studio chatter, but like everything else on this album, it gets old after you've heard it a half dozen times. when it's all said and done, i think i ended up enjoying the instrumentals here the most. favorites: grand ole opry song, tennessee stud, the end of the world, earl's breakdown, orange blossom special, will the circle be unbroken, both sides now
Nice collection of consistently strong bluegrass / traditional country tracks. I enjoyed this throughout, but I have to admit the mix was a little different than what I expected. The vocals on some tracks are too prominent, on others too distant, and some of the supplemental instruments come in and out with weird and surprising volume shifts. It's a nice old classic sort of "everyone gather around this one mic and move closer and farther from it from time to time" kind of idea, but it made me focus just a little too much on the production and not the compositions. That's my only gripe though!
3.08
Det er live takes med autentiske performances. Det er lidt en revival af country bluegrass for at holde genren i live. Lavet af nogle legender
Not quite my style of folk - I think american/bluegrass isn't my thing- but pleasant enough for a bit. Very very long though - 40 tracks was a bit many so I didn't finish/skipped tracks, but more out of fatigue than not liking any of them.
Good but too long
First disc is great!... then it turns mostly instrumental for an hour
Good lord, this was a long album - but I enjoy bluegrass / Americana and liked this one
Double album was too much to digest in one go. Couldn't identify a link between the two so probably didn't miss anything. The songs were surprisingly varied and entertaining. Probably be able to extract chunks to get a digestible playlist.
Fun album. Nicely done
It's ok as a sort of alternative country album but a bit overlong if you're not into the bluegrass style
Enjoyed this all the fiddle and mayhem.
There are some lovely moments on this album, and the musicianship is excellent... but damn, ain't nobody got time for a straight 2 hours of bluegrass!
Holy crap, that was exhausting. I can't say I ever wanted to listen to country music for nearly 2 hours straight. Am I glad I did it? No, but I'm not upset either. Quite frankly, this isn't even the worst experience I've ever had with country music, mostly because this music is actually good. Need I mention again my disdain for modern radio country? Still, the Nitty Gritty Dirt Band (hilarious band name btw) had some good ideas with this album. It's just that making it nearly 2 hours in length isn't one of them. This album is certainly interesting. The album's a collaboration with a pretty substantial number of famous country and bluegrass artists of the time, which is pretty cool! It adds some variety, though the keyword here is "some." This album is kind of repetitive. That might just be the length talking, though. The writing is alright. It definitely gives off country vibes in a way that I don't hate. One thing that I actually like about this album in regards to its cohesion is how some of these songs have audio from the studio at the beginning, which comes as a result of many of these songs being unprocessed takes. That's neat. It makes the album feel more authentic, and authenticity is something that I think a lot of "country" lacks. The instrumentation is quite good as well. Again, it is a tad repetitive. But there's a fiddler throughout the album, okay? I like the sound of the album. Overall, Will the Circle Be Unbroken is a fascinating album that I understand the importance and appeal of, but I don't think I ever want to listen to it again. Still, I enjoyed my time and I would call this a good album. Light 3/5.
Je vais le dire tout de suite: je l'ai pas finis, mais je pense pas que je manque grand chose. Après 1h15 du même «shanguelaaaaang da de loodoooo» de cowboy mélancolique, j'affirme que j'ai vécu pleinement l'expérience, merci bonsoir. 🚨Clément, j’ai répondu à ton message sur ma critique d’Hunky Dory!🚨
nice historical document
Solid southern bluegrass. A genre I don't love but... this album could be my way into it
Demasiado para mí. Creo que intentaron marcar territorio o algo así. 42 canciones revisando todo más conocido del bluegrass y country-and-western. Aunque me gusta más o menos este tipo de música me parece demasiado para el público en general. Así que 3 estrellas aunque deberían ser 2,5.
Would actually love this album if it wasn’t so loooong. Did make me want to go to the countryside and just ranch. Specific rating -3.4 Fav song- Tennessee stud Least fav- sailin on to Hawaii
Not music I would normally listen to and I enjoyed it a lot more than I thought I would. But it was a bit too long for me and the string of instrumentals in the middle drove me a little bit crazy. Favourite: Dark as a Dungeon Least: Sailin' On To Hawaii
Impressionante como um disco dessa época tem uma captação tão cristalina. Os timbres de violão são lindíssimos e os diálogos entre as músicas mostram um clima de descontração enorme entre os músicos. Todo mundo parece estar se divertindo bastante enquanto toca, o que torna uma audição bem agradável. Em termos de composição a Nitty Gritty Dirt Band desvia bem pouco da norma aqui, com melodias e progressões de acorde manjadas, mas mesmo assim Will the Circle Be Unbroken é um bom disco, que poderia ser ótimo não fosse a duração estendida e a repetitividade entre as faixas.
Além de o disco ser quase longo, com quase 2h de duração, esse falatório durante as faixas me incomodou um pouco. Não dá pra negar que é bem executado, que tem umas músicas bonitas, nessa seara raiz norte-americana, mas não é um gênero de música que me agrada tanto. Acaba sendo cansativo pela quantidade de músicas. As instrumentais são legais também, divertidas, mas também cansam.
Some fantastic covers and some less than fantastic ones
Country/bluegrass isn't really my thing, especially old school stuff like this, but I can at least appreciate it if it's good. And I'm not gonna hold it against it, but 2 hours is maybe a tad much. Nashville Blues goes hard though. Kinda feels like that song is a very early precursor to genres like gothic country, dark folk, or murderfolk. Good stuff. Devil Went Down to Georgia jumpscare with Lonesome Fiddle Blues as well. Gonna be honest, Nitty Gritty Dirt Band did it better. 2nd disc really leaning heavy on stuff that's either old country/bluegrass standards or music artists in the future have definitely "borrowed" as I'm hearing a ton of licks and stuff I've heard before.
3.2 crazy fiddle tho
Liked it more than expected. Super long Favorites: You Are My Flower, Wreck On The Highway, Nine Pound Hammer
I enjoyed the first hour of this. I even liked the second hour. But come on, by the end this just got ridiculous.
I was apprehensive about this album based on the name and artwork but was pleasantly surprised. It’s very reminiscent of the ‘O Brother Where art tho soundtrack - with some of the songs featuring on both. Appalachian blue grass in style, the harmonies and musicality are fantastic. It reminds me of the Avett Brothers in places (a favourite of mine) and a genuinely lovely album to listen to. I have to say the 2+ hour album length is a bit much but this is one of those albums you could either get lost in listening to or have on in the background whilst doing something else.
I quite liked this, there is some good musicianship on show. Upbeat country and the fiddles, banjos and guitars are fun. There is some great musicianship here and I can see how it made country more accessible to someone like me who doesn't normally listen to it. It is too long though even if you don't count the bonus tracks with all the talking etc. I was enjoying it for a bit but it's too much so I'm capping at 3
Loved the instrumental both sides now.
Grew up playing the banjo in Appalachia, so appreciated hearing the classics. But, I greatly prefer all of their 80's stuff more.
6/10 - there were some songs I really enjoyed. Mostly the ones where there was no singing like Nashville blues. The rest were kind of annoying
Honestly I liked it more than I thought, but my god was it long. Doesn’t help that a lot of the songs sounded very similar
I do not doubt that this is an Important Album, and I do not regret having listened to it, but it is also not my speed. But I am feeling generous.
Listalla ei ilmeisesti ollut riittävästi bluegrassia kun pamautettiin tällainen kahden tunnin eepos. Lajissaan miellyttävää, joskin on myönnettävä että jossain kohtaa muuttui tasaiseksi massaksi. 3/5
a begrudging three
Vajaan kahden tunnin mittainen, maratonimainen pläjäys hauskaa, kaunista musiikkia, josta osa iskee toden teolla ja osa valuu ohitse. LP soveltuu historialliseen tutkimukseen, mutta myös bileiden taustamusiiksi. Ja kyllä, ihan vain vanhaan kunnon kuunteluun. 3,5
A great collection of powerful names in classic Blue Grass. A little long and disjointed, but great for the collection that it is.
Meget overraskende at jeg nød den her så meget
Svær at rate. Læste lidt op om den her plade og det er jo et mirakel at det overhovedet findes! Virkelig cool og lyder rigtig godt, men også ret overvældende og egentlig overhovedet ikke min stil.
This was the most country (in both time and quality) I've ever heard in my life.
42 songs?! 2+ hours?! 70s?! country!? In this economy?! OK, I'm gonna try to give it a fair shake. I like the idea of a compilation of a bunch of different artists, including at least, but I think also at most, one lady (Maybelle Carter). There are a lot of funny lyrics here; too many for me to list. I also burst out laughing at 'The Precious Jewel', which starts with some bants about how the first take is the best take, and then the singing is the most unlistenable warbly bay of all time. Took me right out. 'Dark as a Dungeon' is solid. 'Black Mountain Rag' is jaunty. Every Acuff song is an ironic delight. I mean, the vowels! I'm creishing out. I think the second disc is all instrumental. Wait, no, there's some more warbly singing. Whew, this is a long album. It just keeps going. Towards the end is 'Will the Circle Be Unbroken', which is pretty good. A lot of these songs are religious in nature, but Circle feels more like a straight gospel track then whatever else is going on on this album (the aural inspo for Disney's Fox and the Hound, maybe?). Then comes a total blindside in the form of 'Both Sides Now', one of my top songs of all time and also #1 on my "please play this at my funeral" playlist (which is a normal playlist that I'm sure everyone has!!). I was terrified to hear the Nitty Gritty version, but it was actually just instrumental, thank god. Extremely acceptable, even nice. Following it up with 'Foggy Mountain Breakdown' is an upsetting tonal shift though. Overall, this album was better than I expected, but that was partially because my expectations were rock bottom. Still, the rush of finishing it counts for a 3.
WoooooeeEE! BOyyy that was some mighty fine a-pickin’ anna singin’
Meine Fresse ist es lang
Pretty good but good kinda long
Ok, for ensemble bluegrass, it's pretty good. It's not something I might intentionally put on, but it's not bad. It DOES go on for a little longer than I expected.
Rating: 6/10 Quite intriguing, I really enjoyed the bluegrass songs but not so much the country ones. Way too long but was surprisingly enjoyable throughout.
I didn't hate it but it was way too long. It became a job to get through the last 3rd.
Correcto
By and By Lord, By and By...
I get the importance of this album. But not my cup of tea. The use of a fiddle or violin almost saved this for me. I love those instruments. This album invokes too many memories of southern twang, songs that were frequently performed at 4H music contests that I was forced to endure because my sister, Vicki, was active in the 4H scene. Not to mention I find the lyrics almost too straight forward and religious based for my taste. It borders on being sappy for me.
Super long listen, over 2 hours of country and bluegrass. great playing throughout. If Not for the length I'd definitely revisit this one with more regularity.
I remember listening to this record growing up. It's a lot of bluegrass to listen to all at once, so it's not something I'm every going to want to listen to in its entirety often, if ever, but it's also one of my favorite examples of bluegrass and there's some really good songs and crazy good playing on here. 3.4/5
This was actually cute and enjoyable country music but OH MY LORD IT WAS ENDLESS. The last 3 songs felt a bit random because they just kept speaking and at that point u kinda wanted the album to be over. Long albums work for smashing pumpkins because each song has a different feel to it. It wasn’t like that here. It was still really good. So 3 for structure, 4 for sound .
This is probably the most I’ve enjoyed listening to country in this project. Even so, it feels a little self indulgent. The talking could probably be eliminated without losing anything, and the instrumentals start to drag on through the second disc. Could probably have made for a pretty fun single album.
What a slog! Beautiful recording but far too long. The songs blurred into each other after a certain point.
Two full hours of hurdy-gurdy-schnurdy are a little bit too long for my liking, but these folks sure can play their instruments! Yeeehhhaaaa!!
This album is longer than the American constitution including the amendments. Honestly though, if I was born in the US, I might have liked this a lot. Just listening to this without any nostalgia attached to it makes me think: It's fine. Nothing more.
Very enjoyable bluegrass with many tones of country, nice surprise because I wasn't expecting anything about the record, a song here and there is good, but it's a very long album
Fav song: Both Sides Now It's ok, they're very very good players and that's always a joy to listen to. But man, this album is WAY too long.
Я доволі гарно відношусь як до сучасного альтернативного #country ,так і люблю, «сповнені душі», класичні композиції 50-х та 60-х від Джонні Кеша. І що мене приваблює у цьому жанрі найбільше - так це його неймовірна «чутливість» та щирість. Адже важко знайти іншу музику, яка б могла настільки ж точно передавати емоції виконавця, та налагоджувати такий самий тісний контакт зі слухачем. Але для повноцінного ефекту - дуже важливо розуміти тексти пісень, а іноді і контекст в якому вони була написані. І саме через вищезазначені причині - цей жанр є зовсім непопулярним в Україні. Проте, якщо ж, вам вдасться підійти до його прослуховування максимально серйозно та вдумливо, ви точно отримаєте дуже «автентичний» та атмосферний досвід. І цей альбом Nitty Gritty Dirt Band, між іншим, створювався з цією ж метою - довести, що кантрі все ще має вагу. Навіть сам гурт - це, фактично, збір тогочасних зірок локальної кантрі сцени Нешвіллу. Що цікаво, то тут ми чуємо кантрі у «первинному» його вигляді, яке часто називають «bluegrass». Bluegrass - це музика, що зʼявилась у результаті поєднання американської фолк музики із #blues та #gospel, та для якого характерне використання цікавих акустичних інструментів, на кшталт банджо чи фідлу. Цікавість полягає в тому, що альбом відчувається як дуже автентична американська музика минулого. Вона, неначе, переносить тебе на «дикій захід», і дарує враження які можно порівняти із переглядом гарного вестерну. Майже всі пісні тут це доволі ліричні та розслабляючі. Вони повільно та без всілякого поспіху, неначе незнайомець якого ти випадково зустрів за барною стійкою старого салуну, розповідають тобі свою, до болі щиру, історію. Із мінусів - альбом ну дуууже великий, і через свою монотонність, може з часом наскучити, тому я рекомендую слухати його, хоча б, у два заходи. Ну а після прослуховування, мені дуже захотілося пограти у Red Dead Redemption.
not usually a bluegrass fan but this was a nice listen. great variety of tempos, instrumental pieces, & different vocalists. BUT it is really, really long so lost 1/2 a star for excessive length
Let’s be real—this album is a full on front porch bluegrass jam session, the kind that feels right at home with hillbillies dancing around, moonshine in hand, and a few missing teeth.
Yee haw.
Music is going, album is too long, still getting through it
Enjoyable enough
This is just so incredibly long. I like the folksy bluegrass instrumental tracks, I'm less interested in the twangy country vocals. I actually really enjoyed the talking in the studio bits between tracks, it added a human element to the album that I found charming.
Simply epic. But too long and repetitive.
Long but some good moments.
Enjoyable but gets a little repetitive. I like the instrumental tunes better than the songs. I know I enjoy playing this music more than listening to it! :)
Listened to most of it but this album is looooong. Was fine i guess. Country
Funsies, but not my vibe, and the album is very long
This album was over 2 hours long 😩 I didn’t listen to the whole thing, I just couldn’t. Not even close actually. It’s definitely catchy music and oh so wholesome sounding, and they’re super talented instrumentally, but 2+ hours is just too much of any one band in my opinion. I mean, unless you’re REALLY into bluegrass. I had no idea this band had such a long history. The only song I was familiar with was Fishin’ in the Dark. Their earlier sound was so different from that one. I know some people complained about the talking. I didn’t mind it. I think stuff like that can be so endearing and bring more personality to an album. But why is it so long? 😭😭😭
Surprisingly decent.
I could have watched Tombstone in the time it took me to listen to this
I liked some of this. Had it been an hour shorter and different lead singers for some of the songs, I could probably even have gone as high as 4*. But it wasn't. It'd be 5* to accompany a serious drinking session, though. 3.5*
Nourishing. Went on long enough!
OK I gotta admit I only listened to an hour of this. It's really accomplished and sounds great but it's just not a genre I listen too and I became a bit weary by the end of the first disc.
Not being the biggest country, but this old style of country folk album is legit. I like the influence of the different artists featured and it’s a really cool concept to bring the old and new artists together. I also liked the behind the scenes tracks of them just talking and practicing. A really cool view into the recording process.
I love me some bluegrass, but I don’t know it well enough to understand why this is any better or worse than other bluegrass. Enjoyable throughout, but too long.
Didn’t get to the second disk but I think I get the gist. Always love me some banjo, fiddle, mandolin, etc. Could obvs do without the confederate flag. I enjoyed it but I like my bluegrass a little tighter, as in sharper harmonies and stuff like that. Clearly some of these old timers that are featured just don’t have the voice anymore. The instrumentation was out of sight though. Incredible string picking. It was cool to see mother maybelle (mother of June Carter ((wife of Johnny cash))) on here cuz she’s such an important part of music history but sadly I didn’t really care for that song.
As I get older I realize that I’m not so far from my southern roots as I thought I was, I genuinely do enjoy bluegrass music. It’s not something I actively seek out, but if it’s being played live there’s not much better. I’ve also found out that I much prefer a banjo and fiddle going to town rather than hearing the lyrics. This album’s biggest downfall is its length, but getting to listen to the great Doc Watson on a few tracks makes it go by fairly quickly. If it were only the second disk I’d be rating this a four, but the double album length brings it down a star.
Fantastic old school bluegrass album. While not my every day listening choice, this album would be the perfect example of old bluegrass.
I actually enjoy this shit quite a bit. I’m not throwing it on for friends or anything, but maybe I should haha
Completely unfamiliar with this band, but I didn't hate it. I hear so much bluegrass living in CO that I kinda tune out to this genre sometimes.
I went into this unenthusiastically but ended up enjoying it. Feels like a great album to have on while doing chores around the house or sipping coffee in the morning. It brought back memories of riding our bikes into Red Hook in Brooklyn and heading to the back room of Sonny's bar. Musicians would sit in a circle playing improve bluegrass. Anyone could participate, but you only would if you had actual talent. I imagine they covered some of the tunes on this album.
I like Opry style from time to time, but this just went on forever! Not great but just good.
Mixed bag here as some songs have more twang than I prefer, but the sound quality was shockingly good for something from 1972. I'd only ever heard "Fishin' in the Dark" from The Nitty Gritty Dirt Band, so I was surprised to learn that 1) they've been making music since the 60's and 2) they're at least as much bluegrass as country. This album would fit right in with The Comatose Brothers or Old Crow Medicine Show albums from 30-40 years later, so I thank these folks (and all the guest performances) for their service. Gotta say the second half of this double album falls off, though. Early on I had this pegged as a 4, but it was hard to get through the back half. 3.4
Not my cup of tea, but clearly should be on this list. The musicianship is great, the vocals good or annoying depending on singer (mostly the latter imo). Definitely didn't need to be 2 hours, but given it's the only bluegrass album I'm probably gonna give the time of day I'll let is pass. 2* for me, 4* for it being an album you should probably hear. Nice average.
Nice. Old style
Saw these guys in concert once. This album is pretty famous with lots a of guests. Gotta be in the right mood for the hoedown music.
Not my typical style, but pretty good. Very long.
some real folky songs. I'm a bit weary of the cover art but nontheless as art it's pretty catchy. Dark as a dungeon has a great message about grief and lust for money. This is like the previous album but a different more patriotic font. The more I listen the more boring it gets.
Bloody hell that's long. Amazing playing. Not a genre that I'm very familiar with but you have to tip your (Stetson) hat. Wonderful harmonies
Surprisingly enjoyable and honest
These fellers sure can pluck strings
I liked each individual song and believe I will be happily surprised by any of them coming on my Spotify random, but this album was two straight hours of bluegrass, which puts my lifetime total of bluegrass listening somewhere around two hours, and didn’t inspire me to seek out more bluegrass.
Pretty cool but I can't sit through 2 hours of it
I feel like I don't know bluegrass enough to appreciate this... Naima seems to like it though
Cool idea. I would have liked it better if it was 1/3 of the length. Personal enjoyment: 3/5 Relevance to this list: 5/5
As I've mentioned elsewhere on this journey, bluegrass and folk country makes me think of my grandpa. It's not a top genre for me, but I guess I've got a soft spot for it. However, I wouldn't sign up for a 2-hour-long experience of it. This came out as 3 LPs, originally? What an ambitious group. I liked the music, there was just too much of it! I liked Nashville Blues and Dark As a Dungeon. Good songs and they were early enough in the album that I can remember them.
One of the best parts of Will The Circle Be Unbroken is the banter between some of the songs. It's terrific. I think this album would be way better without most of the vocals and more solos by the instruments. I found myself engaged much more in the instrumentals than the songs with a singer. The songs are stifling the band.
I don't know a lot about bluegrass music, so can't say if it's a great album, as it sounded pretty standard to me. But they clearly thought it was good enough to be on this list. 3/5
Cool, I mean
surprisingly didn’t mind this. i enjoyed the instrumental tracks the most. reminds me of home. definitely wish it were shorter though.
Souvent dansant et entraînant, presque toujours nostalgique. Comme une page d’histoire
Meh, there were others in this era that were definitely more worth listening to.
Holy blue grass, this is over 2 hours long. That's a lot of fiddlin' for anyone; we'll see how deep I get before sampling and skipping through.Five tracks is the answer to that. So, this is interesting work because the group intentionally created this to reach out to traditional country artists and listeners. It is quite different from the more familiar \"Fishing in the Dark\" track of my late-80's two-stepping days. Its fine, don't love it but respect the effort and adherence to old-school country as they intended.
Am I wrong? Is this album 42 songs long? It took me 3 days. Best 12 songs would have made a 4, but I'm not built for this.
2 hours is just far too long to listen to same genre and style of music. I broke it down and listened to each disc separately, but still found both a slog. A lot of the tracks are quite good on their own, but the cumulative experience leaves much to be desired. I respect the idea of collaborating with artists from a different era to bridge the gap between generations, but this was just too much be enjoyable.
I liked it, it had a nice feel-good vibe, however, it was a bit long and had a few too many talky bits.
This album feels like a warm, easy conversation between generations. It moves with a gentle sway, like old friends playing together on a front porch. The blend of voices and instruments is soft, inviting, and full of tradition. It's a lot like something you’d expect from The Carter Family or maybe even a more relaxed Johnny Cash. There's a quiet comfort to it, like an afternoon spent with your favorite people.
I mean, I'm a sucker for old short country songs. I'm not such a sucker for three rebel flags on the cover? Man, I don't have time to go down a rabbit hole on this - I don't support the South in the Civil War, hot take. But I do like a bunch of these songs. do with that what you will.
Down home country classics from the Nitty Gritty Ditty Committee.
Such a pleasant listen for a Sunday morning.
Good fun but waaay too long
Like all the bluegrass stars of the time making cameos and playing some fun old-time bluegrass.
Surprisingly kinda nice.
its a snap shot in time more of a collection of songs and covers than a real "album"
I liked it
I dug it. Outside my norm. Will I go back to it? Prolly not. Higher than a 3 for musicianship and originality but not quite a 4 for me.
I do enjoy this style of country but nothing stood out in particular. 3.5/5
Better than expected. 3.5
Grazie al cielo l'ho ascoltato mesi fa. Non ricordo niente ma al tempo gli diedi 3 quindi ecco qua. A mai più
This was so much like being in a pub with a band that I actually felt drunk towards the end. This is just about on the OK side of folk without becoming too corny, but I don't think I ever need to hear a banjo again.
devo essere onesta e ammettere di averne ascoltato solo metà perchè alla lunga è un po' ripetitivo, però sempre molto caruccio <3
Grazie al cielo l’ho ascoltato mesi fa. Non ricordo niente ma al tempo gli diedi 3 quindi ecco qua. A mai più
Over 2 hours for an album is wild behavior. I am 84 minutes into this and I've grown a full beard, a spittoon appeared on the ground next to me, and I am suddenly in a rocking chair on a warm porch somewhere in Appalachia.
2+ hours is an awful lot of bluegrass to ask someone to consume, but I must say i'm actually really enjoying this album though it did start to drag and get very same-y by disc 2. I probably should have broken this out over a few sessions.
All the bluegrass you will ever need to listen to. Get one bluegrass album, get this one. That’s it.
Makes me want to sit on a porch and drink beer in my rocking chair.
Sounds US Civil War-ish. It's not bad by any means, but it's absolutely not my thing though I respect their talents. 6/10.
I like aspects of bluegrass, like the vocal harmonies and some of the virtuoso strings. But the rhythms can be monotonous, especially on a long album like this. I liked some of the studio session banter in this recording, but eventually that got old too.
I enjoyed this listen quite a bit, at least with an intermission break included midway. I had forgotten how fun bluegrass music can be, and this album proved that by a mile and a half. Not all of the tracks stick, but I enjoyed the vibe of this album enough to stick the whole way through.
Actually kinda enjoyed listening to this. Could see me and some mates, with a six pack of good beer each, and staring into a fire for a night listening to this.
I had always known bluegrass music existed, but it was not until the O Brother, Where Art Thou? soundtrack that I really gave it a listen. That was also when I fell in love with Allison Kraus. I am not at all a fan of traditional country - with a few exceptions like Patsy Cline or Dolly Parton. I have never knowingly listened to a song by NGDB. I really enjoyed this album. The way they can burst into a song after a short chat and absolutely nail it is beyond impressive. And the harmonies are exceptional. Great band and great music.
Much like the John Lee Hooker album on this list (The Healer) this one's more of a compilation of old-timey standards featuring country legends well past the height of their powers. And it's really long. That said, there's some great playing on this so it gets the 3-star "OK" rating from me. Much prefer listening to the originals tho (e.g. Decca Country Classics box set!).
I do like some country music after all! Especially when it’s as straightforward, honest, and lovely as this. I preferred the more vocal first disc, as opposed to the more instrumental second disc, which surprised me, but I just felt the performances of all the guest singers were so strong. I don’t think the album is particularly helped by being so long, and having so many introductions and chat breaks between the songs, but I appreciate the attempt at the creation of a full document to highlight the life of the times when this was recorded.
Howdy there fella! Come on and sit down by the fire, we just opened up a new bottle of moonshine and fiddle on my fiddle. Sing along and ride off into the sunset in the morning. Catchy country
Yeeehaw
Great Both Sides, Now instrumental.
surprisingly good, i liked it
Alright country - not my jazz but maybe in repeat listens could be good.
I'm amazed at how well recorded and produced this music is. I obviously know that, at that time, there was a lot of great recorded equipment and studios, but this is not the type of music I felt would get that attention and time and effort. That being said, even though I do like a lot of Appalachian music and western/folk music, most of this music is not something that really inspired or spoke to me. I can see myself putting this on while working around the house - I definitely see the value and appeal. It's just not something that speaks to me, as I would rather listen to one of many other southern folk musicians I like.
Too long, instrumentals good though
Wow that man really loved his horse. This was alot more fun than I expected it to be, but it far too bloody long
I love bluegrass, but this was too much bluegrass. I liked the interspersal of talking bits. That really amps up the realism (especially since bluegrass is such a community-driven genre). But yeah too long.
It’s not easy to rate this one as it’s not really an album but rather a compilation. As such, it’s a great testament on American music history. It’s full of great songs with amazing musicianship and there are times when it made me dance a big and fantasise about a simple life somewhere in the mountains. But as an album, it’s just damn too long. It took me a whole day to just get through to the end and I was so tired at the end I could hear the banjo in my head when I closed my ways to sleep. It would have been magnificent if it was condensed to like 45 mins and I would even consider a 5 since it’s so different than everything else and the production (including the short pieces of conversation) is perfect for the genre. But it gets tiring after you get through the second album and the third one is just you trying to survive. 3/5
Far too long
I don't hate country, but it's tooooooo long
Listened to this by good fortune on the way to mountain view arkansas where they just kind of hang out and play this stuff on the town square most evenings. Kind of a greatest hits of bluegrass and classic nashville country with a lot of the original artists. Interesting shop talk interspersed - i dunno if that was on the preremastered album. Anyway its fun to hear but I don't think anyone would consider these the definitive versions of the songs. Both sides now is a nice touch, and stands out just cause it was composed by big joni and not a country standard.
Remember that old school parenting technique. Find your kid smoking. So you force them to smoke 50 cigarettes back to back to make them hate smoking. Only it doesn’t work. It makes them love it - you can’t understand why. In this case, the cigarettes are bluegrass, rootin’ and a tootin’ country music. The brand is this album. Relentless foot tapping music that makes you feel like you should hate it but after 2 hours you seem to have been brainwashed to quite enjoy it. 3.2
This would be good if it wasn’t two hours long and the songs didn’t sound the same. There’s some ok songs anyway though.
This album was really good, but should have been split into 3 albums it was way too long. DNF
Did not listen
3 there was some great songs sprinkled in and some amazing bluegrass playing but the album was way to long. By the end everything blended together and I got serious fatigue
2024-04-14...
I’ve had a real strange day to say the least. Sitting down and getting ready to put on a 2+ hour long country album was something I wasn’t sure I could handle or not. But remarkably, this brought a lot of comfort to me. It made me feel human. That’s a pretty crazy effect for music to have. Doesn’t mean it’s perfect though. Not really even close. In terms of country music, this is probably as true-blooded and close to country’s roots as it can get. It feels so authentic, and it’s the kind of country or bluegrass music I can fully get behind. This is also helped by the banter between band mates before and after many of the songs. There are some songs here and there that are fully devoted to just the group talking. And I love it. It’s just nice hearing them warming up and talking to each other. It sounds like the kind of life I would want. But this album is still very long. It borders in some places on feeling too long. This is the second longest album I’ve heard on the list, behind 69 Love Songs. But this album feels way more bearable than that. Besides that being nearly an hour longer, 69 Love Songs feels inherently more one-note than this album, even if instrumentally there is far less variety. Truthfully though these two records are about on par with one another. I just don’t think albums need to be this long. It causes me to burn out and get disinterested far quicker. I will always prefer a shorter album that is only as short as it is because that’s all the time they need. Rating: 5/10
This is my last album on the project, so I thought it was fitting that it seemed a gauntlet of a listen at first glance. Two hours later, however, I felt a fitting sense of denouement after so many tracks of lap steel, banjo picking, and twang – I fully get how people would hate listening to this whole thing if it's not your thing, but as a guitar player it was a delight to hear so many different voices, sub-styles, and country influences meld together into a fluid amalgamation. There's a bit of homogeneity, yes, but all the instrumentals here are perfectly executed and organic, flowing forth from a pure sense of camaraderie on behalf of the artists. Having visited the Opry on a trip to Nashville last year, I felt a deeper appreciation for the tapestry of Americana this era of country music represents - outside of jazz music, hot dogs, and hamburgers, this is one of our only pure American exports. These narratives of heartbreak and violence set to bright, twangy guitars are some of the most genuine artistic products produced in this country, and to get a two-hour sampler was at once both exhausting but refreshing. Happy to get a fitting LP to close the project, now I just have to fill the hole in my life the 1001 generator will leave behind!
Top notch country/bluegrass, although it is way too long and the talking should have been omitted.
bello, ma ho ascoltato solo il primo lato perché troppo lungo. 3-4
Not the music i can listed to straight laced. That's great as a joke, reminiscing wist west era, cool for picturing movies like Back To The Future 3. Doubt i can listen to this in any other way.
A great listen from beginning to end. It's a bit long and lacking in variation, but individually everything is strong
That was a helluva lot of bluegrass. I can see it was very influential and includes a lot of certified legends, but it's slightly lost on me. Enjoyable enough, way too long and I don't know what else to say.
Welp, I had some stuff written, but my browser took a shit. This is a long ride through country bluegrass (~110 min) and for the most part I found it to be enjoyable. Reading a bit on the production history, confirms what I suspected; this was cut very raw (1-2 takes per track) and they had a long running tape to capture studio banter. The banter serve as intros to many tracks, making for a personal feeling album. The songs vary widely, and to be honest, I had this on in the background for 90% so I didn't take specific notes. Only standouts I recall were Tennessee Stud, Nashville Blues, and the first 3 songs or so of the second disc. Will I go back for more, probably not, but I do have a soft spot in my heart for quality bluegrass. Lot to love here, but it runs too long for my taste. If we had a half scale this would be a 3.5. Gonna round down because I don't expect to come back.
Great music, but didn't necessarily need 2 hours of it. However, of all albums to be 2 hours, this one I welcome most as it is very easy listening and makes the work day go by a bit faster. Probably a 3.5, but I'm gonna round down for length and homogeneity
That was some mighty fine banjo pluckin and guitar strummin. Don't know if I needed 2 hours of it, but nonetheless it was quite enjoyable.
Enjoyed the variety of artists and the sound
Seems iconic. But not an album I would listen to over and over.
Sorry wtf WER macht es album wo über 2h gaht???? Oke de ahfang isch… intense aso bisch halt direkt ih dem dinn oder keis ahtaste nütt zack boom bang da bin ich Ok ich lieb banjo and I’m definitely getting my fair share of banjo mit dem album hahahaha Wait bin mer ned sicher öbs banjo oder Mandoline isch??? Keep ok the sunny side findi iwie cute??🥺
will the circle be unbroken (dütet dass uf ihre stammbaum hii?) chönnt au es metalcore album sii ouhyeah sind das jz 2h country?? mal luege öbis ushalte, find country funny aber weiss nöd öb für so lang grand ole opry song findi cute han halt würkli kei ahnig vo country hahahah MOTHER MAYBELLE CARTER TÖNT JA MEGA COOL ahhja cover: kinda hard, kinda racist; was gwicht ich meh?? you are my flower hani jz chli schlecht gfunde finds sehr cool ghörtmer die verschiedene sänger:inne vorem uufneh no öppis sege, git eim sochli es persönlichers gfühl? (und s gfühl dassmer im tüfste süde vode usa isch) tennessee stud hani cute gfunde ok jz chli schneller wreck on the highway hani bis jz s tollste lied gfunde honky tonkin tönt öppe so wies de titel verspricht ok also allgemein würdi es 3 geh -1 wills arschlang gaht und s mich jz ahfangt nerve +1 wills sehr e cooli idee isch und ichs rede dezwüsche mega funny find
I liked selected songs...bluegrass and the blues are awesome, but this is a long-ass album. Obviously talented musicians!
Some good songs, but too long 3/5
Over 2 hours of mighty fine fiddely diddely doo-music. Now excuse me, I need to get back to the dark dreary mine, where it's dark as a dungeon; the sun never shines; the rain never falls; where the danger is double and the pleasures are few.
You’re kidding me, right? 2 hours of country music in one day? Nobody could survibe that? Except I did, and even though I crew awfully fed up during the album’s playing time, I can’t say I hated it. So much better than what passes for country music these days. Did I like it? No, but I appreciate it for its historical value and some quality music, and not least, musicians
So many songs
Thick in the Bluegrass, simple powerful heartfelt.
I liked disc 2, with all the instrumentals, much more
Great background music.
The concept is brilliant. Take the icons from hill country (bluegrass) of the 40s and 50s and put them in a 70s era recording studio with its capacity for making pristine and lush reproductions. The inclusion of the inter-track cross talk is brilliant. And I love it every time I start it. But bluegrass is like the 12 bar blues for me. The monotony starts to physically exhaust me about four / five songs in. I end up having the same experience listening to this album as I do in Renaissance art museums. I go from super excited to exhausted after about 1/3 to 1/2 of the way through. (Are ALL of the paintings of Jesus and the saints?)
If I ever want to listen to some good folk country stuff I’ll come back to this one
Can you have too much Country Bears music? Well, yes, it turns out you can.
country bear jamboreeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee
Enjoyable! Nice genre.
It’s good for what it is, and there is some super stuff on here, but clocking in at over 2 hours, it’s a lot to take in, especially if this type of country music isn’t your thing. If just the best tracks were kept and this was cut down to one cd, I’d have scored it higher.
Interesting document, but I don't need the talking in between songs. Enjoyable bluegrass. I especially like the instrumental tunes (please learn how to finish those without resorting to "Shave and a Haircut, though!). The old-school Country/Hillbilly artists are not at their best so it works more as a tribute than an original work of art. Could be condensed to a single LP without losing anything. Maybe do that for casual listeners then make the extended version for the hardcore fans/historically motivated.
I like me a bit o’ the ol’ country and bluegrass, but this was a bit too much.
I really liked this but 2 hours is excessive
I liked a lot of it but there was also a lot of chat and it went on for about a month
I enjoyed it but it is very long and mostly the same stuff
I liked it, had an old country/bluegrass jam session feel. It’s long tho
There is some great banjo playing and general instrumentation, but the “skits” on seemingly every track are a bit much in my opinion. The album while fun to listen to, doesn’t have that next level to it.
It's a country mega album but the sum is less than its parts. For example, Keep on the sunny side is a bit of a noisy mess, like a bar singalong, where The Carters and The Whites keep it clean. However, it is 1000x better than that pop they call country on the radio.
Liked it - folk guitar/fiddle country music.
Sure. Perfect for a muggy afternoon on the back forty with a rocking chair, cold beer and a piece of straw hanging from your mouth.
Had a good time listening to this album
I kind of dig the music but it does get boring and repetitive. It's not really a cohesive album to me.
Classic bluegrass ?
Not for me. Catchy tunes tho
2 hours of Country is crazy but I did enjoy a lot of it so Im giving it a 3 stars
it's maw-paw-yeehaw music but it's not bad grand ole opry song nashville blues the precious jewel dark as a dungeon (no surprise that it's a song about coal mining) black mountain rag sunny side of the mountain lonesome fiddle blues
I enjoyed the more Bluegrassy tracks more than the slower country/gospel ones. At any rate, at over two hours long, it felt like a drag by the end.
This is a great bluegrass band, but since when did 1001 start giving 42 song compilation box sets and calling them albums?
Ol’ timey music: good for the soul, good for the ears. Music of the earth, music of the dirt. A good find for sure. Bluegrass done in a way that maintains the heart of the music without trying to pander to modern sensibilities. Hear obvious traces of older Irish music. Enjoy the banter between the musicians, but feel like those will be obvious tracks to skip on repeat listens. Good music for listening with kids.
Pretty fun.
There's country music and then there's this. I don't know enough to really understand but this album is just good fun. Fave tracks: Keep On The Sunny Side, and Tennessee Stud
Holy god this is way too long for more than three stars. Some good tunes tho
Good, but country not my favourite genre.
Really not my kind of music. I do like country music, but this is more bluegrass classics and that's not my thing. There are some songs I did enjoy more than the others... Keep on Sunny Side, Wreck on the Highway, Nine Pound Hammer, Honky Tonkin', Lost Highway, Will the Circle be Unbroken, Both Sides Now (Don't really know why this was included on the album)., Foggy Mountain Breakdown. By the end I wanted to rip my ears off. Still it's a 3/5
I was surprised I liked this one as much as I did. That's not to say I loved it or anything, I just found that the bluegrass and banjo thing worked well and some of the studio interludes were interesting. But can we admit it's too damn long? Seriously, this didn't need to be two hours. Like most double (triple?) albums, this would've been a lot better if cut down to 45 mins. 3.5 record, round down because of the length.
Fun but 42 songs??
42 song album, good god! Bluegrass pickin' vibes from first track. "Keep on the Sunny Side" is solid.
Wow! Ok! Not awful at all. Not actually annoying. I liked this. I will head down into a bit of a rabbit hole with this.
A good example for folk/bluegrass - the loose quality of the pre-take conversations really gives you an idea of how these traditional songs can be played with a relatively unpracticed group.
If this was just the first side, it would be an easy A from me, but, given the latter side’s decision to have over half the tracks compromised of repetitive instrumentals, I am forced to retract points that this album was entirely capable of earning. The songs themselves aren’t original to the band as they’re all covers, but they’re only the true classics in the genre. The playing and instrumentation is so tight and infectious it almost makes the instrumentals worth it. Production is surprisingly good quality and my only problem is the wacky B side on this thing. Such a strange and unfortunate decision. Cut the instrumentals and runtime and you’d have one classic of an album. 3/5
I sentence you to 2 hours of country music
I liked the songs that were on this. I really did, and the historical significance of the album is truly important but... the album is just TOO LONG. 3 LPs? 2 CDs? 2 _HOURS_? It just started to blur together after the first 30 minute or so. Maybe I should have played it in little chunks, but that would have defeated the purpose of listening to the whole thing, right? And then they made 2 more volumes?! Yikes.
If you're going to do a 2 hour two disc set, it better be off the wall. This was good, but not that good. There are a lot of talented musicians that joined this recorded jam session. It's a cool idea and I get why the album should be on the list - you're not going to find much else like it. But man, 2 hours? I couldn't focus on it that long and it didn't move me so much that I want to give it another go.
I have listened to thirty out of the 41 tracks and feel that's enough to make some comments. This is always listenable, and a fantastic corrective to the glossy Nashville MOR country that had solidified by the early seventies. But whether 41 tracks of it in one go is really the way to enjoy this music is debatable. Would it have been a four with 12 well-chosen tracks, possibly not but definitely 3.5 rather than the 3 it is after 31 rippin bluegrass numbers.
Well wow what a long album. Why didn't they just do 3. Great tunes from On Brother Where art thou and I appreciated the harmonies and guitar playing and little stories
Jeez that's a hell of a lot of bluegrass and trad country. I almost picked up a jug in the kitchen and started blowing into it. Appreciate the craftsmanship though.
Kind of a cool idea for an album, to play with the greats. It plays like an archive piece, from the star performances to the little chit chat tracks in between songs. Heck of a run time to get through at 2 hrs, but there hasn't been much bluegrass on this list and it was a welcome change.
I like that they included the banter in between recordings -makes it feel cozy and intimate- but it's way too long without having some kind of coherent thread (beyond jamming with your heroes). They have all these classic country and bluegrass numbers, and then all of a sudden they just throw a solo acoustic cover of Joni Mitchell's "Both Sides Now" in there? Could a left some shit on the cutting room floor. I will say my favorite tracks by far were those with Maybelle Carter.
Quaint cozy folk/bluegrass vibes. It's raw and that suits the genre for sure.
3-4
It’s fun, but also long and kind of samey for that length. It’s cool how it kind of acts as a celebration of this kind of traditional music, though, and the songs themselves are often nice tasty bluegrass. I also dislike some of the songs, though, like the one about the jewel or whatever. Interesting, but you don’t necessarily need to hear the whole thing.
I understand the historic inclusion of this album as a bridge between early 20th century country roots and late 20th century hippie “country fried” music, but I wasn’t feeling the album until the sheer number of rags and fiddle fiestas hit me. That’s what I’m here for - I’ll jam to that!
I enjoyed the interaction between band members pre—song. It gave the recording an authenticity unlike many other albums. A double album of country classics was a little too much and I lost interest midway through.
I really love the sounds and tunes, but its another album that I couldn't listen from top to bottom. Two hours of country? Come on.
If I was a fan of Bluegrass Country music, this would surely be a classic, must-hear album with it's amazing musicianship by some of the legends in the genre and a wonderful collection of songs. I can't say I didn't enjoy it and especially liked the banter and dialogue between the musicians and easy-going casual recording atmosphere. It is long, so it's a lot to take in, but if you're new to Bluegrass, I could recommend hearing this at least once. As I said, I'm not a fan of Bluegrass, but I can appreciate the quality of the music and though it hasn't converted me, I do give it respect and once in a while it's okay to explore other music I don't normally give a care about.
Probably didn't need to be *quite* so long, but the gathering of all these artists feels special even to somebody who's heard of maybe one or two of them before. Docked one point for the flags.
I'm getting notes of gospel, twang, twirl, and twist. The twist is that I didn't listen to all 2 hours and 10 minutes. Nor did I listen to all 42 songs. The banjo player(s) seem to know what's going on with this album.
Really didn't expect this... thought it was going to be more like country-pop... especially since the only thing i know by the band is American Dream. That is SOOOO not this band. This is O Brother Where Art Thou?. It is way too long at 2 hours, but it stays true with lots of banjo, some instrumentals, and what seems like music that could have been handed down for generations. Interesting.
Really glad I listened to this, a charming romp through Americana and bluegrass. However, it felt long for my tastes, and found myself wondering if the tracks were on repeat. Some solid songs, and ones I'll enjoy learning to play.
Catchy enough "classic" country music without being stellar.
Good old country with lots of stars
2h10 de country, Robert aura vraiment tout tenté pour nous pousser à abandonner le générateur, mais on tient bon.
I am not a country fan but I like Blue Grass. This is that old school country which is way better than all the modern crap. This is a legit good album. I loved all the in studio talking as well. It lent a live feeling to the record. It was too long. But I assume that is mostly because they wanted everyone to have a chance to shine.
Sonido country sin nada especialmente destacable. En ocasiones, virtuosismo con la guitarra y el banjo. Se puede escuchar, aunque pueda parecer un poco monótono
Massive album (as in: two hours) of classic country. Some of the instrumental tracks are quite relaxing, but mostly this kind of music just isn't for me. 2.5/5
I just really don't enjoy this style. Nothing against it, I just don't like it.
Forty two songs. FORTY. TWO. SONGS.
Not for me. 3
Most of the songs are just re-recording of old bluegrass and country standards, which aren’t bad. The main issue is how fucking long this thing is. OVER TWO HOURS!! I cannot listen to two hours of old country straight. I just can’t. So that earns it a 3 at best, but I could easily give it a two.
My God, this album was never ending. Far, far too long - I wouldn’t even want to listen to a two hour album for a genre I actually enjoy, let alone two straight hours of country. The songs themselves were mostly fine, though largely indistinguishable from one another.
Interesting... I usually don't like country music, but I want my own list to include a few examples of it at least. And so far, this record is one of the best candidates in the genre I've heard. Its "two-generations-meet" concept is pretty neat, its atmosphere is enticing--thanks to the spoken word interludes between the songs, showing the players prepping before a lot of those cuts--and well... some of the tracks are great! I know they're covers or standards, but oddly enough that doesn't bother me at all given that this is a collaborative record, with the Nitty Gritty Dirt Band merely being the vessel that got all those old C&W stars gathered in one place. I love many of the arrangements as well: like the final section of "Keep On The Sunny Side"; or the instrumental "Nashville Blues", with its fiddle and banjo fingerpicking going to weird minor-major transitions; or the backing vocals of "Dark As A Dungeon"; or that incredible guitar solo sliding and, well, literally *wailing* about "The End Of The World" in the instrumental bearing the same name... And I'm only talking about the highlights of the first CD here. Obviously, this release is a LOT to take in in one single sitting, but other stuff on the latter part of the record sound promising as well. The fiddle so aptly imitating a train on that "Orange Blossom Special" instrumental makes it a version that I already find as endearing as the one played by Johnny Cash. I was not paying attention to the names of the songs anymore at this point, and it put me... right on track, ha ha. Speaking of the attention span you need for such a long record... I've noticed that the "pure" bluegrass cuts providing the bulk of the music offer the liveliest and most effective moments here. To me, bluegrass is when "country" becomes a little more interesting, rhythmically and harmonically speaking. Reminds me of when I attended a bluegrass gig when I lived in Indiana for a while, and the blast it was to watch that band play. Wish I could remember those guys' names now... A few words about the overall "country" umbrella style now... Johnny Cash's deep voice and dark persona will always make him a favorite of mine, and I've got to say that I've changed my mind about Marty Robbins' *Gunfighter Ballads And Trail Songs*, as I will maybe include it in my own list now. The thing is, I still don't sense anything even remotely interesting is happening in most country albums music-wise. Artists like Buck Owens, for instance, also wrote famous songs in the honky-tonk genre, but apart from those well-known cuts, everything from him (and other artists of that caliber) sounds the same to me. Yet I'm trying hard to keep an open mind. I guess Dimery's list helps me a lot doing so, at least. Because that Nitty Gritty Dirt Band record popped up today, I have now explored other ones by Willie Nelson, and I must say I was pretty impressed by *Shotgun Willie* and *Phases And Stages*--far more, actually, than Nelson's return from "outlaw country" to the more mainstream, "vanilla" moods of *Stardust*, along with its strings of pop and jazz covers--a record that's also included in the 1001 albums list, by the way... Maybe a sign that I should dig into less "obvious" releases so as to truly enjoy C&W... But all of this is a story for another time. To return to *Will The Circle Be Unbroken*, I'll give it a somewhat nice score, just because it opened a few gates for me. And for purposes others than the ones of this list, it's at least an 8/10. Being a double-album (triple, actually?) that invites a dozen of other artists to record with the band, said album is a hodgepodge, of course. Yet it's the sort of hodgepodge that makes sense in the end, especially when you want to get acquainted with a whole new genre. Number of albums left to review: 577 Number of albums from the list I find relevant enough to be mandatory listens: 203 Albums from the list I *might* include in mine later on: 98 (including this one) Albums from the list I will certainly *not* include in mine (many others are more essential to me): 126
Currently on Zillow and getting engaged to the girl I met at work who plays the banjo. We’re looking for 20 acre ranches in Oklahoma. In need of a Realtor asap.
Country. Más de dos horas de disco, se hace un poco pesado. Aún así: ni fu ni fa.
This would be much better at a country dive bar with a whiskey but stuck in a car it’s only tolerable
Quite enjoyable, not usually my type of music but I found myself having more fun than expected
Not my jam, but interesting
Oh boy. This is a mess. There's some really, really good country music here. Unfortunately there's also some bluegrass stuff that just kinda makes me shrug and it's so freaking, ridiculously long. This really could've been cut down. There's several eh songs and the aforementioned bluegrass could've made this a much leaner, more enjoyable listen. It's a 3, but it could almost be a 2 for the lows and punishing length. It also could've been a 4 for the high points. It's just all over the place. It's best to just find the good songs and skip the rest.
Made it through. Nothing bad about it particularly but it's sooooooo long. Pick any random tracks from this to make a 45 minute playlist and you'll have a far better experience
First half was a really good time, but I don’t understand the sequencing of ~10 consecutive banjo (or mandolin?) and fiddle tracks at the beginning of the second disc. The songs are almost indistinguishable from each other and just get old so quickly. Besides that complaint I really enjoyed it for the most part! Lots of interesting storytelling and then the bits of chatting and studio scenes are pretty cute as well. The title track at the end almost feels like a call to action trying to convince people to appreciate this old country sound and for artists to continue to create it, and the record up to that point serves as evidence to show how good country music can be. 6/10
- really enjoyed Nashville Blues and You are My Flower - the instrumentals are great - not fond of all the talking
This really plays more as an anthology of traditional music, rather than a cohesive artistic statement. It does a good job of what it intends to do, which is document bluegrass music and feature some of it's most prominent performers.
Loved the Blue Grass sounds and breakdowns were very impressive
Yeeeeehaw
This album celebrates Americana, Blue Grass, and Early Country Music. The picking and grinning is great and shows off why this group would be performing at the Opry. That being said, it is an acquired taste that may alienate a large part of the audience, despite being an excellent example of this genre.
Tappade bort mig själv
Well this was a pleasant surprise. It's a new artist for me. I was expecting some early 70's folk shit. All the suspect ingredients are there - the artist name, the album artwork, the choice of cover versions. But it doesn't sound dated. Decent songs don't age. It's far too long, but that's part of the appeal. Maybe the Nitty Gritty Dirt Band caught me on a good day. Maybe I'm maturing with age and becoming a stupid hippie.
I actually liked this one quite a bit... it just overstayed it's welcome by an hour lol
technically contains some incredible performances (plus i enjoyed the parts with the musicians talking) but as an album it's just not a very enjoyable experience. i did like the instrumental tracks as well as some of the lyricism and after putting this album off for a long time because of the duration, i have to say it wasn't that hard to get through. the songs that charted are the standouts here (Grand Ole Opry Song, I Saw The Light) but i would also choose the title track as one of my favorites. also i liked the banter, the only place where it felt unnecessary was Sunny Side Talk side note: i think i have the audio version of the tetris effect but for bluegrass now
I never really listened to bluegrass prior to listening to this album. The closest thing was some bluegrass-esque Grateful Dead tunes. As another user stated, this album is a sort of “uniting” of two generations. It flows like a long jam session. The talent on here is great. Lots of legendary names. I absolutely love the dialogue between the songs. It makes you feel like you’re in the studio. The only thing keeping this from a higher rating is its length. 2 hours is a long time for straight bluegrass. If it was cut in half, it’d get a higher score.
If you Love Bluegrass this is a seminal album. That it was recorded in single takes with minimal technical editing is a testament to the craftsmanship of those musicians. God damn its a long album tho.
Pretty good country and folk album. I could listen to it while playing fallout!
At times, I do love Americana, roots, bluegrass, etc., music. At other times, it can really annoy me. In the right mood, I like this album and very much appreciate its place in the American music canon, both as an album on its own and as an act of preservation. There are SO many tracks on this album, so it's a great compendium of this style of music. No matter what mood I'm in when I listen to this album, I can hear some superbly skilled musicians. There is a genuine skill on display here.
Nice to find something you would never have given a chance otherwise. Love how raw this is, the ability of these musician to lay down tracks of this quality in one or two takes is jaw-dropping. Didn't listen to the whole thing due to length and since this feels like a compilation more than a cohesive album. Will be dipping back in at a later time but this is well worth a listen. 3.5/5
Listened to half first side of CD. Interesting sound. Very full and can tell they paved way for future country western and bluegrass. Liked the little vocal parts before each song
Había canciones divertidas y otras que eran un rollo.
That's a lot of bluegrass for one sitting! It's great. Every classic is here.... Just too much for me! 3/5
If I finished listening to this album, I wouldn't have time to finish the others before dying
Like listening to the “O Brother, Where Art Thou?” soundtrack, but it’s 12 songs too long.
Jingley jangles!
That's a lot of fiddle.
It has taken me some time to find a day where I could commit to a 42 song album. They certainly were generous with. music length and I think a price should be given for that alone! This is, of course, a classic bluegrass album that came closer to any other to making bluegrass standards mainstream than any other effort I am aware of. NGDB was certainly a part of the soundtrack of my childhood and these songs, many of them old, have been played throughout Appalachia for time immemorial. I am a fan, but can't say I will often seek this one out in the future. Good to hear.
quote boring
I usually quite enjoy bluegrass and some country but it was out of context listening in my kitchen. It would have been better in an American bar. It got a bit “plinky plinky” and samey. Pleasant enough, not momentous. Low 3* ?
Long but a good listen and was interesting to read how and why the band was formed. The album recorded in 1 or 2 takes
Folk country > pop country. There were a lot of moments I liked, especially the instrumentals. There are some quite talented musicians here. A loooot of the songs sounded almost the same. They tend to use very, very similar chord progressions and song structures. I was disappointed by how repetitive the album was. I did find it pretty charming but I never want to hear it again, except for a few tracks. Except it's hard to know WHICH tracks I'd want to hear again, since they're so similar. I think I'm just barely gonna give it a 3 because I enjoyed the vibes and fun banjo/fiddle parts. I liked the instrumental tracks I did find it fascinating how old some of the collaborators on this album were. This album is like a historical artifact
Well that was a bit of gosh darn fun. Some banjo, some fiddle, some auto harp. Cute.